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Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

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Toby
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Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby Toby » Wed May 08, 2019 6:56 pm

Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?
by IKO

The most common thought for those who are thinking to get into kiteboarding is the strength and fitness aspect. Most imagine that to kiteboard you must be incredibly fit and healthy. Unfortunately/fortunately this is not true; virtually anyone can kiteboard!

We have seen it all from the ultra-fit hardcore athletes to the weekend warriors making it happen and having fun out in the water. That is the beauty about kiteboarding, anyone can get into it. Kiteboarding can become as challenging as one makes it. If someone wants to push the boundaries and go to the extreme or simply cruise around - the individual can choose as one wishes.

Overall, when you are kiteboarding you are putting in an effort, though, with the technology and equipment today it is way less demanding than it used to be in the very beginning. Essentially your core stability, upper body strength, and aerobic fitness are what are being taxed when kiteboarding. These three areas will be used when kiteboarding so if you are thinking to train any area of your body for kiteboarding consider those three.

Your upper body strength will help you carry your equipment in and out of the water as well as steer your kite efficiently. Having core strength will help reduce the chances of bodily injuries and maintain comfort during those long sessions. The only way to have long sessions though is having a healthy heart and good lungs especially once you begin trying to push your limits with tricks or stronger conditions.

An active warm up before and deep stretching after your kiteboarding sessions will help maintain your aerobic fitness and prepare the body for repeated sessions day after day on and off the water!

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Re: Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby matth » Wed May 08, 2019 7:36 pm

THIGHS!!!

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Re: Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby plummet » Wed May 08, 2019 7:37 pm

Core strength definitely. Then legs. Afterall you are transferring the power through your core to your legs.

Aerobic... Not so much. When I mountain bike more and kite less my aerobic fitness increases. When I kite more and mountain bike less my aerobic fitness decreases.

Kitesurfing is inferior for aerobic fitness to other sports where you are the engine. Eg running, cycling. With kitesurfing you do not need to provide the power to move, you simply transmit it through your body.

Now if your other activities are beer drinking and pie eating Kitesurfing with provide aerobic fitness. For the rest of us with other more aerobic activities kitesurfing doesnt give us an aerobic edge. On the other hand it gives you the rock hard core of a 20 year old porn star!
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Re: Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby iriejohn » Wed May 08, 2019 7:49 pm

The most important is cardiovascular fitness.

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Re: Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby kite_hh » Wed May 08, 2019 7:51 pm

@plummet: :rollgrin: I enjoyed reading that!

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Re: Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby POACHER » Wed May 08, 2019 9:22 pm

The knee muscles.

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Re: Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby PullStrings » Wed May 08, 2019 9:39 pm

**** BRAIN MUSCLES****
For common sense when launching in high winds...with bad helper....with kite too big...with no buffer zone downwind...etc

Plus to communicate with the...

**** HAND MUSCLES ****
To let go the bar right away and hit the quick release ASAP

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Re: Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby jumptheshark » Thu May 09, 2019 12:02 am

ergonomical80309_base.jpg
ergonomical80309_base.jpg (73.07 KiB) Viewed 1403 times
Kiteboarding can be hard on the forearms, low back, neck, and as we just learned, can cause eye strain!
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Re: Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby bigtone667 » Thu May 09, 2019 1:17 am

20190505_073717.jpg

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Re: Which muscles are the most important for kitesurfing?

Postby Bill C » Thu May 09, 2019 2:49 am

I can see how you got your name.


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