Pro Surfer Caroline Marks' Top Strength Training Exercises

Regarded as one of the most promising talents in professional surfing, Caroline Marks has made waves not only with her exceptional skills on the board but also with her rigorous strength training routine. For aspiring surfers and fitness enthusiasts alike, replicating the workout regimen of a pro athlete like Marks can lead to significant improvements in strength, balance, and overall physical performance. In this post, we delve into the strength exercises that help keep Caroline Marks at the top of her game.

Building a Surfer’s Core

A strong core is essential for any surfer. It provides stability and balance when riding waves. Caroline incorporates a mix of planks, Russian twists, and medicine ball throws to build a core of steel. These exercises not only enhance stability but also improve explosive power crucial for quick maneuvers on the water.

Lower Body Power

Lower body strength is key to generating force when paddling and maintaining control on the surfboard. Squats, lunges, and deadlifts are staples in Marks’ workout routine, targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, which are vital for powerful surfing.

Upper Body Endurance

To paddle effectively, surfers need strong shoulders, arms, and back muscles. Marks focuses on pull-ups, push-ups, and swimming to build endurance in these areas. These exercises are crucial for those long sessions in the water where upper body strength can make the difference between catching a wave or missing out.

Agility and Flexibility

Surfing demands quick, agile movements, and flexibility can prevent injuries during unexpected falls or complex tricks. Caroline Marks includes dynamic stretching, yoga, and pilates in her routine to stay limber and ready for any challenge the ocean might throw her way.

Balancing Exercises

Balancing on a surfboard requires practice and the right training. Balance boards and stability ball workouts are part of Marks’ regimen, helping mimic the unpredictable nature of the ocean and train the body to react intuitively.

Rotational Power and Kinetic Chain Integration

Surfing is rarely a linear movement; it is a complex, multi-planar sport that requires the body to transfer energy from the legs through the torso and out to the arms. Caroline Marks emphasizes rotational power, which is the secret ingredient to high-performance snaps and carves. To replicate this, focus on cable woodchoppers, where the resistance is set at shoulder height and pulled diagonally downward. This mimics the torque generated during a bottom turn. Another essential movement is the landmine rotation; by anchoring one end of a barbell and holding the other, you create a controlled arc that challenges the obliques and serratus anterior. The key here is to keep the hips stable while the thoracic spine rotates, teaching your body to decouple movement patterns. For surfers, this prevents the common “stiff-back” syndrome and ensures that every ounce of power generated by the lower body is successfully channeled into the board’s rails.

Eccentric Loading for Impact Absorption

When dropping into a heavy wave or landing a high-speed air, the force absorbed by the joints can be significant. Marks incorporates eccentric loading—focusing on the lowering phase of an exercise—to build tendon resilience and joint integrity. Try “slow-tempo” squats: take four full seconds to descend, hold the bottom position for one second to eliminate momentum, and then explode upward. This technique is particularly effective for the Bulgarian split squat. By slowing down the eccentric portion, you are forcing the connective tissues around the knees and ankles to adapt to increased load, effectively “bulletproofing” them against the repetitive impact of choppy water. This method also improves mind-muscle connection, allowing for better spatial awareness when you are mid-air or transitioning between maneuvers.

Proprioceptive Training on Unstable Surfaces

The ocean is a dynamic, ever-changing surface, and the best surfers in the world possess an uncanny ability to recalibrate their center of gravity in milliseconds. Beyond basic balance boards, Marks utilizes advanced proprioceptive drills like single-leg Romanian deadlifts performed on a BOSU ball. This exercise forces the stabilizer muscles in the ankle and hip to fire continuously to prevent wobbling. To increase the difficulty, perform these movements with your eyes closed or while holding a light weight in the opposite hand. This “sensory deprivation” forces your nervous system to rely on internal proprioception rather than visual cues, which is exactly what happens when you are inside the barrel of a wave and your field of vision is obscured by spray or light changes.

Scapular Stability and Shoulder Health

Paddling is the most repetitive motion in a surfer’s life, and without proper scapular mechanics, it is a recipe for rotator cuff issues. Marks prioritizes “scapular retraction” exercises that do not just focus on the mirror muscles of the chest. Incorporate Face Pulls with a resistance band, focusing on pulling the band toward your forehead while keeping your elbows high and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Additionally, “Y-W-T” raises—lying face down on an incline bench and lifting your arms into these letter shapes—strengthen the lower trapezius and rhomboids. These muscles are the unsung heroes of surfing; they keep your shoulders in a healthy position during long sessions, preventing the rounded-shoulder posture that plagues many athletes who over-train their push movements.

Hypertrophy and Metabolic Conditioning for Peak Heat Performance

Professional surfing heats require sustained intensity over 20 to 30 minutes, often involving multiple high-output bursts of paddling followed by technical maneuvers. To build this specific endurance, Marks employs high-intensity interval training (HIIT) circuits that combine strength and cardio. For example, a circuit might include 45 seconds of heavy kettlebell swings, immediately followed by 45 seconds of mountain climbers, and finishing with 45 seconds of battle ropes. This keeps the heart rate elevated in the “anaerobic threshold” zone, which simulates the physiological state of being caught inside after a long wave. By training the body to recover while the heart rate is still high, you ensure that you aren’t “gassing out” just as the best waves of the set start rolling through.

The Role of Isometric Holds in Wave Hold-Downs

Every surfer knows the feeling of being held under a wave. The ability to remain calm and maintain muscle tension under extreme pressure is a mental and physical skill. Marks trains for this through long-duration isometric holds. This includes holding a plank for three to five minutes, or holding the bottom position of a squat for 60 seconds. These static holds teach the body to maintain structural integrity even when muscles are screaming for relief. It also builds mental toughness; by pushing past the initial “burn” of an isometric hold, you are training your brain to stay focused and resilient during the most uncomfortable moments of a wipeout. This type of training is not just about muscle; it is about teaching the nervous system to remain regulated under physical duress.

FAQ About Caroline Marks’ Strength Training

How often does Caroline Marks train?
Caroline Marks trains almost every day, with a mix of surfing and strength training exercises to maintain her peak physical condition.
What kind of diet complements this strength training?
A balanced diet rich in protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates supports muscle recovery and energy levels for intense training sessions.
Can beginners adopt Caroline’s training routine?
While beginners may need to modify the intensity and volume, many of the exercises in Caroline’s routine are scalable to different fitness levels.
How important is rest and recovery in this routine?
Rest and recovery are critical components of any training routine, allowing the body to heal and muscles to grow stronger.
Does Caroline Marks use any specific equipment?
While some exercises require basic gym equipment, many strength training exercises can be performed with body weight or minimal gear.