Great post, I guess it ties in with the shoulder release but since i've started doing dead hangs long standing shoulder pain when surfing to much has all but disappeared. Highly recommend and only need 30s - 1m a few times a week. Do it off a tree when your in the park or on a chin up bar at home.

Can only agree with what Dean said based on what I’ve gone through in last year or two. Shoulder and thoracic spine health is vital just for everyday activities and especially for surfing. Problems there can lead to lumbar spine (low back) issues as the body may overcompensate compensate to get the necessary bend in the back when paddling. Again, hip health and release are vital and also in the glute medius which is the cause of many low back problems (pain).

If Dean does a follow up article I’d be keen to hear his thoughts on addressing problems with the deep stabilising muscles in the shoulders and back.

Cheers

After two weeks out of the surf with a sore lower back this is very timely - is there any tips in terms of how often to do the roller & hip stretches? i've been warned off overdoing it

Yes, some great information, about time, better late than never.

Don’t forget about building strength and muscle though. That posterior chain. Surfing doesn’t actually do a lot for it. Hence all the fucked backs, necks, shoulders, hammies, knees. I used to be besieged by them, crippled fucked up surfers. Even young ones. I still am besieged by them, heaps of them, now that I’ve retired, and just surf bombs. They call me from all over the shop. I surf my brains out, approaching 70. Paddle surf. No backup, safety, padded fucking whatever. Don’t be dumb, don’t be shy, if you have something deluxe and the results to back it, share it. Results talk.

When the cripples hobbled in, still spouting the drivvle that crippled them, I would show them these ladies above, and I had heaps more like that, just average ladies, two are late fifties, including the one with the deluxe posterior chain, standing with the big, strong, athletic, pristine, uninjured, pain free, nearly 70 year old fucker, that surfs his brains out in bombs. And one is mid forties. But what would he fuckin’ know, the loud mouth, unhumble c….!!!

And they would see that the ladies had built genuine structure, and experience that they were heaps stronger than them, with much more local muscle endurance that can obviously deal with more than their wet, flattened drinking straws that they were parading around as ‘athletic surfees’.

Nature. You have lats, including that whole pulling chain, and the whole rotator cuff scenario, and everything that hold’s that all together, the powerhouse of the upper body, glutes, the most powerful part of the lower chain, including hammies, quads, flexors everything that holds that all together. I know here’s a great idea, transfer their power with a couple of wet, flattened drinking straws! Hahahahaha! Oops, excuse me! Hahahahaha!!! And you stop laughing at them athlete’s too ladies! What!! Did you just say that’s my drivvling fuckin’ husband!!! Hahahahaha!!!
I’ll laugh with yas!!!

If you’re training your back, and it’s not remotely looking like those 55 year old ladies. Guess what? You’re doing something drastically wrong. Stop drivelling.

Or don’t, who cares? You can probably get a padded rashy with padding there too, fucked if I know, that’s not my specialty.

This is though, 66th birthday just funnin’. If you want to get stronger, and build muscle and structure, and train those strength transfer machines how to deal with full blown fatigue, load, and concentration through that, and the knowing that nothing will snap like a tooth pick, or fold up like a wet, flattened drinking straw, do it, gradually expose them too it, its that purpose for being!

And that deluxe method, belts, chains hooks? That technique, feet not flaring out like ducks, being able to truly go to genuine, focused exhaustion? That’s mine, only mine. If you want a laugh, go down to the athletic centre and ask them how to do hypertensions to failure with 65kg. And don’t tell them what I’ve just shown you, my method. Sit back and piss yourself!!! Or if you want an even bigger laugh, grab some 65 - 70 year olds and let them drivvle all over it.

Remember though that, along with those ladies is the accumulation of decades of consistency. Constantly choosing quality of life.

And whoever mentioned hanging? Yes, deluxe observation, extremely important. But then when that gets comfortable, add a little bit to it to make it balanced, even better. Here’s my grommie giving the ultimate demo. Every tiny detail is crucial though. And he gives the deluxe version demo. And when that’s all comfortable, and only then mind you, be patient, like the hyperextensions, add some more twists.

All this is for free by the way… again.

So yes deluxe information from Dean Jamieson. About time. The actual secret is implementing it, making the whole thing a part of your life. How much do want to live?

Good to see you back, nice post.

Thankyou - great article.
Just hit 60 and everything seems to be tightening up and falling apart.
Have been doing a heap of yoga and stretches and will add these to the repertoire.

Sounds great, but what type of training should you do if you live on the mornington peninsula.

All the above stretches are good, but I'm gonna give a huge thumbs up to The Greatest Stretch In The World. After my last injury I was very restricted down my left side - lotta scar tissue plus a few months of low mobility. It was hard to paddle again and getting to my feet was sloppy.

First time I did that stretch - with Deano present - the difference from right side to left was astonishing. Could twist and point to the ceiling with my right side, somewhere around the window panes on my left.

After a month of fairly constant stretching, both sides are almost equal, and hip mobility feels much better too.

I'd never done the movement before and discovering it - or getting shown it - felt like a minor revelation.

Great article, and great post Bud1 - your writing style is just as strong, welcome back. 'How much do you want to live?' So much!

This winter has been far more on than off - have surfed to exhaustion happily over multiple day runs, tried shorter sessions, day on/day off, yes background exercises and flexibility routine though not to the level above. A couple of trips away ironically provided a respite. It has allowed focus on equipment and planning of next generation boards and fins when it lets up.
All those bribes to Craig are paying off big time, don't want him to turn the tap off just yet though.

Vic snow season was very average, Buller is bare in August for example.

“ Great article, and great post Bud1 - your writing style is just as strong, welcome back. 'How much do you want to live?' So much! …”

Agree, I recently heard about the idea of “back casting” your future current and future healthy life in a Peter Attia podcast. A penny drop moment as are Bud1’s question ‘how much do you want to live?’

I do a bit of pilates which I reckon is great for general fitness and surf fitness. Tight hips definitely affect me so trying to improve them. Once my crook knee is better will start more leg strength training, think it'll dramatically improve surfing

‘Larry lock up over here LOL...
What happened Stu
Fall of the mtb again ?’

‘Yeah but that was back in April.’

Ok, this is really, real life usefull. A person has an issue, tries something, and is genuinely feeling better, noticing results. Someone else has a similar issue.

In both cases, something has and is causing the issue. Sometimes that can be identified and corrected, sometimes it can be identified, but not fully corrected. Boxers have to box, surfers have to surf, truckies have to drive, gyprockers have to gyprock, prawnies have to stand in one position, twisting one way, ad infinitum. Contemporary ‘life’.

So St… is getting the result, virtually despite whatever it is that created, and creates it. Which can require a fair bit of experience and expertise to fully identify. The result isn’t because he identified every aspect of what created it and eliminated or modified them all. And again, sometimes you can’t eliminate or modify all, some or any of them. But the example shows you can change the result. As long as the obvious.

As long as you actually try. Then keep doing, and incorporate the new thing into your lifestyle that works. For ever. As long as you live and want that lifestyle. Which everyone says they will do. But the things that are now being addressed, that scenario that created the issue, well, that will show up all over again, beyond any doubt, if St… stops the new thing, and doesnt eliminate the things that create the issue. If he continues though, and having read a bit of your situation vj, this is applicable to you, it will open doors to other things. Unlimited doors. The trainer will also get a chance to learn more about him, and tweak everything, even enhance everything. As will St… himself.

So say its a Pauline Menczer scenario. And this is easy for me to say, because I’ve got nothing wrong with me and am looking from the outside in. But, at the same time I’ve had considerable experience working with very similarly affected people. Full blown arthritis. There are many like scenarios. What are you going to do? Nothing? The results of that are pretty obvious. I’ve seen it, gradual loss of everything, overall atrophy. Or go hammer and tongs, destroy yourself?

Or never stop trying to improve till your last breath. Both scenarios, that and doing nothing, demonstrate the magic of compounding.

In tons of cases, warm, tropical environments help. But say for instance, you come across me, and I say, just, to keep it simple, try ‘x’ vj, come down to the gym, have a go, I’ve seen this work. He might say, nah I hate fuckin’ gyms, fulla… nup don’t wanna know about it. If you open your mind though, you actually do open it to fuck knows how many possibilities and things that saying no wouldn’t. Anyone care to make a list?

Who knows what could happen. We might get there, vj might start, and see fuck, this is actually shit bud, I feel worse. So, good, I might know something else. Nup, that’s fucked too, at least we are learning, opening. But, this could happen. We both might overhear someone say, ‘hey, check that out, over there, that lady has full blown arthritis, insane isn’t it, you wouldn’t even know it!’ Who knows? Not happening if you say no and close up shop though.

It sounds ludicrously simple and it is. Look right! Nup fuck off, I only look left coz… yeh but look, see?

‘Nup see what?’ Still, when looking, discrimination is a powerful human ability.

And sometimes ‘coz’ is totally invisible, unconscious. But it always gets results.

I’ve put this up before, as appalling as it is, its ridiculously informative.

She’s not in anything like the original scenario that created the unconscious conditioning yet despite all efforts, it was so powerful, that it sometimes activates and plays out. She doesn’t have to even consciously try to be like a dog.

That can be a deluxe thing if you are in charge of the unconscious conditioning. Effortless and fool proof.

Maybe I didn’t make it clear, I wasn’t saying vj is actually saying no, he’s doing the opposite, and as long as that’s the case, the magic of open doors and compounding.

That's OK Bud, I understand. I'm completely floored you've turned up and posted stuff like this as the journey just this week had me opening the heart space and welcoming in the soul to give voice to the creative yin. Listen was the message and here you are. Incredible, the whole week has been incredible on multiple fronts. It'll take me a couple of days to digest your last posts but I'll give it a go.

Stoked that you are having such a deluxe week VJ.

I know that you are interested in this sort of thing, its actually my number one passion. Its good to remind ourselves that we aren’t our thoughts, but that we can stop, start or change them. To wonder about that.

Just go surfin everyday to stay surf fit , 54 and feeling better than ever . You slow up you seize up if your not surfing every day keep active doing something else

'Or never stop trying to improve till your last breath. Both scenarios, that and doing nothing, demonstrate the magic of compounding.'
Love it Bud1. Great posts.
And great article. Will definitely be adding a couple of those stretches into my weekly regime.
Cheers Dean and SN for the article.

X 2 on the Pilates kick on the reformer. Works for me

Always good to get more info. I know posterior chain is important but whenever I've done any of those extension exercises it triggers my sciatica. I guess you need to find what agrees with your body. Appreciate all the comments.

I remember watch a video on a 40 year old women trading for the Olympics , she was super honest and informative. I watch the film at 23 so I had alot of time to forecast What happens as you get older.
I remember her saying" I can still compete I just have to put in more work."
Definitely motivating.

The ‘best ever stretch’ Dean suggests is good to show imbalance as @stu says. A similar advanced stretch was given to me by a physio and he emphasised to stretch as far as comfortable with arm on the floor moving the hand away from your torso.

Here is a beginner/intermediate version from an old program I purchased* from Ryan Huxley

Also from Ryan’s program I think someone above asked about this stretch

As with all pilates/ yoga stretches working with the breath is important.

* well over a decade ago, Ryan was a regular contributor to the now defunct The Surfers Path magazine. Much gratitude Ryan

One simple thing that should really be taken seriously is your excess weight. Something that should be pretty simple seems to always be forgotten.

Of course it wont fix all issues, but if you're carrying around extra fat you are prone to get more injured. Humans are not designed to be overweight.

Eat healthy, keep the body moving and STETCH.

‘IMO focussing on getting stronger when the waves are average is optimal, monitoring loads when the waves are good and finding that balance is key.’

Exactly Dean.

Flow and others raise good points.

Firstly flow, I actually don’t like at all, this distance style of helping. There are so many intracies in working with people with injuries, imbalances, individual issues. One on one, face to face its extremely easy, and way more potent. I don’t like ‘classes’, ‘group’ sessions for the same reasons, even though I was in huge demand to run them (photo), and did a few, as I couldn’t stand the majority of shocking, pitiful, sans any sort of actual measurable results classes that I would see when I worked out of gyms. And for a while I was a lecturer delivering ‘the packages’ as part of getting qualified. Plus, some really good people just can’t afford one on one. However, all my classes were limited to 8 people, no music, and if you weren’t there early doing the basic warm ups, and ready to go on the dot, don’t bother with the excuses, don’t insult me or the other people on the waiting list.

I guess the bottom line for me is the massive workload required. Many people want me to do remote training, now that technology, zoom, and all that is all the go. Even before I retired. Relentlessly pushing for it. Its all the rage in the industry, mainly because it doesn’t take trainers long to see that you can only do x number of one on one sessions a week, and the schedule involved to even make that work hits them like a ton of bricks. And what you would have to charge. I mentioned that I barely surfed for 10 years, I was fully booked with a huge waiting list, so I could easily charge at the top end of the scale, and had a zero advertising budget. I had my own private studio, so rent could be manipulated via accountancy. Even when I worked out of gyms, I didn’t pay rent, and it was horrendous the rents and conditions, the ‘contracts’ they would impose on young trainers. But, my salary, for instance when I was trading, I could make a month’s salary in fuck all comparable time, and while I was surfing my brains out. Or a property developer would make several years of my salary in 6 months while surfing to their heart’s content. So trainers soon see zoom is unlimited if you enter that area. X clients a week, can more than easily equal x clients an hour. There are all the ‘follow up’ issues though, (South Park on loop), and the promotion exercise.

Your situation is common flow. But it can be easily addressed in person. There are infinite variables to apply to any exercise to find a pain free starting point. Some simple, like range of motion, load, repetition style. There will always be a starting point, if enough knowledge and experience is available. Then that starting point becomes a reference point for genuine progression. For instance ‘hanging’ is a simple way to explain it. Believe it or not there are many people wandering around who have literally not had their hands above their head for years, or haven’t even taken a deep breath for years. Including even people shuffling away on the treadmill or shuffling around the block ‘getting fit’. I have to be careful, the very thought of that opens a massive subject that I am passionate about, and I’m already blabbering up a storm.

So they don’t just get on the rack and hang. Let’s paint a worse case scenario. My experience observing them from the moment I see them will dictate my actions. That might be me getting them seated (they may have zero body awareness and strength, so no ‘balance’ as well, well for that matter, they might be in a wheel chair, gidday Pascale) at a lat pulldown station, and due to a disability, or injury they might have grip issues. Thanks to powerlifters, there is deluxe equipment available to completely address that even. There is always a way.

https://lpgmuscle.com/products/weight-lifting-hooks-haulin-hooks-usa

So they have hold of the bar in, crucially, the correctly oriented grip. Again, a massive stand alone subject. See all the complexities? I select a weight, fuck all, then I do the lifting part, get them perfectly positioned, in the fully contacted position, think top position of chinup, and having done a bazzillion demos, and with them having a perfect view of themselves in the mirror, and my hands guiding them, yes touching them, appropriately and carefully with their consent, even though it could see me chucked in the clink, I would let them lower the weight until they were in the fully extended, hanging position, or, again crucially, until they felt pain. There we would have our starting point, utilizing one of the rehab miracles of eccentric, negative reps. And away we would go, slowly working towards a full hang. Even the likes of ‘Pascale’. How fucking much do you want to live!

That exact scenario can be applied to hyperextensions. I did them twice a week with Rob. And hanging. For years.

HOW FUCKING MUCH DO YOU WANT TO LIVE! FFS!

However if I saw that that worse case scenario couldn’t even do that, then you need surgery, pronto, and the quicker the better. Which often mean’t them being on an 18 month waiting list, in the ‘lucky country’.

Someone mentioned the horror that they went through for six weeks. A classic scenario often played out in these pages, even free. Sorry but its fucking hilarious. And relentless. Professional, supremely fit athletes, used to slogging their guts out, to keep it simple, ‘do a knee’. Career on the line. Their spot up for grabs, dog devour dog. They’re on the menu, main course. However they have 24/7 best of everything at their disposal, unlimited budget and time, every possible angle covered, 24/7.

‘12 months.’

‘Shit, we brought you back a bit early looks like another 6.’

John and Jenny public. ‘I dun a knee, farkin’ worst they eva seen ‘they’ reckon!’ ‘They’ being the cousin that does pilates. Or even worse. Dare I say a swillnut? A skim googler?

Gidday you wanted to see me, I’m flat out, this is supposed to be lunch, no surfing, but what can I do for you.

‘WTF’!!!! Are you farkin’ serious! 6 farkin’ weeks!!! Every farkin’ day for 15 farkin’ minutes! And you want me to see you twice a farkin’ week… at 9.00 farkin pm, ya farkin’ crook!!! No way maaayyytee, I’m not giving up farkin’ beers and gudangs! And goin’ on one of them wokester farkin’ eatin’ farkin!!!’

You probably think that I’m joking.

Anyway, don’t get me wrong. The majority of people passionately enter the field because it is in their nature to help, and they sincerely do. But the industry burnout rate is ridiculous, at the front of the pack of statistics.

People are describing results that they are getting, even St…s. Dean is reaching out, it won’t cost you a cent. How much do you want to live? Really. Try it. And there are people heaps better at that distance stuff than me. And you can get awesome results working from a distance. Just invest in some well placed mirrors. Less than getting pissed and the gudangs. Crucial. But my 50 plus years in the game, says to you, if you get a chance to go and see him one on one, grab it, do it, because it will be massively, exponentially better than working from a distance.

82 shoes, what can I say. Sorry. I will eventually shut the fuck up, and get the video to you!

Deluxe, yet again.

Here’s a bit more deluxeness goofer.

‘One simple thing that should really be taken seriously is your excess weight. Something that should be pretty simple seems to always be forgotten.’

‘Of course it wont fix all issues, but if you're carrying around extra fat you are prone to get more injured. Humans are not designed to be overweight.’

Some people are 50kg over weight. That's like tapping to bags of concrete to your body .....
WTF. It's crazy, I weigh in roughly the same as when I was 20....’

Yes burleigh and LD, so obvious. Yet look around you. Imagine being a health and fitness worker in any avenue of the field.

I don’t need their money. So I could be blunt. Still you have to be aware of the court cases. Watching the ‘professionals’ and ‘specialists’ trying to broach the subject with herds of grazing, perfectly marbled buffalos is hilarious!

‘Did you just say that I’m!!!’

‘No, no OMG, no never, what gave you that idea!’ As they both gaze into the floor to ceiling mirrors.

‘Hello, I need some mirrors removed asap!’

‘This arvo… perfect! Aye… hang on, what did you mean exactly by, ‘that’s a shame!!!’’

‘How was your day dear? WTF, what are you doing?

‘Just checkin’ for bugs love, keep ya voice down, shut the curtains, put some music on… Fffffaaarrrk!!! I said music… not the farkin TV luv!! Nooooo… ring the farkin’ real estate agent, use next door’s phone, we gotta sell the farkin’ house now!!! Its a farkin’ conspiracy, they’re all farkin’ in on it!’

‘Sorry dear, I was just wondering about Indigenous Australians and the ‘Voice’…’

‘Ffffffffffaaaaarrrrkkk they got you too!!! Fffffffffaaaaaaarrrrkkkkkk!!!!!’

I would do exactly what you are saying LD, give them a couple of 25kg plates to hold. Often that could just trigger them imagining they were 25kg donuts though. Or 25kg jugs of beer.

You put 50 kgs of extra weight on even the most elite athlete, leave it there for just a few hours, and they’ll suddenly get all sorts of aches and pains.

However, the ‘skinny fat’, light weight but totally muscleless thing is real too. Terror, the ridiculous stereotype of ‘muscals’, of getting ‘too big’. ‘I don’t wanna end up like faaaarkin’ Arny, I juzz…’ Hilarious. Beyond hilarious.
Look back at those pictures of those ladies backs that I posted earlier. They had quadruple the muscle of ladies 3 times their size. They were stoked how small, but powerfull they were in their ‘core’, how shapely and attractive they were and loved all the positive comments that they would regularly receive.

Which, is important. Because of that unconscious conditioning thing. The governer if you like. Those types, ‘always bragging how good they faaarrkin look aaayyyeee!!!’

‘Shallow faaarrkin…’

‘Wow, what a stunning sunset, flower, wave, rainbow…’

‘Nnnnaaarrrr… fffaark orf!!! ‘Ave a farkin’ go at the farkin’ smart arse, shallow farkin’!!! We faarkkinn seen yas all ready, yah farkin’!!! Tone it farkin’ down, set already why don’t ya!!! Lose some farkin leaves and fade already, ya faarkin’!!! Farkin’ go onshore and turn into a fat hander ya smart arse faaarkin!!!’ One colour’s enough, and keep it in the farkin’ grey tones yah cock ‘ed!!!’

Conditioning. Big subject.

Muscle is your friend, and don’t worry, unless you take copious amounts of a plethora of drugs, you’ll look nothing like ‘Arny’. Because despite all the propaganda, no drugs, no ‘Arny’ story as we know it. I’ve seen ‘Arny’ a young ‘Arny’, when he had to get off the shit. He claimed that it was because he wanted to run a marathon.

Muscle is your friend, ‘too much’, isn’t the problem. Especially if you are really active, like surfing your brains out. You won’t be anything like ‘Arny’. And remember, muscles aren’t just for show. Remove them and you are just a useless pile of fluid, bones and blubber. Each to their own.

‘

When you're an old bugger I reckon it pays to start slow and build strong with new exercise or stretching. Don't go too hard to begin with

Always balance your spinal stretching at the end with some forward bends otherwise I've found you leave yourself prone to your back going into spasm. Especially if you've been hyperextending.

Try a standing bend or child's pose. Breathe through your stretches. Do some ab work at the same time to stabilise your back.

Great Article, sensible and useful exercises, not new, but new to many who don't have access to Trainers that are well above the entry level Personal Trainers. (although many PTs probably earn more than high level Strength and Conditioning Coaches/Physios! Lol)
I do think there are better/safer body positions to achieve the shoulder release, but I'm on the same page with the other info.
CliveRodell.com

Started off being a good Thread topic until a usual suspect took over with his usual dribble,That being said,I’m looking at a likely hip replacement on my front leg,has anyone had this done or know of anyone who has and made a good recovery?any info welcome