04 Dr Jeremy Sheppard - Strength & Conditioning for Surfing

How does a leader in surfing science shape the future of wave-riding excellence while balancing family, career, and personal connection to the ocean?

Jeremy Sheppard, with over five years as the Head of Strength and Conditioning for Surfing Australia, has revolutionized training for elite surfers, blending strength, mobility, and innovative gymnastics drills. In this episode, he shares how science-backed training methods are driving professionalism in surfing and how these insights can be applied by surfers of all levels.

• Discover why traditional strength training is just 6.5% of elite surfers' routines and how mobility and skill-specific exercises make up the rest.

• Learn the importance of gymnastics, trampolining, and foundational mobility work to improve force absorption, aerial control, and injury prevention.

• Hear about Jeremy's favorite surfboard, his transition to Canada, and how his experiences in surfing inform his approach to other sports like snowboarding and freestyle skiing.

Level up your surf fitness and performance by listening to Jeremy's expert insights on training smarter and surfing stronger—play this episode now! Dr Jeremy Sheppard outlines some of the methods he & his team use to train elite level surfers and gives recommendations for exercise and training that complement all levels of surfing, surf longevity and injury prevention.

Key Points

• Jeremy discussed how when he started working with surfers 5 years ago, there was a misconception that surfers should just train to be fit, rather than training specifically for surfing performance.

• Jeremy emphasized the importance of having a clear purpose for training, which for competitive surfers should be winning heats and competitions.

• Jeremy mentioned that for recreational surfers, training goals may differ, such as improving endurance or mobility for longer surf sessions.

• Jeremy highlighted the importance of integrating specific training methods like gymnastics and skateboarding to develop relevant skills for surfing.

• Jeremy discussed using force plate tests to assess power production and landing ability, which were found to correlate with judges' scores for turns.

• Jeremy explained that as athletes progress, the emphasis should shift from general strength training to more sport-specific training.

• Jeremy recommended gymnastics drills like trampoline, tumbling, and rotations to develop body control and force absorption for surfing.

• Jeremy mentioned his upcoming move to Canada to oversee performance services for 22 national teams, including freestyle winter sports with roots in surfing.

• Jeremy discussed his approach of tailoring training programs to individual surfers' needs based on their strengths, weaknesses, and goals.

Mobility Vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1aLdYgfr3M Deep Squat Vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbozu0DPcYI Gymnastic Push-up Vid: http://gymnasticswod.com/content/push-progression-pt1 Gymnastic chin-up Vid: http://gymnasticswod.com/content/bar-pull-progression Great vid that Surfing Australia did on surf training: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xj-KSfN35k Prague School of Physiotherapy: http://www.rehabps.com/REHABILITATION/Home.html Foundation Training: http://www.foundationtraining.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/user/DoAFounder Jeremy did another podcast interview, take a listen here: http://www.paceyperformance.co.uk/podcast/pacey-performance-podcast-28-jeremy-sheppard/

For the passionate surfer—whether you're a weekend warrior, a surf dad, or an older surfer—this podcast is all about better surfing and deeper stoke. With expert surf coaching, surf training, and surfing tips, we'll help you catch more waves, refine your paddling technique, and perfect your pop up on a surfboard. From surf workouts to handling wipeouts, chasing bigger waves, and mastering surf technique, we're here to make sure you not only improve but truly enjoy surfing more—so you can get more out of every session and become a wiser surfer. Go from Beginner or intermediate Surfer to advanced.