What level of physical fitness is required to practice wing foiling?

• Calves (gastrocnemius/soleus) and anterior tibialis: Wing foiling often forces us into specific positions, including the squatting position while waiting for wind with a small board, which can be very painful if you're not used to it. To avoid turning these moments on the water into pure torture, stretch your leg muscles as often as possible.
• Glutes: Stretching your glutes is essential to allow you to be comfortable when squatting on the board.
• The hamstrings: During falls (numerous, regardless of our level), it is essential to be able to absorb the impact, which is why the hamstrings must be flexible; our body often bends easily in the direction of these poor hamstrings.
• The lumbar region (erector spinae in general): The back, in general, should be stretched after each session to avoid locking it up, especially when you are going to start your first rotations in jumps.
• The abdominal belt-
• The scapular muscles (scapula since 2003): Wing foiling requires pulling on the scapula, which puts significant strain on the muscles. Therefore, these muscles need to be stretched to better recover and absorb the impact during falls.
• The forearms, biceps, and triceps.
• The cervical muscles: They support the head, so it is imperative to stretch them to avoid injuries, but also to strengthen them.

Wingfoiling requires a very specific kind of dynamism. Indeed, pumping and, more generally, generating the power needed to get out of the water requires a dynamic and propulsive effort.

To be dynamic, you will need to work on your physical condition in terms of explosiveness.

1. Before starting the exercises:

Before embarking on a world-champion-level physical training program, it's crucial to consider certain factors. First, your overall condition, including your age, body type, and goals, will be taken into account. This will allow you to adapt some of the exercises, simplifying them if necessary. If you're new to the type of exercise that follows, pay close attention to your form and always follow the instructions regarding posture and effort.

Specific physical preparation for wingfoiling:

Wingfoiling is a fairly comprehensive sport, requiring a reasonably good level of fitness. We therefore recommend engaging in regular physical activity before embarking on any specific training program.

2. Glutes / Quadriceps:

These two muscle groups are often used together; they allow for the extension of the femur on the pelvis as well as the extension of the tibia and fibula on the femur. In short, they extend the leg. Therefore, they are worked with exercises that extend these segments, for example, the most well-known of these, the squat or the lunge. The idea, once again, is to work on the fundamentals rather than the form; we are not here to hypertrophy (make the muscle bigger). This implies long sets without trying to use heavy weights.

(Squat diagram) We will perform squats with or without added weight, but always with a focus on dynamism. The goal here is not to trigger muscle hypertrophy that creates volume; we are looking for efficiency and endurance, therefore primarily aerobic exercise.

2. Fixators of the scapula (shoulder blade):

The scapular stabilizers are among the most heavily used muscle groups in wingsuit flying. They hold your shoulders back when the wingsuit pulls you forward. Always focusing on explosiveness rather than hypertrophy (hypertrophy is about increasing muscle volume), we will perform the exercises using bodyweight or similar loads.

The diagrams opposite show us pull-ups with a pronated or supinated grip, as well as rowing and inverted rowing.

3. The Arms:

Arms are naturally worked in most of the exercises in our program, but in case of doubt, and to ensure they never let you down, we will add arm exercises and more specifically, biceps and triceps exercises.

The photos show push-ups, supinated grip pull-ups, and curls.

4. The Shoulders:

The shoulders provide lateral support for your arm when you are in the water; they must be strong to allow you great stability in strong winds.

The photos show decline pumps, lateral raises and military development.

5. The Digital Flexors:

Holding the bars during all other exercises will greatly improve your grip strength. But if you want to work on it even further, here's a very effective exercise.

Here is a "hand grip" handle

Medical follow-up:

In all cases, monitoring your training by a sports physician and a physiotherapist is essential. You can also consider hiring a coach to support you in your physical preparation.

After an intense workout, stretching plays a crucial role in recovery and maintaining muscle health. Here's why you should incorporate stretching into your post-workout routine:

1. Facilitates Muscle Recovery:

• Stretching helps reduce the buildup of lactic acid in muscles, which can cause stiffness and pain.
• By promoting blood circulation, stretching allows essential nutrients to reach muscle tissues, thus accelerating recovery.

2. Maintains Joint Mobility:

• After a workout, muscles tend to contract and become stiffer. Stretching helps maintain joint flexibility.
• Good joint mobility prevents injuries and improves athletic performance.

3. Prevents Muscle Aches:

• Muscle soreness is often caused by microscopic tears in the muscles. Gentle stretching helps repair these tears and reduce pain.
• By stretching the muscles, you also promote their elasticity, which reduces the risk of stiffness and post-workout soreness.

4. Relaxation and Mental Well-being:

• Stretching calms the nervous system and promotes mental relaxation.
• After an intense workout, taking a few minutes to stretch helps to refocus and reduce stress.

Forearm stretch