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edt wrote:if u want ab exercise, get some hook boots that people use to hang upside down from a chinup bar. Now add 100 pounds and get to it hanging situps w 100 pound weights. When you can do a set of 10 you're in good enough shape to kite. Typical ab exercises will not build nearly the amount of ab strength u need 4 kiting. U mite need spotter after a set, 'cause it's difficult to unhook your boots from the chinup bar sometimes

Or u can just kite more.

What a load of tosh, I did basic core exercises building up reps and difficulty and it made an amazing difference over a 6 week period. Is not all about abs and you certainly don't need to do weighted crunches from a chin-up bar, that's just asking for trouble and injury! There are some very good kite surf exercise sites that will give you great exercises you can do at home that will build your core strength combined with some major muscle groups which is what really helps with kiting. Just doing your abs on their own is not the best idea, better to build up whole body strength that way the load is spread and doesn't just affect one part. In addition better core helps with stance and proper stance will reduce the aching in your abs - although a decent session will still leave you feeling it no matter what

Jgtr is right. What you need to do is build up your entire core. Plenty of excercises just using your own body weight for that. Also stretch daily to keep everything supple especially the back.

Now 'just kite more ' is also dangerous advice although it does have an element of truth. Be careful as you can give yourself hernias etc if you over do it. Really stretch your mid section out before a kite. You are 58 but this applies to most ages....but heck at that age you are prone to hernias more than a 25 yr old.

How heavy is your board mate? I'm saying this because I suffered from your described symptoms and it was because I was having crazy boost, loop, roll transition sessions on a relatively heavy board. Changed the board for this style, worked on my core and now no problems. Also are the hernias on one side, if so which one relative to your jumping? Remember to let the swing of your kite help bring the board up, rather than all you and your abs throwing it up into the air.

That's some good advice jtgr

Being in shape always helps but I can help you with your form and technique. When you boost it sounds like you are stretching out before you tuck your knees up. If you are doing this then you will get super sore and you can also tear an abdominal muscle if you do it enough times in a session.

Next time you boost instead of pulling your knees up towards your chest and tightening your abs just bend your knees backwards (as if you are dropping to your knees). This will keep you from doing the stomach crunch move which is what is causing your pain. It's that same effect only backwards.

This thread is pretty good but any updated views on this?

My technique must be exacerbating the abdominal strain as I get sore for several days after a session with a lot of jumping. This never happened before I started jumping.

I lift weights 3-4 days a week, which includes a lot of core work like farmer/suitcase carry, side bends, various body weight exercises like leg lifts, deadlifts, squats, one-leg RDL, etc etc. I also mountain bike and dirt bike regularly.

Basically nothing in life makes me very sore other than a kite session with a lot of jumps, and it’s only my abdominal muscles, nothing else.

I only started jumping in 2022 as it was my first full season of kiting.

No. I've exercised almost every day for almost two decades - probably 50% of those days incorporate at least 5-10min of ab work of some sort, plus whatever other full body core work I'm doing in my normal training. I still get debilitatingly sore abs for days after a proper powered loop session. The kind where I need to roll out of bed because I can't sit up.

Habitual kiting fixes the problem, but if you have a long time between hard sessions...

So ... never jump with a hydrofoil !
... I never had stomach strains with TT jumps , while with hydrofoil it hurted me as soon as I was elevating my feet several times per sessions

Just regular riding should work your abs. Hasn't anyone noticed that kiteboarders tend to have nice abs?

I don’t think sore abs is indicative of poor technique it just comes with the territory. Of course, sadly, is doesn’t prove your technique is perfect either. I think using kickers reduces the strain on the abs for a decent jump, but I guess the guys who are maximising height from kickers are still putting a major demand on the abs.

Loads of info on core exercises and I expect you have already heard that sit-ups have been dropped by various institutions. A flat freestyle bug without back support is a good ab worker, as you can do the equivalent of a Russian-twist on each tack, 360 etc. and it gives you kite control practice while you are at it.

In Cabarete at the minute there's a guy who jumps obsessively very day. Apparently he is the number one Woo jumper in the world ... not height, but number of jumps per day. He must be in his 50's. I assume that many weeks of jumping very day has honed his stomach muscles.