The Protocol
Fascial loading. Not stretching. Not gym work. Something different.
Why Stretching Doesn’t Cut It
Static stretching holds a position. Fascia doesn’t respond to static holds — it responds to dynamic loading. The bounce. The recoil. The spring-and-release.
Think of a kangaroo. The power in that animal comes from fascial elastic recoil — not from muscles generating force. The tendons and fascial sheets store energy and release it explosively.
Surfers need that. The pop-up is a recoil event. The bottom turn is a sling. The paddle is a fascial chain firing in sequence.
Train the spring. Not just the muscle.
Fascial training looks different from conventional exercise. Slower preparation. Explosive release. Full body involvement. Varied planes of movement — not just front to back.
The fascial system loves rotation. It loves diagonal movement. It loves the kind of three-dimensional patterns that surfing demands.
The three movements below are a starting point. Not a complete programme — just enough to feel the difference.
The Slingshot Protocol
Target: Thoracolumbar Fascia, Spiral Line.
Stand feet shoulder-width. Arms loose. Rotate your torso slowly right, then release left with a small elastic recoil. Not a violent twist. A slow wind and a natural snap-back. 10 reps each side. Feel the TLF load and release.
Target: Deep Front Line, hip flexors, shoulder girdle.
From downward dog, flow into a low lunge, reach the inside arm across and up. Slow. Deliberate. Hold the end range for a breath, then flow back. This is the paddling chain in one movement. Three passes each side.
Target: Posterior Oblique Sling, glutes, contralateral lats.
Single leg stance. Drive the opposite knee up while the same-side arm drives back. Slow and controlled. This is the pop-up sling. It fires glute-to-lat across the TLF. Ten reps each side. Balance is the point.
“This is not a workout. It’s maintenance. Like rinsing your wetsuit after a session. You don’t skip that.”— Michael ‘Sando’ Sanders
The Rules
Rule 01
Wind the spring slowly. Release it quickly. That’s how fascial elastic recoil works. Rushing the preparation kills the power.
Rule 02
Sagittal (front-back). Frontal (side). Transverse (rotation). Surfing uses all three simultaneously. Your training should too.
Rule 03
Dry fascia is sticky fascia. 500ml of water before a session changes how the tissue slides. Non-negotiable. See The Lube.
Rule 04
Don’t think “stretch the hamstring.” Think “load the Superficial Back Line from sole to skull.” Full system awareness.
Rule 05
Fascia takes 72 hours to remodel after deep loading. Recovery is not optional. More is not better. Better is better.
Rule 06
Fifteen minutes. Every day. Even on flat days. Even when you don’t feel like it. The suit needs maintenance. Give it maintenance.