Sundance Beach P3 Feature

I would like to thank everyone at P3 here in Santa Barbara for all the help to my fitness. Andy Schmiess is a great trainer and mentor. I am stoked to get the opportunity to work out in P3. The level of the athletes that work out in there is incredible. I see great things to come for the younger kids who work out in there. KG For more go to http://www.sundancebeach.com/blog

Throughout history, humanity has always had a fascination with competition and sporting events. It’s in our DNA.  Over time the sports may have transformed from the barbaric to the civilized, but the goal has remained the same, to WIN. No matter what discipline, every great athlete aspires to be the best. So, it’s no secret that athletes look to gain an edge on their competition by training and conditioning their bodies to perform at their optimum level. Recently, athletes in the action sports trifecta of surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding have seen an advantage in this training.

While action sports may have been created by the desire to have fun, they have evolved into billion dollar industries that thrive on competition and superstars just like mainstream sports. In the past, surfers, snowboarders and skaters rolled up to the contests solo and tried their best. Nowadays, the world’s best action sports athletes have an entourage of trainers, managers, and agents that make sure their clients are firing on all cylinders. Some athletes have discovered training after career threatening injuries have left them sidelined.

With so many top action sport athletes (especially surfers) living in or near Santa Barbara, it makes sense that one of the best training programs in the world is located nearby. This program is called the Peak Performance Project, or P3. Their new action sports segment is run by trainer Andy Schmiess. Andy has been training SB’s finest pro surfers for years and is excited to be a part of the P3 team. Recently, we had a chat with Andy about training, P3, and its advantages.

Training must be completely individualized.  It would be criminal for me to design a one sized fits all “surfers workout,” and expect it to help everyone.  Parker Coffin (Volcom team rider) is obviously a much different surfer than say Kilian or Sage – Physiologically their needs are completely different.  They have different strengths, they move differently.  The first thing that we work to do is create muscular balance in our athletes while developing proper movement patterns that if left alone would leave the athlete vulnerable to injury. And again, this will look different with nearly every athlete that walks in the door.  A corrective exercise for one guy could actually reinforce an unwanted result in another.  That is why every movement, every exercise, every complex must have a purpose.  Nothing at P3, in regard to program design, is left to guesswork or chance.

We exist to give our athletes the best training, rehabilitation, and highest levels of performance possible.  In regard to other trainers and training programs, we don’t really look around too much. As Marcus often says, “we may not have all the answers, but we’re putting ourselves in the positions to ask all the right questions.” And as long as we’re continuing to push the envelope and move forward, we’ll continue to lead the paradigm shift in training among action sports athletes.

Even if you are not an elite action sports athlete you can still take advantage of the benefits of physical training. More stamina and strength at the surfspot, skatepark, or snow resort is just a start. See for yourself at www.p3.md

Article by:  Ryan Richardson

Thanks to Sundance Beach and Ryan Richardson for the article.

KG