It’s those movements and more behind SURFSET, a fitness workout first seen on the popular ABC television show “Shark Tank” in 2013. Mike Hartwick, a one-time professional hockey player, noticed he’d head back into the hockey season after a summer of surfing (and not doing his hockey workouts) lighter, leaner and faster. He and his partners developed SURFSET to help gym goers replicate the functional fitness of surfing.
Now, this concept has migrated north, as Fit Elements in Fargo is offering SURFSET classes, where participants hang ten (or try to) on surfboard simulators — boards on top of rubber balls that shake and twist as you move. Water not included.
Fitness director Becca Murphy says SURFSET is a combination of full body movements which use large muscle groups, while also working smaller, stabilizing muscles.
“On the boards we’ll do things like planks and squats, but you’ll also see pop ups, duck dives and body surfing, so that’s the fun part,” she says.
Murphy says they’ve only been offering the classes for about a week, but the gym is giving non-members a chance to test them out free of charge at an open house on Saturday, Jan. 11.
But I didn’t want to wait that long, so Murphy invited me in to test out the totally tubular workout. (I’m not sure if surfers really talk like that, but I’m wearing a Hawaiian shirt for my workout and I’m just going with it.)
Fit Elements Fitness Director Becca Murphy explains how to balance on the new SURFSET surfboard simulators available at the south Fargo gym. Chris Flynn/The Forum
‘Setting the mood’
As I climbed on the surfboard at the gym, all that was missing was an umbrella drink. The SURFSET room at Fit Elements is warm and cozy and smells slightly of coconut.
“It’s an Airwick!” Murphy says with a laugh. “‘Florida Coconut Water’ — but it felt like it worked, just a light, easy scent.”
There’s a light-up palm tree in the corner of the room and a huge photograph of the ocean on the other wall. If you look really hard in the distance, you can almost picture Greg Brady hitting his head on a coral reef while wearing his tikki idol necklace. Then there’s the music — everything from Jimmy Buffett clamoring for his cheeseburger in paradise to Tim McGraw singing about a stain on his white t-shirt.
“My playlist is anything and everything that reminds me of the beach, the ocean, summer and vacations,” Murphy says. “It’s about setting the mood.”
Becca Murphy, a fitness trainer for 16 years, says she’s excited to now be offering SURFSET workouts at Fit Element in Fargo. Chris Flynn/The Forum
The workout
Murphy, a personal trainer for 16 years, is originally from Fort Lauderdale, Fl. She has surfed before but adds it’s not necessary to have experience surfing (or even paddleboarding) to make the most of this class.
“In this first month, especially, we’re going to work on balance, which means we’ll slow things down a bit and just work on getting used to the boards,” she said.
In the coming months, Murphy says they’ll have SURFSET classes, which include more cardio and resistance training. For now though, slow and easy seemed like the way to go. I was surprised at how much my board shook even with what I thought were pretty small shifts in my balance. But as I used my core to right myself, the board settled down. I could tell I was working my muscles.
Kealy Pierce was on a board near me. A one-time resident of Hawaii, she has both surfed and paddleboarded and said surely if we did some of these movements on a real surfboard in a real ocean, we’d be swimming with the fishes. Even so, she’s loving the class. This is her third one.
“It’s balance. It’s stability and strength,” she says. “It’s using your body in a way that’s low impact so it’s not so hard on your joints.”
Reporter Tracy Briggs tries out SURFSET, a surfing simulator workout at Fit Elements in Fargo. The gym has only had SURFSET since last week and is offering free classes Saturday, Jan. 11th. Chris Flynn/The Forum
Learning the ropes
I was surprised at how quickly we all caught on to the movements, from stretches and crunches to jumping up from plank into the standing position like we were really ready to catch some waves. At one point, Murphy had to hold my sweaty little hand as I tried to “paddle” using my foot. But we all seemed to make progress during our 45-minute class.
“The body has great muscle memory. You might try something hard, and it might seem impossible, but by the next class or even the end of this class, your muscles will remember how to do it, and it will seem easier,” Murphy says.
Murphy says with a few classes under their belt, most who’ve tried it don’t report to her that they’re particularly sore. Instead, she says most comment on how much fun it is.
“It almost doesn’t feel like you’re working out. You’re just having fun and going with it,” she says. “It’s hard not to smile when you’re on the board. For me it’s almost like my vacation.”
I’d agree. It was a good workout, and I actually had fun while I felt my muscles burn. Now where’s my umbrella drink?
For more information:
What: Fit Elements Open House featuring 11 free SURFSET classes on the half-hour throughout the day
Where: 3120 25th Street South, Fargo
When: Saturday, Jan. 11th, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Contact: Call 701-356-5200 or go online at Fitelementsfargo.com to get connected to mindbodyonline.com to reserve a spot in class. There is also a Mindbody app you can access.
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