Surfing is one of the most physically demanding sports there is today and it’s getting more accessible using surfing app. Mainly because it’s ride or die out there; shred or get shredded. The waves don’t stop for you, which means that you don’t stop. This type of physical fitness requires a great deal of endurance, strength, agility, and balance. One of the best ways to become a stronger surfer in all areas is surfing itself. However, not all surfers live right by the ocean, or have the opportunity to go out for a session whenever they want. Also, if you are truly out of shape and lacking in any of these crucial aspects of fitness, the ocean is probably not the safest place for you right now. Fortunately, there are numerous forms of cross training that can drastically improve your surfing performance and experience as a whole. The most effective forms of cross training for surfing specifically are those that work the same muscle groups, have similar movements, and give you the feel or the flow that surfing has, also known as functional training. The focus of functional training is on exercises that involve or mimic the movements you would make while surfing. Let me introduce you or refresh you on some forms of cross training that will get your strength, endurance, agility, balance, and much more up to par.

Swimming is an excellent form of functional training especially if it’s in the ocean – that way you really get the same feel and become more acquainted and knowledgeable about your playing field. Swimming is probably the most obvious way to increase your paddle power (just like surfing improves your surfing), plus it works multiple muscle groups simultaneously- just as surfing does, and the same ones you use while surfing. At the same time that you are swimming and gaining strength in all of the necessary areas, you are improving your cardiovascular fitness as well, which helps to build your endurance. Swimming, or paddling to be more exact, is what you are doing about 90 percent of the time you are surfing. Therefore, it’s worth it to practice and become better and necessary if you want to become a better surfer.

Running is a very common form of cross training for many sports. It can be extremely effective in advancing your surf performance as long as you are careful, after all, running is one of the most injury prone sports there is. That’s why it is best to run either on sand (wet sand, or dry for more of a challenge), grass, or trail for less of an impact on your joints. Places that are most commonly available for most people to run on are a mixture of grass and concrete, so it’s important that you have a good pair of running shoes for protection and support. The greatest thing about running is that you can manipulate the flow into a more functional training. What I mean is that when you are running, you don’t have to limit yourself to any there and back, boring routes. Running a set, decided on distance is good, but to really put running in gear for your fitness advancement and surfing improvement specifically, interval running is the most functional and effective. Interval running has you run through a set of time intervals where you run hard and easy on and off; for instance, 20 seconds fast, followed by 40 seconds of less intense or easy running, for a total of 20 minutes. This quick and constant switch of low intensity to high intensity is what makes interval running such a functional form of training for surfers, because when you’re surfing you constantly have to switch from a low intensity (waiting for a wave) to a high intensity (catching the wave). Interval running increases your agility by getting your body used to this strong and sudden shift making it faster and more fluid. It also builds your strength and stamina.

If you’ve never taken a yoga class, it’s time to get on that! Yoga is becoming more and more popular among surfers today and it is clear as to why. Yoga not only helps to increase your flexibility, strength, balance and endurance but it also develops mental stamina which are all very crucial for surfing. What’s more is that it develops a sense of calmness and patience- you’re going to need this definitely for surfing but also at all times for life in general! And if that isn’t beneficial enough, hang tight. Yoga gives you improved posture, breathing, and also minimizes your risk of injury. It also is extremely effective in clearing out toxins and helps a lot with blood circulation, bringing necessary oxygen and nutrients to places that normally don’t get enough. It is one of the most complete and balanced forms of exercise there is because you’re stretching, strengthening, balancing, and meditating all at the same time. There are many different types of yoga but all of them will leave your mind, body, and spirit feeling completely cleansed and refreshed. And the benefits it will bring to your surfing experience make it all the more worth your time and effort.

Finally, we have functional training! Like I stated earlier, the focus of functional training is on exercises that involve or mimic the movements you would make while out in the surf. By focusing so specifically on these surf-like movements and exercises, doing them repetitively and regularly, your body will develop muscle memory. This means that when you get out in the water and have to paddle through a massive set it, or if you are suddenly forcing your way into a wave, it will be a breeze since you have been doing these same movements every day. Your surfing ability and overall fitness will be heightened immensely. Mostly all forms of exercise need some kind of equipment, whether it is a certain type of shoes or clothing, a specific place like a field or a pool, or a hoop or a goal. For functional training, all you will need is a stability ball, a set of dumbbells, and a resistance band to give you an intense, multi-targeted workout that you can do at home, at the gym, or where ever suits your mood. Functional training uses running, swimming, strategic exercise and stretching sequences to improve your total fitness spectrum: agility, flexibility, strength, endurance, and balance. Functional training is the best-rounded form of exercise there is, especially for surfing, and has the potential to get you to live up to yours.

Stop by my blog to read a comprehensive review of Total Surfing Fitness: Functional Training for Surfers. It’s www.totalsurfingfitnessreview.com

Peace & Love to all!

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When you build your dream house decide whether you need a pool or not so that you will not end up hiring a pool removal Sydney. Whether your family has outgrown your pool or it has suffered weather damage, you’ve moved into a house with a long-abandoned one or you just want to be the envy of your neighborhood, it may be time to call your pool renovation experts. New and innovative products and designs hit the market every single year and enjoying the benefits of a fantastic change could be a few short months away.

In the early planning stages, it is advised to seek the assistance of a trusted company that will help you in mapping out any limitations or notable nuances in your yard and existing pool structure that may impact the vision you have for your pool. They will be helpful also, in assisting you with a perspective on what is possible in your budgetary range.

Below are five creative ideas to get your ideas flowing:

1. Water Features: The addition of cascading waterfalls and elegant fountains are becoming a more popular facet these days. Fountains can be anything from splashing from a stone statue to intermittent squirts for a fun touch. Waterfalls can be built to flow from a hot tub into a larger one, or they can trickle down a stone and pebble landscape into it. Something that can be agreed upon is that water features make a bold statement and never fail to impress.

2. Lighting: Creating a backyard oasis doesn’t have to begin and end with Christmas lights strung through the trees. Lights can be placed in your water features, and recessed along the outside. Special lighting can change colors and intensity. It’s easy to see that no restoration is complete without the addition of a spectacular lighting system.

3. Shape and Finish: Irregular shaped pools are all the rage in today’s restorations. Companies have many options in this area and you can create your own shape, taking into account any plumbing or landscaping limitations you may have. Additionally, there are many choices of finish you can use in your renovation. Mosaic tiles, different colors and textures are ways you can create different effects based on the style you are looking to capture.

4. Going Green: We don’t mean turning the water green! On the contrary, automatic chemical dispensers are on the market today that test and regulate the needs of your water and adjust the levels accordingly. This prevents waste due to inaccurate tests or errors in measurement. Energy efficient systems are now available, as well as timers for lighting, temperature control and filtering. The use of these systems not only saves you money, but also saves on energy usage.

5. The Surroundings: Taking your restoration one step further and designing your landscaping to compliment your swimming area is a certain way to add drama and create a stylistic punch in your renovation. Stained concrete or special decking to surround it with patio sets, urns and cabanas can be used to create the oasis you have been daydreaming about.

By using these ideas and adding your own personality, your pool renovation will be underway and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying yourself poolside just how you imagined.

Prior to becoming a lecturer at Raffles, Barry graduated with a bachelor’s degree in animation and worked at Lucasfilm Singapore for six years. Projects he was involved in include: the TV series “Star Wars – Clone Wars”, “Transformers”, “Rango”, and “Avengers”. A preliminary version of a film, produced by shooting successive sections of an animatics artist Sydney and adding a soundtrack.

When asked about his opinion regarding where professional animators find fulfillment from, he said: “Sometimes, it’s the projects you want to work with. Like how one of my biggest fulfillments was to work on Avengers, even though I didn’t do a very big part, I still managed to work a little on my dream project. When we reach a certain level, we tend to chase dream projects – stuff we want to work on instead of just anything.”

Barry teaches “Understanding Acting” in his animation class. In his module, students learn the importance of animating a character’s behavior. By understanding acting, an animator will be able to weave convincing stories and allow viewers to relate to 2D or 3D characters.

He shared with us about life as a professional animator, and what you can expect as his student in Raffles Singapore:

1. As an animator, how do you go about searching for inspiration? Do you need it?

Yes, of course! It is quite creatively tiring to do it every day. As a student, you’ll never think it’d get tiring because it’s one thing you wanted to do. When I was a student, it didn’t really cross my mind that inspiration would be hard to find. But actually, after working daily, you’ll get creatively drained.

You have to find inspiration somewhere so it is nice to see that inspiration come from work and peers. Sometimes students’ works are not just inspirational, it’s a kick in the behind to remind us that there will always be someone who is better. And that we should be pushing for continual improvement.

To me, inspiration comes mainly from the industry itself. Because movies keep breaking new grounds, keep getting better, and getting more beautiful too…

2. How long does it take to animate something?

It can take anywhere from one day to two months, depending on circumstances.

3. When working in a professional environment, do you do create works alone? Or do you have a team?

The way the industry works is, if it has anything to do with animation, I’ll do the work. Obviously other parts of the work like lighting and modelling is done by somebody else. So for one scene alone, the pipeline can take about a month to half a year to finish because of the various departments.

4. What do you think makes people interested in working in animation?

I’d say it’s an art form. It brings out the imagination of people. Because a lot of animations cater to kids, a lot of us have been bombarded with animation since young – especially the next generation, who will be bombarded with even more cartoons. These people tend to get inspired from them. Some continue believing in animations and cartoons, and bring it on to their adult lives and want to be in this field.

So I see that this is what gets people interested – an interest from watching movies since young – like Disney cartoons.

5. Is that the reason why you chose to work in animation?

Yes! That’s true. I must say it’s because of the amazing cartoons as well. But I think it’s also because of making movies? I think making movies are cool because I always loved movies, story-telling and stuff like that.

It is very close to acting, but I would say that because I can’t act, I’m afraid of being in front of a camera, so I go behind the camera and act by animating characters – same concept – just different way of approaching.

6. After your experience as a commercial-level animator, what do you like best about the field?

I think it’s the acting bit of it. There is an element of acting in animation when you animate models like puppets. It’s best when you actually get inspired and share it with animators or students who are studying the subject.

It’s cooler when you see great stuff out there done by people you know. You can actually talk to them and tell them “Hey, what you did was cool!” and discuss about it. They don’t become stand-offish once they become famous – they’re still friends.

7. What kind of software do professional animators out there use that students at Raffles learn to use too?

We use Maya. And it is the most pre-dominant software at the moment.

8. Is Adobe’s Creative Suite frequently used in the animation field?

Adobe is still used, but for varying types of things. It is not the primary software used, but it is used for smaller functions like cloning or brushing. But it is only used in a specific area of the pipeline, like background painting, where they paint the background for a scene. So they should really use Adobe for that, and that’s the only part.

9. What else do they learn in your class?

I teach mainly about acting. It’s an advanced skill to understand and be aware of how people act. So we watch films, and I break it down for them to understand.

Although understanding is one thing, application is another. Actors in real life have it easier – they have their bodies and they have been living in them for their whole lives. But as an animator, what they have are software skills. Creating a good animation is about training your software skills to blend well with acting.

Acting is mostly about psychology or physical awareness, I even get students to get up and do some physical acting and exercises like what actors do.

10. For the benefit of students who are interested in studying animation, could you tell us what potential animators should look out for when picking their animation course ?

Good courses focus on getting your work up and they want you to have a good portfolio. At the end of the day, the student needs to be able to produce something. Other than having software knowledge and design skills, you need to graduate with a good portfolio and demonstrate that you can reproduce that quality consistently.

11. What are some challenges that students should prepare for before they sign up for a diploma in animation?

I think they should be expecting to work very hard. Because this industry is really about personal determination, it requires a lot of hard work to get there, especially if you don’t have basic training.

It won’t be as easy as other university courses, it will be taxing. Be ready when you want to do this – it is really passion-driven. Practice requires a lot of hard work.

12. If a student wants to get a laptop for animation classes, would you recommend a Mac or a PC? Why?

Actually, I have no preference. It is not a major problem. There is no fixed standard in the industry itself. The good ones actually use Linux because it is easy to customise. Both Mac and PC work fine because they have the suites necessary to execute works needed.

13. How do fresh graduates go about looking for an animation job in Singapore – or abroad?

Students will need to know who is hiring and the positions available. Secondly, they should know the skills that the companies are looking for so that they could cater their portfolio to match their needs.

Donald, International Admissions Director of Raffles Education Corporation, a leading education provider in Asia Pacific operating 33 colleges across 30 cities in 13 countries (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, Mongolia, Bangladesh, India, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Sri Lanka & Indonesia). Certifications such as Advanced Diploma, Bachelor and Master Degrees are also offered for various disciplines in design, business, science and technology such as visual communication, animation, multimedia, interior design, product design, jewellery design, biomedical, infocomm security and early childhood. Direct your questions to Raffles College.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Donald_Pang/711999

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