ouch...boosting tears up my abs

danno55 · Since 01 Jun 2012 23 Posts

hi
i just started boosting a month or so ago. average height is probably less than 6 ft high. So much fun! but every time i go out, i feel like i sprain my lower abs....even if i just boost a few times....and usually its right after i boost...not the next day...and then have to stop for the day.

I feel like its the combination of having to heep my upper body upright while lifting my knees up makes this happen

im using a dakine shorts harness. maybe a waiste harness would be better?

maybe i just need to strengthen those muscles or is this unusual?

thanks
Dan

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2622 Posts The 503 METAL

6-pack abs here you come!

After having my first flat water boost-a-thon in a long time, it hurt to laugh my stomache was so sore. I went back for session the next day and pretty much couldn't lift the board off the water! Very Happy

forrest · Thu Oct 11, 12 7:50 am

A seat harness might reduce the pain, but it's not going to completely cure it. It's worth striving for a basic level of fitness to ensure you don't get injured. I recommend CrossFit.

Kraemer · Since 24 Apr 2006 1736 Posts Sky Pilot Unicorn Captain

Ab-soreness usually hits me from certain actions like repeatedly pulling the board from behind me-- to in front of me; underwater after a fall. I get both the digging ribcage & sore abs, but they usually subside once kite season gets underway. As WindSlither said "6 pack abs here you come!

D-Krep It Kiter · Since 18 Jul 2011 417 Posts Obsessed

It sounds like a possible harness fit issue. I use a waist harness (Dakine Pyro) cinched down really tight, and have no problem at all, accept for the landings! Check to see if your harness is shifting a lot when you boost.

BigR · Since 05 Jul 2005 372 Posts White Salmon Obsessed

C.Lee · Since 02 Apr 2012 44 Posts Southern Idaho/The Gorge

At least you know you're getting better. Keep doing it over and over, your abs will toughen up and you won't even notice it.

Bettyboarder · Thu Oct 11, 12 9:21 am

I dont think the harness will help. I wear a waist and after a session with a lot of jumping I am usually super sore....just using muscle you probably dont use much

brass · Since 15 Jul 2006 152 Posts Stoked

What others have said in terms of basic level of fitness. This is not a harness issue.

Try an extensive core routine every day you are not kiting. Focus on the muscles deep in your core (transverse abdominis and multifidus) in addition to standard crunches and such. These are the key stabilizers that are usually isometrically contracted when holding a position (like when you have pulled your board up to you while in the air). These will, when strengthened, also help reduce your chances of lower back pain/injury. No equipment or gym membership required.

Or just go strapless....until of course you start boosting then too.

NCKite_Ryder · Since 16 Mar 2011 38 Posts Nor Cal Coast

My girlfriend gets mad that i stay fit and don't work out or go to the gym.... Then she gets mad that i go kiting all the time... Guess i could just be fat and lazy.

D-Krep It Kiter · Since 18 Jul 2011 417 Posts Obsessed

Well, I guess I'll just stir the pot a little on this one... first, I don't think anyone can state with authority "this is not a harness issue..." unless they are actually looking at you, your level of fitness, your technique, your harness, how it fits, and how it is setup. I've definitely met more than one kiter with the same complaint that you're having, and they cured it by moving to a better fitting harness.

I disagree that its a fitness issue, simply because you're saying its happening right after you boost, and it causes you to have to stop for the day. This to me sounds like an injury, not muscle fatigue. I don't do any of the workouts, ab or core conditioning that people are talking about, and don't encounter the problems that you're describing, even after kiting for hours with plenty of boosts thrown into the mix. To me, it sounds like you need to first and foremost figure out how to stop the injury from occurring (assuming you're going to keep boosting) and then worry about conditioning later. If you're kiting for reasonable lengths of time on the water, reasonably fit, and not just rolling off the couch and into your kite gear, then you should easily be in adequate enough shape to handle a few boosts on the water without having muscle issues.

Take a look at your harness fit. Is it spreading the pull throughout the harness, or are you getting pressure points in specific spots? If possible, borrow or rent another harness, maybe try a waist harness, but make sure it fits snugly and is tightened down. A bar strap to stop the bar from riding up helps to. Think of it this way... you can start improving your fitness anyways, but in the meantime, try to eliminate the harness as the culprit. At least that way you don't work out all winter only to go out and have the exact same problem.

undertow · Since 15 Feb 2008 371 Posts BeaversBurg Obsessed

Ab Ripper X, I hate it, but I love it!!!!

kenja · Since 19 Jun 2008 179 Posts Stoked

Boost more. Your muscles will adapt and soon you won't even feel it anymore. Do some sit-ups if you don't kite for a while. Try to stretch before you go out so you don't rip anything.

beech · Since 21 Aug 2010 486 Posts Longview, WA Obsessed

Sella · Thu Oct 11, 12 11:06 am **Re: ouch...boosting tears up my abs**

DrewB · Since 16 Aug 2006 384 Posts PDX Obsessed

caps · Since 23 Dec 2010 347 Posts Obsessed

First, sore abs happen if you're not in kiting shape after a long session, especially if you're sending it. Second, work on your jumping technique- no jumping with your legs to "jump" with your kite- let the kite do it. And third,...maybe your board is too big!

By the way, immediate pain after the first jump or two is either a torn muscle or a problem with your harness. Sore abs from overuse takes time to hurt, like the next day.