Athlete · Surfer · Ankle & Hip Strength

ZENN

Build the foundation. Then build on top of it.

Priority

Ankle Rehab & Hip Strength

Weekly Sessions

Daily Hip + 2x Ankle + 1x Lower + 1x Upper

Coach

Sebastian Coello

01

Current Focus

What We're Training For

🦶

Ankle Rehab — The Foundation

Rebuild the ankle from the ground up

Past sprains leave behind more than pain — they leave behind inhibited muscles, reduced proprioception, and movement compensations that travel up the chain into the knee, hip, and back. This program rebuilds all of it: strength, stability, and the nervous system's ability to protect the joint under load.

🔄

Hip Mobility — Daily

The engine above the ankle

The hip and ankle are directly linked. When the ankle is stiff or weak, the hip compensates — and vice versa. Building daily hip mobility while rehabbing the ankle ensures the whole chain improves together, not just one joint in isolation.

🏄

Athletic Performance

Surf better. Move better. Stay injury-free.

Every exercise in this program is chosen for an athlete who surfs and competes. The ankle and hip work isn't just rehab — it's performance training. Strong, mobile ankles and hips translate directly to better board feel, sharper turns, and the ability to land and load without hesitation.

⛓️

Full Chain Strength

Ankle → knee → hip → back — all connected

The body is a chain. A weak or restricted ankle doesn't just cause ankle problems — it creates compensations that load the knee, hip, and lower back unevenly over time. We're building the whole chain strong simultaneously, so nothing is left as the weak link.

02

Weekly Structure

Your Blueprint

Mon

🔄

Hip Mobility + Lower Body

Lower

Tue

🦶

Hip Mobility + Ankle & Foot

Ankle

Wed

💪

Hip Mobility + Surf Airs

Airs

Thu

🔄

Hip Mobility Only

Recovery

Fri

🦶

Hip Mobility + Ankle & Foot

Ankle

Sat

🔄

Hip Mobility + Surf Airs

Airs

Sun

🌿

Full Rest

Rest
03

Weekly Targets

The Work That Moves the Needle

The ankle work is the priority right now. Everything else supports it. Consistent repetition over weeks is what rebuilds proprioception and joint strength — you can't rush it, but you can stack the reps.

Hip Mobility — Daily

Every day. Keeps the chain above the ankle free and functioning properly.

Daily

Ankle & Foot Sessions

Minimum 2x this week — this is the non-negotiable of the program right now

2x+ Week

Lower Body Session

1x this week — hip strength, hamstrings, loaded lower body, power

1x Week

Upper Body Session

1x this week — breathing, shoulder, upper back, press, pull

1x Week

Sleep & Recovery

Tissue remodelling happens during sleep. Ankle rehab especially requires good recovery to progress.

Foundation
04

Weekly Tracker

Track Your Week

Hip Mobility Sessions

Target: every day

✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓

Ankle & Foot Sessions

Target: minimum 2 this week

✓
✓
✓

Lower Body Session

Target: 1 this week

✓

Surf Airs Sessions

Target: 2 this week — Wed & Sat

✓
✓

Upper Body Session

Target: 1 this week

✓
05

Reflections

Your Weekly Notes

Ankles — how are they feeling?

Hips — progress this week

Surf & sport performance

Questions for Sebastian

Your Program

Zen — Training Programs

Four programs. Hip mobility daily. Ankle & foot minimum 2x per week. Lower and upper 1x each.

Daily

Every day — including surf days. The ankle and hip are part of the same chain. Keeping the hip free daily means the ankle isn't fighting restricted movement from above while it's rebuilding. 10–15 minutes. This is your most consistent habit.

Block 1 — Hip Mobility
1

Glute Pigeon Stretch

2 sets each side. Tight glutes pull the pelvis out of position, which shifts load down into the knee and ankle. Keeping these free is part of the ankle rehab strategy — not separate from it. This stretch also directly improves hip rotation for surfing.

▶ Watch
SetSideReps
1Each20
2Each20
2

Hip Flexor Loaded

2 sets each side. Shortened hip flexors tilt the pelvis forward, which changes how load is distributed all the way down to the foot. Restoring this range actively is one of the most impactful things you can do for full lower chain health.

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SetSideReps
1Each10
2Each10
3

Single Leg Raise to Side Drop

Hip and leg control under load. Trains the hip stabilisers that keep the pelvis level during single-leg activity — directly relevant to the landing, turning, and balance demands of surfing with a healing ankle.

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SetkgReps
1BW10
2BW10
Block 2 — Hamstring & Core
4

Single Leg Hamstring Curl

Slow and controlled. Strong hamstrings protect both the knee and indirectly support the ankle by controlling tibial rotation from above. Build these unilaterally to ensure symmetry between sides — especially important given the ankle history.

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SetkgReps
1BW15
2BW15
5

Hip Flexor Loaded — Strength Variation

Hip flexor strength in the shortened position — turning the mobility you've built into usable athletic power. Range without strength is flexibility. Range with strength is performance, and it's what keeps the ankle protected under the demands of surfing.

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SetSideReps
1Each10
2Each10
Min 2x Per Week

This is the most important program in your stack right now. Past ankle sprains inhibit the peroneal muscles and reduce the joint's proprioceptive accuracy — meaning the ankle literally can't protect itself as well as it should. This session rebuilds that. Do it a minimum of twice a week, and more if you can. Start with a 5 min massage of your feet, calves, and glutes before beginning.

Block 1 — Ankle Prep & Plyometrics
1

Ankle Prep & Plyo BW Intermediate #1

Follow video instructions. The foundation of the ankle rehab sequence. Controlled plyometric work that rebuilds the neuromuscular connection between the ankle and the nervous system — the connection that gets disrupted by sprains and that determines how quickly the joint can respond to unexpected loads.

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2

Ankle Prep & Plyo BW Intermediate #2

Follow video instructions. Progression of the ankle plyometric sequence — increasing the reactive demand on the joint while maintaining controlled mechanics. Each rep is training the ankle to respond and stabilise faster, which is exactly what prevents re-injury in sport.

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3

Ankle Prep & Plyo BW Intermediate #3

Follow video instructions. Continues building reactive stability at the ankle. The progression across these four exercises mirrors the demands of surfing — from controlled to reactive, from simple to complex. Trust the sequence.

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4

Ankle Prep & Plyo BW Intermediate #4

Follow video instructions. The most demanding exercise in the ankle prep sequence. This is where the work from exercises 1–3 gets tested and integrated. Full effort — quality of landing and recovery matters more than speed.

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Block 2 — Foot Strength
5

Foot Position Calf Raise

The foot position here is deliberate — it loads the ankle in a way that directly targets the stabilising muscles weakened by sprain history. The calf is also the primary shock absorber for the ankle joint. Build it here, protect yourself everywhere else.

▶ Watch
SetkgReps
1BW15
2BW15
3BW15
1x Per Week

Before starting — 5 min rolling feet, quads, and glutes. Most important cue throughout every exercise: anterior tilt. This is the pelvic position that loads the hips instead of the spine — and the same position that gives you power and protection in every athletic movement. Go within a pain-free range on the ankle throughout.

Block 1 — Warm-Up Superset
1a

Standing Posterior & Anterior Tilts

The most important warm-up for the whole lower chain. Anterior tilt loads the hips correctly and distributes load away from the ankle during standing movements. Learn to feel this distinction — it carries through every exercise that follows.

▶ Watch
SetTimeRest
11 min0
21 min 30s0
1b

Ankle & Hip Rotation

Follow video instructions. Mobilise the ankle and hip together before loading — this is especially important for you. Warming up the ankle joint through its range before loading reduces injury risk and improves the quality of every exercise that follows.

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1c

Glute Pigeon Stretch

Use a bench. Only after the warm-up above. Opens hip external rotation range before loading — the deeper this range, the less compensatory demand gets placed on the ankle during single-leg movements.

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SetkgReps
1BW20
2BW20
1d

Hip Flexor Loaded

Loaded hip flexor work through full range. Strong hip flexors reduce the compensatory load placed on the lower leg during explosive athletic movements — building them here directly supports the ankle rehab work you're doing in your other sessions.

▶ Watch
SetkgReps
1BW10
2BW10
Block 2 — Hip Strength
2

Hip Flexor Chamber

Hip flexor loading in a shortened position. Range without strength is flexibility; range with strength is performance. Building loaded hip flexion here is one of the biggest performance gains for a surfer — and it directly offloads the ankle by improving hip drive in every movement.

▶ Watch
SetRPEReps
1812
2812
3

Hip Triple Extension

Push from the glute — not the lower back. Glute-driven extension is the safest, most powerful pattern for an athlete rebuilding the lower chain. The stronger and better-coordinated the glute, the less demand gets placed on the ankle on every takeoff and landing.

▶ Watch
SetkgReps
110kg15
210kg15
Block 3 — Loaded Lower
4

Single Leg Hamstring Curl

Unilateral hamstring isolation. Control the eccentric. Notice whether there's a strength difference between the previously injured side and the other — that asymmetry is useful data. Build towards symmetry progressively.

▶ Watch
SetRPEReps
11015
21015
5

Landmine RDL Unilateral

Single leg Romanian deadlift with landmine. Hip hinge — feel the hamstring, not the back or the ankle. This is the pattern that teaches the body to load the hip correctly on a single leg, which is the most important movement skill for a surfer protecting a previously injured ankle.

▶ Watch
SetkgReps
115kg10
230kg10
330kg10
Block 4 — Power & Explosiveness
6

Landmine Switch Jumps

Explosive alternating jumps with landmine. Land soft — absorb through the hip, not the ankle. As the ankle gets stronger through your rehab sessions, you'll feel increasing confidence and power here. This is where the ankle work pays off athletically.

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SetTimeReps
12 min30
1x Per Week

Before starting: 5 min rolling quads and glutes. The upper body session builds the shoulder stability, rotational strength, and pulling power that directly supports surfing performance — and keeps the spine and core strong while the ankle is rebuilding below.

Block 1 — Breathing & Reset
1

Weighted Breathing

Follow video instructions. 5 minutes — not optional. Breathing mechanics affect how force is transferred through the whole system. Fix the breathing and everything else — rotational power, core stability, recovery between sessions — improves alongside it.

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SetTimeNotes
15 minFollow video exactly
Block 2 — Shoulder & Upper Back
2

Shoulder External Rotation

Follow video instructions. 2 sets, 2kg, 15 reps. Goal is upper back and neck connection. Shoulder external rotation controls how the joint loads during paddling and protects against the cumulative strain of thousands of paddle strokes. Build this now and carry it for your whole career.

▶ Watch
SetkgReps
12kg15
22kg15
3

Bent Over Lateral Raise

Posterior shoulder and upper back strength. The upper back powers the paddle stroke and anchors rotational force in surfing. Building it here improves paddle endurance and the rotational control that makes turns sharper — especially relevant as you return to full performance.

▶ Watch
SetkgReps
15kg12
25kg12
Block 3 — Core & Press
4

Swiss Ball Plank

Paul Chek exercise. Deep spinal stabilisers — the muscles that transfer force efficiently between the upper and lower body in every athletic movement. A strong centre makes the whole chain — including the recovering ankle — more resilient under load.

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SetTimeNotes
1HoldFull spinal brace
2HoldFull spinal brace
5

Dual Dumbbell Neutral Grip Bench Press

Bench press with a neutral grip — dumbbells parallel to the body. The neutral grip keeps the shoulder in its strongest position and reduces thoracic demand. Build pressing strength here without compromising the shoulder health you need in the water.

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Block 4 — Pull
6

Chin-Up

Follow video instructions. Target: 8 reps per set. Negatives if needed — jump to the top, lower as slowly as possible. The lats and upper back built here power every paddle stroke. Strong pulling strength means more efficient paddling — and less fatigue accumulating in the shoulders and back over a long session.

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SetkgReps
1BW8
2BW8
2x Per Week — Wed & Sat

Trampoline and jump-based drills designed to train the mechanics of surfing airs: the explosive vertical pop off the front or back foot, controlled body position in the air, and confident absorbed landing. 2 full rounds of all three drills each session. Quality reps — not rushed. Feel each takeoff and each landing deliberately.

Round 1 & 2 — Complete All Three Exercises, Then Repeat
1

Front Foot Jump

25 reps per round x 2 rounds. Explode off the front foot — this is the primary launch point for airs and snaps off the top. Focus on the push through the ball of the front foot, height generated from a single explosive extension, and a controlled landing position. The front foot is your accelerator — train it with intent.

RoundRepsNotes
125Explosive push off front foot
225Maintain quality — don't rush
2

Back Foot Jump

25 reps per round x 2 rounds. Drive through the back foot — this is what creates the lift and rotation for airs in surfing. The back foot generates power and direction; without it, you're stuck on the face. Train the explosive push here and feel how the hip and posterior chain drive the movement. Land with the same foot position you launched from.

RoundRepsNotes
125Drive through back foot, hip extension
225Full effort — feel the glute and posterior chain
3

Trampoline to Mat

25 reps per round x 2 rounds. Jump from the trampoline and land on the mat — this is the most direct simulation of the air-to-landing sequence in surfing. The trampoline gives you air time; the mat demands a controlled absorbed landing on arrival. Land soft, absorb through the hips and knees, and get immediately stable. This is the skill that keeps you on the board.

RoundRepsNotes
125Controlled landing — absorb through hips
225Stay light on feet — soft and stable every rep
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