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O’Neill surfer Violeta Sanchez inherited her love of the ocean from her surfer parents at the age of five when she received her first official lesson in the waves.

Today, she trains daily and eats healthy to stay in prime surfing condition. At home in Somo Beach, Spain, she surfs every day if the weather allows, trains in the gym 4-5 days a week and runs 2-3 days a week.

BRA, LEGGINGS

“Of course, it’s healthy to throw in cheat days, too.”

SHIRT, SHORTS, BRA

Warming up is essential for your exercise performance.

”The goal is to get my body moving with overall body stretches and light cardio, to avoid injury. Once I’m in the groove, I can focus on the abdominal and lower body work that is crucial for surfing.”

Kettlebell lunges are a powerful exercise for developing strong legs and glutes. They also develop mobility in the hips for general flexibility.

”Safety first! I perfect the movement before loading it with a kettlebell. A poor technique will only get worse when adding weights and could cause injury.”

A daily practice of focus and discipline leads to healthy results.

”During my daily hour and a half in the gym, I do two circuits of four exercises each. In total, I do three rounds of each circuit consisting of core resistance, glute endurance and leg aerobics – which are explosive jumps with a change of weights.”

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As part of Violeta’s daily core training, she activates her abs and obliques diagonally using a medicine ball. This exercise also improves hip and shoulder mobility as well as stability.

”I hold the large weight in both hands with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. I drop down slightly, moving the ball beside one knee then swinging it up across my body, and down again.”

Violeta’s reverse lunge with battle ropes showcases a full body exercise that particularly strengthens the shoulders, back and hamstrings.

”Once I have a good battle-rope snap rhythm, I alternately step back with each foot and lower my body into a lunge. Keeping my back straight, I drive upwards through the glutes and step back into the starting position with hands and feet together.”

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Violeta expertly executes box jumps to work all her leg muscles and strengthen her core with her own body weight. Box jump training boosts endurance and improves cardiovascular health for supreme surfing.

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Integrating hip thrusters into Violeta’s daily routine is vital for glute training and lower body strengthening. The basic movement is a supine bridge – lying on back with hips raises – that utilizes most gluteal muscles and engages serious core.

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VIOLETA'S TRAINING PLAYLIST

“I love to cook, so I prepare my own meals. I make porridge or avocado toast for breakfast every day. I typically have fruit for a snack and follow a balanced diet of everything for lunch and dinner: carbohydrates, fish, meat, and vegetables. Healthy eating helps me feel good about myself and gives me energy. My skin looks better, too.”

”My Oat Porridge Recipe, ingredients include 1 banana, 1 apple. A handful of oatmeal, hot water, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and some grated coconut. Cut the banana and apple into small pieces, mix the water and oats together. Add the chopped fruit and top it off with grated coconut the tablespoon of peanut butter. You can also optionally add a little yogurt or fresh cheese.”

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Part of Violeta’s well-balanced diet is to get plenty of good fats. Her go-to breakfast recipe speaks fitness volumes.

Choose great avocados; perfectly ripe Hass. They should yield a bit to the touch without smooshing.
Buy good bread and toast it well. Sturdy, thick, whole grain, well-toasted bread is the goal.
Mash your avocado separately. Mashed avocado is creamier and more luxurious than sliced avocado (think guacamole vs. plain avocado).
Don’t forget the salt. Include at least a pinch of salt per avocado half, it’ll really bring out the flavor.

TOWEL

“First, choose great avocados. Next, buy good bread, then mash avocado separately. Be sure to include salt to bring out the flavor. Last, eat and enjoy!”

”A lot of training is needed to stay in prime surf condition, so my daily fitness routine is busy. When I’m home, I’m in the gym 4-5 days a week and in the water at least 6 days a week. I also run 2-3 days a week. When I travel, I surf twice a day and run 3 times a week. I incorporate my ab and lower body exercises for one hour, 2-3 times a week.”

WETSUIT, BIKINI

Because Violeta is a year-round traveler due to regular contests and surf trips, she is rarely found at home for long. When she is, she enjoys cooking with friends and family or dining out at one of the many renowned seafood restaurants in Somo Beach. When her surf competitions take her around the globe, she immerses herself in local culture with fellow surfers and explores the best places to eat to score the dishes that define the destinations’ customs and history.