We got the skies out. We got the thighs out. Today we’re at Playa Ventanas, near Ojochal, doing a beach leg workout. We’re still in Costa Rica. The Silkies World Tour continues.
All you need is two lines in the sand. We’re going to do something linear, something lateral and something vertical. That means lunges, deep lateral shuffles with sprints built in, and single-leg hops. Plus a bonus round on a driftwood log.
In order to get the most gains at the beach, we need to get psycho. So first, a shot of pre-workout out of a witches jar. This is what witches put their potions in. I’m repurposing it for a shot of go crazy before this crazy leg workout. Then I wash it down with coffee. Do both. It doesn’t matter.
How Do You Set Up a Beach Leg Workout?
This is a between-two-lines kind of workout. I make one line in the sand. Then I go 10 paces. Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Did I say 10? Doesn’t matter. Then I draw another line in line with the first one.
Look at the water. Poseidon is angry. But it doesn’t very much matter what the beach looks like. We just need some clear ground.
I try to make the lines where there are no rocks or trees or anything like that on the ground.
For all the people with a foot fetish, this is pretty much the only time you’re going to get this.
The Beach Leg Workout
First thing, get warmed up. I do mobility work, shoulder rotations, hops and front kicks. Then we go to the lines.
1. Lunges
Starting off with the linear work. Lunge from one line to the other, hands on the head.
2. Lateral shuffles and sprints
Next up is the hard one. A lateral shuffle in a deep stance, line to line. It is the same shuffle linemen do in football training. Stay low the whole way across.
This one is very difficult. Sideways is a movement axis most people don’t train. You feel it in the side glutes, and in the calves from pressing off. Then I build in sprints. Sprint between the lines along the beach and go again.
3. Single-leg hops
And finally, the vertical work. Single-leg hops between the lines. I did these down on the wet, packed sand. It is not too hot on bare feet, which is great. As the intensity goes up, it gets a bit spicy.
Bonus: log jumps
There was a big piece of driftwood on the beach, so I used it. Jump up onto the log and land low. Warm up into these. Do not start the session with them.
Sets: No counts in this one. You can modify this in any way you want.
If you have mobility issues or injuries, skip the hops and the log jumps. Always warm up into them, especially the log jumps. And if you’re embarrassed to work out on the beach? That is all the more reason to do it.
Here is the whole session, angry ocean and all.
When the Tide Comes In
Partway through, the tide started coming in. I had to move. The tide also brought in a bunch of rocks.
I don’t mind rocks. They build in a cognitive part to the workout. You have to anticipate things on the ground and avoid them. Obviously stepping on a rock sucks. So it’s kind of like forced training. Consequence training.
The bigger problem is the camera. I don’t want to lose it to a wave. If I lose my camera, I can’t show everybody my juicy gains. So I went over there and finished it off.
Why Train Barefoot on Sand?
Working out on the sand is very important. I think it’s something a lot of people stop doing. You see it as people get older. They get that jittery step, where the whole foot becomes like one sensory muscle.
On the bottom of your feet you have plantar mechanoreceptors. And you have patterns in your brain that define how much tactile sensation you can detect on your feet, and how much motor control you have on the bottom of your feet. So this is really good training.
Depending on the texture of the sand, it can add a great deal of balance work or pressure. On wet sand the feet sink in a bit. That adds a unique and complex load to every movement.
That’s why I like training on the beach and in rivers barefoot. It’s good stuff. Even the shoes I use are minimal sole.
WHITIN Men’s Cross-Trainer
If you like your leg days with a view, I have more from Costa Rica. Try the bodyweight leg workout at Poza del Cañon or the kettlebell beach workout in Dominical.
FAQ
Do I need any equipment for a beach leg workout?
No. This one is bodyweight only. Draw two lines in the sand about 10 paces apart and work between them.
What moves are in this beach leg workout?
Something linear, something lateral and something vertical. Lunges, deep lateral shuffles with sprints, and single-leg hops, plus a bonus round of jumps onto a driftwood log.
Who should skip the hops and log jumps?
Anyone with mobility issues or injuries. Everyone else, warm up into them first, especially the log jumps.
Where is Playa Ventanas?
It is near Ojochal, in Puntarenas on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
Why train barefoot on the beach?
The bottom of your feet has mechanoreceptors. They decide how much you can feel through your feet and how much control you have. I think barefoot on sand is really good training for that.
What if the tide brings in rocks?
Move up the beach, or keep going and watch where you step. Rocks make you anticipate the ground. Stepping on one sucks, so you pay attention.
And as always, do it in short shorts.
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