Skateboarding
Learn how Ryan Sheckler trains for skateboarding success
In his illustrious career Ryan Sheckler has landed some of the most famous tricks in skateboarding. Get the lowdown on how he’s been changing his diet and honing his mental focus to stay on top.
Ryan Sheckler turned professional at the age of 13 and went on to win almost every contest he entered as a teenager. Now 29, the seven times X Games medal winner reveals how his dedicated gym routine and commitment to healthy nutrition is helping him remain competitive.
During a skateboarding session, he might repeatedly hurl himself high into the air, flip his board with his feet and fly over a flight of stairs until he nails a trick. He needs power, agility and speed, while the constant impacts put intense stress on his body. “I’m definitely getting older,” Sheckler says. “But I feel such an amazing drive to skateboard and to compete.”
Scroll down to learn about the four ways Scheckler has changed his training as his career has progressed.
Ryan Sheckler has honed his training to stay on top
© Joey Shigeo Muellner/Red Bull Content Pool
I love training almost as much as I love skateboarding
1. His speed training has become a priority
"My body loves moving fast, but I’m not an endurance athlete, so I train for explosive pop," says Sheckler. "I work out four days a week and have a programme that’s really skate-based – ankle and knee stability, especially. I do squats where I hold for four seconds at the bottom, go halfway up and hold four more seconds, and then pop all the way up and go straight back down. I do a lot of fast-twitch movements where I run back and forth, plus some burst training on a stationary bike. I love training almost as much as I love skateboarding.”
The biggest thing I've changed is keeping a clean diet
2. He keeps a more balanced diet
“In the morning, I drink green juices and a shake, with banana, grapefruit and apple. I eat within 45 minutes after a workout. I like to go home and grill up a cheeseburger with tomatoes, onion and avocado – I’m trying to get a salad in. I rarely eat fast food, unless I’m on the road because it’s tough to keep your diet up when you’re on a road trip in a van with a bunch of skateboarders. I usually travel with a box of energy bars and they help immensely.”
I do a lot of work in the gym to make sure I'm ready to fall
3. He’s become more resilient
“I always said, ‘I’ll be jumping down big shit for the rest of my life,’ but that’s not possible," says Sheckler. "In my 20s, I started getting really bad injuries. I’ve broken my left elbow five times and my right one four times. I’ve torn both MCLs and the meniscus in both knees. Last January I broke both ankles at the same time. I actually fall on the ground more than I land tricks, so I’ve learned to roll out of things. I’ll be doing sprints and then I’ll just roll on my back, roll out of it and land on my feet.”
I'm a big visualiser and have been since I was a little kid
4. His mental focus is sharper
“I’ve always been able to close my eyes and see myself skating," says Sheckler. "It’s like taking a mental snapshot. I can stand at a skatepark and focus and then see myself skating the way I want to skate. When I’m learning a trick that I haven’t done before, I just watch the feet and how the feet work on the skateboard. I know which way my body is supposed to go, but it’s all about the feet so I’ll watch them and envision myself doing it and then I can do it.”
