Cliff Diving
Mastering cliff diving: Top exercises to enhance your skills
Helpful cliff diving exercises and tips to get you prepared.
As cliff divers plummet from dizzying heights into the waiting embrace of the water below, every twist and turn is a testament to years of training. To truly excel in this awe-inspiring sport, you need to practice your skills with the best exercises for cliff diving. Read ahead to learn helpful exercises and tips, so you can train like the pros in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
52 min
Red Bull Cliff Diving - Stop 2 Boston
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series hits 100th stop in Boston with American divers Ellie Smart, David Colturi.
Understanding cliff diving basics
Before you can soar through the air like a Red Bull cliff diver, you’ll need to grasp the fundamentals of the sport. From the moment you take off to the split-second entry when you hit the water, every aspect of your dive requires precision and control.
Strength, flexibility, and coordination form the bedrock of successful divers. You’ll need a solid understanding of takeoff, flight, and entry techniques to master the perfect cliff dive.
- Takeoff: Takeoff is the moment of truth, the instant when a cliff diver pushes off from the edge and launches into the abyss.
- Flight: Here, divers must maintain poise and control as they hurtle through the air, executing twists, somersaults, and other acrobatic moves gracefully and precisely.
- Entry techniques: As the dive nears the end, the entry into the water becomes closer with each second, so you need to align your body with the surface. This will minimize resistance and maximize the chances of a smooth, clean entry.
Apply these diving basics to harness your physical prowess for a successful dive, just like Ellie Smart does during her professional training.
4 min
Train like a Pro: High Diver Ellie Smart
High diver Ellie Smart takes us through a training session of stretches, sports psychology and an ice-cold plunge to top it off.
01
Core strengthening exercises
Your core serves as the anchor for every movement in cliff diving, providing stability and control as you move through the air. Maintaining proper form is essential in core-strengthening exercises, as it maximizes effectiveness and reduces the risk of injury. As you perfect these exercises, let the cliffs of your choice, possibly the top spots in Hawaii, inspire and propel your training forward.
To develop the rock-solid core necessary for executing flawless dives, add these exercises into your training regimen.
- Planks: Planks engage the entire core, strengthening the abdominal, oblique, and lower back muscles. Try to hold a plank position for as long as possible while focusing on maintaining proper form and alignment.
- Russian twists: Russian twists target the oblique muscles, helping to improve rotational strength and stability. Sit on the ground with your knees bent, lean back slightly, and rotate your torso from side to side while holding a weight.
- Leg raises: Leg raises work the abdominal muscles, helping to build strength and stability throughout the core. Lie on your back with your legs straight, then lift your legs toward the ceiling, keeping them straight and controlled throughout the movement.
02
Balance and coordination drills
David Colturi at the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Boston
© Romina Amato / Red Bull Content Pool
Balance and coordination are the keys to your precise takeoffs and mid-air adjustments, which require consistent practice and gradual progression to enhance stability and control. To achieve this, make sure you’re following drills that focus on what you need.
- Single-leg squats: Single-leg squats challenge balance and stability while also strengthening the legs and glutes. Stand on one leg with the other leg extended in front. Then squat down as low as possible while keeping your front knee aligned over the ankle.
- Stability ball exercises: These exercises engage the core and challenge balance, helping to improve steadiness. The pike and twist is one stability ball exercise that helps target the core and improve overall balance.
- Balance board drills: These drills simulate the instability of the water, helping cliff divers develop the balance and coordination necessary for successful dives. Practice standing on a balance board and performing squats to improve stability and control.
03
Plyometric training for explosive power
Ellie Smart at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Italy
© Romina Amato / Red Bull Content Pool
Plyometric exercises are instrumental in developing your explosive power for dynamic takeoffs and aerial maneuvers. With these options, just ensure you use caution when it comes to overtraining. Pushing your limits is part of this challenging sport, but knowing when to rest and recover is also vital for sustainable progress and long-term success. Here are plyometric exercises you should incorporate into your cliff diving training:
- Depth jumps: This exercise is when you step off a box or platform and immediately jump as high as possible upon landing. Depth jumps help improve leg strength and power, preparing divers for explosive takeoffs.
- Box jumps: Box jumps require a lot of strength and coordination, as divers jump on and off of a raised platform. Start with a lower box height and gradually increase as strength and confidence improve.
- Tuck jumps: These involve jumping as high as possible while bringing your knees up toward your chest mid-air. Practicing this with caution can help build more power in your legs and help generate momentum for aerial maneuvers.
04
Flexibility and mobility work
Gary Hunt cliff diving
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
Flexibility and mobility are essential for achieving optimal body positioning and reducing the risk of injury. Dynamic stretching before workouts primes your body for action. Static stretching post-workouts promotes recovery and improved range of motion, ensuring you’re ready to dive from the desired cliff. Both are non-negotiable for your cliff diving training.
- Shoulder stretches: Stretching the shoulder can improve the range of motion, allowing you to execute twists and rotations with ease. Arm circles or shoulder stretches using a resistance band can help improve shoulder mobility.
- Hip stretches: Hip stretches can target the hip flexors and glutes, helping to improve flexibility and range of motion in the hips. Incorporating hip flexor stretches or pigeon poses into your routine will keep your hips loose.
- Hamstring stretches: Stretching the hamstring helps prevent injury and improve your legs’ flexibility. Try forward folds or seated hamstring stretches to loosen up tight hamstrings and improve flexibility.
Dive into greatness
As you embark on your training to master the art and history of cliff diving, remember that greatness lies within your reach. With dedication, patience, perseverance, and the best exercises for cliff diving, you can unlock your full diving potential to soar to new heights. So, embrace the challenge, get ready to push your limits, and take the plunge.