The OG
This is where it started.
Before the refinements. Before the layering. Before the years of testing, coaching, and evolving… there was this.
“The OG” is built from the original training framework I received from Johnny Puakea when I first committed to learning how to truly move a boat. Not just paddle hard. Not just survive workouts. But develop feel, efficiency, and control.
This plan is a blend of that original structure and the lessons that came from actually living it.
Because here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear:
The advice isn’t complicated.
The execution is.
Athletes ask for technique help all the time. I give them exactly what I was given. And most never fully commit to it. Not for a season. Not for a year. Definitely not for the 3 to 5 years it takes to rewire how you move.
This plan asks something different.
It asks for patience.
It asks for attention.
It asks for trust.
You will see the same themes repeated. You will revisit simple ideas. You will be asked to slow down in order to get faster. That is not a flaw in the plan. That is the point.
You will also see my fingerprints throughout:
Refinements.
Explanations.
Drills and analogies that helped me understand what he meant when the words alone weren’t enough.
Some of them will click immediately.
Some of them won’t make sense until week 12.
Some might not land until year three.
That’s normal.
If you are serious about learning how to move your boat fast, without creating a constant stress response, this plan will meet you there.
Do the work.
Complete the drills.
Use the journal prompts.
Stay consistent.
The athletes who improve aren’t the ones who search for better advice.
They’re the ones who actually follow it.
April Zilg is a 3x World Champion, a gold medalist in the Pan American Surfing Games, 2x Carolina Cup Graveyard Champion, Gorge Downwind OC1 Champion and APP World Tour World Champion. After training and competing for the better part of the last decade, all of her hard work learning how to train and properly fuel finally paid off and now she wishes to share all she's learned on her route to success.
Check out her current projects!
AprilZilg.com/Projects