Strength training for paddlers
PADDLING
BY REBECCA BARTON-DAVIS
For those of us who aren’t fond of wetsuits and paddling ergs, winter can be the season of strength training. For some, this may be our natural habitat, and for others, it is the place where dreams go to die. While those of us who do endurance sports tend to dread the dry land gym sessions, they are critical – not only for our continued growth and success in our sports but for overall longevity and quality of life.
A lot of traditional strength moves are on this list for a number of reasons. They work a lot of different muscles, they are easy to get instruction on because they are widely known and they work. Most exercises can be done with a bar, dumbbells or even a kettlebell. A few can utilize a Bosu Ball or TRX straps. Use what you have and modify as necessary.
Deadlift
Deadlifts use the muscle of the posterior chain – the glutes, hamstrings and lower back muscles. While we may not think of the lower body as important in our paddling, having good hamstring and glute strength and flexibility will make sitting in the boat more comfortable, as well as help us get in and out at portages or other obstacles. The lower back is critical for good posture, rotation and stroke mechanics. To start, take an athletic stance with feet approximately hip distance apart or a little wider, bar on the ground. Lower down into a half squat with the head up and back flat to grab the bar. If using a bar, have one hand with the grip facing forward, the other with the grip facing backward – alternate the grip between sets. Push through the heels and come up to standing, weight in hand. Return weight to the ground with control.
Squat press
Squats work the core, quads and posterior chain. Add in a press for a combination move, and you also work the shoulders and arms. Start again in an athletic stance, this time with a dumbbell in each hand. Arms should be bent so dumbbells are positioned above the shoulders, with elbows staying tucked in and near the torso. If using a medicine ball instead of dumbbells, hold the ball right in front of the chest. Sink down into your squat – I prefer a full squat where my butt comes down below the level of my knees, but if that isn’t your philosophy, just lower into a half squat where the upper legs are parallel to the floor. During the lowering, make sure to keep your head up and activate your core to keep your upper body in good alignment. Push through the heels to raise to standing, remembering to keep the core active and head up, and then lift the weights at the shoulders overhead while keeping the arms tracking straight above the shoulders. Lower weights back to shoulders to start again.
Pull-ups
Another classic gym move, and a popular one with paddlers, pull-ups work the middle back, core, arms and grip. For a traditional pull-up, the fingertips with wrap around the bar facing forward (away from the body) with a grip about shoulder distance apart. Pull up bringing the chin about the bar before releasing back to the starting position. If you can’t do a full pull-up, practice dead hangs, where you have the same grip, but just hang from the bar. Once you can hold a dead hang for a minute, do negative pull-ups, where you use a chair or some other assistance to get the chin above the bar and then lower down with control. These two modifications still build strength and will help you to get to your pull-up goals.
Bent row
A bent row will work most of the muscles in the back, as well as the arms, core and even a little bit of the glutes. This exercise can be done with a bar, dumbbells, kettlebells or even in reverse with TRX straps. To start, take an athletic stance. Hold the bar with palms facing back, and bend the knees to about a quarter-squat position. Keep the head up and back flat, again activating your core to increase stability. Pull the bar into the chest while thinking about squeezing the shoulder blades together – this will keep the elbows in line and tracking straight. Extend the arms back out long and repeat.
Tricep push-up
To work our front side, we will do a tricep push-up. The tricep push-up differs from a standard push-up in that the arms stay close into the body, working the triceps and the chest. First, get into a standard plank position with hands under shoulders and the body in a long line from the crown of the head to the heels. If you need some help with alignment, try looking straight ahead while settling into your plank. This will pull everything in line. When you look back down, make sure to not let your butt rise or your back sway. Once the plank position is set, lower down as far as you can with the arms staying close to the body. Push back up into plank position.
Side plank
For the final exercise, try a side plank which will isolate the muscles of the side body – an area super important for a good rotation. Start in regular plank, and then roll to the right while raising the left arm towards the sky. The left foot should stack on top of the right, with the outside edge of the right foot resting on the floor. Lift the left hip towards the ceiling and hold, repeating the same thing on the other side. If you would like to add some movement to the exercise, take the skyward left hand and swing it under the right side body, then return to starting position and repeat.