EXTRAS
Tips / Training
There are many reasons for cross-training, including:
If you live in a northern climate, then you may have periods of several months when it is either too cold to get out on the water, or your available water is frozen. Rather than taking several months off from training, you can do other activities to stay in shape. In this way, you'll regain your paddling fitness much sooner when you finally get on the water in the spring. Cross-country skiing and swimming are good off-season sports that work your cardiovascular system and many of the same muscle groups as paddling. Many top paddlers ski in the winter. Several-time Olympic gold medalist Knut Holmann from Norway is a very good skier and has performed well in Nordic races. I did a lot of cross-country skiing (including many races) when I lived in Michigan and to a lesser extent in Seattle. Other beneficial activities are any aerobic sport that increases your heart rate, or strength-training exercises. Ergometers are another good option when you can't get out on the water.
To improve your paddling, first you should evaluate how much training you plan to do and your strengths and weaknesses. If you only are able to train two to three hours per week and want to gain the most paddling benefit, then you'll be better off spending all of your time in the boat, rather than diluting your training time by doing other activities. However, if you are training more than five hours per week (especially if you train more than eight hours per week), then you can likely benefit from cross-training.
Unless you already have a lot of natural upper-body strength, weight training is beneficial for paddling. The shorter your event, the more you can improve by building strength. You'll want to work all of your upper-body muscles, especially your lats, shoulders, triceps, abs, and back. You can work out a routine by reading any good book on weight training, or talking to a trainer at your local gym. While forearms and biceps are used to a lesser extent in good paddling technique, it's still a good idea to work them to help connect your powerful core muscles to the paddle shaft. Even though your legs are used to increase torso rotation, they likely have enough strength from walking, running, biking, and other activities. Thus leg strength training is generally not required to improve your paddling, but it doesn't hurt to throw in a few sets of leg exercises if you desire. You should allow a minimum of 48 hours recovery between weight sessions to allow your muscles to rebuild.
Aerobic cross-training will improve your endurance in the kayak. Running is one of the best activities for building your cardiovascular system. It's also an activity that can be done almost anywhere – not requiring special equipment or venue. Other good sports include bicycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, and rowing.
Ergometers allow you to duplicate the paddling motion on dry land. Personally, I haven't spent much time on ergometers, as I prefer to be out on the water when possible. However, ergometers can be a huge benefit if you are snowed in and have an early-season race coming up. If your water opens up only a few weeks before your first race, you can get a jump start on the season with a kayak ergometer. You can train your paddling stroke just as you would on the water. Another benefit of ergometers is that you can set up mirrors to monitor your technique or a coach can easily help your positioning.
Rowing ergometers are another option for cross-training. While they don't give you the specific motion of a kayak, they do provide an excellent full body and aerobic workout. They also are readily available in most gyms – even some hotel fitness rooms will have rowing ergometers. This makes it a good option when traveling.
So which is better – a paddling or rowing ergometer? It depends on why and when you are cross-training. If you're using an ergometer because you can't get on the water for extended periods of time, and especially if you have an early season race coming up, then the paddling ergometer is definitely your better choice. However, if you're cross-training for general cardiovascular fitness, then a rowing ergometer may be just as beneficial.
Your cross-training may depend on the seasonal phase of your training and competition. The further in the year you are away from your peak event(s), the more time you may want to spend cross-training to build strength or extra endurance. Many top paddlers hit the gym hard during the off-season to build strength, but then cut back as they get closer to their races so they can concentrate more on in–the-boat training.
Finally, it's not bad to enjoy other sporting activities. Cross-training can give you a break from the monotony of a single activity while maintaining fitness. Then you'll feel refreshed and excited to get back in your boat!
- You are unable to get out on the water due to winter weather, the unavailability of a boat, or a place to paddle.
- You want to improve your performance with additional training.
- You enjoy doing other sports or want some variety in your training.
If you live in a northern climate, then you may have periods of several months when it is either too cold to get out on the water, or your available water is frozen. Rather than taking several months off from training, you can do other activities to stay in shape. In this way, you'll regain your paddling fitness much sooner when you finally get on the water in the spring. Cross-country skiing and swimming are good off-season sports that work your cardiovascular system and many of the same muscle groups as paddling. Many top paddlers ski in the winter. Several-time Olympic gold medalist Knut Holmann from Norway is a very good skier and has performed well in Nordic races. I did a lot of cross-country skiing (including many races) when I lived in Michigan and to a lesser extent in Seattle. Other beneficial activities are any aerobic sport that increases your heart rate, or strength-training exercises. Ergometers are another good option when you can't get out on the water.
To improve your paddling, first you should evaluate how much training you plan to do and your strengths and weaknesses. If you only are able to train two to three hours per week and want to gain the most paddling benefit, then you'll be better off spending all of your time in the boat, rather than diluting your training time by doing other activities. However, if you are training more than five hours per week (especially if you train more than eight hours per week), then you can likely benefit from cross-training.
Unless you already have a lot of natural upper-body strength, weight training is beneficial for paddling. The shorter your event, the more you can improve by building strength. You'll want to work all of your upper-body muscles, especially your lats, shoulders, triceps, abs, and back. You can work out a routine by reading any good book on weight training, or talking to a trainer at your local gym. While forearms and biceps are used to a lesser extent in good paddling technique, it's still a good idea to work them to help connect your powerful core muscles to the paddle shaft. Even though your legs are used to increase torso rotation, they likely have enough strength from walking, running, biking, and other activities. Thus leg strength training is generally not required to improve your paddling, but it doesn't hurt to throw in a few sets of leg exercises if you desire. You should allow a minimum of 48 hours recovery between weight sessions to allow your muscles to rebuild.
Aerobic cross-training will improve your endurance in the kayak. Running is one of the best activities for building your cardiovascular system. It's also an activity that can be done almost anywhere – not requiring special equipment or venue. Other good sports include bicycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, and rowing.
Ergometers allow you to duplicate the paddling motion on dry land. Personally, I haven't spent much time on ergometers, as I prefer to be out on the water when possible. However, ergometers can be a huge benefit if you are snowed in and have an early-season race coming up. If your water opens up only a few weeks before your first race, you can get a jump start on the season with a kayak ergometer. You can train your paddling stroke just as you would on the water. Another benefit of ergometers is that you can set up mirrors to monitor your technique or a coach can easily help your positioning.
Rowing ergometers are another option for cross-training. While they don't give you the specific motion of a kayak, they do provide an excellent full body and aerobic workout. They also are readily available in most gyms – even some hotel fitness rooms will have rowing ergometers. This makes it a good option when traveling.
So which is better – a paddling or rowing ergometer? It depends on why and when you are cross-training. If you're using an ergometer because you can't get on the water for extended periods of time, and especially if you have an early season race coming up, then the paddling ergometer is definitely your better choice. However, if you're cross-training for general cardiovascular fitness, then a rowing ergometer may be just as beneficial.
Your cross-training may depend on the seasonal phase of your training and competition. The further in the year you are away from your peak event(s), the more time you may want to spend cross-training to build strength or extra endurance. Many top paddlers hit the gym hard during the off-season to build strength, but then cut back as they get closer to their races so they can concentrate more on in–the-boat training.
Finally, it's not bad to enjoy other sporting activities. Cross-training can give you a break from the monotony of a single activity while maintaining fitness. Then you'll feel refreshed and excited to get back in your boat!
