Increasing your frequency or duration of kayaking is the best way to boost your performance in the water. However, several land based workouts can also help in building your endurance and strength. A well planned kayak training program can have a massive impact on your performance and decrease the risk of common kayaking injuries to a certain extent as well. It can also make your experience more enjoyable and less fatiguing.
Why train for Kayaking?
Kayaking calls for a unique blend of multiple factors and requires additional training regardless of your current fitness level. Here is the list of several reasons why you should train for kayaking:
Stability and Core development
Balance and stability is absolutely vital for maintaining your posture and control while paddling. The core is mainly responsible for proper paddling motion.
Increasing Strength
Full body strength is crucial for overcoming water resistance and delivering more power with each stroke. Increased muscle strength means a larger gap between cruising through the water and maximum paddling.
Improved Metabolic Rate
Your heart and lungs need to be able to provide a sufficient amount of oxygen to your body during exercise. Regular aerobic exercises can help by boosting your stamina which in turn makes you a better paddler.
The Best Exercises for Kayaking
Kayaking itself is an excellent exercise, but your land based workout can help your performance in kayaking. These five exercises can help transform you into a lean, mean paddling machine.
Planks
Planks are one of the best core strength building exercise. This basic isometric hold might not suggest that, unless you are doing it yourself. A simple plank, if done properly, can help you build excellent core strength. It also puts the muscles of the lower arm, lower back, shoulders, glutes, and thighs into work making it an excellent workout. Your whole body will face a challenge in a matter of few seconds. A 20 second drill is intensive enough for your body. But, if you want to challenge yourself further, simply increase the duration or provide variations. Here is the technique to perform a basic forearm plank:
- First,lay on your stomach with your elbows directly underneath the shoulders, your forearms flat on the ground, and your feet hip-width apart.
- Tuck your toes under and lift yourself off the ground, while maintaining a straight line throughout the body.
- Squeeze the quads and glutes and engage your core as if you were trying to pull your belly button toward the ceiling, which will help keep your hips level.
- Keep your back straight, with your head and neck in a neutral position so there’s no room for sagging or curving.
- Remember to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth and hold the position.
Dumbbell Squat & Press
A dumbbell thruster or the dumbbell squat and press works the entire body in a single fluid motion. Drills start as a simple squat but ends with an overhead shoulder press. This helps you in building lower body strength while focusing mainly on the glutes and quads. It helps make your middle stronger and also makes your legs stronger. And that’s good for you. Here is the technique for this exercise:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with a dumbbell in each hand. The dumbbells should be up at shoulder height, by the ears, with your elbows bent.
- Lower yourself into a squat, with thighs nearly parallel to the floor. Keep the knees in line with the toes. If you can’t squat in that position, stick to whatever feels comfortable.
- As you push your body up and return to a standing position, continue the motion. Press the dumbbells above your head, bringing the biceps up to your ears.
- Return to the starting position and repeat.
- Aim for 12-15 reps and 4-5 sets for maximum strength and conditioning effect.
High & Low Wood Chop
This resembles a wood chopping action. The wood chop movement is quite similar to the way the upper body turns during a kayak paddle stroke. It is an excellent training exercise which translates well into kayaking and other routine activities. It targets the abdominals and obliques, while also engaging the back, shoulders, and glutes. Here is how to do this exercise in your workout:
- Stand with your feet apart, grasp a cable handle from a cable machine with both hands, and hold it above one shoulder at head height. Position yourself side-on, so that the movement can travel downward and across the body.
- Engage the core and keep your back straight, rotate your torso to the side and pull the handle diagonally across your body until it reaches the opposite thigh.
- Your hips and knees may rotate slightly, and you can also rise up on your toes as you twist and pull. It’s essential that you keep the arms straight throughout the motion. Otherwise, the focus might shift from your abdominal to your arm muscles.
- Allow the cable resistance to move the handle back to the starting position and repeat.
- Aim for 12-15 reps on each side, with a total and 4-5 sets.
Bent-Over Row
An efficient and effective paddling technique can provide you with a powerful stroke. For that, lower body strength, upper body endurance, and stability is important. This exercise helps you recruit back muscles, legs, and glutes which build muscle strength and mass. Here is how of execute this simple exercise:
- Start with feet shoulder-width apart and grab a barbell with both hands, positioning the palms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep the arms straight and let it hang.
- Bend your knees slightly and lean forward at the hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the ground. Keep your back straight.
- Engage your core muscles, lift the weight, and squeeze your shoulder blades together, driving the elbows behind your body, and rowing the barbell up and toward your torso.
- Once it reaches the body, pause before lowering it back to the starting position in a controlled motion – and repeat.
Kettlebell Swings
This is a combination of the power of a deadlift and the explosiveness of plyometric workouts. It recruits all the large muscles groups in your body, especially the core muscles and hamstrings. Quick repetitions enhances the heart rate adding a cardiovascular element to the exercise. On that note, here is how to get your swing going:
- Select a weight which you are to perform for 5 set of 20 reps – for a conditioning and fitness focused workout
- Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell sitting in front of you on the ground.
- Bending primarily at the hips, but with a slight bend in the knees, grasp the kettlebell with both hands, palms facing the body.
- Lift it and let it swing back between your legs to create momentum.
- Drive your hips forward and send the kettlebell swinging upward from the quads, no higher than your shoulders. Contract the core and squeeze the glutes as you reach the top of the movement.
- Allow the kettlebell to descend back through your legs. Its weight should do most of the work. Keep the core engaged and control the downward swing, though.
- Your arms are there to control the kettlebell, not drive it; the power and explosiveness comes from the hips.
Go Exercise and Kayak
The best way to train yourself is by going out and practicing kayaking in the water. A few simple exercises can help you along the way. They can provide you with the required strength, endurance, efficiency, and balance which can be a game changer for your kayaking experiences.
