Exercise - Regular Plank (Core Training)

1. Stay suspended between your elbows and feet on the prone position with your body held straight;
2. Move your hip up and down in a slow and controlled manner.

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Exercise - Side Plank (Core Training)

1. Keep your body suspended on one elbow and both legs with your hip held at such a distance from the floor to make sure that your body is straight.
   Raise your other arm up above, in line with your shoulders;
2. Slowly lower and raise your hip and d as many reps as you are able in a controlled manner;
3. Change side and try to perform the same number of reps.

click here to view larger diagram

Exercise - Superman (Core Training)

1. Lie on the floor face down (prone) and arms spread overhead the way Superman flies;
2. Slowly raise and curl up your arms and legs (it is important that your elbows and knees are off the floor);
3. Hold this position of raise arms and legs and curled up trunk and slowly lower one arm and the opposite leg to the floor and alternate raising and lowering your opposite arms and legs.

click here to view larger diagram

Exercise - Straight Leg Twist (Core Training)

1. Lie on the floor with your arms spread and legs held in a 90 degree angle to your trunk;
2. Slowly rotate your legs down in the direction of the floor while maintaining the 90 degree angle and rotating your head in the opposite direction simultaneously;
3. Slowly raise your legs to the original position and start rotating them downwards on the other side while rotating your head in the opposite direction.

click here to view larger diagram

Exercise - Abdominal Crunch (Core Training)

The core is the place where most paddling movements originate, find their platform and where they enhance or cancel out each other. The muscles of the core also have the structurally important task of protecting the spine and maintaining healthy posture.

Most of the power propelling the boat or board forward are generated by and are passing through the core. Core training is the foundation, the base on which strength training for paddle sports is built on.
The most important core muscles involved in paddling actions are the abdominal obliques, abdominal rectus, lats, serratus, iliopsoas, spinal erector, trapezoid, gluteus and pectorals muscles.

Of the above core muscles list is the so-called "serape" muscles, the lats, rhomboid, serratus and external and internal obliques are the most important originators of movements involving rotation. These muscles are wrapped around the trunk diagonally and it is fair to say that every paddle stroke finds its origin in the stretch-shortening cycle of the serape muscles.

 

There are several exercises that improve core strength. The basic exercise is the abdominal crunch that is aimed at both the abdominus obliques and abdominal rectus muscles. 

1. Lie on a mat with your legs drawn up and hands touching your temples;
2. Press the small of the back into the floor and rotate your trunk up diagonally moving your elbow in the direction of the opposite knee;
3. Slowly lower our trunk back into the starting position and , again, press the small of your back into the floor and rotate your trunk up diagonally with your other elbow moving in the direction of the opposite knee.

Alternate sets of the above xcrunches with regular crunches where you curl your trunk up straight with both elbows moving in the direction of the knees now left elbow to left knee and right elbow to right knee.

 

It is very important to intitiate each repetition with a powerful pelvic tilt, that is pressing the low back into the floor with a slow and controlled manner.

 

click here to view larger diagram

Plyometric Exercises

Plyometric Execises are performed with fast and powerful movements. They develop muscle power and improve specific and overall speed. The muscles undergo a forced eccentric action where they are being stretched and this eccentric action is immediately followed by a powerful concentric action (countermovement).

One needs a good strength base in order to be able to perform plyometric exercises safely. Without a good strength base, the shock of the powerful and repetitive stretch/shortening cycles might overwhelm the tissues and may cause injuries.

There are several plyometric exercises, such as sky jumps, frog jumps, power skating, death jumps, lateral jumps, etc. we will start with the Sky Jump and the Frog Jump.

See videos below (1. Sky Jump  2. Frog Jump).

Exercise - Hand Clap Foot Clap Rebound Push Up

The Hang Clean is a dynamic full body exercise where 85% of the power generated comes from the powerful muscle actions of the legs and hips. Once you have perfected the execution of the Hang Clean and you are able to perform 3 sets of 20 reps with a pair of 10 lbs dumbbells, you can learn another dynamic, full body exercise that is focused on the upper body and the core.

The Hand Clap Foot Clap Rebound Push Up is an explosive, full body exercise way superior to the "static" bench press. While doing bench press tends to increase muscle mass and decrease muscle speed, the Hand Clap Foot Clap Rebound Push Up has exactly the opposite effect: it increases muscle speed without developing a disfunctional mass.

It is a very demanding exercise that stresses the muscle a lot more than regular push ups. Before you attempt to do it, make sure that you can do at least 20 push ups correctly and very fast.

At first, just to generate enough power to be able to get your hands airborne at the end of full arm extension. Once you are able to get airborne at least 10-12 times with some rest in between, try to do it continuously by freefalling from the air, preloading your triceps and pecs and rebounding up in the air (this is called the rebound push up).

When you are able to perform 10-12 rebound push ups in a continuous manner, try to propel your self up with such a force that you can do a hand clap before the start of the freefall. This will need a more powerful and more explosive muscle action of the pecs, triceps, anterior deltoids and of the abs and the iliopsoas muscles as well.

The next step is to propel yourself up with even more force and the added involvement of the hip flexors so that you are able to perform a foot clap as well.

I must emphasize that this is a very demanding exercise where you repeatedly load and reload your muscles and force them to perform powerful countermovements (your body moves with full speed in one direction and immediately at full speed in the opposite direction) and the demands placed on the muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments are huge. Tissue repair and adaptive changes take a lot more time. It is very important that you progress gradually and give at least 48-72 hours for your body to recover.

Exercise - One Arm Kettlebell Snatch

The One Arm Kettlebell Snatch is a dynamic, full body structural exercise,that, if performed in a technically correct manner, improves power and explosive power. It is a lot more powerful multi-joint exercise than the One Arm Rowing which is quite static in comparison.

The preloading at the end of the free-fall of the kettlebell, just before the upward snatch is almost identical to the preloading of the musculature for the the paddle stroke, but more powerful.

One needs a good strength base, not only that of the prime movers, but of the postural stabilizers as well, to be able to perform this exercise safely.

Practice this snatch first with relatively light weights (10-15 lbs) and only when you are able to perform 3 sets of 16 reps in technically correct manner, start increasing the resistance by 5%.

1. Starting position: legs, hips are flexed and the fully extended arm is holding the kettlebell a little
    above ankle height;

2. With a powerful extension of the ankles, knees and the hips, propel the kettlebell up vertically in
    such a manner that is passes right in front of the chest (without stopping there);

3. As it flies up in front of the chest, the joint action of the upper traps and deltoids make up for the
    inevitable loss of momentum and the upward motion ends when the arm is fully extended;

4. From the upmost position, let the kettlebell have a guided free-fall that should last to the point
    when it is at knee level. There the muscles of the legs, hips, back, upper traps and deltoids break
    the free-fall and receive a powerful preloading that stretches and prepares them for the dynamic
    countermovement that will propel the kettlebell up again.

See diagram below and video

click here to view larger diagram

Exercise - Power Clean and Jerk

Once you perfected the execution of the Hang Clean in its basic form, jumping and on the Bosu, you can learn the Power Clean and Jerk by adding one powerful movement to the Hang Clean which is a dynamic overhead lift.

The Power Clean and Jerk is the ultimate dynamic structural exercise that will further improve your explosive power, coordination, balance, proprioception and power endurance.

Like all dynamic structural exercises, the Power Clean and Jerk stresses the muscles, tendons and ligaments more than the regular static, single joint exercises. You need to develop strong strength base and need to progress gradually with resistance and number of sets and reps. The damage to tissues is usually quite extensive after a few sets of Power Clean and Jerk - you need 48-72 hrs rest for repair and adaptation

1. Hold dumbbells with a hook grip. With your back straight, flex your knees and hips into a quarter
    squat position. Arms are fully extended (hanging like ropes)

2. With a powerful, explosive and simultaneous extension of the hips, knees and ankles, drive the
    dumbbells straight up parallel with your body. When the dumbbells reach the level of your hips,
    start a powerful shoulder shrug and flex your arms with the elbows up and forward.

3. Stack dumbbells at shoulders.

4. Flex your knees and hips and move back

5. With a powerful extension of the hips, knees and arms, push the weights up from this front squat
    position until your entire body is fully extended.

6. Flex your arms, hips and knees, lower the weights to your shoulders and move back to front squat
    position.

7. Extend your hips and knees and with the weights stacked at shoulders move up and immediately
    rotate your elbows back and

8. Let the dumbbells free fall into the starting position from where the cycle for the next repetition
    may begin.

 

See diagram below plus video

 

 click here to view larger diagram

Exercise - The Kettlebell Swing

There is hardly any other dynamic, multi-joint, dryland exercise that resembles so much to the rhythmical movements of standup paddleboarding as the kettlebell swing.
 

It preloads the muscles of the legs and the hip/back in almost the same, perhaps even more intense manner.
 

For paddlesports it is a more complex and more dynamic exercise than the squat.
 

Make sure that you start with a relatively light weight (10-15lbs) with which you can perform the exercise in a technically correct manner, with good posture 12-16 times. Once you are able to perform 3 sets, after week or so, you can increase the weight by 10%
 

1.      Inhale as you flex your legs into near half-squat position. Make sure that your back is straight.

2./3. With a powerful, double extension of the knees and the hips, swing the kettlebell up and forward
         as you exhale.

4.      Let the kettlebell freefall into the starting position and beyond, guided by the arms. Catch the
         freefall and at the same time preload the legs and hips just before starting the powerful
         countermovement up and forward. Keep repeating the exercise with correct breathing technique
         until you completed the set.

(if you do not have a kettlebell, temporarily, you can perform the swing with a dumbbell. Cup your hands around the the dumbbell. Just because the grip is not as strong around the dumbbel, do not use heavier than 10lbs)

 

See diagram below plus video

click image to view larger diagram

 

 

Exercise - Hang Clean

The hang clean is a dynamic, multi-joint structural exercise - excellent for power development. It requires excellent neuromuscular coordination(coordination and sequencing of motions). Unlike single joint exercises that develop only muscle hypertrophy (muscle mass), the hang clean elevates muscle function.

To avoid injuries, start with light weights and focus on correct execution. Once you have mastered technique and you can perform several reps and sets in a fluid and coordinated manner you can increase resistance and the number of reps and sets and prepare yourself for other dynamic, structural and functional exercises, such as the clean and jerk, power clean and jerk, jumping clean and jerk, various kettle ball exercises, etc.

1. Correct starting stance is very important.
   Hold the dumbbells with a hook grip. Flex your knees into a quarter squat position.
   The dumbbells should be at the level of the knees or slightly under.
   Keep your back straight (neutral) or slightly hyperextended by pushing the chest up, the butt back and abs tight.
   Arms are fully extended and locked out at the elbows (they should hang like ropes) 
   Keep tour chin up.
2. With a powerful and explosive and simultaneous triple extension of the hips, knees and the ankles drive the dumbbells upward vertically and parallel with the body with no deviation from the vertical in any direction.
   When the dumbbells reach the level of your hips and your hips, legs and ankles are fully extended, start a powerful shoulder shrugs by contracting the upper traps. At the same time, start flexing your arms with the elbows up and forward.
3. Stack the dumbbells at shoulder level - their inner edges should be touching your deltoids.
4. As soon as the dumbbells are stacked with their inner edges touching your deltoids, flex your knees and move down into a front quarter squat position.
5. With a similar, but less powerful triple extension of the hips, knees and ankles move up as if you were performing a front squat.
6. As soon as you reached the final stance of the front squat, rotate your elbows back and the dumbbells will rotate forward around their axle. Holding them with a relaxed grip, let them free fall to the level of the knees and you are in the starting position again where you tighten your grip and immediately start start the powerful triple extension of your hips, knees and ankles.

See diagram below plus 3 videos(1. Hang Clean  2. Jumping Hang Clean  3. Bosu Hang Clean)

click image to view larger diagram



 
 

 

 

If you need coaching assistance, we will have workshops at the store on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.