Peak Paddling

AMC Outdoors, May 2007

Conditioning tips for a spring launch date.

When the weather warms and the time comes to splash your boat, you’d best be ready—physically. If you’re not, you’ll suffer through your first month on the water, whining to whoever will listen about your sore muscles and general fatigue. And you may even get hurt. But hitting the gym willy-nilly won’t cut it. You need the right regimen: a workout specifically designed to strengthen upper body muscles crucial for navigating small, self-powered watercrafts. Jerry McAward, a former personal trainer who now owns Northeast PA Kayak School, has just the thing.

UPRIGHT POSTURE POSE  Staying power is half the battle while negotiating a rogue river. After a set of unruly rapids, early season boaters who haven’t ramped up are typically spent in no time. Whole-body frailty stems from limited core strength. And yet, this condition is easily rectified—even while in front of the TV. Sit down in front of the sofa, an inch away from the backrest, with your feet splayed out. Roll up on your sit bones, straighten your back, and hold this position for as long as you can, then rest. Repeat two more times. “Do that for a month, every evening before paddling season, and you’ll be able to last longer,” says McAward. “No doubt about it.”

SHOULDER ENDURANCE CONTIONING  You take hundreds of paddle strokes during the course of a day on the river. And that takes a toll on the otherwise unused muscles throughout your torso and shoulders. Build strength in these crucial areas by mimicking forward paddle strokes while grasping five-pound weights. Do three sets. High repetitions (15-25) with light weights will help build strength and flexibility in your deltoids, shoulders, and obliques.

SEATED SIDEWAYS CRUNCHES  Try rolling your kayak a few times on the river without conditioning and you’ll be worthless and weak for the rest of the day. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Find a soft surface and sit as if in your boat with hands in front. Roll up on your left glutial muscle while curling your body into a C shape—then quickly roll to your opposite sit bone. Do three sets of 15-25 reps. “You’ll be working the same muscles that you use to roll, building endurance and balance,” says McAward.

- Christopher Percy Collier