Lemmy Lambert is the co-builder and designer of the Va'a Factory V1 and V6 in Tahiti. An accomplished paddler himself, Lemmy and his team, Taaroa Dubois, Roland Teahui, Steeve Teihotaata and Heialanin Vairaaroa won the Te Aito, Super Aito 2009 V1 races, they also manufacture the V6 for Top Tahitian Teams.
Lemmy was just recently in Australia as coach of a V1 Clinic organized by Erica Hamp, Tracy Horan, the South Queensland Zone AOCRA Committee and Mark Kennedy (Va'a Factory Franchisee in Aust ZuluSurf) I had the pleasure of spending time with Lemmy at the 2 day Clinic and filming him demonstrating basic V1 Technique. The video above is part of that Clinic.
Oscar Chalupsky 11 time winner of the Molokai Surf ski Championship shows how to surf effortlessly on small wind generated swell. This is an extract of a race i filmed "20 Beaches"
By popular demand. Fully Stabilized and Zoomed Footage of Clint Robinson's final 4 mins of the Doctor Race for Technique and Surfing analysis.
Cheers Rambo Labels: racing, SURF SKI, training techniques, video
Guy's, i've used these for the past 2 years and they have helped me improve my understanding of paddling immensely. Feel free to download them from my Knowledge box and i hope they help you as much as they have helped me.
Just right click and save to your hard drive.
Arthur Lydiard Training
http://www.box.net/rssdownload/161525510/Arthur%20Lydiard_training.pdf
Wind and Waves
http://www.box.net/rssdownload/109496927/Wind%20and%20Waves.pdf
Imre_new_book4
http://www.box.net/rssdownload/107097385/Imre_new_book4.doc
Cheers Rambo
Hey guys, bailing is a skill and another reason why we should be proud our sport is so different from others. The Top Crews will make a move when they see another crew bail, it can make or break a race and it’s all part of racing smart.
I remember in 1995 National Titles @ Rockhampton, Mooloolaba Masters started the race with no covers (as did lot’s of crews but not all) and just after the start the weather changed and i had to bail continuously from seat 5 for the entire 16k race. I could never get all the water out, but managed to keep the canoe high enough to maintain our lead in the race, dispite constant swamping. That was until 200 metres from the finish line when we took a huge swamping and sunk the canoe up to the gunnel’s. At that point every everyone had stopped paddling and had given up and i was so pissed at having bailed all that way i screamed at the crew to just paddle submarine style to try and make it to the finish line, as we had a sizable lead over 2nd and 3rd canoe. With the encouragement of most of the crowd on the beach we paddled underwater like crazy and passed over the line and won by half a boat length and an excited Ronnie Grabbe through his paddle so high in the air, i don’t think it ever came down.
It was one of the sweetest wins you could ever have and was a big part of what built the Mooloolaba Masters into the crew it is today and still gets talked about when the grog flows at the bar.
This was the crew - Rambo, Ronnie Grabbe, Pete Tremain, Adrian Blandford, Neil Campbell, Greg Anderson.
Bailing is a big part of our OC6 sport and history and we should embrace it and become skillful at it, not find ways to bastardize it.
BTW - My excuse for a poor “Shaka” in the photo is, i could barely lift my arms above my shoulders from all that bailing. Did OK at the bar that night though.
Learn to bail !!!!
Cheers Rambo
Who is the "keeper of the ama" on an OC-2
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
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Posted by
Rambo
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This was posted on Ausoutrigger forum and i thought it was worth of being recorded in the Locker.
Jeff ask's - Greetings,
Had a fun day on the water on my OC-2 with a friend who I am trying to woo over to OC from the world of dragon boat. I mentioned to him to keep his weight in the center of the boat but wow he really leans into his stroke. We had a great day and of course hulied when he was on the right.
Now I know it was my responsibility to protect the ama all day with this paddler, but just curious with the experience of the OC-2 crews in this community who is in charge of balancing the ama in the OC-2 given both are OC paddlers? I am assuming it is the right side paddler that fine tunes it with the left sided paddler keeping weight over the center. I'd welcome any insight on this.
Aloha,
Jeff
Follow up replies - Jeff, Paddle together more often and you two will click. The next person you partner will be different again.
OC6 paddlers who don't paddle OC1 or OC2 are very unstable when they first get onto an OC2, even experienced paddlers. They no longer have the canoe sides to brace against like in OC6 and need time in the two man to adapt to this. For this reason their timing is usually way out to.
I took a fellow club member out with me some time back, this paddler is a multiple OC6 Hamo and Nat winning paddler, but never paddled OC1 or OC2 before, still doesn't. We hulied 3 times and i could not focus on my own paddling it was that horrible. So what you experienced is normal.
Eventually, if you keep paddling with this person, a blend will develop and you will react to the OC2's movements instinctively.
It's not about who "keeps" the Ama, you should both just try to sit central, be balanced and move your center of gravity to maintain equilibrium.
Some combinations click straight away, usually two one man paddlers of similar ability.
Cheers Rambo
And Further - The Ama on a canoe does the job it was designed to do very well, generally it does not require input from us. So, as a paddler we should concentrate on paddling as if we don't have an Ama. If you set your canoe up correctly and paddle upright, the Ama should ride light and any time you sense a need to protect it, say if a swell is approaching on the Ama rear quarter, it should be done with a paddle stroke to compress it or a sight roll of the hips to counter the lift (not a lean) Taking a forward stroke is the preferred option, as this is contributing to the forward propulsion of the canoe, anything else just causes drag.
One of the reasons people get sore left ass is because they over protect the Ama, paddle your main hull as if it were your primary source of stability and relegate the Ama to secondary and you will be heaps faster.
Cheers Rambo
Ella wrote - Must learn this!! And that whole bracing right concept!!
Follow up reply - The bracing right concept is nothing more than taking a normal forward stroke on the right. As you press the paddle down at the catch your weight is transferred to your left butt cheek compressing the Ama usually enough to counter any lift. Sometimes you have to break your rhythm and accelerate your return stroke at the opportune time to make the brace stroke effective, but that is part of reading the ocean and using it's power, not fighting against it.
Flying the Ama and bracing passively on the right for balance is a completely different skill, in this case you induce the Ama to lift in order to reduce drag and allow the canoe to track using only the main hull. The brace drag can also be used to slow the canoe down to keep it on the crest of the wave until you decide the time is right to take the drop and link up some swells. Timing when to go and when to hold is critical to successful canoe surfing.
Cheers Rambo
Check out the leg drive and power generated by this young man (won the Open and Under 19 World Sprints)
Watch how his entire body weight is placed on the huge paddle and the way he scoots the Va'a forward almost like a C1 kneeling style, incredible glide after the power stroke.
His position on the seat as he slides, moves almost the length of his stroke. Not something you could do for an extended period of time, but awesome just the same.
Thanks to Mindy for the video
Some comments from other experienced paddlers
Leo Young - Very interesting technique and it looks like all the other Tahiti paddlers in the race are also using that technique. They drive with both legs together, which gives them tremendous drive, but this is counteracted, at least in part by loss of boat run due to the fairly violent boat movement up and down. It appears to work for them, but it’s hard to be sure if they’re superior rudderless paddling ability is largely responsible for the good end result.
Rambo - Most of the other paddlers appear to be paddling the V1 like they would an Oc1, but that's understandable, most probably do.
I think this video highlights just how different a Sprinting V1 is, compared to an OC1.
1. Higher seating position
2. Ability to slide on the seat
3. Longer waterline.
All these differences allow for greater use of the legs, body weight and alternate techniques. Not sure i want to go there, too much fun catching bumps in the ocean. But I'm sure there's something that can be
learnt studying it.
Pete Dorries - It's an interesting topic because what you are all talking about basically is technique. Technique in paddling, whether it be ski, kayak, oc1 or oc6 is continually getting refined. With kayaks we have seen the first Olympics (in my opinion) where each of the finalists had the same techniques. The is fine tuning to be done on all of the including the winners. This is what their coaches will do (hopefully) to keep that edge.
Getting back to the V1 race, What a great, explosive technique shown here. Although we look at it and say he is bouncing and sliding and doing all the things we talk about not doing, the paddler is having a great exit, a good recovery and most importantly a great catch. Something I bring into play with my board paddlers is a dolphin like bounce. We see that here in a very buoyant craft. As the paddler goes forward on his recovery we see the boat leave the water and drive forward then down. This movement then propels the boat up and forward again. Not bobbing up and down like a cork but forward like a dolphin.
Once you were told to keep craft slicing thru the water with no bounce. This was true on boards but as we started using thicker(therefore more floatation) boards we found as long as we didn't bob up and down we could drive forward and get the boards floatation to give us explosive forward power. I see similar technique in the C1 as the Board and ski and OC1. Twist and rotation from the hips. The C1 tend to get more movement too off the legs as they go down some through the groin area and return after the catch using all that power from the legs to the hips and stomach with a whipping motion. This is similar to what a board paddler is doing but can't get as much legs into it as they are kneeling on two knees not one.
Also technique and style shouldn't change from ocean to flat. What I teach at my classes we then adapt it to the ocean. Its all about holding technique under duress. IF feel you are faster in the flat it is because of less time in ocean conditions. This is where proper coaching comes into it. The problem in this sport is the person who is likely doing the coaching at your club is the person who has been paddling longer. I've even seen people with one or two years experience giving bad advise to newbies. But the newbies lap it up cos' they don't know any better. This is why it takes proper coaching, over time and especially on OC1's, to develop great technique. Labels: training techniques, V1, va'a
Leg drive is really not what actually happens in an OC1. Yes legs do appear to pump, as in the Paradise video, but that is to allow the hips to rotate to gain further reach. Unlike the Surf Ski/ Kayak stroke which sweeps out to the side and tilts the ski/kayak from side to side, the Oc stroke is straight down the center-line of the hull. The legs are just a part of the connection that starts from heel, continues to circle the body and ends at the blade anchored in the water. The legs pump in response to the twisting of the hips.
Some OC paddlers appear not to pump at all, this i believe is fine as mostly they are larger body types and the torque transfer is primarily through their butt on the seat connection.
Lot’s of top paddlers paddle with their butt very close too their feet, which gives them the high knee look, so obviously there is not a lot of leg drive going on there, just a different style of torque transfer and it works for them. Personally, i cannot paddle this way as I’m too unstable and my learnt style requires that i have hip rotation.
No matter what style you adapt, the most important thing is still getting efficient transfer of power from the paddle to the hull resulting in maximum FORWARD movement.
Chuck in a few bumps, side current and wind and you have a whole new ball game.
A Case Study - Danny Ching on OC1 compared to a Kayaker
In this video of Danny Ching, his leg drive appears to be restricted in an OC1 compared to a kayak. As you can see from this short video of him … there is slight leg movement but no leg drive that i can see, that is not to say that he could be pushing on the heel to lock the knee
Also i have split the screen with a cut a way kayak showing what leg drive is, you can clearly see the difference in foot to butt level, which then allows more rotation.
Cheers Rambo
The Time Course of Training Adaptations
from the MIPP Archive
Introduction
So far, I have exposed you to some basic physiological variables that are known to 1) bear a strong relationship on endurance performance in every sport and 2) respond to training. By now, I hope you can recite with me the "Big Three" elements of endurance performance:
1. Maximal Oxygen Consumption
2. Lactate Threshold (also called Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation)
3. Efficiency
Number 1.
is an oxygen delivery issue. A high maximal capacity for blood delivery means higher oxygen delivery and the potential for more muscle to be active simultaneously during exercise. VO2 is primarily limited by the maximum pumping capacity of the heart, and the specific arterial development to the active muscles.
Number 2
is an oxygen utilization issue. The greater the intensity of work we can achieve prior to the point when we begin to accumulate the inhibiting acidity of lactic acid, the faster sustained pace we can tolerate. The limiting adaptations are the capillary density, fatty acid breakdown enzyme level and mitochondrial density in the specific skeletal muscles used in your sport. Combining elements 1 and 2 gives us the sustainable power output of your "performance engine".
Number 3
Efficiency, links sustainable power to performance velocity. The better the efficiency, the greater the achieved velocity at a given level of energy output. Since, ultimately, we have a limited "engine" size, improvements in efficiency are critical to additional improvements in performance time.
In this article I want to discuss the time-course of change in these variables. "How long does it take for my max VO2to peak out?" "What about lactate threshold?" Understanding the answers to these questions will be important as we try to build appropriate training programs.
The First Wave of Change - Increased Maximal Oxygen Consumption
In a previously untrained person, VO2 max is increased significantly after only one week of training! The reason for this early improvement appears to be an increase in blood volume, which results in improved maximal stroke volume. As training continues, VO2max continues to increase, for several months, albeit at a slower rate of improvement. We have already discussed the fact that the heart appears to be remodeled by endurance training, developing a greater ventricular volume diameter, and other more subtle adapatations that make it a more effective pump.
After about 3-4 months of regular exercise, the improvement in maximal oxygen consumption begins to level off dramatically. At this point, it is common to see about a 15-20% improvement in this variable. For example, a hypothetical male (who I will call Bjorn) with an initial VO2max of 3.5 liters/min (at a bodyweight of 75kg, that's 47ml/min/kg) may increase to 4.0 liters/min, a 14% increase in absolute VO2. If in the process of training, Bjorn also loses 4kg (close to 10 pounds), then his relative VO2 max will have increased even more (from 3500/75 or 47, to 4000/71 or 56 ml/min/kg). This is a nearly 20% improvement.
Unfortunately, after another 6 months of training, it will have increased little more, if any. If the level of training intensity remained the same after the first 4 months, then no further changes would be expected. If on the other hand, Bjorn continues to intensify his training over the next 6 months, a small additional increase might occur. This increase might be as much as 5 additional percent, bringing our example athlete up from an initial value of 3.5 liters/ min at 75 kg, to 4.2 liters/min at 70kg (he also lost another 1 kg of fat). That's 47 ml/min/kg up to 60 ml/min/kg due to a combination of both increased absolute VO2max (20%) and decreased bodyweight (6.7%), for a total improvement in relative maximal oxygen consumption of 27%. This is actually an unusually large improvement in this variable, but definitely plausible.
If our example subject started at a higher level of VO2, the relative improvement would almost certainly be less dramatic. The important point to recognize from this is that VO2 max increases fairly rapidly in response to chronic exercise, then plateaus. If our example athlete continues training another 5 years, his VO2 max won't improve any more. It might actually decrease slightly due to age related declines in maximal heart rate. Depressed? Don't be. There is much more to endurance performance then the Vo2 max.
The Second Wave of Change -The Lactate Threshold
At the same time Bjorn's VO2max was increasing due to central and peripheral cardiovascular adaptations, changes were beginning to occur in his skeletal muscles (let's assume Bjorn is a runner, so the adaptations of interest are happening in the legs).
Initially, an incremental exercise test on a treadmill revealed that Bjorn began to show an substantial increase in lactic acid concentration in his blood while running at 60% of his maximal oxygen consumption. Remember, his max was 3.5 liters/min. 60% of this is 2.1 l/min. So functionally speaking, 2.1 l/min was his threshold workload for sustained exercise. If he runs at a speed that elicits a higher VO2 than 2.1, he fatigues quite quickly. However, over time, the overload of training induced quantitative changes to begin occurring in his leg muscles. Mitochondrial synthesis increased. More enzymes necessary for fatty acid metabolism within the muscle cell were produced. And, the number of capillaries surrounding his muscle fibers began to increase. Additional capillaries are being constructed. The functional consequence of these local muscular adaptations is a very positve one. Bjorn's running muscles use more fat and less glycogen at any given running pace. And, the glycogen metabolized to pyruvate is less likely to be converted to lactic acid and more likely to inter the mitochondria for complete oxidative metabolism. Consequently, Bjorn's lactate threshold begins to increase. After 6 months of training, in addition to a higher VO2max, his lactate threshold has increased from 60% to 70% of max, a 17% improvement in an absolute sense, but functionally much more. Why? Because the 70% is relative to an increased max! So, Bjorn has gone from an initial sustainable oxygen consumption of 2.1 liters/min (60% of 3.5) to a new sustainable intensity of 2.8 liters/min, a 33% improvement!
Now, the important thing to know is this. While VO2max plateaus quite rapidly, lactate threshold does not. If Bjorn continues to train, and increase his intensity appropriately, his lactate threshold will continue to improve slowly for a longer period. Of course, improvements in lactate threshold also plateau, otherwise elite athletes that have been training for 15 years would have LT's of 100% of VO2 max! But, the time course of adaptation is slower, so the plateau occurs after a longer period of intense training, probably several years
It is also important to remember that the lactate threshold is even more specific to the mode of exercise than the VO2 max. This was exemplified by a study performed by Coyle et al. and published in 1991. In this study, 14 competitive cyclists with nearly identical VO2 max values differed substantially in their lactate threshold determined during cycling (ranging between 61 and 86% of VO2 max). When the cyclists were divided into a "low" and "high" LT groups (66% vs 81% of maximal oxygen consumption), it was found that the two groups differed considerable in the years of cycling training (2.7 compared to 5.1 years on average). However, they did not differ in years of endurance training (7-8 years of running, rowing etc.) When the low cycling LT and high cycling LT groups were asked to perform a lactate threshold test while running on a treadmill, the two groups were no longer different. Measured while running, the lactate threshold in both groups averaged over 80% of VO2 max. Similarly, if you are a runner and decide to add swimming and cycling to your training and compete in triathlons, you will immediately recognize that your running fitness does not immediately transfer to the bike, and of course not to the water!
The Third Wave of Change - Efficiency
The final element of our BIG THREE endurance adaptations is efficiency. I think we all know what it means to be an "efficient" person, or own a "fuel efficient car". But, what does the term mean when applied to endurance performance? It means the same thing, getting more done at lower "cost". Efficiency is defined as MECHANICAL WORK/METABOLIC WORK. For example, one (quite good) cyclist can sustain 300 watts power output for 1 hour on a cycling ergometer at a sustained VO2 of 4.3 liters/min. Another rider performing at the same oxygen consumption, squeezes out 315 watts, a difference in efficiency of 5%. Even though both riders have the same "metabolic engine" they have different power output capabilities. You don't do 40k time trials on a lab ergometer, though. So, thanks to my friend the cycling guru, Jim Martin, we can predict their actual performance time in a 40k time trial. If these two cyclists have identical aerodynamics and use aero bars, the times will be 56:10 vs. 55:15. This is only a one minute difference, but probably worth at least 2 or 3 places at the Masters Nationals Time Trial!
So efficiency makes a difference, often much bigger than the above example. And it also varies among different athletes. That's interesting, but not terribly useful for YOUR training. Your big question is probably "Can My Efficiency Improve With Training?". The answer is YES. In highly technical sports like swimming, efficiency differences between beginners and experienced swimmers can be absolutely tremendous! Swimmers already know this full well. In rowing, efficiency also improves dramatically at first, due to gross technical improvements. However, efficiency can also continue to improve after years of training. Dr. Fritz Hagerman followed one group of national class (U.S.) rowers for 8 years, measuring ergometer performance, VO2, lactate threshold, etc. Peak values for maximal oxygen consumption and lactate threshold stabilized after only 2 or 3 years in these hard training athletes. However, performance times on the water and on the rowing machine continued to improve over additional years of training. The reason? Slow improvements in rowing efficiency. One source that is independent of on-water technique may be optimization of workload distribution among the large muscle mass employed in rowing. Ultimately, the rowers who went on to become national team members and have success at the highest levels were more efficient than their peers.
What about the "less technical" sports like cycling and running?
For you cyclists, I call cycling less technical only in reference to the act of pushing the pedals, not all of the equipment and aerodynamics! Again their is evidence for significant improvements in efficiency even after years of training. In studies carried out on "Good" vs. "Elite" cyclists carried out by Dr. Ed Coyle and colleagues at the University of Texas, it appears that elite riders sustain higher power outputs despite similar physiological values in part by learning to distribute the pedalling force over a larger muscle mass. In running, fomer U.S record holder in the mile, Steve Scott, was shown to have improved his running efficiency even "late" in his career.
The Bottom Line
Based on a tremendous amount of both laboratory and "field" data, I would propose to you that the order in which the BIG THREE endurance performance variables reach their peak is 1)VO2max, then 2) lactate threshold, then 3) performance efficiency. Putting it all together, and neglecting for now the negative impact of aging on maximal oxygen consumption, we might get something like the figure below:
The figure above is obviously very generalized. In reality, all three variables fluctuate within a year (off season vs competitiion period) as a function of training intensity and volume. Peak values after a given period of training will approximate this kind of pattern, though.
Obviously, if you are just beginning in an endurance sport, then all three elements will probably improve dramatically, almost no matter what you do! But, if you have been training in sport for a year or more, you must construct your training program with more and more care to continue making progress in those adaptations that have "room to improve" while maintaining the levels of those that have plateaued or are beginning to. Since for the masters athlete, the option of "just adding another workout" is usually not a viable one, this will often mean finding the right distribution of a limited amount of training time among a variety of workout types. Labels: training techniques
When to power up & Using your power wisely
By Jude Turczynski
You hear it all the time in races, "On the next change, ...Power up!" And, a grueling race gets even tougher. As you power up, precious resources are being used up at an alarming rate. Your self confidence is tested to it's core. How do you know the right time to power up? Or, is there a right time? You hear some paddlers say, "you should pace yourself so that you're spent by the end of the race and exceeding that pace leaves less energy for the finish." Some say, "speeding up and slowing down is a waste of energy."
There are a number of occasions when "powering up" can provide substantial gains during a race. Most of the time, powering up will get you tired and give you only four or five feet. Since you can't effectively power up more than a hand full of minutes during any hour of racing, you must choose wisely the moments when your investment will recoup the best returns.
The start is your first opportunity. You have a chance to place yourself and/or your crew in a dominant position early on, so that everyone else behind you is almost automatically placed on the defensive. The faster you get your canoe up to full speed, the more distance you'll place between yourself and those who would take your position. And, just think of that person who is just ahead of you (if you aren't leading), who is as stressed as you from the hard start and who thought you were going to be left behind. Your good start [can] shake an opponent's confidence for a moment...but only for a moment. If you're going to win against a person of equal physical ability, you have to out smart them and out skill them.
In the OC-6, watch your opponent's steersperson to see if they're ruddering excessively. If so, you can power up whenever the steers person stops paddling. Often, this can be several strokes in a row. Every time your whole crew powers up while their crew is powered down, you get great gains for the energy you spend. When the steers person stops paddling, the power drops by 17 percent. When the steersperson "pry's" a rudder against the hull, the power drops by over 20 percent. If the steersperson "Posts" a rudder out away from the hull, power drops by over 22 percent. (And these are conservative figures.) These are the moments when your investment will pay off in high percentages. When your opponent is zigzagging, you can power up to take advantage of their slowed progress as well.
If you're racing into the current/wind to get to a turning marker, the first boat to get around that marker will gain the most distance from the rest of the pack and they'll gain this distance in the period while the next canoe is still bogged down in that wind/current and stuck in the turn. Once you round the marker and are going with wind/current and while your opponent is still moving against wind/current, you can power up here to gain enormous distance against them. Once your opponent rounds the marker and has their boat up to speed with yours, you can drop down power into your hard race pace. It is in this situation that one can gain so much distance that an opponent can not possibly overtake your position. It is not uncommon in most tidal bays and large rivers to gain three to eight boat lengths in this situation. An upwind marker can increase the spread between all boats in a race.
When you see an opponent experiencing discomfort or trouble with their gear, they'll likely be slowing to some degree, and that is your moment to speed up. Sometimes, you can tell that your opponent is in a slow moment where he has lost concentration or is experiencing a momentary lull in energy, again take all advantage of such situations. They may get their second wind just as suddenly.
When rounding a coastal outcropping where you must steer a large arc around an object or a point-break, if you can take an "inside" position while your opponent is paddling farther out in the arc. At this time, you will be traveling a lesser distance that canoe that isn't cutting the curve so close. You can power up here to increase the advantage of your position.
Of course, you can simply pick a random moment to power up, but the difference between your boat speed and your opponent's speed will not be as great as when you carefully pick the right moment. And, you don't want to be spent when that opportunity arrives.
Most of us would remember Robyn Singh originally from the Gold Coast, Australia having paddled here for the last 17 years and reaching elite levels with her crews. Robyn is now living and coaching in Hawaii and recently recorded this video about Paddling from the Core. This video and the following article ties in nicely with a paddling technique "power circle focus" that i have been practicing over the last 2 weeks. The "power circle focus" is about engaging the heels, knee, hips, back, shoulders, elbow, wrist and then the planted paddle (completing the "circle") in the correct order to achieve maximum power transfer from the paddle through the "body power circle", to the hull. When you get this right, your feel for the water and the transfer of power to the hull will result in faster canoe speed and efficiency and we all could do with more of that.
I will cover more of the "Power Circle Focus" in a follow up post.
Cheers Rambo
Here's the Video from Richard Ambo of the Honolulu Advertiser.
BASIC EXERCISES TO ADD TO YOUR REPERTOIRE
Trevor Spring, a personal trainer from Adapt Fitness who works with Singh and helps train her paddlers, suggested three basic exercises that can be done three times a week, preferably before you paddle: A squat with side bend, a forward lunge with a side bend, and a backward lunge with a high kick on the return.
Before you start, Spring recommends you loosen up with a brief warm-up. Easy trunk twists, side lunges and high kicks are a good start. You want to get the blood flowing.
# For the squat, stand with your feet apart, shoulder width, and your arms opened wide and parallel to the ground, palms open. Keep your back flat, not bent, shoulders back, chest out and your butt over your heels. Suck in your tummy when you squat, twisting to one side as you go down. The finished position for each repetition should find your lower hand near your foot and your upper hand reaching skyward. Aim for 10 repetitions on each side.
# The forward lunge begins with you standing in split stance — one foot forward, the other at the back. You alternate for each side you train. Again, your arms should be outstretched, parallel to the ground, palms open. As you lunge, twist your trunk toward the side that's lunging, finishing with your lower hand near your foot and your upper hand reaching skyward. Aim for 10 to 20 repetitions per side.
# The backward lunge is a bit more dynamic. Stand with feet apart, step back in a reverse lunge, then step forward and kick your leg up as high as you can. Touch your foot with your opposite hand, then bring your leg backward into a lunge. Aim for 10 to 12 repetitions per side. Labels: training techniques
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