Develop Paddle Power With This Workout

  

 

Power is slightly different from strength.  Strength is the ability to perform a hard movement. Power is the ability to perform a hard movement fast.  That's what we are trying to develop in our sport.  Not just being able to lift a heavy weight, but to pull the paddle through the water quickly.

Slow movements won't develop power.  In fact, slow movements could make you slower as your body gets used to the slower movement speed.  Your out of the boat training should also reflect the types of movement speeds that you would use in a race in order for your training to be more specific.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but you can train to move heavy loads at high speed.  You don't have to use light weights to move the bar at high speed.  You can move 75-80% of your 1 rep. max at high speeds. 

You just have to keep the reps low.  With more than 3 reps, the bar speed starts to slow down considerably.  So, rather than doing 3 sets of 5 reps, do 5 sets of 3 reps very fast.  Or, you can do 7 sets of 2 reps.   Or, 10 sets of 1 rep. Then, you are moving heavy weights at high speed and developing power.

Here is a sample workout to develop power:

1. warm-up.  Do a general warm-up, such as easy jogging and alternate toe touches and burpees for 3-4 minutes.   No slow stretching.

2. deadlift.  3 reps and 5 sets. 75% 1 rep. max.  1-2 min. rest between sets, walking around.  Move the bar quickly, keeping the buttocks down and the head up.

3. pull-ups.  3 reps and 5 sets.   1-2 min. rest between sets.  You might not be able to do 5 sets fast at first.  Only do as many sets as you can do at high speed.  If you can't do 3 reps fast, stop and do more the next workout.

4. military press.  3 reps and 5 sets.  75% 1 rep. max.  2 min. rest between sets.  Move the bar quickly.

5. planks.  do planks and plank variations.  Do side planks on both sides, reverse planks, and planks with one arm extended forward and one leg elevated, then switch.  Planks with feet elevated.  This develops core strength.

5. running sprints.  50 meters fast.  5 times.  2-3 minute rest between sprints. 

6. warm-down.  walk for 5 minutes and do some easy stretching. 

That's a good all-round power workout.  The fast bar speed will help you develop power.  The planks and sprints are for all-round strength and conditioning.  Remember to keep changing your workouts, so you don't always do the same thing, because then you will plateau and stop making progress.  Change your workout every month or so.