Get stronger. More waves, more fun. Photo: Nicks Ricca
Editor’s Note: Surf Style Training with Elise Carver is available to The Inertia readers for a 50 percent discount for a limited time only.
It’s hard to break bad habits. It’s even harder to break the ones that have been with us for years. Just like bad posture, bad paddling techniques work hand in hand to give you the dreaded slump, a less than attractive sag in the shoulders, and eventual pain in the neck.
What you don’t get told often is that it’s not your fault. Well, not really. It comes down to the way your body–and specifically your shoulders and upper torso–move and function. Here are a few truths about the way you’re really paddling.
1. Putting your head down doesn’t make you paddle faster.
Many people will tell you to put your head down when you want to paddle faster, so you do and, voila, you feel like you’re moving at lightning pace, and it’s easy. Your body has just tricked you. Congratulations, you fell for it! In fact, you have elongated the back of the neck and upper torso, relaxing the muscles that are supposed to be working to lift your chest. Your shoulders have now rolled forward, engaging your chest and making it do the hard work instead. You’re no longer using the correct muscles for your paddling, which eventually results in those rounded shoulders and bad posture I mentioned before. So what muscles are you supposed to use?
Refer to this Foundation Training video for a nifty technique to strengthen you body in prone position:
Most of us think that paddling is all about the arms and shoulders. If this is you, then every time you hit the water, you’re relying on some of the smaller muscles in your body to do all the hard work. Why would you do that when there are some of the biggest muscles in your body just around the corner?
I’m talking about your Lats (Latissimus Dorsi). Some of the biggest muscles in the body and excellent for paddling, holding good posture, and impressing people with lots of chin-ups.
Stretch your chest regularly to release tension and open the chest. Strengthen your back often to hold your shoulders back and lift your chest off the board with ease. Concentrate on holding good posture throughout your day.
3. Heavy weights aren’t always better for paddle power.
Let me be clear about using heavy weights: they aren’t bad for your paddle strength. But light weights are JUST as good, if not better! Heard of your rotator cuffs? Vital for correct shoulder function and safely paddling, they love lightweight, high-repetition exercises plus stabilizing movements, keeping them in tiptop shape. Light weights create small tears in the muscle, which are easily healed without losing muscle integrity. Repeated reps build excellent muscle quality, resulting in a stronger foundation in the shoulders for paddling. Use resistance bands to strengthen the rotator cuffs, and stretch after every surf. Be mindful of how you’re paddling.
If you’re interested in more surf-specific workouts, check out Elise Carver’s Surf Style Training, a 12-week program designed to improve your wave count and your health.
Editor’s Note: Surf Style Training with Elise Carver is available to The Inertia readers for a 50 percent discount for a limited time only.
