Training Advice

Based on the premise that if you ‘do what you’ve always done you’ll get what you always get’ and assuming we all want to improve our results this year I have developed some additional ideas for coaches to consider.

As you may be aware I am an avid reader of ‘Peak Performance’(PP) which is a monthly review of relevant Sports Science literature focusing on stamina, strength and endurance for all sports.

As always I have adopted ideas from professionals in the field on proven and evidence-based facts or results based on well researched work as identified in PP. If I can’t back up these ideas with references then I don’t include them.

To cover all aspects of training as far as our time allows we need, in my opinion, to encourage paddlers to pay attention to and take ownership of the following:

• Posture in the canoe
• Flexibility
• Technique
• Specific Strength
• Aerobic Conditioning.

As coaches we need to ensure as much as possible that what we ask our paddlers to do will not cause them injury. This starts with encouraging paddlers to sit up in the canoe with a neutral spine, not to slouch during the stroke, to relax the shoulders especially on recovery strokes, and to move heir bodies fluidly during the paddling motion.

This is where some cross training has benefit especially that activity which works anatagonistic muscles to those used in paddling. I would include here gym work, Crossfit, Bootcamp, running, swimming, use of stretch bands, yoga and other similar activity. Such activity also of course improves overall fitness but should not be a substitute for getting on the water.

Of all the paddlers such cross training is probably most useful for steerers as the demand on their bodies is rather different to just paddling.

As we age, and we have lots of ageing paddlers in our club, so our flexibility drops away.

Stretching is the key to improving flexibility but it is difficult to incorporate into our training sessions as time is so limited. We can encourage our paddlers to stretch at home, after training, special stretching classes, Pilates, Yoga, etc.

Evidence-based research is now unequivocal in proving that static stretching as seen and practised for many years prior to events does not reduce the risk of injury and can, in fact, lessen the performance of the athlete.( PP 347 p 17 ‘Stretch first, pay later!’ – Appendix I – click here)

Dynamic stretching is beneficial and useful and can be performed on dry land but in the quest for efficiency, a good warm up with input from the coach to encourage good movement in the canoe is probably the most effective as this warms up and stretches the muscles about to be worked.

Some individuals still feel the need to stretch after the initial warm up and this can be due to past injuries or specific stiff joints so a little time should be given for those individuals to do their stuff.

The ‘Noosa Stroke’ that we know and coach remains the same but as each year goes by we should refine our ways in teaching paddlers how to become technically proficient. This is a highly important aspect to the sport. If our strongest paddlers aren’t technically proficient they or their team will never attain the level of competence they otherwise could.

Without question signficant focus needs to be given to the ‘catch’. If you take a look around it becomes quite evident that many paddlers have been asked to ‘reach’ out and as a result the entry of their paddle into the water is too far ahead of their bodies, so they should be made aware of this inefficiency. I strongly recommend coaches and paddlers take time to study the series of Johnny Puakea’s videos on YouTube:

John Puakea Teaches Canoe Paddling Techniques; the catch parts 1 and 2; and JP Teaches the Tahatian Paddle Technique with Video Analysis. – SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH…

This latter one also addresses the technique in relation to women paddlers.

I have updated the paddling drills I have developed over the years so coaches can use them as a guide to focus the paddlers’ minds on certain aspects of the stroke.

These drills have proven very helpful if applied correctly. However, we can’t stand still and continue to do the same training, for if we do, we will fall behind.

Recently, on talking to the boys who went to Tahiti, I was advised that one of the drills used there was for the paddlers to put their paddles down and for them to all move as one in the canoe. I have tried this and it seems to be producing dividends.

Basically the paddlers are asked to move back and forth as though they were paddling and extending the lower arm as the body moves forward and driving off their leading foot as they then sit up straight whilst maintaining a wet lower hand. It’s not easy to describe but not difficult to do. It has become quite evident to me as I look over at paddlers in other canoes that the degree of movement in the canoe is varied and not consistent so this drill has been added.

Take a look at the footage of the winning teams at the 2107 Catalina Crossing (in California) on YouTube that I posted on the Noosa Facebook page and you will see what I mean about movement (not bobbing, I hasten to add) in the canoe.

Another adaptation to our technique is to develop a longer time with the paddle in the water yet not coming out too far at the back of the stroke. A drill is being developed to cater for this variation.

Going back to the very first paragraph about doing things differently I urge coaches to support the following changes and approach this year;

• Technique is a priority
• We train the ‘rock’ or body movement to keep the paddle in the water longer
• We change every 10 strokes not 15
• We encourage the recovery stroke to be quicker
• That we work on gearing so all paddlers can put in full power irrespective of rating

Whether we like it or not outrigger paddling is a strength sport.

Recent and overwhelming evidence has been appearing in the sport press on many occasions over the past year which will be to our detriment should we ignore it.

Endurance athletes are now working specific strength like never before. Whilst it seems logical at first sight for endurance athletes to do long endurance type efforts to replicate race distances this will only work the aerobic system and paddlers will not, after their initial training, develop any additional strength in their prime paddling muscles.

To increase maximal specific strength, and that is what we are after, strength drills need to be of small reps and very high resistance. Not only that but also the work needs to be done when the athlete is fresh (not at the end of the session as I was doing last season) (See PP 366 p 3- 9 ‘The Power and the Glory’ – Appendix II – CLICK HERE (2.5MB PDF)).

A typical session would be as follows:
After some body movement drills by the Yacht club followed by a good solid warm up to Munna point (or equivalent 10min warm up) two paddlers will, with a slow moving boat, do 8 massive strokes on one side. They will then rest and be followed by another two doing the same thing and then the last two. This will be repeated from the front on the opposite side and the whole exercise repeated some 5-6 times on the way to the river mouth, around the Sound or up river.

Download the article here (2.5MB PDF)

Now there are some important aspects about this drill which need to be addressed:

• The paddler to gain benefit must apply absolute total commitment to the few strokes he/she has to do
• Technique must remain excellent to benefit and to avoid injury
• Good recovery period is necessary between sets so the brain is firing on all levels
• Strength training must be done while paddlers are fresh and not fatigued. This is the start of this strength building programme and the reps and resistance will be increased in degrees. Preliminary feedback from paddlers on this drill is positive. To allay any fears of muscle building, this strength building session will not increase muscle size but activates paddling-specific muscle fibres or bundles which are not likely to be totally engaged with any other activity. As this exercise activates otherwise dormant muscle fibres there appears to no benefit in doing any other form of traditional resistance training. Other types of resistance training like towing crates or fitting balls to the canoe to increase resistance can be introduced but it is important for the resistance training efforts to be short no more than 15 strokes) otherwise the crew will lose the feel of the glide, it will not improve strength, it will wear the paddlers down and raises the probability of injury.

I haven’t mentioned muscular(strength) endurance yet. This is another aspect to cover in training but not until later down the track when specific strength programme has been completed. For muscular or strength endurance we then look at lighter loads but higher repetitions eg: paddling on the same side for mins at a time. More detail will follow.

Detailed research and papers are now indicating that a polarised approach to endurance training gets the best results. There are a number of references available to support this and I can forward more in due course but the article referred to here encapsulates the whole
story very neatly and I recommend it is read carefully. (PP 347.p 1-5 ‘Hi, lo silver lining’ – Appendix III)

This doesn’t mean we throw out our old ideas but readjust a little if necessary to ensure our  paddlers get the right type and correct amount of work in training.

So to start we break training zones into three as follows:

For those with HR monitors the work rate can be quite easily determined as long as the maximum heart rate is determined accurately. Rarely if ever the equation (220 – your age) is applicable.

Failing that and as a rough guide, at a heart rate below 75% paddlers can just talk in sentences (though we don’t want them to), 80 -85 % effort means phrases are just manageable and above 90% single syllable utterances are the only sounds that can be produced.

We now attempt to arrange training so time in appropriate training zones is as follows:

• 70% in Zone 1
• 10% in Zone 2
• 20%

It is entirely possible that last year we were in Zone 2 and Zone 3 for too long. That’s altogether understandable for once crews start a piece the competitive streak starts to appear and crews end up working harder than they should.

So how do we divide up the training week?

Let’s take two weeks and assuming each paddler comes out at least 3 times per week they are on the water for say 10 hours.

Polarised training will then require:

• 7 hrs in Zone I
• 1hr in Zone 2 and
• 2 hrs in Zone 3

(Remember this is over a 2 week period). Any additional sessions could and probably should be Zone 1 in which we focus on technique or skills improvement which will be highly beneficial.

I have attached an analysis (excel documents) of some typical training sessions to indicate whether we meet these criteria. (Appendix IV)

Some of the breakdown may be not entirely accurate e.g. chasing waves may be Zone 1/Zone 2 (gently rolling swell) or even a Zone 2/Zone 3 piece (Steep and fast moving waves) depending on how hard the paddlers are going and the condition of the ocean.

After some analysis it appears to me that only one Threshold session (ie middle distance intervals of say 5-8 mins) every three weeks would be sufficient to enable us to meet the polarised approach most easily so training should reflect this.

Apart from the introduction where I indicate we should do things a little differently this year, a different approach will refresh our paddlers and hopefully reengage them a little more to move on to bigger and better things.

And finally let’s not forget the effort we went to, to produce the selection pyramid and to ensure we, as coaches, adhere to the requirements of that in selection for the big races of the year. Only in this way can we as coaches show our paddlers we are being open and transparent in dealing with individuals and that we are enabling them to give their best.

Des Mabbott
Men’s Coach
Noosa Outrigger Canoe Club