Can anyone recommend a set of upper body exercises to do in the gym over the winter ? I'm not looking to end up like the incredible hulk; I would prefer 'wiry'.
I read somewhere that rather than push/pull as big a weight as possible, it is better to use a smaller resistance but with a higher number of repetitions. True ?
Thanks in advance.
Gym work - Advice needed
There are several things to take into consideration. Firstly the myth that if you complete weights you will look like Arnie is not true. To increase the size of the muscles to that extent you need to train with extremly heavy weights with maximum of 3 reps, this will also include improvements in strength.
If you are looking to improve power then you will need to complete sets of 10 reps or over at high weight but moving the weight as quickly as possible.
If you are trying to improve musculkar endurance then you should use lighter weigths with higher reps over 30. Or even timed 30 secs on 30 secs off.
There are lots of different types of weights you can do such as matrix sessions and there are new ideas all the time. The best I feel is to ensure that at least some of the actions you perform in the gym symulate those in the boat.
However, developing a good core is vital. i.e. bench press, bench pull, squats, cleans, dead lifts etc.
If you are looking to improve power then you will need to complete sets of 10 reps or over at high weight but moving the weight as quickly as possible.
If you are trying to improve musculkar endurance then you should use lighter weigths with higher reps over 30. Or even timed 30 secs on 30 secs off.
There are lots of different types of weights you can do such as matrix sessions and there are new ideas all the time. The best I feel is to ensure that at least some of the actions you perform in the gym symulate those in the boat.
However, developing a good core is vital. i.e. bench press, bench pull, squats, cleans, dead lifts etc.
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John Sturgess
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Thu May 27, 2004 12:01 am
- Location: Gedling, Nottingham/Long Preston, North Yorkshire
I'm sorry, but I would disagree with quite a lot of that.
Firstly, you need to work out what physical attributes you think slalom needs. Opinion differs, but here is mine:
a) Slalom is about Power - which is defined as a combination of Strength and Speed: ie strength delivered at speed.
b) In so far as it is about Endurance, it is Power Endurance - the ability to repeat powerful actions for c. 2 mins - and high-end aerobic capacity - the sort that provides 50% of the energy needs of a medal-winning 400m hurdler.
c) Not only is Muscular Hypertrophy of no direct use, beyond the Minimal it messes up your power-weight ratio, and slows you down. Predominatly your strength/power improvements need to come from neural improvement rather than hypertrophy.
At the risk of oversimplifying,there are four forms of programming for weight training:
a) Lightish weights slowly - lots of reps - bodybuilding
b) Lightish weights fast - lots of reps - muscular endurance
(long)
c) Heavyish weights - slowly - 6-20 reps - hypertrophy
d) Heavy weights - explosively - 4-5 reps - Minimal Hypertrophy Strength/Power: what most sportspeople need (apart from Linebackers, Rugby Forwards, Oarsmen)
And when Poliquin says 4-5 reps, he means lifting at least 4-5 RM weights - ie you stop after 4 or 5 because you can't lift any more (or, other than for the Olympic lifts - which can only be done explosively - because you can't lift any more without slowing the movement)
In fact bodybuilding routines build muscle bulk without increasing strength: the hypertrophy is sarcoplasmic - expanding the gunge between the muscle fibres - rather than sarcomeric - building the cross-sectional areas of the muscle-fibres themselves.
I would also question the bench-press and bench-pull as developers of core strength, as in these exercises the bench is used to support the core, and therefore isolates the arms/shoulders. For core strength - particularly important if, as I presume, you are a C1 paddler - you need to be doing whole-body exercises: clean, clean and jerk, snatch, overhead squats, overhead lunges going to Russian Jumps, overhead lunges with twists, cheating bent-over row, pullovers allowing the trunk/shoulders to drive across, plyometric press-ups, etc, etc.
If you want anything more specific - and if you want evidence of the propositions above - e-mail me on ECSTCoach@jsturgess.freeserve.co.uk
Firstly, you need to work out what physical attributes you think slalom needs. Opinion differs, but here is mine:
a) Slalom is about Power - which is defined as a combination of Strength and Speed: ie strength delivered at speed.
b) In so far as it is about Endurance, it is Power Endurance - the ability to repeat powerful actions for c. 2 mins - and high-end aerobic capacity - the sort that provides 50% of the energy needs of a medal-winning 400m hurdler.
c) Not only is Muscular Hypertrophy of no direct use, beyond the Minimal it messes up your power-weight ratio, and slows you down. Predominatly your strength/power improvements need to come from neural improvement rather than hypertrophy.
At the risk of oversimplifying,there are four forms of programming for weight training:
a) Lightish weights slowly - lots of reps - bodybuilding
b) Lightish weights fast - lots of reps - muscular endurance
(long)
c) Heavyish weights - slowly - 6-20 reps - hypertrophy
d) Heavy weights - explosively - 4-5 reps - Minimal Hypertrophy Strength/Power: what most sportspeople need (apart from Linebackers, Rugby Forwards, Oarsmen)
And when Poliquin says 4-5 reps, he means lifting at least 4-5 RM weights - ie you stop after 4 or 5 because you can't lift any more (or, other than for the Olympic lifts - which can only be done explosively - because you can't lift any more without slowing the movement)
In fact bodybuilding routines build muscle bulk without increasing strength: the hypertrophy is sarcoplasmic - expanding the gunge between the muscle fibres - rather than sarcomeric - building the cross-sectional areas of the muscle-fibres themselves.
I would also question the bench-press and bench-pull as developers of core strength, as in these exercises the bench is used to support the core, and therefore isolates the arms/shoulders. For core strength - particularly important if, as I presume, you are a C1 paddler - you need to be doing whole-body exercises: clean, clean and jerk, snatch, overhead squats, overhead lunges going to Russian Jumps, overhead lunges with twists, cheating bent-over row, pullovers allowing the trunk/shoulders to drive across, plyometric press-ups, etc, etc.
If you want anything more specific - and if you want evidence of the propositions above - e-mail me on ECSTCoach@jsturgess.freeserve.co.uk
Yes I would recomend John's schedule as well.
As a qualified weight lifting coach and a very experianced slalom coach he can combine the two extremley well and offer a very good training program, but don't just restrict it to the winter ???
As a qualified weight lifting coach and a very experianced slalom coach he can combine the two extremley well and offer a very good training program, but don't just restrict it to the winter ???
Paddle fast,,,Paddle safe Yorkshire Canoe Coaching
I would agree with John, that power is the key to slalom and building bulk is not benificial, as you said in your own post.
To improve strength over the winter I use lots of combination lifts, such as clean and jerk and snatch, usually doing 3-4 sets of about 4-6 reps. I also like to do bench and bench pull as well as more canoeing specific exercises such as shoulder press and single arm pulls.
Generally I'd say that I do more reps at the start of the winter, during my endurance phase, then reduce the reps to focus on strength, as I begin my technical phase of training in the around the end of january I focus more on power, the finally to prepare to racing i do lots of conditioning work such as rowing and cycling to strip the muscles of any excess bulk and maximise power.
The most important thing however is correct technique. I would not recommend trying combination lifts without a coach or experienced athlete there to make sure you are doing the lifts correctly. It is so easy to injure you back doing bad technique!
To improve strength over the winter I use lots of combination lifts, such as clean and jerk and snatch, usually doing 3-4 sets of about 4-6 reps. I also like to do bench and bench pull as well as more canoeing specific exercises such as shoulder press and single arm pulls.
Generally I'd say that I do more reps at the start of the winter, during my endurance phase, then reduce the reps to focus on strength, as I begin my technical phase of training in the around the end of january I focus more on power, the finally to prepare to racing i do lots of conditioning work such as rowing and cycling to strip the muscles of any excess bulk and maximise power.
The most important thing however is correct technique. I would not recommend trying combination lifts without a coach or experienced athlete there to make sure you are doing the lifts correctly. It is so easy to injure you back doing bad technique!
Thanks for the advice.
Has anyone got a program of exercises I could use ? I can find someone to show how to do each exercise; I'd just need a list of what to do with no. of reps. My email is mwilk@liv.ac.uk if you already have something typed up. I'm K1 if that makes a difference.
Has anyone got a program of exercises I could use ? I can find someone to show how to do each exercise; I'd just need a list of what to do with no. of reps. My email is mwilk@liv.ac.uk if you already have something typed up. I'm K1 if that makes a difference.
Yes, John is quite right, The likes of Arnold Schwarnzeneggar had a low Power to Weight Ratio compared to, say, Linford Christie.
Moving weights with great speed with explosive effort combined with quality of technique is the key.
I think where practical, free weights, (ex. dumbell and barbell ) are preferable to machines, this employs more of your stabiliser muscle groups to maintain posture in addition to exercising the actual driving muscles (mobilisers) that move your limbs. Some machine based exercises prevent this with numerous knee, back, elbow supports to push against.
I know a lot of "gym" ies who can shoulder press on a machine but cannot handle the same weight on a pair of dumbbells.
Also do not forget to exercise the muscles of the trunk. The kayak is a very unstable platform from which to deliver your newly found power from.
Moving weights with great speed with explosive effort combined with quality of technique is the key.
I think where practical, free weights, (ex. dumbell and barbell ) are preferable to machines, this employs more of your stabiliser muscle groups to maintain posture in addition to exercising the actual driving muscles (mobilisers) that move your limbs. Some machine based exercises prevent this with numerous knee, back, elbow supports to push against.
I know a lot of "gym" ies who can shoulder press on a machine but cannot handle the same weight on a pair of dumbbells.
Also do not forget to exercise the muscles of the trunk. The kayak is a very unstable platform from which to deliver your newly found power from.