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How to Use SUP to Improve Your Fitness: Free Zoom Session Recorded April 14, 2022!

Want to use SUP to get fit? Ready to take your workouts back outside now that the weather is getting better? Watch Coaches Larry Cain and Victoria Burgess in this Zoom session on how to make your paddle workouts more enjoyable and effective. They discuss ways to gain confidence in your ability to stay on your board, track your board straight, and how to pull an effective forward stroke.

 

2 Comments

  • Larry Cain, Paddle Monster Head Coach
    Posted April 16, 2022 at 12:44 pm

    Here are few questions that came up in the chat and we didn’t have time to answer:

    There was a question about calculating training zones using the max HR formula of 220 – age. I suggested that for most fit, training paddlers the Heart Rate Reserve method works a little better and promised to explain how it works. Here you go:
    The calculation of a zone value, X%, is performed in the following way:
    Subtract your HRrest from your HRmax giving us your reserve heart rate (HRreserve)
    Calculate the required X% on the HRreserve giving us “Z”
    Add “Z” and your HRrest together to give us the final value
    Example: The athlete’s HRmax is 180, and their HRrest is 60 – determine the 70% value
    HRmax – HRrest = 180 – 60 = 120
    70% of 120 = 84
    84 + HRrest = 84 + 60 = 144 bpm

    Q. Someone asked about the red tap on my paddle between the blade and the shaft and is wondering if I used that to remind me to bury the blade. A. It helps but that is not why. On most of my paddles I just tape the blade into the shaft rather than glue it so that I can switch blade if I want or take the blade off to make it smaller when traveling.

    Q. how important is it to have a clean catch? I hear both ways – either it doesn’t matter (Bruno Hasulyo splashes all over and he’s still very fast), or that it is critical to have a blade entry that is as smooth as possible. Which is it? A. The purpose of the catch is the gather water onto the blade so that you can hold it there during the stroke and thus pull yourself past the paddle. Generally a clean catch allows you to do a better job of gathering water, so I would suggest if you are paddling for fitness, working on technique or not paddling for speed you try to keep it as clean as possible. On the other hand, if you are sprinting you want to be attacking the water with a little impact as you gather. In this case a little splashing that comes with being aggressive is expected. However you still want to make sure you’re grabbing and gathering water. You can’t pull yourself past something without any connection to it. I hope that makes sense.

    If you’ve got more questions after watching please don’t hesitate to answer them below!

  • Larry Cain, Paddle Monster Head Coach
    Posted April 16, 2022 at 12:44 pm

    Here are few questions that came up in the chat and we didn’t have time to answer:

    There was a question about calculating training zones using the max HR formula of 220 – age. I suggested that for most fit, training paddlers the Heart Rate Reserve method works a little better and promised to explain how it works. Here you go:
    The calculation of a zone value, X%, is performed in the following way:
    Subtract your HRrest from your HRmax giving us your reserve heart rate (HRreserve)
    Calculate the required X% on the HRreserve giving us “Z”
    Add “Z” and your HRrest together to give us the final value
    Example: The athlete’s HRmax is 180, and their HRrest is 60 – determine the 70% value
    HRmax – HRrest = 180 – 60 = 120
    70% of 120 = 84
    84 + HRrest = 84 + 60 = 144 bpm

    Q. Someone asked about the red tap on my paddle between the blade and the shaft and is wondering if I used that to remind me to bury the blade. A. It helps but that is not why. On most of my paddles I just tape the blade into the shaft rather than glue it so that I can switch blade if I want or take the blade off to make it smaller when traveling.

    Q. how important is it to have a clean catch? I hear both ways – either it doesn’t matter (Bruno Hasulyo splashes all over and he’s still very fast), or that it is critical to have a blade entry that is as smooth as possible. Which is it? A. The purpose of the catch is the gather water onto the blade so that you can hold it there during the stroke and thus pull yourself past the paddle. Generally a clean catch allows you to do a better job of gathering water, so I would suggest if you are paddling for fitness, working on technique or not paddling for speed you try to keep it as clean as possible. On the other hand, if you are sprinting you want to be attacking the water with a little impact as you gather. In this case a little splashing that comes with being aggressive is expected. However you still want to make sure you’re grabbing and gathering water. You can’t pull yourself past something without any connection to it. I hope that makes sense.

    If you’ve got more questions after watching please don’t hesitate to answer them below!

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