Part of the Series: The Importance of Fishing In Kayak Angling
You might not see leg strength as being very important to kayak fishing, and I will admit that it is not as fun to do a leg workout as other workouts, but leg strength is absolutely vital.
Think about your paddling, when you are making a powerful stroke, really trying to take of or turn in the rapids, what part of your body starts that action? That's right your legs and hips. Also, think about what part of your body is anchoring you to your kayak? Again, your legs and hips. You see what I am getting at.
Beyond paddling, your legs and core are vital for balance and posture, whether standing or sitting, in your kayak. They are also necessary when you are forced to carry your kayak to the launch point, or when portaging around barriers in the river. The list of times you use your legs and your core when kayaking is endless, but I will stop listing there.
It is also important to strengthen you legs and your core to achieve balance amongst your muscle groups in order to help prevent injury. If you don't work out your legs and your core, then your upper body will be doing all of the work when paddling, leading to muscle fatigue and possible injury.
Anyway, you get the point...DON'T INGNORE YOUR LEGS AND CORE.
Here is my Leg and Core Workout:
Week 1 and 2
I do this workout in week one and two
Minutes 1-15 - Warm-Up and Stretch
In order to prevent injury, improve flexibility, and to maximize your workout, it is important to warm your muscles up before any workout or stretch, and it is important to stretch before and after each workout.- Jumping Jacks: about 1-2 min.
- Loosen and warm up your body.
- Also, getting your body used to leaving the ground.
- Lunges: 20 with each leg.
- Keep good strong form, really try and start stretching out
- Stretch: essential to prevent injury and maintain needed flexibility.
- Start with your neck and work your way down
- Stretch your arms, shoulders, chest, back, and sides.
- Leg Stretches:
- Spread legs wider than shoulder width and lean forward until you feel the stretch, hold for a few seconds
- Lean to the left and hold, then to the right and hold. Repeat until you feel stretched.
- Do an exaggerated lung with your left leg forward, hold, then your right leg, repeat.
- Stretch your quads with a standing runners stretch
- Stand on one leg and pull your other leg up to your butt. Don't lean forward!
- Hold and switch a few times.
- Stretch your calves
- Place your hands in on the ground in front, put your butt in the air making an upside down V with your legs behind you
- One leg at a time, straighten your leg, push your heal to the ground until you fell the stretch, hold it a few seconds
- Relax that leg, straighten the other, push the heal down until you feel stretch and hold
Workout (This workout wont be very long, but if you need a shorter workout, leave the last set off each round)
This is a leg and core, power and strength training, but it is also an endurance and balance workout at the same time. Try to take only short breaks to catch your breath. KEEP WORKING, DON'T STOP. You want to work each exercise to its max. Work until you cant do a rep. On exercises with added weight, shoot for 8-12 reps. Also remember to focus on your core. KEEP YOUR CORE TIGHT and maintain good form and posture during your workout. Focus on keeping your abs tight--this will help prevent back injury. Don't bend over and lift with your back, LIFT WITH YOUR LEGS.
Round One - Squats
- Squat Jumps
- No weights
- Start on with your fingers on the ground beside your, and jump and reach up as high as you can
- Land lightly, touch the ground, and jump again all in one motion.
- 25-30 reps
- Dumbbell Squat Jumps
- Choose a light weight
- Try and do it all in one motion
- 10-12 reps
- One Leg Dumbbell Squats
- Choose a weight that allows you to do 8-10 reps per leg
- Stand on one leg, and squat down as far as you can, try not to touch the other foot to the ground
- 8-10 reps per leg, switch legs after a complete set
- Dumbbell Squats
- Shoot for 8 reps per leg, switch legs after each set
- find a weight that just barely allows you to complete the last rep. If you can't complete the last rep, that is good.
- Short Rest
- about 30 seconds. Get some water.
Round Two - Core
When doing your core exercises, focus on keeping your abs tight and your back straight. These will be very hard are first, and you might feel burning in your legs and hips (that is good, this is a core workout, not just abs.) If you can't get all 25 reps of each, take a short break, then start again until you complete 25.
- In and Outs
- Sit on your butt, hold your hand in the air if you can, bend your knees and pick your feet off the ground
- Extend your legs in front of you, pointing your toes out, and then bring your legs back in. That's One.
- 25 reps
- Forward Bicycle
- Sit on your butt, hold your hand in the air if you can, stick your legs in front of you
- Act like you are peddeling a bike forward
- 25 reps
- Backward Bicycle
- Sit on your butt, hold your hand in the air if you can, stick your legs in front of you
- Act like you are peddeling a bike in reverse
- 25 reps
- Scissors with a Hold
- Lay on your back with your legs together and out in front of you
- Pick both legs up about 6 inches off the ground
- Pick one leg up as high as you can, keeping your toe pulled back to you
- Hold for about a second and switch, and hold, and switch
- Switch 25 times
- Short Rest
- Get some fluids
Round Three - Lunges
- Jumping Lunges
- Get in a lunge position with, hold your hands about your head
- Jump up, switching legs, and land back into a lunge with the other leg forward
- 25-30 reps
- Varied Dumbbell Lunges
- Hold your dumbbells down to your sides
- Stand with your legs together, lunge forward with one leg, then stand back up to the same spot
- Lung at 45 degree angle to the side and back up with the same leg
- Lung at a 90 degree angle, straight out to the side, and back up with the same leg
- Switch legs, and repeat
- Do each set 4 times per leg
- One Leg Dumbbell Lunges
- Choose a weight that will allow you to complete 8-12 reps
- Place one leg behind you, up on a chair or bench, and your other leg in front in a lung
- Bend your knee down, and pick yourself up, never leaving this form
- 8-12 reps, then switch legs for 8-12 reps
- Dumbbell Power Lunges
- Choose a weight that allows you to do 8 reps
- Stand in a lunge form with one leg in front and the other foot on the ground behind you
- Bend your knee down, and back up
- 8 reps, then switch legs for 8 reps
- Rest
- Drink some Water
Round Four - Core
- Wide Leg Sit-Ups
- Lay on your back with your legs spread wide and stretched on the floor in front
- Hold one hand behind your head, and the other straight out in front of you
- Sit straight up, then reach forward, then twist to the side opposite of your arm that is in front, and then control yourself back down
- Switch arms and repeat
- 26 reps
- Hip Roll to a Foot Raise
- Lay on your back with the bottoms of your feet touching each other and your legs bent up to your butt. Your knees should be to the side.
- Roll your hips, bringing your feet toward your chest, keeping your feet together and your legs to the side
- Push your feet from your chest to the sky, straightening your legs and pointing your toes up
- Bring your legs straight back down to your chest, with your knees out and feet touching once again, and then roll back down to the starting position
- Repeat 25 times
- Toes to the Sky
- Lay on your back with your legs extended up and your heals to the sky
- With your abs, push your legs further up stretching you heals as high as you can
- Lower them back down
- Repeat 25 times
- V-Ups
- Lay on your back and light your legs up at a 45 degree angle in front of you
- Keep you knees as straight as you can
- Raise up with your arms extended in front of you and touch your toes above your head, then lower yourself back down.
- Don't put your legs down!
- Repeat 25 times
- Rest
- Get some water!
Round Five - Calf Muscles
- One Leg Calf Jumps
- Stand on one leg
- Jump forward, jump back, jump to the left, then jump to the right with that one leg
- Stay on that leg until you complete a total of 40-60 jumps
- Switch legs and jump the same number of times
- Dumbbell Calf Raises (3 Set Round)
- Grab a relatively heavy set of dumbbells
- Stand with your toes together and your heals out to the side (like your pigeon toed)
- Raise up slowly and then back down
- 10 reps followed by a set of 5 reps as fast as you can without falling
- Without putting the weights down, stand with your toes pointed straight forward
- Raise up slowly and lower yourself back down
- 10 reps followed by a set of 5 fast reps
- Without putting the weights down, stand with your heals together and your toes pointed out
- Raise up slowly and then back down
- 10 reps followed by 5 fast reps
- Short Rest
- 30 seconds to 1 minute. Be sure to get some fluids.
Round Six - Core
- Leg Climbers
- Lay on your back with your feet tucked up next to your butt and your knees pointed up.
- Raise one leg up as high as you can, keeping your toe flexed back to you
- Reach up and touch your toe with the same hand as your foot
- If you need to "climb" your leg, do it by grabbing with the opposite hand and pulling yourself up
- Repeat 13 times with each leg
- Mason Twists
- Sit on your butt and pull your legs back to you. Pick your feet up off the floor.
- Hold your hands together in front of you, twist and touch the floor on one side
- In one motion, twist back up and over to the other side, then back over again
- Don't let your feet touch the floor
- Touch the floor 40-50 times
- Once you can touch the floor 40-50 times, you can start adding weight by holding a dumbbell in your hands and touching it to the floor
Round Seven - Legs and Balance
- Military March
- Stand straight up and down
- Pick one leg up off the ground as high as you can, without bending your knee and keeping your toe flexed up
- Take your opposite arm, keep it straight, and raise it up over your head
- Then, march in place, switching between raising your right and left leg and arms.
- Complete about 50 of these
- Side to Side Heisman Jumps
- Stand on one leg, with your other knee brought up to your chest (similar to a sideways heisman pose)
- Jump to the side of the leg that is in the air, switching legs and landing in the same pose, just opposite.
- Hold the pose for balance, and jump back to the other side, hold again, jump again
- Complete about 40-50 jumps
***Cool Down and Stretch for 5 minutes if this is the end of your workout***
- It is important to stretch your legs and back very well
- Do the same leg stretches you did in the warm up
- I like to do Yoga poses such as the Cat's Pose, Upward Dog, and Child's Pose for my back
You will be sore for a day or two after this workout, the first week or two. Soreness is not bad, but pay attention. Joint pain is bad, and could mean an injury. Don't hurt yourself.
***Please note that I AM NOT A PERSONAL TRAINER. Don't blame me if anything happens to you. It is not and will not be my fault if you get hurt. I encourage you to run and work out with the proper form, and don't try and "man up" and do more than you can do. The best workout you can get is with good form, so use lighter weight and make sure you are working properly. Always, always, always, CONSULT A DOCTOR before you begin any workout program. Again, it is not and will never be my fault if you get hurt after reading these posts. I AM NOT A PERSONAL TRAINER, NOR AM I A DOCTOR, NOR ANYTHING OF THE SORT. I am just a guy who loves kayak fishing and being in shape who is telling you what I do.***
Part of the Series: The Importance of Fishing In Kayak Angling
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