Gym Exercises for Kayak Strength

{By John Jacoby}

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We've had a number of questions from people asking for some tips on kayak-specific exercises and weight training.  Attached below you'll find a list of our favourite exercises that are designed to strengthen the muscle groups that are important for kayaking.

Photos taken at One 80 gym at Docklands, Melbourne.  Sue Stanley (triple world aerobics champion) is the manager, click here for membership details.

Balance

Swiss ball: medicine
ball rotations

    

Swiss ball: dumb-bells - various
(legs off the ground where possible)

    

Swiss ball: one-arm pulley

flys		  
seated upright pulls
(only one leg on the ground)

front raise


Shoulders and back

Horizontal dumb-bell pulls (alternate)

   

Bent forward dumb-bell pulls

   

Bench dumb-bell pulls




Additional shoulders & back exercises: Standard push-ups


Lat pull-down


Seated cable-row

Arms

Tricep extension

   

Chin-ups

   

Bench and pulley -
long arm extension


(seated on swiss ball, single dumbell extension behind head with both hands)


(with towel)


Bench press


(using dumb-bells and a swiss ball)


(simulate swim stroke)

Dips


(weight tied around legs if you
can handle the extra weight)

Bicep curl


(pulley, facing away from weight stack)

 

Abs

 

Legs

Swiss ball: Lean back and balance

Swiss ball, Prone jack-knife

45 degree one-legged leg press


(with medicine ball behind head,
hold as long as possible)

Additional abdominal exercises: Crunches, sit-ups

Additional leg exercises: 10x minutes
rowing machine on level 10,
focus on a full leg-extension
and powering through the quads
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