Strength training for canoeing

[sailsman63]

I don't really have a current workout routine, which this thread has reminded me to consider. I've never really targeted paddling specifically. I figured that a decently well-rounded overall fitness would serve me better than specializing. That may also need a re-think.

I hate gyms, and I'm not especially excited about working out indoors.

I really hard agree on this - my employer has a lovely, full-capability fitness center that I can access, and the only thing that really appeals is the pool. It might be different if I had a workout partner, but I get so bored hamstering on the track, and real lifting needs a spotter.

One of the things I don't like about using weight machines is they dictate your movements.

Also agreed. While I don't mind the looks that come with putting on some muscle, I'm not sculpting. I've heard that when lifting, you can go for power, bulk, or stamina: pick any two. I'm always going to be wiry at best, (skinny when I'm out of condition) and being bulky just doesn't appeal. I like being compact and flexible. I also want to be able to use the muscle in emergencies and without support structures.

When I did have a bit better routine, it was a combination of a soft stretching/toning Pilates routine (non-machine) and non-equipment resistance training, such as pushups. I'm realizing that as I get a little older, I might need something more comprehensive.

 

[Alan Gage]

and real lifting needs a spotter.

My rack has adjustable safety spotters. I can squat or bench without fear. I've relied on the spotters plenty of times.

While I don't mind the looks that come with putting on some muscle, I'm not sculpting. I've heard that when lifting, you can go for power, bulk, or stamina: pick any two. I'm always going to be wiry at best, (skinny when I'm out of condition) and being bulky just doesn't appeal. I like being compact and flexible. I also want to be able to use the muscle in emergencies and without support structures.

I don't think you need to worry about getting too bulky unless you're blessed with great genetics. Two years ago I was 6' 1" and 165 pounds. I've been lifting consistently and have gained around 15 pounds of muscle and don't look much different, especially with clothes on. Getting seriously big isn't going to sneak up on you.

I get bored quickly in the gym as well. That's why I keep my sessions short. I would certainly see more improvement by spending more time in the gym but if my sessions were longer then I would start avoiding them.

I don't do any exercises that target a specific muscle. I choose exercises that will work multiple muscles at once. For instance i don't do bicep curls. My biceps get worked along with my back, shoulders, and lats when I do pullups and rows.

In the summer, when I have so many other activities to do, my sessions will be even shorter. I mostly ignore my legs in summer and rely on running and biking, mixing in some leg work in the gym when I feel like it. I mostly just do bench press and pullups in summer and will sometimes do a short session early in the day and another short one late. Working out at home makes this easy.

Alan

 

[PortageW/Cerberus]

Three or four times a week, I try to do a little lifting, stationary bike and stairs. Then swim 2/3rds of a mile; three of my laps are sprints because I can't go fast on land anymore.

 

[gumpus]

Thinking about it more I can see where strength training is helpful for loading the boat and a few key exercises might make you a faster sprinter but it's really all about endurance isn't it? It is for my kind of paddling...round trips on Michigan rivers. Best training for me is time on the water.

It was a wintery winter in SW MI (not sure it's over) with just under 100" of snowfall so I had my longest break from paddling in years. Not good.

 

[yknpdlr]

It was a wintery winter in SW MI (not sure it's over) with just under 100" of snowfall so I had my longest break from paddling in years. Not good.

Tell me about it. Did some XC skiing and time on my Paddlesports Paddler, here in easternLake Ontario Lake Effect country. Oh, yeah, not to forget multiple times of above the waist deep roof shoveling.

Montague, NY, experienced extreme snowfall during the 2025-2026 winter season, with an estimated 277 inches (over 23 feet) accumulated between October 1, 2025, and March 22, 2026. As a premier lake-effect region, it remained one of the snowiest spots in New York state, featuring major storms in late January and February.