Suzie Cooney at Suzie Trains Maui will be providing a super SUP training for those of you fortunate to be in Maui on November 3rd, 2012. She will be at Lumeria Maui doing a “hands on” SUP workshop that will up the  SUP performance for all levels among the attendees.

I would love to be there to get insights for the 30-week “Ed’s Journey Back to SUP Fitness” after shoulder surgery. Here are some topics that will be covered:

• Preparing Your Body for the sport of Stand Up Paddling
• Ocean Preparedness & Water Safety
• Preparing for the famous Maui Maliko Downwinders (Looking forward to doing a few of these the first week of May 2013! Woohoo!)
• Equipment and Gear Review: Boards provided by Naish International
• SUP Techniques – Fine Tuning Your Skills – Finding your “power” in your stroke
• SUP Fitness Training Demos and Group Participation

Until we are ready for all the training Suzie will be sharing, we are piecing together training from a combination of our own experience and actual paddling.

The weather is turning cooler in Central Oregon, but the weekend promises some 80 degree highs. Some paddling will be on the agenda, but as our home gym shapes up we will be starting on some circuit training. Circuit training is great because you can get your heart rate going, build muscle and muscle endurance. We will do something like spin cycle that elevates our heart rate followed by a couple exercises that include strength and balance. Once a 5-10 minute cardio session is done we will move right into some kettle ball swings (from a squat position swinging the kettle ball to shoulder height coming to a standing position) and repeat.  We don’t own the actual “kettle balls” so we will use a handweight with a strap, the Heavyhands brand.  Right now we will use a range from 3-7 lbs. Ed is still watching what he does with the shoulder very carefully.

I am not injured so I plan to  move into a plank position with elbows on a ball and roll the ball forward and back for 20 reps. Ed will do a modified move on the stability ball recommended by his PT trainer, Craig, at Therapeutic Associates. We will do this circuit 3 times and then move on to another circuit that includes some moves on the Indo Board.

Another idea of a circuit we might do would be to start with something like 15 split jumps on each leg. I go gingerly on these due to 5 knee (ACL and meniscus) surgeries over the past 6 years. I jump carefully straight up and land softly.  Next we can add about 20 tricep dips then 20 reverse crunches. It is a solid workout when we repeat this circuit another two times. Basically, we plan to come up with some circuits of three exercises. The first exercise of the series will be something that will elevates our heart rate ( jump rope, running stairs or the canyon hill behind the house, sprints on a spin bike). We’ll add a strength exercise ( kettle bells, push ups, tricep dips, pull ups, etc…) then add in a core exercise ( reverse crunch, plank, medicine ball sit up and throws). After we finish one circuit of three we’ll then move on to another.

What’s your dry land training program? We’d love to hear from you!