Are Barbell Squats Necessary for Athletes?

For most strength and conditioning experts, the answer is yes, but there is another point of view worth understanding.  The purpose of all strength training for athletes is to improve athletic performance and building lower body and core strength is key for almost all athletes.      Conventional practice is that the barbell back squat is THE way to develop lower body strength.

However, if you think about it a second athletes do very little with both feet evenly spaced out beneath them.  All running is about landing and pushing off on one leg and most jumping happens off one foot not both feet.  One of the few exceptions is the sport of rowing where you always push off with both feet evenly spaced.

According to Mike Boyle, one of the best sport conditioning experts in the world, the back squat is an exercise that does not translate well to sport, carries a high risk of injury (particularly for the low back), and is hard for many athletes to perform properly based on the length of their torsos, lower leg, and upper leg.

So, what does he recommend?   Split squats with rear foot elevated aka Bulgarian split squats.  Boyle feels they translate better to athletic performance and are also much safer than back squats.  He points out that muscular failure occurs because of lower body muscle fatigue instead of low back strength being the limiting factor like the back squat.

Critics of Boyle maintain that the loads utilized in split squats are too low for athletes to gain the strength they need, but is that true?   Boyle’s answer is that you can lift MORE weight with split squats, and he has the evidence to prove it.   If you work at Split Squats and increase load over time as you become stronger you will find that if you add the loads you are capable of using on each side together the combination is usually significantly higher than what you can barbell back squat!

In addition, when you train one side of the body the other side is also stimulated. Indirect stimulation of the non-working side of the body via working the opposite side improves strength in the injured area. This is called cross-education of muscles and is a neural event. The brain pathways that are used for the primary unilateral exercise stimulate the same muscles on the opposite side of the body.

Split squats have several other key advantages:

They require higher levels of core stabilization because of the unbalanced loading

They require better balance.   

   

They allow a greater range of motion at the hip with higher levels of hip flexion and extension.

They provide a great emphasis on the eccentric strength both in hip extensors AND hip flexors.

Click here for a great article and video tutorial from Mike Boyle himself:  https://complementarytraining.net/split-squats-with-mike-boyle/ 

Breath Training for Improved Physical and Mental Performance

 

Breathing involves the exchange of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). When you inhale you get oxygen, and when you exhale you blow off excess carbon dioxide. Inhalation is triggered by rising levels of CO2.   Therefore, if you are overly sensitive to CO2 you will breathe harder and faster than someone who is not.

By reducing your sensitivity to CO2, you can increase tissue oxygenation, breathing efficiency and athletic performance. One of the best ways to do this is by practicing controlled breath holding and nose breathing.

Done properly these exercise change levels of O2 and CO2 in the blood which creates hypoxia and hypercapnia.

What is Hypoxia?

Hypoxia refers to lower oxygen levels in the tissues of the body.  Severe and/or prolonged hypoxia is obviously dangerous.  However controlled levels of hypoxia actually drive improved tissue oxygenation in an adaptive response to this challenge!

What is Hypercapnia?

Hypercapnia refers to excess carbon dioxide (CO2) in the blood. This can happen for several reasons, including:

Breathing disorders such as sleep apnea

Severe asthma attacks

Heart problems causing reduced blood flow to the lungs

Poor liver function

Kidney failure

When hypercapnia occurs, the body compensates by increasing heart rate and breathing rate. If hypercapnia is severe and prolonged it can lead to serious issues including coma and death.   However controlled and short-term levels of hypercapnia can actual drive improved tissue oxygenation along with Hypoxia.

Benefits of controlled and short-term Hypoxia and Hypercapnia

Both hypoxia and hypercapnia training can improve endurance, increase the amount of oxygen your body can use, and help protect muscles from damage. In addition, hypercapnia training can improve your strength, power, and sprint performance.

Both forms of training have been shown to be safe and effective in several sports when done properly.

How does this work?

All physical training produces a physiological challenge which drives an adaptive response during recovery from the training challenge, and this definitely includes Hypoxic and Hypercapnia Training!   

Mechanism of Action

Oxygen is primarily carried by hemoglobin in red blood cells which transports it to the tissues of the body, and transports CO2 to the lungs to be exhaled.   The affinity of hemoglobin for 02 changes based on pH (acidity), temperature, and CO2 levels and is described as the Oxy-Hemoglobin Disassociation Curve as pictured below.

During ANY Type of exercise, the muscle get more acidic, temperature increases and there is increased CO2 production - which means that higher levels of 02 are automatically off-loaded to those tissues!   

Because athletes and regular exercises go through this process over and over again they have a much greater tolerance for CO2 levels.   In fact, a study found that athletes have significantly higher tolerance for CO2 levels and for any given amount of exercise athletes experienced 50 – 60% less breathlessness than untrained people did!

In addition, increasing levels of CO2 in the body (including the brain) cause increased production of Nitric Oxide (NO) which opens blood vessels to allow higher circulation.

How to Incorporate Breath Training into your Workouts

The easiest way to start this process is by deliberately making an effort to breath through the nose – starting at rest and then during exercise.   By breathing through the nose you will train your breathing muscles to become stronger.  In addition your nose helps filter impurities out of the air so they do not reach the lungs – including viruses!   Nasal breathing also reduces incoming O2 levels and results in higher levels of CO2.     This provides a very real conditioning effect and over time you will become more and more accustomed to higher levels of CO2 which can actually boost O2 levels in the tissues.

CAUTION:  use common sense – start slow and low with nasal breathing and if you have a nasal obstruction do NOT use nasal breathing.    

The other exercise is controlled breath holding exercise.   Start at rest and note how many seconds you can go until you experience a strong urge to breath – then BREATH!    Over time gradually increase your time as you notice you can do so without experiencing a strong urge to breath.    

Once you get comfortable and experienced you can graduate to doing the same type of breathing exercise during light exercise.  

CAUTION:   Anyone with any breathing issues including but not limited to Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, high blood pressure, heart disease or other disease process should NOT perform these exercises!  We also always recommend you speak to your physician before starting this or any other new exercise program.

For a complete guide to incorporating Hypoxic and Hypercapnic Training into your program go to www.oxygenadvantage.com

Swimming = Big Benefits for the Brain!

 

It’s no secret that cardiovascular exercise can help slow down some of the worst aspects of aging, but research suggests that swimming provides a unique boost to brain health.

Regular swimming improves cognitive function, memory, mood, and immune response. Swimming may also help mitigate damage from stress and create new neural connections in the brain.

Aerobic Exercise and New and improved brain cells and connections

There is research proving that aerobic exercise improve neurogenesis (creation of new neurons aka brain cells) and help reverse and repair damage to brain neurons and their connection in both mammals and fish.

These benefits come in large part through higher levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor or BDNF for short. The neural plasticity, or ability of the brain to adapt is stimulated by BDNF.     BDNF acts like Miracle Grow for the brain and is proven to boost cognitive function including memory and learning.

Research in humans shows a strong relationship between BDNF levels and increases in the size of the hippocampus area of the brain which is responsible for learning and memory.   BDNF has also been shown to help alleviate anxiety and depression.  In contrast, research has shown that lower BDNF levels are linked to mood disorders in humans.

But what’s special about swimming?

Researchers are not sure what swimming’s secret sauce might be. But they’re getting closer to understanding it.  Because swimming involves all of the major muscle groups, the cardiovascular system increases blood flow which leads to many benefits including the creation of new blood vessels known as angiogenesis.  The greater blood flow can also lead to a big boost of endorphins that act as a natural pain reducer throughout the body.  This surge is one factor linked to the sense of euphoria that often follows exercise.

In addition, by its very nature swimming involves breathing stress and increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) tolerance as you hold your breath between strokes.    This creates mild hypoxia (lower blood oxygen) and hypercapnia (higher levels of CO2).   This gentle stressor results in positive adaptations in the circulatory system including increase oxygen carrying capacity.   In addition improved tolerance of CO2 is very helpful for anxiety.

Although most studies on swimming and brain function have been done in animals, research in people shows similar results suggesting a clear cognitive benefit from swimming at all ages.  For instance, in one study looking at the impact of swimming on mental acuity in the elderly, researchers concluded that swimmers had improved mental speed and attention compared to non-swimmers.

Kids Also Benefit!

The brain-enhancing benefits from swimming boost learning in children. Researchers found that children’s accuracy was much higher for words learned following swimming compared with coloring and CrossFit, which resulted in the same level of recall. This shows a clear cognitive benefit from swimming versus anaerobic exercise, though the study does not compare swimming with other aerobic exercises. These findings imply that swimming for even short periods of time is highly beneficial to young, developing brains.

Choline - The Most Important Nutrient You Never Hear About!

 

Choline is a nutrient needed for the brain to produce a key neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.  Acetylcholine is synthesized from choline and involved in memory, circadian rhythm and muscle control. Each of these specific functions contribute to the impact it has on cardiovascular health, liver diseases, neural tube defects and cognitive health.

There are synapses between nerves throughout the brain that rely on acetylcholine to communicate.     Scientists have found using drugs that inhibit levels of enzymes that break down acetylcholine increases acetylcholine in the brain, and this has proven useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia.

Further many drugs, including most over the counter allergy medications, have an anticholinergic action meaning they cause decreases in acetylcholine.   Research has proven that regular intake of these medications increases the risk of dementia in people 55 years and older.  

To make matters worse studies have show that up to 90% of US Citizens have a choline deficiency.   When you combine deficient choline intake from diet with commonly used drugs that deplete acetylcholine you set-up the perfect storm for dementia!   The good news is that with targeted eating or supplementation it is easy to take in adequate choline levels to help prevent dementia!

There are several foods with high levels of choline.   The food with the highest level of choline is liver with a whopping 356mg per 3 ounces.   Another food with high levels is egg yolks.    Beef, seafood, and poultry are also good sources of choline.  Unfortunately, many of these foods, such as egg yolks, have been unfairly demonized and incorrectly connected with causing high blood cholesterol.    This is NOT the case! One egg yolk contains about 130mg of choline which is 25% - 30% of your daily requirement. 

For adults the daily requirement is 400mg for female and 545mg for males.

Choline Supplements

Another way to ensure adequate choline intake is to supplement.    There are four types of choline supplements.    Plain choline and choline bitartrate are the least expensive but does not support production of acetylcholine as well as DFP-choline aka citicoline or Alpha GPC choline.

How Many Repetitions per Set?

 

Many hours are spent in heated debate on this topic, but the truth is that the number of reps per set and number of sets per workout are secondary measures.   A review of the scientific research shows that the weight of evidence does NOT support the idea that different numbers of repetitions have differential effects on muscular strength and endurance.  

Furthermore, a review on this subject concluded that “all these studies strongly suggest that within a reasonable range of repetitions, approximately 3 to 20, there does not appear to be a specific number of repetitions that will elicit more favorable gains in muscular strength, power or hypertrophy.”

What does matter then?  It is ALL about reaching momentary muscular failure - meaning that you cannot complete another repetition of an exercise in good form.  If you do not reach muscular failure or come very close the reps and sets will not produce results.  Perfect form is part of this equation because perfect form means keeping tension in the targeted muscle/s throughout the entire repetition and not using momentum.     

For example, allowing the weights being lifted to settle on the top of the weight stack means you are unloading the muscle – NOT what we want to do!  Throwing weight using momentum is another way you can deload the muscle.   The key is performing smooth, steady repetitions throughout the range of motion for an exercise with no deloading until you reach momentary muscular failure.   

For beginners one set to failure between 8 – 15 repetitions is plenty for each muscle group.   Over the longer haul repetitive sets become necessary to make progress – but never sacrifice reaching muscular failure and perfect form to do extra sets!

Erectile Dysfunction Medications May Have Significant Cardiovascular Benefits

 

You heard that right – recent research showed that two popular erectile dysfunction (E.D.) drugs confer cardiovascular benefits to men with concurrent heart disease and E.D.  The two drugs – sildenafil and tadalafil (Viagra and Cialis respectively) are both PDE5 inhibitors which widen blood vessels. 

In men with heart disease - both Viagra and Cialis significantly reduced the likelihood of progression to heart failure, myocardial infarction (MI), and death after 5 years as compared with men taking neither drug. Cialis had a more pronounced effect on all three clinical events than did Viagra.

Lead researcher Albert Ha, MD, of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City pointed out that -  "Contrary to what most people believe, PDE5 inhibitors also have been shown to alter endothelial function and improve myocardial perfusion," he said. "We know there is data out there suggesting that PDE5 inhibitors lead to cardiac benefits, including improved cardiac function and possibly microvascular improvement."

E.D. is very common among men with cardiovascular disease because both conditions share issues with endothelial function – meaning the arterial surfaces are compromised and not functioning properly.   In fact, ED is often one of the first signs of cardiovascular disease.

PDE5 Side Effects

Like all drugs these drugs can have side effects and require a prescription.   These side effects can include adverse effects on the eyes in rare cases.     However, a review of a large insurance database showed no consistent association between PDE5 inhibitor use and ocular events, reported Federico Belladelli, MD, of Universitá Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan.

Another side effect can be blood pressure that is lowered too much which can occur if men are also taking other blood pressure lowering drugs such as nitroglycerin. 

The Many Benefits of Berberine!

 

Berberine is all the rage right now and being compared to Ozempic - find out the facts about berberine!

Berberine is a powerful plant chemical with proven antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and immune enhancing properties.    Herbs containing berberine have a long history of effective use and there is considerable science backing these uses.

It is also extremely helpful for treatment of seasonal allergies, traveler’s diarrhea, food poisoning, and as an oral hypoglycemic for Type 2 diabetes.

As Per Dr. Michael Murray Berberine has been show to:

• Produce results in clinical trials in improving Type 2 diabetes on par or better than conventional drugs including metformin.
• Assist with weight loss by activating the AMPK Enzyme.
• Improve blood lipid levels better than statins.
• Lower blood pressure in many subjects as well as any class of anti-hypertensive medication.
• Improve liver function and promote anti-obesity effects.
• Exert significant beneficial effects on digestive health and the microbiome.
• Produce very encouraging experimental data in a wide range of modern health issues including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and others.
• Reduce Prostate Inflammation and potentially prevent/slow prostate cancer

How does Berberine work?

Berberine activates adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK).  AMPK is sometimes referred to as a "metabolic master switch" because it plays an important role in regulating metabolism.

AMPK causes a cascade of effects within cells involved with maintaining energy homeostasis.  AMPK helps shift energy towards cellular repair and maintenance.   It has many of the same effects as increasing exercise while at the same time restricting caloric intake.   It is often referred to as an exercise and fasting mimic in that through activation of AMPK berberine causes similar effects and benefits to exercise!    When combined with exercise and intermittent fasting these effects are magnified!

Other benefits of berberine include:

• Promoting insulin, leptin, and adiponectin function for a healthy metabolism*
• Supporting healthy blood sugar levels already in the normal range*
• Promoting healthy insulin sensitivity*
• Promoting healthy gut microflora*
• Supporting healthy lipid metabolism*
• Stimulating the release of nitric oxide for healthy blood flow*

Berberine Helps Ease Anxiety and Depression

Another benefit of AMPK is that it protects neurons and increases key neurotransmitters which improves brain function and psychological well-being.  So, it should not be surprising that several studies have shown that berberine is very useful for anxiety and depression.

Berberine and Cancer Prevention

Berberine slows cancer growth and causes cancer cell death through a variety of mechanisms: tumor cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, inhibits blood vessel growth to tumors, inhibition of tumor cellular invasion and metastases (spread), etc.

One of the main anti-cancer targets that is inhibited by berberine is NF-kappa B. NF-kappa B is one of the most important proteins in our cells, acting as a key switch in the development and progression of inflammation and cancer.

·       Cancer (and precancerous cells) often have a permanently activated NF-kappa B, which keeps the cells proliferating and prevents them from dying (apoptosis.)

·       Chronic inflammation can also be a result of activated NF-kappa B, and we know that chronic inflammation can lead to cancer growth

·       Additionally, berberine sensitizes cancer cells to the effects of radiation but NOT of normal cells. So berberine may make radiation therapy more effective. 

Berberine also inhibits the tendency of cancer cells to become drug resistant over time by inhibiting the cellular membrane proteins that pump drugs out of the cell. When berberine is taken with numerous chemotherapy drugs, studies have shown that they work synergistically to fight cancer.

Contraindications for Berberine

May cause a prolonged QT (a variable in cardiac electrical conduction) in patients with underlying heart disease

Drug Interactions

While berberine is quite safe and well-tolerated, it may be contraindicated if you’re taking medications.  For example, berberine may hinder absorption of tetracycline and other similar antibiotics, rendering them ineffective. Also, because berberine significantly inhibits CYP3A enzymes — enzymes needed to metabolize most drugs — it can lower the clearance of medications, which in turn can augment their effect. This can lead to overdose, the risks of which will vary depending on the drug in question.

Berberine increases the effects of drugs that lower blood sugar so it is critical that you not mix berberine with these drugs unless under the supervision of a physician.  It is important to note that berberine produces all the benefits of metformin with much lower risks!

Sources of Berberine

Berberine is available as an isolated supplement OR through certain herbs such as goldenseal or Phellodendron.    Nexrutine is a patented Phellodendron Extract with high levels of berberine that is particularly effective at reducing joint pain, improving mood, and reducing prostate inflammation and likely prostate cancer risk.   Phellodendron has a long history of being used to reduce prostate inflammation.

The Benefits of A2 Milk

 

Milk can be a highly nutritional beverage packed with protein, calcium, and B Vitamins.    That being said many people experience digestive discomfort from drinking milk. Food sensitivities and misleading information have led many people today – including children – to shy away from dairy products.

You probably know someone does not drink cow’s milk due to protein sensitivity or concern. While sensitivities to milk protein exist and should be respected, it’s important to be aware of the facts about milk as you could needlessly be missing out on the milk’s many benefits.

A recent meta-analysis of observational studies and controlled trials dispelled the common myth that protein found in milk is bad for humans. Researchers concluded that milk and dairy products are good sources of high-quality protein and that dairy protein is a source of essential amino acids.

Another commonly cited problem with milk is lactose.

Lactose is a sugar in milk that requires the lactase enzyme to break it down. People with lactose intolerance cannot digest lactose properly. The condition is usually harmless, but its symptoms can be uncomfortable.

However, in many cases, the digestive distress some people experience after drinking milk has nothing to do with Lactose.  Instead, there is a protein found in milk that is often the cause for these uncomfortable and often embarrassing symptoms.

The Two Forms of Beta-Casein Protein

The protein in cow’s milk is made up of whey (1 to 2%) and casein (6 to 8%), with the primary protein known as beta-casein.

Beta-casein protein comes in two forms, A1 and A2, that affect your body differently. Most modern-day cow’s milk is a combination of A1 and A2.

Unfortunately, the A1 protein may cause stomach discomfort.

When A1 protein is digested it produces a peptide called beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7). BCM-7 has been linked to stomach discomfort with similar symptoms to lactose intolerance.

A2 protein is more comparable to human breast milk, as well as milk from goats, sheep and buffalo. More natural to the human body, A2 is easily absorbed.

Historically, cows milk only contained the A2 form of beta-casein. However, over time, a genetic mutation occurred in cows and resulted in cows with two types of proteins – A1/A2.

Due to the genetic mutation that evolved in the cows, A1/A2 milk is here to stay – with many people unable to enjoy milk’s nutritional properties without frustrating discomfort.

Fortunately, A2 milk is available.  Through selective breeding a New Zealand company farmers learned to breed cows that only produce the A2 form of Beta Casein.   

A2 Milk has the4 same nutrition, and creamy, great taste as regular milk and is available in many stores including Kroger, Walmart, Publix, Safeway, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Ahold, ShopRite, Wegmans, and Target.

There are even 100% grass-fed and organic forms of A2 Milk available – just google them!

Since grass – not grain – is the evolutionary form of food for cows it should be no surprise that grass fed milk has higher levels of key nutrients.   This includes increased levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids along with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which actually helps reduce bodyfat!.

The Benefits of Grounding - AKA - walking barefoot!

 

With summer arriving many of us will have the opportunity of walking on a beach in bare feet.     It’s not just the sea air, water, and sunshine that makes this so fun.   There is a powerful connection formed with the earth when your feet are in direct contact with the ground.

Anyone with small children knows they want to try to ditch their shoes every chance they get – but if you think about this a little you will probably realize that you feel better when you can walk around barefoot.   This is particularly true when you can walk directly on the ground safely such as walking on the beach.  Researchers have begun to unravel why being barefoot directly on the ground can in fact be very good for your health!

Your immune system functions well when your body has an adequate supply of electrons, which are easily and naturally obtained by barefoot contact with the Earth.

Research has shown that electrons from the ground have measurable antioxidant effects that can protect your body from inflammation.  For most of our time on this planet we have been in direct contact with the ground without anything that would block the flow of electrons into our body – natural animal hides do NOT interrupt the flow of electrons!

However in modern time’s pavement, wood, rubber, plastics and many other forms of non-conductive material are between our feet and ground blocking the natural flow of electrons.

The surface of our planet has a negative electrical potential. So when we are in direct contact with it electrons flow to your body through a process called “grounding”.   Grounding cause positive physiological effects that promote optimum health.

Specific researched benefits include improvements in blood viscosity, heart rate variability, inflammation, cortisol dynamics, sleep, autonomic nervous system (ANS) balance, and reduced effects of stress.

When you connect directly to the ground without any non-conducting material between you and the electron field of the planet there is an improvement in the balance of two sides of your autonomic nervous system:  the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

How Shoes May be Impacting Your Health

Materials like metals are excellent conductors of electricity (aka electrons!). The human body is also conductive because it contains a large number of charged ions (called electrolytes) dissolved in water.

Other non-conductive materials, such as plastic and rubber, have very few free or mobile electrons. Traditionally shoes were made of leather, which is a good electrical conductor. However almost all modern shoes contain rubber and plastic which block the flow of electrons from the earth to your body.

The Health Benefits of Grounding

Your immune system body has evolved a method of destroying bacteria and viruses by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are delivered by immune cells. These ROS do exactly what they are designed to do, but they can also cause extensive damage to healthy tissues. ROS are usually positively charged molecules that need to be neutralized immediately to prevent damage to the body after destroying bacteria or viruses.   This is one of the key functions of anti-oxidants which are most important in immune cells to protect them from the ROS they generate!

Anti-oxidants essentially provide a supply of negative charges. Food based antioxidants (such as Vitamins C and E) and anti-oxidants your body produces are critical but a regular supply of electrons grounding can supply them as well.

Evolution facilitated the process of grounding by providing conductive systems within your body that deliver electrons from your feet to all parts of your body. This system has been integral to human physiology for thousands of years. Negative electrons are always available, thanks to the Earth, to prevent the inflammatory process from damaging healthy tissues.

All of this was interrupted when we started to wear shoes with rubber and plastic soles, and no longer slept in direct contact with the ground. Several experiments have proven that a person who is grounded is less stressed and more relaxed.

So have some fun, kick your shoes off and get back to nature!

How to get the benefits of Grounding

Grounding is simple in warmer climates – simply spend time barefoot in direct contact with the earth.   Even better do this on a beach walking along the edge of the water because the flow of negatively charged electrons will be highest here because sea water is an ideal conductor of electrons!    Any amount of time will help but the more you can do it the better!  Even better spend some time laying on the beach or ground with your body in direct contact with the ground without any artificial fabrics, rubber or plastic between your skin and the ground.

For those of us who do not live in warm climates staying grounded during colder months is a bit more challenging but doable! There are actually shoes that are specifically designed to facilitate electron flow from the ground into your body like these: https://tinyurl.com/bdhcj53z 

Stand-Up Paddle Boarding for Core Strength, Balance and Total Body Fitness!

 

Stand-up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is a fun activity that almost anyone can learn, and it is one of the best workouts available!   Stand-up Paddle Boarding is low impact and provides a combination of balance, core, strength, and endurance.     Since you are standing you have to use everything from your feet (wow do you use your feet!) all the way up through your entire shoulder girdle.    

Because you are standing your arms never have to go above shoulder height which means that there is much less stress on the rotator cuff muscles than kayaking.    You use your shoulders heavily but your shoulders are stressed in the position where they are naturally most stable and strong so much better than kayaking for those with shoulder and neck issues!

Just standing on a Paddle Board forces you to stabilize your entire body and core, and it is one of the best activities available to develop balance.   Best of all if you do fall you land in the water and getting back on the board is very easy!  

SUP Technique Breakdown

Learning to SUP is easy but mastering the stroke and maximizing your speed takes lot of practice.   The first thing to focus on is NOT pulling the water!     Instead you want to plant the blade in the water and pull yourself and the board up to the paddle blade.   Imagine that you are stabbing the paddle firmly into soft sand then pulling yourself and the board up to the paddle.     If you can clearly visualize the difference here it will go a long way to getting your stroke where it needs to be for optimum speed.   Think about grabbing the water NOT pulling the water by you!

Reach

Once you get a little feel for it start looking at how far you are reaching forward to put your paddle in the water.   You want to reach as far as possible each time you stroke, BUT there is a limit based on your particular anatomy, shoulder strength and balance.    If you reach too far you can overstress your low back, shoulder or just be off balance which is counter-productive.

Catch

This is where the blade of the paddle enters the water.    Make sure the entire blade enters the water before you begin to pull.   The catch should be as smooth and clean as possible with no splashing.

Pull

Now you are ready to apply power to the paddle.   Use your entire body for this part of the stroke.   It is NOT about using your arms.   Rather your arms merely connect you to the paddle through your hands and you use the rotation of your torso, hips, and shoulders to drive your paddle!  Try to relax your arms as much as possible to perfect this technique. Do not pull too far back as this will actually slow you down.   Once the paddle passes your hips if you keep pull you are actually pulling the paddle up meaning you are pulling the paddle board down and this only slows you down.

Release

After the pull you need to release the paddle from the water.    Like the catch you want this movement to be quick, smooth, and with zero splashing.   Feathering the blade of the paddle creates a smooth release and set-up for the next catch.   You feather by dropping your top shoulder, “breaking your wrist inward”, or a combination of both.  

Recovery

Once you release the paddle you are ready to set-up for the next catch and pull.   Try to relax during this phase – the key to optimum paddle technique is learning to set a rhythm between tension and relaxation and ultimately getting your breathing into a rhythm with the stroke.  The first time you feel this come together it is amazing – really zen!  So stay relaxed and let go of the tension you produced in the catch and pull and smoothly swing the paddle forward to prepare to drive the blade fully into the water for the next pull!

How many calories can you burn Paddle Boarding?

Obviously your actual calorie burn will depend on the intensity of effort you are putting into to paddling along with your height, weight, and the wind and water conditions you are paddling in.     However here are some estimates based on people weighing between 165 and 200lbs :

         Casual Paddle Boarding – 300 – 430 calories per hour

Yoga on Paddle Board – 416 – 540 calories per hour

Touring on a Paddle Board – 615 – 708 calories per hour

Surfing on a Paddle Board – 623 – 735 calories per hour

Racing a Paddle Board – 715 – 1,125 calories per hour

So if you have not taken the plunge yet – google “Stand-up Paddle Board Rental” and find a rental location and give it a whirl.   Rentals including paddle, board, and lifejacket are generally $25 - $35 per hour so get out there and give it a go!