Power Exercises for your Legs Exclusively For Naish International
by Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui and Naish Team SUP Rider

This is the final series on Leg Strength for stand up paddling:

Last Week: Strengthening Balance Exercises for your Legs    Also: Leg Stabilizing Exercises for Better Board Control

Power Exercises:   To See Suzie’s entire article: http://www.naishsurfing.com/sup-fitness/legs-power/

Training for power comes with time and one should have a pretty good base of fitness before attempting some of these exercises. Extra precautions should be warranted to those who may have ankle weakness or other orthopedic challenges. You may have heard of plyometrics, which refers to very powerful, 2 legged, explosive like exercises that help speed and power.

Training Note: It’s your choice if you wear shoes or not, or if you train on an unstable surface such as the beach (which is more challenging). I try to train barefoot so that I can mimic the feel of the board. If working with weights, be careful not to drop them on your feet! Everyone’s training needs and experience will vary, so the number of sets/reps you perform is up to you. Typically, if you are just starting out, try 1-3 sets with 10-12 reps each, making sure you are always in perfect form.

Exercise 1: Box Drops
Equipment: Box or stable platform (24-29 inches off ground)

Equipment: Box or stable platform (24-29 inches off ground)

 This powerful exercise can be a great cardio blast too. You can increase the difficulty by changing the speed or height of the box or platform you are jumping to. I suggest not standing too far away from the box or too close; about 12 inches away from the box seems to work well.

 For Exercise 3 & 4  go to: http://www.naishsurfing.com/sup-fitness/legs-power/

For more information and tips from Suzie Cooney go to: www.suzietrainsmaui.com
and follow Suzie Trains Maui on Facebook or @suzietrainsmaui on Twitter.