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Improve Balance & Reaction Time: Indo Board Training Gear & Suzie on the New “Gigante” 24″ Disc
Waves are a force of nature like no other. Susan does a superb job to illustrate this and more. A great read!
My Cause: Mental Illness Awareness
Train With Me While You Experience Lumeria Maui
Suzie's Health & Fitness Team/Target Heart RateSimone Reddingius Maui Photographer
Surf Stronger Order This!
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 Honolua Magic Maui by Simone Reddingius © 2011 From the Suzie Trains Maui ENews:
Whether you’re just learning to surf or pulling into a nice hollow Honolua Bay wave, the thrill of surfing or dreaming of a wave like this is definitely good for your health. Here, Maui photographer, Simone Reddingius captures this surfer dropping in. His muscles are ripped, he’s focused and you can bet his heart rate is high. The endorphins that make you feel so good are exploding as he carves that gun into the blue room for that magical moment. This, you can be sure is good for your health!
CLICK here to see more of Simone’s fine surf photographer and other talents.
Also, check out all the photos from recent Suzie Trains Maui ENews Highlights of Naish & Suzie Trains Maui SUP Fun Beach Fitness & Paddle Challenge special guest Kai Lenny, as 55 participants finished FREE event. See the famous “taco rolls in the sand”. See photos and event highlights.
In this Issue of Suzie Trains Maui ENews:
Your New Year Approach to Health & Fitness for 2012 and Learn Why Resolutions Don’t Work. Suzie Cooney Radio Show Highlights:
Indo Board Training Equipment & Exercises for All Conditions & All Seasons: Fitness Tips from Suzie Cooney
 Gear & Board Reviews: The Alana Series featured here is oh so lovely. Don’t let the frills or flowers fool you. These two high performance boards are delivering waves of fun and miles of exlporations!
Please feel free to post a comment and tell us how you love to surf to keep healthy! Also, any tips you want to share about how you approach the New Year to make good lifestyle choices, feel free! Mahalo!
Happy New Year! Suzie Cooney, CPT owner of Suzie Trains Maui
 photo by Simone Reddingius As most of you know, SUP or stand up paddling is a big part of my life and I enjoy teaching others and sharing the health benefits of this sport.
Here is an article I wrote for ATHELTA to share my knowledge and enthusiam for how I see the sport shaping the world but more importantly, how it’s getting more people healthy.
I encourage you to read and share how SUP has benefitted your health! Click here to read the full story:
http://www.athleta.net/chi/2010/08/20/stand-up-and-%E2%80%9Csweep%E2%80%9D-your-way-to-better-health/
Well, by the overwhelming response and stories I read as one of the judges for the most recent ATHLETA and SIREN SUP contest, one can say that any age, any person can “sweep” their way to better health, just about anywhere there is water. People all across the world are “sweeping” their way to better health and having more fun than they ever imagined. “Sweeping” is a slang term used to describe the sport that is going viral faster than any social networking media and changing the world of sports on any body of water — and just about anyone can hop aboard.
Stand up paddling, paddle surfing, or SUP is helping people of all ages and sizes catch the surfer’s glide, and helping people in all walks of life get fit and healthy, faster and safer. People are simply getting addicted. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the rise in popularity — not just for those, like me, who are fortunate enough to live in Hawaii or California, but anywhere there’s an ocean, lake, bay, or even river rapids, you can find this world phenomenon catching on. There are SUP fitness boot camps and clinics popping up anywhere there is water. You may have noticed more races and events happening in your community too.
Below are some photos of a recent FREE women’s Sup clinic last month, and these gals were wonderful. In the first hour, there were smiles across the ocean and a new found ticket to health. I do these monthly to ensure the health of our community and introduce women and men to a new way to get fit! For “fun” I had the girls attempt a few push ups. They were amazing. On the right is Amy Hampton, the Director of Maui’s American Heart Association, getting her heart pumping!
 
WHAT’S SUP?
According to Wikipedia: Stand up paddle surfing (SUP), or in the Hawaiian language Hoe he’e nalu, is an emerging global sport with a Hawaiian heritage. The sport is an ancient form of surfing, and began as a way for surfing instructors to manage their large groups of learner surfers, as standing on the board gave them a higher viewpoint, increasing visibility of what was going on around them — such as incoming swell. To begin with, this started with using a one-bladed paddle, whilst standing on a normal length surfboard. The popularity of the modern sport of SUP has its origination in the Hawaiian Islands. In the early 1960s, the Beach Boys of Waikiki would stand on their long boards, and paddle out with outrigger paddles to take pictures of the tourists learning to surf. This is where the term “Beach Boy Surfing”, another name for Stand Up Paddle Surfing, originates.
THE BENEFITS OF SUP
Not only can you lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol and feel more energized after a session, but the overall experience of being on the water is often touted as “aqua therapy.” The benefits of having a sport you enjoy and can do on a regular basis can alter many of the morbidity factors that decrease our health and plague our society.
I use this sport as a cross-training tool for almost all my clients who are comfortable in the water and who can swim. It is low impact on all joints and is also being used to improve balance and core strength for people recovering from serious injuries. I used my stand up paddle board to recover from a serious bilateral leg and ankle accident. I have also witnessed this sport transform people’s lives overnight, by instilling a new found level of confidence and achievement, making them feel invincible!
As a sponsored team SUP rider for Naish International, instructor, and SUP clinic organizer, I love to introduce the sport to everyone who visits Maui, and help others perfect their paddling stroke — from flat water fun to waves, and the really popular coastal long distance down winders we do here on the North Shore of Maui.
But, before you hop aboard, I’d like to offer my professional experience and expert resources about water safety, board and paddle selection, and how to maximize your fun to maximize your health so you can glide into your later years with a smile and healthy body!
WATER SAFETY
Continue reading ATHLETA Article: Stand Up and Sweep Your Way to Better Health by Suzie Cooney August 2010
Full Moon Paddle on Maui August 24, 2010:
 photo by Simone Reddingius Thanks everyone for coming out and showing your Aloha and braving the waters under the moon. It was simply amazing as the moon was rising behind us, looking back at the paddlers with their green glow sticks! Even the Mels showed up all the way from Haiku!
 photo by Simone Reddingius Full Moon Paddle August 24 2010 There were shooting stars and a little bump on the water for a little night surf action!
A special thanks to Simone Reddingius for capturing these killer shots, to Jeremy Riggs and Randy Rouse for leading the pack and to Kyle Ellison and Donny for sweeping and keeping an eye on he group on the water. Deb Driscoll is not allowed to have more than one glow stick.. Ha Ha.
Next time, maybe a little more water time and a beginner group?
Join us next time in September! Stayed tuned and join us for an amazing experience!
Here are some more photos by Simone:
 photo by Simone Reddingius
 photo by Simone Reddingius  photo by Simone Reddingius  Kihei Full Moon Paddle photo by Simone Reddingiusphoto by Simone Reddingiusphoto by Simone Reddingiusphoto by Simone Reddingius  photo by Simone Reddingiusphoto by Simone Reddingiusphoto by Simone Reddingiusphoto by Simone Reddingius
 photo by Simone Reddingius See you under the next full moon in September!
In good healthy fun,
Suzie Cooney
Naish 5th Annual Paddle Board SUP Championships Maui July 18, 2010 Race Results
 Jamie Mitchell photo Jimmie Hepp It was an amazing day and terrific finish! Before the race however, rain squalls passed through that threatened us, as we stood under the Naish tents. We had a staged start inside the gulch this time and it was a little hectic on the holdling line! Next to me, good friends, and people from around the globe attended including paddle board champion Jamie Mitchell. Our local favorites, Dave Kalama, Scott Trudon, Connor Baxter, Buzzy Kerbox, Andrea Moeller, Karen Wrenn, Julia Schweiger, and many other outstanding athletes and friends, too many to mention, and some novice caught lots of glides and the wind finally came up nicely averaging about 20 mph. (results below, after photos)
 Dave Kalama & Scott Trudon Race Start: Maliko Gulch to Kahului Harbor: 9.54 Miles
Results:
From the Maui News: Eight-time defending world paddleboarding champion Jamie Mitchell competes in Sunday’s Naish Maui International. Mitchell was the top paddleboard finisher, covering the 9.54 miles from Maliko Gulch to Kahului Harbor in 1 hour, 17 minutes, 16 seconds. The top female paddleboarder was Becci Gardiner in 1:50:41. SECOND PHOTO: Dave Kalama heads to his third stand-up title in the Maui International – he finished in 1:13:48. Andrea Moeller was the fastest female stand-up competitor, in 1:22:11.
Maliko Gulch to Kahului Harbor (9.54 miles) Continue reading Naish 5th Annual Paddle Board and SUP Championships Maui July 18, 2010 Race Results and Slideshows
It’s no wonder people love the Naish 14 foot Glide. It’s width of 27 1/4″ and thickest point of 5 3/4″ and the nice hard rails and squared off tail, allows one to glide and connect swell after swell, especially on a good day with 30 mph winds at your back! Or even if your just cruising the lakes for a tour, the board is steady and has the nicest sweet spot. Dropping into Camp One, the swells actually had some size. I loved how the board handled a decent size drop and held good top speed without hesitation or drag.
Here’s a couple shots Maui photographer, Simone Reddingius snapped as we passed Hookipa, on Maui’s N. shore. The conditions were perfect, with a NE direction of winds averaging 20-25, and occasional gusts to 30!
 
The new bamboo composite carbon paddle was incredibly comfortable and the blade width, perfect. The smaller diameter, matte carbon finished shaft and friendly handle is a good combo. It was stable, allowed for a quick paddle entry and exit.
If you want to test-ride the Naish Glide or any other board, contact the Naish Maui Pro Center in Kahului:
http://www.naishmaui.com/
To contact Suzie : http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com
http://www.facebook.com/suzietrainsmaui
Click on the image above or click here for all the photos of how to get amazing abs!
 To see the entire abs series photo click on link above! Absolutely Amazing Abs
by Suzie Cooney • May 25th, 2010 • Category: Gym+Training, Videos+Tutorials
We all want to look and feel great with strong abs all year long. I’ve selected a few of my favorite ab exercises for you to try and get results!
AB PRAYERS
This is an excellent exercise that you’ll feel immediately and get nice results for your upper and lower ab region.
Preparation: Sit with feet slightly apart. Heels down, toes up. Lightly clasp hands. Lean back to where you can begin to feel your abs protruding without risking low back compensation. With good posture and shoulders back, focus on keeping your chest or sternum in a straight line. I recommend doing this in front of the mirror.
As you twist, keep head and chest pointed straight ahead. Attempt to touch the floor with your hands. Engage your abs, and really FEEL them as they assist you to bring back your hands mid line of your body and then to the other side.
The speed should be a fast to moderate tempo. I would try at least 3 sets of 25. Keep breathing fast, short breaths!
Progression: Try a medicine ball of 4-8 pounds or a dumbbell. Use the weight to get into a rhythm. Don’t let your arms take over.
AB CHEST LIFTS WITH EXTENDED LEG
Targets upper AND lower abs at the same time! This exercise has amazing results.
Preparation: Place hands behind head, DO NOT lock fingers. Gently support head in nape of neck with fingertips.
Extend either leg and lift slightly off floor. If any lower back discomfort, raise extended leg higher. Tilt your pelvis towards you to encourage a nice, low back pressed to the ground. Bend knee of opposite leg. Imagine a pulley on your chest lifting you to the ceiling. Make sure you are looking above your eyebrow to prevent elbows from falling forward.
Lift chest and shoulders off floor and force your abs to contract. As you lift, hold that contraction for a count of 2, breath out. DO NOT allow your shoulders to come back to the floor, but keep the abs taught at all times. If you notice your elbows winging forward, look up and flatten them out, otherwise you’ll strain your neck and the exercise will have little effect.
Start with 3 sets of 25. Breathe out on the way up. Remember to build endurance and stick with it. You’ll soon notice that it will take you more reps to start feeling it. That’s a good thing!
BOSU AB CHALLENGE
The BOSU is a popular platform that adds new challenges and really can make your workout more fun and efficient. Here is a fun progression that demonstrates how to target your abs and obliques. This takes getting used to and if you’re just starting, you may quiver just a bit.
Preparation: Sit on top of the BOSU and scoot a little towards the floor, just below the center of the BOSU. Place your hands behind you to support your low back. As you begin to lean back you’ll notice your stomach protruding. This is a good indication that you are on target to begin.
Begin by contracting abs and pulling knees towards you, then fully extend your legs until they’re almost straight out in front of you.
Then to target the obliques, sit on your side with one hand in front of you and the other behind you for support, and do the same. You may need to find the sweet spot to get in this position. Be patient. Make sure your hip flexors or legs are taking the load, and really focus on the obliques.
ADVANCED AB EXERCISE: THE GIGANTE AB CHALLENGE
INDO Board introduced the Gigante Training Disc, which was actually designed for stand up paddling and surfing balance fun. But I have found many other things to do with it. (See my recent article for Athleta here »)
There are many progressions you can do to make your ab workout on the Gigante fun and extra challenging. This 24 inch disc inflates up to 12 inches tall. For our workout, I’ve inflated it to about 5 inches. It’s more stable this way.
Similar to the BOSU, sit on top of the Gigante and place your hands behind you. Bring your knees to your chest, then extend your legs away from you. You are guaranteed to shake, quiver and wiggle — this is the fun part! I try to get my center very calm and still, and get very focused.
And then try your obliques! Remember, this disc moves in four directions so controlling it with your abs is hard work. But I promise it will get easier!
Then we progress once more to a medicine ball of 4–8 pounds. I’m using an 8 pound medicine ball. A simple dumbbell will do too.
Lastly, we took lots of photos to get this right and you can see I found this to be fun and challenging. This time I raised the 8 pound medicine ball above my head slightly to help me with balance! Try different angles with the medicine ball if you like. Positioning your outer thigh more on your hip is your starting point. This progression really requires quick reaction to the Gigante, then finding the sweet spot before you go into the extension.
As you can see there are many different ab exercises to choose from. The key is to mix it up and never allow your body to get used to one exercise. By selecting fun ab exercises you will be more likely to see results sooner because they won’t be such a dreaded part of your workout. I tell my clients they will never ever do a traditional sit up in my studio or on the beach. Why, when there are way more fun things we can do?
Also keep in mind one cannot spot-reduce a specific body part. Being fit and healthy is a total body effort. Including a smart cardio program, making better food choices, and eating smaller portions all contribute to weight loss and toning.
I tend to do abs last in my training routines because your abs support you and keep your body upright while you are working out.
Lastly, remember just when you start to get uncomfortable is when your body will change.
Be well and healthy!
Warm aloha,
Suzie Cooney, CPT
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Photos by Simone Reddingius. See more of her beautiful work & action photography on Flickr.com »
 I’d like to introduce to you a dear friend and client and Maui photographer, Simone Reddingius. Simone is a wonderful athlete who is passionate about surfing and cycling. Simone trains with me and we work on upper body conditioning for surfing, and balance training for carving strength. I like to challenge her on the new INDO Board Gigante and recenly she hopped on the super fast Vew Do Board.
She is also a very strong cyclist who has conquered Maui’s prestigious race, Cycle to the Sun. Her best, last race time was to the crater was 4:33:50, second place in her age div. which was 40-49 year-2004
She can also be seen hang’n ten on the nose at our local breaks. Her best surf contest wins were: Malibu 2001, Malibu 2005, Malibu 2006 all Masters division
 - Ripp’n at Lane’s
Simone is focused in the gym and it sure shows on the water. Surfing with Simone is a blast but I wouldn’t want to compete against her. She has drive and gets in the zone. I’ve seen her climb the crater and drop in on some good size swells.
I think surfers who cross train with road biking have a huge advantage. Strong legs will last longer and help on heavy wave days. Cycling of course helps build great cardio and body endurance.
Look down the line here on the N. Shore, or behind you next time you ride up the crater, Simone might just happen to be there!
Suzie Cooney, CPT Suzie Trains Maui
Live it, ride and don’t close your eyes and smile big.
http://www.suziemodelsmaui.com/promotional_reel.html
 Suzie Cooney – a private fitness specialist offers training in many areas to include: Fitness Training, Performance Enhancement, Corrective Exercise, and Sports Rehabilitation. Suzie’s knowledge and education is widespread and offers cutting edge training techniques to clients to enhance their work out sessions. Suzie is committed to her clients and field continually furthering her knowledge. Please check out Suzie’s new modeling reel. Yes, not only is Suzie a personal fitness expert but, she’s also a model. Please feel free to click on the above link to watch her latest modeling reel where she shows her skills while Windsurfing, Stand-up Paddling and motocross riding and galmour!
Suzie Cooney is a certified fitness trainer through NASM. SUP Coach for FREE women’s clinics. She is sponsored by Kaenon Polarized, Paddles by KIALOA and a feature athlete for ATHLETA check out: http://www.athleta.net/chi/featured-athletes/suzie-cooney/ She also rides with Big GUN Exhaust Systems
http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com
http://www.standuppaddlingfitness.com/
http://www.suziemodelsmaui.com
All media inquireies please contact:
Laster-Heathman Media 415.999.1944
E -Mail: diane@lasterheathman.com
For more information on Suzie Cooney please check out her website at: http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com or contact her at (808) 283-2121
In the grand hallways of the Four Seasons Resort, Maui Nicole Sanchez was invited to shoot behind the scenes of a promotional video being shot for Suzie Cooney, one of eight for the completion of the reel for Laster-Heathman Media. Lights, action, and glamour was the theme of this shoot! Nicole’s noted experience captured every angle from the twirl of the gorgeous satin black skirt by St. John, vintage Chanel necklace and Basculente watch by Cartier. Next scene, an outrageous necklace designed by the famous Greek jewelry designer, Konstantino stood out against the colorful tapestry backdrop!
Nicole’s professional direction worked well the production team and was one step ahead of every pose. Check out just small sample of her work that day:
  
Nicole’s company is called Behind the Lens Maui. Click here to see more of her work.
Behind The Lens Maui (808) 205-2366 http://www.behindthelensmaui.com
Also on location:
Meili Autumn: Make Up
Sheri Mortimore: Stylist
Hair Products: Love InsideOut Maui
Photography/Video Assistant Photographer, Simone Reddingius
Producer: Carl Rozycki of InVision Maui Productions
A special thanks to the team at the Four Seasons Resort Maui.
Team Assistant: Suzie Trains Maui Suzie Models Maui
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Simone is also a talented photographer and designs jewelry. Check out her beautiful and action packed photos at : 
