This off season I am trying Crossfit as my off season training program. My main goal is to get in shape for distance season. What I have notice so far (2 weeks in the program) is a very high intensity, at times anaerobic short work outs. Major focus on core muscle groups and high heart rate. Instinctively I feel like I am improving as an athlete, but not sure how this will translate when OC-6 distance season starts.
I know the best training for paddling is more paddling. But 2011 was a long season, and honestly I'm a bit burned out on paddling. Also after work we don't have the daylight for a meaningful practice. Still the 2012 distance season is my main goal.
I appreciate your input.
Submitted by davidld10 on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 10:46am
I've been cross training with this for two seasons now and would highly reccomend it for a couple reasons.
1- the variety of exercises all focus on core strength in some way. specifically the lower half of your core (squats, kettlebells, jumping exercises, etc), which is hard to replicate sitting down on a canoe
2- the short burst/intense nature of crossfit is a great balance to strong & steady marathon paddling. while we're use to perfecting the same motion over and over - in crossfit it's about never doing the same workout twice which helps your muscles develop more evenly throughout the whole body.
If anyone is looking for a great spot to check it in the SoCal area, I'd highly reccomend contacting Mike at Foundation. He was one of the crossfit pioneers and trains mostly D1 track athletes, which I find to be a great environment to push your self in.
LINK- http://foundationstrength.com/performance-fitness.html
#1 Thu, 11/03/2011 - 11:55am
I did it and liked the results, but in six months I blew out my knee and my shoulder in separate incidents. Throwing around heavy weights, "kipping", etc doesn't always promote good form or body control. Also there was a girl in the class that wouldn't shut up, but I don't blame Crossfit for that.
#2 Thu, 11/03/2011 - 12:25pm
Don't let your ego take control, especially if a little lady can crank out more reps than you. You really need to be strict with your form on every rep, on every movement. Many of the workouts are high intensity, and to failure, and if you ain't strict on your form, injuries will occur. Like e02060, I got hurt. Tweaked shoulder, pulled hamstring. There are benefits, but also risks. Which could lead to missed practices, and not making crew...get a OC-1.
#3 Thu, 11/03/2011 - 1:55pm
Ive heard of all kinds of people injuring themselves from quickly moving heavy weights in crossfit.
Ive been using TRX for over a year now and its been great because it works core into everything. I recently added the 45' 1.5" heavy ropes and those are the best thing ive ever used. Tons of strength work that uses your whole body and jacks your HR. I dont do 6 man, only 1 man, so I try to focus on getting my HR up and down quickly so the ropes do it.
#4 Thu, 11/03/2011 - 2:13pm
Crossfit is a great training program in season or off season. CrossFit is becoming a sport. A quick history. 5 yrs ago the CrossFit Games had about 100 participants/family/media out on a ranch in the middle of no where. 5 yrs later in 2011, there were 26,000 entries in a world wide open competition to get to Regionals to then qualify to be in the top 50 to make it to the Home Depot Center in California. In 2010, Reebok joined on for a 10 yr $150 million sponsorship deal. This took prize money from $100 5 yrs ago to this year the "Fittest Man" and "Fittest Woman" in the world took home $250K each. I was fortunate enough to attend the 2010 games in July and they were shown on ESPN2 which were seen in It has been shown on ESPN2. It was an awesome experience. As Crossfit is actually not just a way of working out, rather a lifestyle, as you can find all kinds of info on eating correctly, injury prevention and just how to live a more healthly lifestyle in the CrossFit Community. There are those that are anti crossfit, saying its cult like. I can't disagree with that at all. Once you "get it," your realize its pretty cool. To be at the home depot center with thousands of fit men and women devoted to a healthy lifestyle was cool.
What the heck does all this have to do with your original question you ask? Is CrossFit a good offseason training regimen? Reebok seems to think so(see above), as do the Marines, and many police and fireman. Charles Barkely(Former NBA), Knowshon Moreno(Denver Broncos), and other Pro football, Basketball players have also begun CrossFit. I met a former NBA player at the games, who won an NBA championship with Shaq at Miami. He played for 10 yrs and told me he would have been better and played longer had he found CrossFit before he retired. Stating the NBA fitness program was a joke.
Can you get hurt? Sure? But, one can get hurt in any sport, paddling included. However, most injuries with CrossFit occur due to trying to start too fast(check your ego at the door), or due to poor technique. What exactly is CrossFit, its functional movements. It's activities/movements that we do every day. And if you think about it, once we get out of organized sports as in high school or college, most everyone does the same type of training, running slow, biking slow, swimming slow, paddling slow. Going to the gym and lifting heavy maybe, but slow............and we then wonder why 10, 15, 20 yrs pass and we are slow! Yes you are older and you can't change that, but don't tell that to the ripped 45-60+ y/o men and women at the CrossFit Games in the masters division lifting heavy weights, box jumping, doing hand stand push ups and just generally kicking butt and taking names. The other awesome thing about CrossFit, like paddling it can be done by anyone any age! You just have to start at your fitness level.
There are more and more CrossFit athletes who do 100 mile ultra marathons, marathons, triathlons, who do their sport but also lift heavy and do high intensity met cons as part of their year round training. They are all watching their PRs fall! There are college swim programs who supplement their training with CrossFit and are seeing their athletes blow previous bests of of the water (no pun intended). It just makes common sense. Get better at throwing weights around in space, then throwing your own body weight around in space becomes easier.
A kansas high school girl has so far won state championships her freshmen through junion yrs in the 100, 200, 400, and 800m in track and field(This will be her Senior year). Coincidence or not, she has been crossfitting all those years. If you know anything about the energy systems required to run each of these races, you know why its very rare for one person to win all 4.
A 100m ultra marathoner cut 8 hours of his previous PR after adding functional strength training/met cons. 8 hours off a race that takes 24-36 hours. Thats a full work day. Evidence of triathletes cutting 30 min of their iron man times by running, swimming. biking less, but adding strength training and high intensity met cons.
So, i challenge anyone out there who is looking to get fitter to help them in any sport. Start deadlifting, squatting, lifting over head, sprinting, jumping, etc. Increase your maxes in these lifts by 25-50 over the next yr and see how much easier getting your one man to go through the water. Increase your kipping pull up from 5-10 to 30-50 and see if that doesn't translate. kipping pull ups are safe as long as you have the shoulder flexibility and the strength to do them and you learn the proper technique. If you think about it, the Molokai channel is a 4-5 hr race, but its actually a bunch of 20-30 min sprint sessions. So, Why paddle long and slow for hours for this (OC1 or OC6) to train for sprints.
Oh yeah, there are so many detrimental side effects for long slow distance training to get one positive benefit which is an increased aerobic capacity. You can get an increased aerobic capacity by short intense training as well with no negative side effect, but with the positive effects of increased strength, power, muscle mass, increased HGH/Testosterone (all are decreased with high volume LSD training).
Yes i know this is too long and most have likely lost interest by now But i was asked to reply with some objective feedback. But hard for me to be objective because i have drank the cool aid! The evidence is there. There are two types of people that try CrossFit. 1. The first tries CrossFit and says thats TOO HARD and i can't do it. 2. The other tries CrossFit and says thats TOO HARD, i better get better at it!!!
IF you are good paddler and you aren't training this way, its actually scary to me, how much better you will be once you can deadlift, clean and jerk, snatch much heavier than you can now! As i said, I challenge you to try it for 3-6 months and see if you are not better. To me its just common sense. Thanks
#5 Sun, 11/06/2011 - 12:34pm
Sure it is. Any kind of high-intensity, circular workout that includes multiple muscle groups is good (much better and more efficient then regular lifting weights in the gym). If you have issues with lifting heavier weights explosively, you can do more workouts that include only body weight instead. Ideally, you would continue your dry-training during the season as well, with adjusting weight, sets, and reps more to paddling (in my opinion, lighter weights and increased number of reps to 30-50). This is if you have enough time of course. It would provide you with more benefit rather then doing it only in off-season. Also, if you want it to be effective, you should do it at least 3 times per week (if that is your only work-out; or twice a week if you combine it with some other type of cardio workouts (running, biking, swimming, whatever works for you)).
#6 Sun, 11/06/2011 - 1:44pm
for the endurance minded.
www.crossfitendurance.com
did it for a while and consulted with a local crossfit guru before starting. one badly injured knee and rotator cuff later i stopped. but i can also say i've seen many people be helped by this training. i approached it as an experiment to see where it would lead. maybe after some surgery i'll try it again. it was fun. started with 2 WOD a week and worked my way up to 5 over the course of a few months. perhaps the injuries were pre existing and were exacerbated by crossfit... I honestly liked how CE was geared towards long events like solo, Eono, etc.
#7 Sun, 11/06/2011 - 4:41pm
I've been paddling pretty much my entire life doing CrossFit for two years. I came to CF a former D-I college athlete that suffered from chronic lower back pain, tendonitis in the knees, and plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot). Since starting CF, I have not had a flare up of those injuries and I have not developed any other injuries. Instead I have more energy and stamina; I sleep better and function better during the day. Day to day activities are easier such lifting boxes, carrying groceries, and playing with my child. I feel strong/better during regatta and long-distance practice and races. I recover faster from practices and races and feel fresh and strong during the 4th and 5th hours of paddling. My only regret with CF is not starting it sooner. I would recommend it to anyone looking to get fit. It worked for me. No complaints, no injuries. The cool aid taste good!
#8 Mon, 11/07/2011 - 9:13am
As a disclaimer-- I've never done cross-fit, I have a tendency to avoid the gym (to the detriment of my paddling), and I've been told that I have the physique of a young woman (no offense to any young women out there who may have a lot more muscle tone than myself).
I would argue strongly that cross-fit is the opposite of what you'd want to do in the "off-season." I've never read or seen anything that pushes high intensity work in an off-season or transition phase of a schedule. Everything that I've read from what I feel is a neutral source will have you set up your weight training according to your periodized schedule (as another disclaimer, on my desk right now I have the The New High Intensity Training and I have heard the new studies that say anaerobic exercise produces HGH):
Transition- Short period after your main event where you recover from the last season. Should be lots of low intensity weights. Predominately major muscle groups. The idea is to let your muscles recover from the last season, and get them ready for the next season.
Preparation- Base training. The focus is on aerobic exercise and the weight training transitions from low intensity to higher intensity "bulking" workouts towards the end of the phase.
Competition- The focus will be on high intensity anaerobic training and the weights will be the same. You're doing low rep heavy weights early on to build bulk, and then transitioning into sport specific strength gains at the end of the phase.
Peak- This is the last phase of the schedule, and the idea is to finalize the transfer of all of your strength gains into sport specific gains. This is where resistance training and such would come into play.
So, with that framework and from what I understand about cross-fit, there is a place for it at the end of the preparation phase and through most of the competition phase. But not during any type of "off-season" or what I'm calling the transition.
For me, I've always looked at training with a "common sense" approach. You can throw all the Science out the window and do what it makes sense to do. Does high intensity make sense right after you finish the hardest part of your season, and as you're trying to get ready for the next season? My little woman's body tends to say no :)
This is with the Solo or the Hoe in mind. If you're a kayaker or runner going for 100, 200, 400, 800 meter races, then ignore everything that I said.
#9 Mon, 11/07/2011 - 3:21pm
Crossfit means being proficient in paddleboards, SUP, surfski, swimming, and ruddered and unruddered OC-1s out in the ocean. Why anyone would rather go to the gym is beyond me? For there is absolutely no substitute for water time. Especially when it is honking out there...
#10 Mon, 06/16/2014 - 1:17am
Crossfit it a really good off-season means of training for me. Unfortunately, my career path hasn't led me to the islands of an endless summer yet, so when it's the dead of winter and raining sideways, utilizing Crossfit to keep in paddling shape has been a great addition to my routine.
#11 Mon, 06/16/2014 - 2:44am
I have to agree with Koacanoe on this one; get on the water! I'd much rather be in the water on a cold rainy windy day catching bumps than in a gym. On cold flat days I train on the SUP.....step off the dock, paddle, step back on and never even get wet.
#12 Mon, 06/16/2014 - 3:05am
I've heard some negative things about Crossfit with regards to injuries and, as Luke wrote nearly three years ago, the workouts not being suitable for an off season (or any season) training program. But the main thing that puts me off the idea of ever trying it is the notion of having people yell at you to keep doing reps until you vomit. Sounds suspiciously similar to "cult indoctrination" (aka brainwashing). ;-)
#13 Mon, 06/16/2014 - 6:50am
I talk to quite a few cross fitters about their workouts. General opinion seems to be they love it to the point of obsession. That is good I guess. People call me obsessed with paddling and that's probably alright too. No doubt anything that makes you breath that hard is going to help your overall fitness. Call me a pussy if you want, but heavy weights were not meant to be thrown around. When you are jerking 200 pounds over your head twenty times in two minutes and your form starts to stray, that to me is foolish. I have talked to so many people that are getting hurt throwing weights around which seems Ironic because the reason they are there is to get healthy. Overall it's all good. I just think people starting cross fit need to be really careful about their form and not get pressured into being the BIG DOG in the gym their first week. Take er slow.
#14 Mon, 06/16/2014 - 8:38am
Crossfit is an excellent program IF you have the discipline and restraint to stay within limits of your personal, progressive fitness development. It is not a good program if you have a tendency to go along with the crowd and are easily influenced by zealous "box-mates" or trainers, well-intentioned as they are who are pushing you to to breakdown mental barriers which is the core of crossfitology (a good thing, just not taken too fast). Injuries most often occur from folks pushing themselves too hard too early. The Olympic deadlift and squat are outstanding exercises, but take many hours of practice and study to do it correctly and prevent injury. Muscles grow faster than tendons and often folks are so excited about strength gains they don't slow down for the sinewy fibers to catch up and injuries that have protracted rehabilitation can easily happen.
Crossfit also has evolved into crossfit workouts for crossfit events. That's not a bad thing in itself and most workouts benefit a wide range of functional strength and flexibility for other sports. But, if your focused on specifics of paddling, then alternating crossfit with other routines and allowing yourself to take it slow (hey, it's off season...time to drink beer and build Base!) might be better for you.
Enjoy!
#15 Tue, 06/17/2014 - 11:18am
After far too many years paddling then I care to remember , 18 months ago I choose to train & race a OC1 in the off season from 0C6.
So instead of mountain biking , gym , running etc , I just paddled heaps !
The following 0C6 season was one of my best for quite awhile , the one just finished ( last Sunday ) was even better ( won SMM change race with Mooloolaba at Hamilton Island on Sunday , sorry Team Hawaii ).
I still run , MTB & do core occasionally , I just get out on the water more.
It's a simple sport we all love but I feel we do tend to over complicate things a little.
Rasta
#16 Tue, 06/17/2014 - 11:57am
It never ceases to amaze me why paddlers, in order to improve performance, will do everything else, but paddle?
#17 Tue, 06/17/2014 - 12:43pm
What's "off season"?
#18 Tue, 06/17/2014 - 4:18pm
for me? no.
for lots of people? yes.
Crossfit is now a sport unto itself. people do Crossfit to get better at Crossfit.
people paddle to get better at paddling. paddling makes me junk at Crossfit.
#19 Tue, 06/17/2014 - 8:04pm
I have gotten better at paddling because of crossfit.
#20 Tue, 06/17/2014 - 8:38pm
Working out a sport? What's next Freestyle Sex at the Olympics? I agree paddling helps paddling. Now if you're a desk jockey and can't paddle everyday or multiple times a week you need to do something for your cardio. If you want to start the Olympic lifting stuff at crossfit make sure your health insurance is current.
#21 Wed, 06/18/2014 - 7:50am
The best training for paddling is paddling, ask the boys from Tahiti, I don't think any of them do Crossfit. They cross-train tho, but mostly put massive hours a month on the water. If you want to be a good paddler, there is no off-season.
#22 Wed, 06/18/2014 - 8:12am
You want to win a "Tour de France" ride a bike and practice the race course. You want to win the SOLO. Paddle OC1,V1 and learn the boat and get out there and train. You don't traing playing basketball if you want to be in the world Cup of Soccer.
#23 Wed, 06/18/2014 - 12:03pm
#24 Fri, 08/15/2014 - 10:17pm