Maui, Hawaii: Suzie Trains Maui Studio
November 8, 2012 ( photos below of Kody & Casper training )
Kody Kerbox
You think you can keep up with these two on and off the water?! Good luck! Kody is wearing out the podium and Casper too. From big wave charging to long distance to sprint racing, the training today was TABATA! I chose these exercises to help express big, explosive power at the start, core and legs for waves and high speed upper body stuff. We had two Go Pros going!
I get totally fired up training my two Naish SUP team mates , Kody Kerbox and Casper Steinfath. After seeing them both perform at this year’s Battle of the Paddle with my own eyes and following their impressive stats, as a trainer and SUP paddler myself, I’m more impressed. Get used to seeing their names worldwide.
I had a couple of days on a photo shoot this past weekend with them as we chased a winter swell here on Maui and besides putting up with their usual ( Kody mostly ), comedic antics and talk of zombies and eating chili and rice at the Hana Store, I’m stoked to have had the chance to test them side by side and see what they had off the water with me! I’ve been training Kody a bit and we’ve had some other big wave guests, but I knew this would be extra fun.
I’ve seen Kody over the years develop and push himself and he’s got the Kerbox gene for sure, but observing Casper’s quick and sharp eye and
Casper Steinfath Photo Ian Borland
movements on the water are calculated and quite intense. They are both a perfect, competitive match.
My plan was to structure a workout they’d like as competitors, friends and teammates. Pairing them up for the next hour of intensity and keeping their stats side by side was interesting. TABATA training was my choice in the studio for I had a controlled environment and they were all mine! The exercise selection was purposeful and designed with stand up paddling’s demands in mind. They had never heard of it nor tried and they were game.
After a brief core warmup, my computer was ready feeding the program through the sound system, clipboard, circuit set up and the best part, two Go Pro Cameras mounted and ready. Kody and Casper are for sure competitive.
Tabata training; see my article on shocking your body with interval training here is an extreme challenge of high endurance, high heart rate circuit style training completed in a very short time with long lasting lingering effects. Kody and Casper’s sprint racing, big wave charging and long distance races can benefit from this type of training.
Always starting with an active warm up, advanced core training, balance training on dual IndoBoards on top of the Gigante Flo Cushion coupled with reaction force training and then on to the two Tabata circuit sessions. I kept their score and they were neck and neck in each circuit. Wow. Here are the results if you can read notes.
Stay tuned for the video follow up, but for now enjoy these photos. You can see that when I was busy taking notes, Kody is busy taking jabs at Casper! And Casper had a few moments of comedic performances “ON” camera, thanks to two mounted GoPro cameras here in the studio. Got ya!
Give a shout out to Kody and Casper next time you see them at an event or race or even here. Please leave a comment and wish them well. You can be sure you’ll be seeing them often, everywhere!
Check out the Naish Gear at http://www.naishsurfing.com. The selection is endless and will suit all levels of paddlers!
Also if you want to train like a SUP star, you can order your IndoBoard Balance Gear through my websites, or click here. My favorites are the IndoBoard Gigante Flo Cushion, used for SUP training in combination with the Kicktail Board or Rocker Board. Keep in mind, if you take out your fins on your board, you can put your SUP board directly on top of Gigante Cushion.
I hope this inspired you to get out there and shred. You too can be paddlers like Casper and Kody if you plan your training and that includes rest and recovery. Don’t forget to add balance and reaction force training; one component that is an absolute must if you’re going to stick big waves or go for distance.
Thanks guys! See you back in the studio soon and on the next swell.
Aloha, Suzie Cooney, CPT Owner of Suzie Trains Maui, LLC and Naish SUP Team Rider Share and care out there!
By Suzie Cooney, CPT owner of Suzie Trains Maui, LLC
It’s no doubt that Hunter Joslin, Indo Board Balance Trainer’s Founder and developer of the popular Gigante Flo Cushion, entertains and trains with me at this year’s Battle of the Paddle at Dana Point. Hunter was wowing the crowd with some tricks this weekend as Chip Martoccia, VP of Operations, and I cheered on.
Hunter Joslin and Suzie Cooney having Gigante fun at 2012 BOP, Dana Point
I’ve been a team rider and ambassador for Indo Board Balance Trainer for some time, and thoroughly enjoy my time with Hunter and crew. We never miss an opportunity to play around and challenge one another. He’s quite the surfer and in very good shape. We’ve shared a few waves together on Maui, and I can say he is just a little competitive!
As a SUP Team Rider for Naish, Hunter asked if I’d do this photo shoot and share some new tricks I’ve been working on in my studio here at SUZIE TRAINS MAUI to improve people’s stand up paddling strength. Of course! Turns out he had never tried or seen any of these so I was stoked but under the gun to give him my best.
These exercise are a bit advanced, but I encourage everyone to try them.
As one advances in stand up paddling technique, racing long distance or sprint racing or those who charge JAWS and other big waves, these folks understand already “where” their power is coming from.
September 30th, 2012: I’m posting this on the last night of Battle of the Paddle in Dana Point, CA. It was super fun but really hot and great waves! This weekend I witnessed the pros and the weekend warriors and you can bet these folks will have some sore muscles. From the intense levels of adrenaline and short interval sprints, to the the long distance race, some will recover faster than others.
Hydration, preparedness, planned training and proper rest are all important factors that really matter and determine how well you do on the big day or if you’re just cruising. So learning how to prepare your body before a session but more importantly, what you do after will allow you to get back on the water and recover more quickly.
In this video I wanted to share with paddlers of all levels, how to increase your performance and recovery time by resetting the muscle patterns we use most for paddling, to their natural state. By this we can increase blood supply for cell recovery, remove lactic acid and get you back on the water and help you feel energized and not do depleted and fatigued.
Paddle and train like the pros:
Let me know what you think and share what you’ve experienced with muscle soreness and recovery.
Maui, Hawaii (PRWEB) August 24, 2012 PLEASE NOTE:We’ve Added One More Hour 1-4pm…
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
Stand Up Paddle Pro Talk with Suzie Cooney at Lumeria Maui November 3, 2012
Join Suzie Cooney owner of Suzie Trains Maui, Naish SUP Team Rider and guru SUP Fitness Training Expert for an informative “hands on” workshop and up your SUP performance. All levels of paddlers welcome.
Suzie Cooney, CPT owner of Suzie Trains Maui & Naish SUP Team Rider “Stand up paddling provides amazing health benefits and will change your life. Hop aboard and discover the sport that is globally growing in every community and on every body of water.”
Maui is the perfect location for this unique venue as it is a popular destination where stand up paddling, also referred to as SUP, allows for people to enjoy and experience the fastest growing water sport in the world. People from all over, all ages and any level of fitness travel to Maui where the waves are plenty, with big open ocean swells and warm tropical waters that offer amazing paddling adventures.
Discover the health benefits of stand up paddling and learn new fitness training techniques designed specifically to increase your performance.
The workshop topics will include:
Preparing Your Body for the sport of Stand Up Paddling
Ocean Preparedness & Water Safety
Preparing for the famous Maui Maliko Downwinders
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
Meet new padding friends and join the fun. Giveaways and Drawings for those who attend.
Supporting sponsors: Naish International, lndoBoard Balance Trainer, Kaenon Polarized Eyewear & PocketFuel Naturals
Cost: $20 per person Prepaid reservations required. No refunds.
A portion of your registration fee supports Bring Change 2Mind.org, an organization working to eradicate the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. Additional donations are glady accepted.
Featuring training client, Suzi Tucker. August 6, 2012
Mahalo Suzi for letting the audience in on your session! GOOD JOB and see you on the water!
This video was made for to help all levels of stand up paddlers learn how to strengthen the muscles specifically used for SUP or stand up paddling, paddle surfing and downwind paddling. Featuring, my client Suzi Tucker.
I want the audience to see and learn from one of my clients to inspire end educate those interested in improving their SUP performance. This is just 5 minutes taken from a total full hour workout, so don’t think 5 minutes is all it takes!
They are designed to incorporate the entire core, create shoulder and upper body paddling endurance and strength. increase leg strength while also providing extreme balance challenges with and without weights.
You can buy your equipment used in this video by clicking photo IndoBoard
Buy your TRX RIP TRAINER: http://bit.ly/RhIzGO
All the SUP boards you see in the studio are Naish. Check out all the gear: NaishSurfing.com
by Suzie Cooney, CPT I’d like to introduce to you what I use for a turbo session on the water and for the long endurance paddling runs down Maliko Gulch. I squeeze my PocketFuel into my mouth and get ready to feel the energy I need to perform and play.
Smart SUP athletes and weekend paddle warriors plan, prepare and properly fuel. The worst thing you can do is head out for a session and not have healthy, sustaining energy that you need to be at your best. Besides crashing on a wave having your energy crash is just as bad. I’m totally guilty for getting to the beach, all pumped up and heading out with only maybe a banana and cup of coffee. For me that is a disaster and the sign of a short, lame session and poor performance.
Twist, squish squeeze and enjoy! There are 5 crazy, delicious flavors and my favorite is called Chocolate Haze. Other flavors include Crunchy Banana Blueberry, Chunky Coconut Cherry, Chocolate Espresso and Chia Goji & Honey. All are organic, gluten-free, vegan and packed with whole food ingredients; primarily almond.
The appropriate combinations of protein, carbs, healthy fats, potassium, magnesium, chloride, sodium nicely balance your electrolyte needs while you perform. Remember, proper training requires you to plan ahead and plan after your session. Restoring your energy resources in your body will help you recover faster, repair the muscles you just broke down and allow you to charge again the next day.
Everything you need is just a squirt away. Sometimes a whole 3 0z. packet will last me a full 10 mile Maliko downwinder. I purposely have in my truck a packet and eat half along with good hydration about 3o minutes before I head down. What’s totally cool, is that since the package itself can easily fit into my hydration pack, if I need to sit and ingest more, it’s so easy and not messy and can stay dry even in big swells! They also come in convenient 1.8 ounce sizes too, perfect to put in your surf shorts.
My body accepts all the ingredients very well and I can digest easily. Some other products that are designed to do the same thing cause my blood sugars to spike too high and then the worst thing happens, I crash and lose steam. Not cool.
To learn more about PocketFuel and where you can get the energy you need to power up your paddling, go to http://www.pocketfuelnaturals.com
A cool company, with smart folks who really get it. Let me know what you think? I’d love to learn what flavors you liked!
MAUI, Hawaii: June 8, 2012 For those who’ve wondered what it’s like to paddle out of the Maliko Gulch to the Harbor, well here ya go! Be sure to watch whole thing to see “what happens…”
Turn up the volume, sit back get inspired and see the action from two GoPro Cameras mounted on the Naish 14ft Glide. Full throttle…
Enjoy!
Mahalo to GoPro, Naish, IndoBoard, Kaenon and Jon Ham and Jeremy Riggs for inspiring me.
Aloha Suzie Cooney, CPT Owner of Suzie Trains Maui, LLC
A Simple Training Tip For SUP to Maximize Leg Strength and Endurance with the Indo Board Training Gear
By Suzie Cooney, CPT Owner of Suzie Trains Maui
More and more people are stand up paddling and I get flooded with emails on how to strengthen the legs to help reduce fatigue, increase performance for distance, wave paddling and simply cruising. There is not one answer but I have a tip that can help all the above at some level.
From beginners to professional paddlers, everyone can benefit to learn how to maximize your leg strength and endurance to you can enjoy paddling longer, possibly reduce injury or to push your limits and improve your performance.
I’ve been a Team Rider for Indo Board for years now and love how the sport and gear have evolved together to allow for smooth paddling and more water time. I’ve had numerous major injuries over the years, and seriously, my Indo Board gearhas brought me back faster and stronger than ever.
When folks are making transitions from flat water to wave paddling, it’s all footwork and water reading. It’s pretty awesome when you can train your body to connect to your brain’s intention and have it all right there. Connect your body to the waves, bump or trough if downwind paddling.
This simple tip I offer will wake up all the fine muscles around the feet, ankle, knees and hips independently of your other leg. I like this exercise ( see blow ) because although all the muscles of your body work together, by breaking it down and loading up each joint; we can then maximize each point to perform with it’s own strength and consistency, then ultimately allowing for every joint to excel in unison.
Additionally, the strength you gain will then allow for quicker reaction times to changing conditions, increase muscle endurance and hopefully minimize injury or overuse syndromes and other compensations. ( I am not a physician but have worked in sports orthopedics. Always consult with your personal specialist with regards to any injuries or if embarking on a new fitness routine.)
Even though I’m a “regular” surfer and paddler surfer, funny thing is I skateboard and snowboard “goofy”. So fortunately I will benefit from training with left foot and right foot forward. My point is, even though you may be one or the other, train both legs.
Inflate the Gigante Flo Cushion with less air for more difficulty or more air to slow it down. Place the Indo Board Rocker or Indo Board Kicktail on top with nubby side up for maximum traction of board to cushion. I also suggest that you kick off your shoes because any rubber will act as a false barrier between you and the real thing.
Step onto board slowly in a surfer’s stance with kettle bell or dumbbell in the hand of the opposite side of the foot your approach with. So if goofy or right foot, step up and hold weight in left hand.
To maximize results, hold weight “above” the joints we intend to stress, so up to shoulder. My joint targets: ankles, knees and hips.
I suggest “time” your set. For example, beginner would hold for 5-10 seconds, and advance to 30-60 seconds in each direction or with each foot.
Lower body into squat position, gaze forward, breathe and hold. Burn to fatigue. Shaking is okay and expected.
You will begin to feel your ankle, knee and hip burn and or shake! This is good! Hold on to this position as best you can and time yourself now. See how low you can go. Relax your feet and don’t look down.
Rise up slowly, step off the back of board onto ground rest then switch it up over to the opposite leg. Repeat.
If you have the opportunity to try both boards, the Ying and Yang (links here) and then the Kicktail, wow what a difference. The Kicktail, which is my favorite, is very challenging and offers a lot more ankle and foot action. This requires the small, tiny stabilizers to fire and fatigue, which is the result you want.
Again, the point I’m also attempting to illustrate is that by holding a weight over and above the joint or muscle group that you’d like to strengthen and train, you will maximize the benefit and outcome. The fact that we also get to add the variable of an unstable platform gives us the ultimate opportunity for your training. If the weight is below or at joint level it will produce a different result.
This kind of training is efficient and I promise you that you will definitely notice a difference the minute you get on the water. People who train with me are blown away of how much easier it is to literally step onto the wave, or last longer in channel crossing, or for any distance paddling.
Whether you’re an advanced athlete or re-entering fitness, enjoying your workout is important. We can all agree that working out has to be fun. Let’s face it, if it’s not fun, it’s not going to happen!
I’ve designed a simple workout for you to add to your current routine, or start fresh with this one. In my workouts, I always try to touch every muscle group, including the core, and also incorporate a little balance training. Everyone is so different and has different workout goals. But remember — we don’t want our bodies to plateau. I’ll often grab a workout that I’ve designed for one my clients and do theirs. Granted, I’ll adjust it to suit my training needs, but it’s fun, it’s different and I love it.
This workout will be about 45 minutes and offers a little something for everyone. I recommend you try it first in the order I’m presenting, especially the warm up and the core work. You can mix and match the strength training portion in any way that suits you. I like to save abs for last since they support us all throughout the workout.
Equipment: Medicine ball (4-8 pounds), resistance tubing with handles, tube circle or Thera-Band®, stability ball, dumbbells (5-15 pounds).
Training Tip: When you change “variables” in your training routine, your body will likely respond more quickly vs. doing the same old thing. A variable may be increasing or decreasing the number of reps, changing the order in which you select the exercise, changing the platform you are training on; such as an inflatable disc, or increasing the amount of weight used for the exercise.
Let’s begin…
Active Warm Up
I prefer and recommend my clients to do active warm up exercises vs. static stretching (stretches where you hold the stretch for a period of time). It can be a quick spin on the stationary bike, walk on the treadmill for 5 minutes, or try the exercise below.
results if you can read notes.
September 30th, 2012: I’m posting this on the last night of Battle of the Paddle in Dana Point, CA. It was super fun but really hot and great waves! This weekend I witnessed the pros and the weekend warriors and you can bet these folks will have some sore muscles. From the intense levels of adrenaline and short interval sprints, to the the long distance race, some will recover faster than others.
NaishSurfing.com
by Suzie Cooney, CPT
I’d like to introduce to you what I use for a turbo session on the water and for the long endurance paddling runs down Maliko Gulch. I squeeze my PocketFuel into my mouth and get ready to feel the energy I need to perform and play.
By Suzie Cooney, CPT Owner of Suzie Trains Maui
