There’s something happening world-wide on lakes, oceans, streams and even on the Colorado Rapids, Alaska and now, even on mainstream TV, like Bravo TV’s Millionaire Matchmaker, and that is stand up paddling! You wouldn’t be reading or listening to this segment if you too weren’t drawn into the explosive new craze of stand up paddling or SUP as is it a great way to get healthy.
Suzie Cooney Radio Show Segment: September 20, 2011 Maui Breakfast Club. Every Tuesday @ 7:38am Health & Fitness Segment Tweet
Why Stand Up Paddling is So Healthy Radio Segment with Suzie Cooney LISTEN HERE
Now, thousands of people are discovering that you can as I wrote in my article “Shred to Shed” and blasted on the airways just as recent as this past August.
It’s really true. SUP or stand up paddling is a known way to get healthy fast. People are rehabbing after hip or knee
Kevin V. is in amazing shape and now races nation wide!
surgeries faster, meeting new friends and new soul mates and all of this makes you healthy. Going to the gym is still great, and don’t forget, eating the right foods is paramount to eating for energy while your paddling, but wow, look what’s happening to your spouse, your friends and movie stars! Hop aboard and get healthy with SUP.
Stand up paddling is a part of all my clients’ cross-training requirements and believe me, their bodies have transformed and so has their lives, cardio health and I’ve seen waistlines shrink. Don’t think about, watch it from the beach, get on that board and paddle. You too will soon discover the joys and amazing benefits of SUP.
Another article you may enjoy talks about how SUP is helping people cope with depression. It’s a mind and body experience gliding across the water. Read my article here titled: SUP For Your Mind’s Health: Aqua Therapy For Depression.
You are one paddle stroke closer to health. Write us and let us know how SUP has changed your maybe unhealthy life, into a way of life!
Aloha and see you on the water!
Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui
Suzie Cooney is a sponsored Team SUP Rider for Naish International and is supported by OluKai Premium Footwear & Kaenon Polarized Eye-wear. She is also a Team Rider for Indo Board, certified personal trainer, radio host for the Maui Breakfast Club, Model, True Collection Athlete and hosts FREE SUP Events on the island of Maui and within other communities.
To learn more about Suzie and she can help you get healthy with SUP click here.
For Beginners to Advanced Paddlers
by Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui and Naish Team SUP Rider
This has been a full summer of paddling for sure, whatever your style: downwinders, flat-water, waves or the Moto X of SUP: SUPCross. I’ve been getting lots of emails from you as you improve your SUP skills and increase your strength. That’s awesome! I’m glad the SUP-specific fitness tips I’ve designed for you are working and will continue to help you each and every session. By now, your core, legs and upper body are getting stronger and you are learning the fine dynamics of building your strength specifically for stand up paddling. So it’s time to go to the level of power here. In these exercises, we’re not only going to engage our core to the highest degree, but I’m going to give you the power to learn how to get the most of each stroke so you can really turn on the juice!If you haven’t read my earlier series on combining balance with upper and lower body endurance, I recommend you add this article to your SUP training tools. Click here for the article:UP your SUP Performance by Combining Upper Body Paddle Endurance with Balance and Core Training
I’d like to add a special thanks to my Naish teammate, Dave Kalama, for really hammering home the concept of reaching with everything you’ve got. Thank you Dave! He’s absolutely right. So now that we all have that ingrained in our minds, let’s see what it feels like to reach with more 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.
Recommended Equipment: INDO Board Gigante Disc, INDO Board Pro Board or Ying & Yang (as pictured below), TRX Rip Trainer (I use the heavier chord in this training series).
Select a sturdy object to secure your TRX cord to the ground. For this series, I attached it to a stake in the sand. The combination of INDO Board Gigante Disc with the Ying & Yang board, in addition to the TRX Rip Trainer requires unique training, just like stand up paddling. This is a functional and dynamic workout to the highest degree. Since the core is what stabilizes us while paddling, we now have a power source delivered through the core and transferred directly to our stroke.
Like Dave, I need to drive home the idea that there’s more to the “core” than just abs. It’s absolutely everything, and I mean everything, excluding your arms and legs – but not to say that your arms and legs don’t help to stabilize you as you paddle.
When I’m on the water or in the studio teaching people how to really engage their core, I take the time to break down their stroke as well. Then, when the light goes on and they have an “ah ha” moment, it’s cool. Connecting the dots from the top of your stroke, through your bottom shoulder, leading hip and finally passing through your core to the blade as you exit your feet, finally makes sense when you have more paddle power from the strength of your body. This comes from specific strength training for SUP and it’s what we’re going to do right now in these exercises.
Progression Variables: Floor to sand, traditional paddling stance to surf stance, discs under INDO board, less air (easier)-more air (faster action) in discs, light – medium TRX chord to heavier gauge TRX chord, speed of stroke, reach distance, slower-faster paced, number of strokes per side, change stance position during set.
Exercise 1: Power Strokes: Regular Stance, Feet on Ground
Maliko Gulch, Maui’s North Shore July 24th
Naish Paddle Championships
Some of the fastest, elite paddlers converge for the 6th year in a row. The field of competitors is growing bigger and bigger and the finishes even more exciting! This race is fierce and serious. Get your water packs ready, gel, gu whatever your fueling weapon, for this backyard Naish event will light Maliko on fire!
For more information and to register: http://www.mauipaddleboard.com/
Increase your SUP performance. Catch bigger glides, dig in that rail and improve your footwork to keep ahead of that guy or gal on your tail. Your paddling will improve quickly from land to water. Training your brain, training your legs and step on your board and watch what happens. One INDO Board Gigante disc under your board with max inflation is a wild ride, and two less inflated; one under the nose and the tail helps beginners and intermediate paddlers sky rocket their stand up paddling action!
Maliko gulch, Maui and the history that surrounds it, is one to be respected. Not only will the steep cliffs and the sounds of the wind whirling inside take your breath, but you’ll also experience a rush of adrenaline as you paddle out of it, into the open ocean of huge swells where you can catch glides up to 300+ yards long. (If you want to read more about Maliko, see my article:“The Magic of Maliko” I wrote for Makai Ocean Lifestyle magazine here. )
TweetAs the popularity of SUP grows, especially down wind paddling here on Maui, I’m compelled to write this small blog entry, not to only share in the beauty and the intrigue that draws thousands of eager stand up paddlers and OC1 adventurers to this place, but also to give a heads up to the hidden challenges that can be very dangerous and can make for a disastrous run. If you think you are ready to attempt your first Maliko “down winder”, I say, that if you don’t know, don’t go. I’m not at all discouraging people, I’m just sharing how Maliko appears on the inside of the bay, is not what goes on just 50 yards on the outside.
photo courtesy of OluKai Premium Footwear
Being an experienced paddler, every time I paddle out of the gulch down the coast 9 miles, it is never the same and that’s exciting! I’ve gone down with a wall of water breaking across the gulch over head high, near the ramp, and other days it’s as calm as a lake. So what I’m saying is what may appear calm on the inside is typically very different as you exit into the open ocean waterways. Unless you go with an experienced paddler, and I mean experienced with someone who’s done many Maliko runs in all kinds of conditions; you best have lots of water time in big swells and heavy winds, and you better have upper body strength, combined with a good cardio base and have the knowledge on what to do IF you get in trouble.
I’m seeing more and more folks showing up for their first, unescorted Maliko run and it concerns me that some of them are not experienced enough. Sure they’ll probably be fine, but from some of the emails and stories I’ve been reading and hearing about as of late, it’s not a casual paddle on the lake. Besides the huge, jagged rocks on the shoreline that the swell may push you into, there’s wind shifts and tide changes, and if the winds are off shore and East, you can bet that it means trouble or at the least a very un ideal experience.
As a SUP instructor, competitor, and as a fitness specialist specializing in SUP conditioning, people ask me to take them down Maliko. I often pause and tell them nicely that it’s a good goal to have, but first let’s get your board skills down , your body endurance and strength up to handle those conditions.
I really want people to have a good experience and get the thrill of the long glides and rides; I’m just saying use common sense. Get yourself in tip top shape, paddle some timed, endurance distance on flat water to get your body used to paddling at that intensity, strengthen your leg, work on your balance and learn water safety.
Me coaching Barb before her run
Practice paddling in all types of weather conditions; rain, big chop, side chop, light to heavy wind, gusty wind and even practice paddling directly into the wind. Learn more about rail pressure, foot work (changing foot position on board to surf stance) and maybe even rent a downwind board and practice on flat water. I might also suggest that you do some “mini” downwinders at a shorter distance to get your legs used to the chop and learn about how you can improve your paddling and maybe your fitness at the same time. Study the wind patterns and know the difference between on shore and off shore winds, trade winds, wind swell direction, know if it’s low or high tide where you enter and where you exit.
Downwind paddling is a blast and very addicting. Better to share with a safety buddy and to go with someone who knows the path. He/she should be very very experienced and know how to pick the right line, read the currents, tide and weather conditions. It’s not a great idea to go alone, and if you do carry your cell phone in a water proof casing and tell someone where you are coming out at your anticipated time. If you don’t feel right, feel tired or whatever, listen to your gut. Prequalify yourself and make sure that you have water confidence, experience and strength along with of course better than decent SUP skills.
Here are some resources to make your downwind paddling experiences safe and fun:
Suzie Trains Maui: SUP Fitness Tips: Leg conditioning, upper body endurance exercises
If you’d like to train with me and build your stand up paddling endurance, fine tune your paddling stroke, foot work; give me a call I can help you. Having a body that is strong and prepared for anything will give you miles and miles of more fun on the water! Be safe and see you on the water!
Just in time for Summer SUP fun and everything to keep you in SUP fit shape!
Pick up your issue of my SUP Fitness Guide in SUP Stand Up Paddler Magazine, Summer 2011, and turn to pages 58 & 62 for a few tips to keep you up and paddling strong. With tips on body endurance, leg strength and more. Carve your turns stronger, drop into bigger glides with confidence and improve your SUP race performance!
TweetTake a peak get your copy of SUP Stand Up Paddler Magazine, Summer Issue 2011:
Suzie Cooney Page 62 of the Fitness Guide photo Darrell Wong 2011 All Rights Reserved
( All Rights Reserved 2011)Want to explode your paddling core strength? You got it. These exercises require that you understand how to engage your core muscles both before and during the entire set. You become the stabilizing factor as you perform these movements. Also, I’d like you to pay close attention to the tubing or TRX Rip Trainer cord so that it is always taut and under tension throughout the entire series. I call this “time under tension”. If you “let go” of this concept, or your core, you won’t benefit fully from this workout.
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.
In this photo, I’m using the new TRX Rip Trainer with the heavier cord.
Starting with your feet solidly on the ground about shoulder width apart, pointed straight ahead and with good posture, tie the cord to a secure object (Dave’s truck worked great!). Holding the TRX bar at shoulder width and just below the top of your shoulders, begin to engage your core by drawing in your abs and hold while making sure to breathe. Remember, safety loop! Don’t death grip the bar, but start far enough away from post with enough tension that will require you to stabilize the bar and your body. Rotate your body to the right while core engaged, then slowly return just before your start position (critical) and repeat.
Progression 1: Stand on your BOSU or other unstable platform. (An INDO Board on top of a Gigante Disc works well too). Now do the same movements while on the BOSU. Wow…crazy!
Progression 2: Secure a light, medium, or heavy gauge tubing to your secure object and perform the same movement as above, however, this time you’ll need to steady the tubing with your left arm locked. Gently clasp the tube with one hand, but do not grip too heavily. Place a bit of tension on the tube and begin the rotation. Remember “time under tension”. To increase challenge, step further out or hop on your BOSU or other unstable platform.To read the rest of my article and to see all my SUP Fitness Tips go to: http://www.naishsurfing.com/sup-fitness/dynamic-core/While visiting Maui, Suzie is available for private ftness training and beginner to advanced stand up paddling lessons. Contact her at 808-283-2121. Suzie is a professional Team Rider for Naish International.
Join us for a special day of “Aloha” and give to the local chapter of NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. This charity is very near and dear to my family and to the cohost of this event. NAMI offers tremendous support and helps so many across the country. With today’s stress and life changes, your mental health is as equally important as is physical health and they are both related. SUP offers so much to everyone who learns. Anyone can do it and being outdoors and on the water is a great combination that makes you strong and feel good. You can meet wonderful new friends and watch this sport change your life! This I promise.
I’ve been teaching for some time and my greatest reward is to see people glide across the water with a smile so big, well I just can’t describe the feeling. You can do it! You don’t need to be extra strong or already fit. This sport is gentle on the body and is so easy. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be on your way to Maui catching some waves and paddling with me one day!
We have limited space so don’t miss out! I’d love to meet you.
See the finish line, the crowd cheering you on the last buoy turn, the last surf heat before the horn, the last lap of your mountain bike or dirt bike race and see your personal victory! Okay, now adjust the speed and tempo, add a little more weight to the bar, do a few more balance tricks and turn up the music.
Visualizing your win, your finish or any goal you set out for your racing or training I guarantee will get you that trophy or medal or simply help you get to the next phase of your training and sport. We watch the networks play over and over in slow motion, two competitors going handle bar to handle bar on the dirt track, paddlers digging as deep and fast as they dig deep into last turn back to the beach, or the Olympic speed skaters pushing off those last few powerful meters.
You can do the same during your training. If you’re a surfer and while you’re performing a weighted squat on your INDO Board, you see the green room and the spray of huge dragons breath; popping you out of that tube standing tall touching the back of that blue wall. For example, when I’m on my spin bike, I close my eyes as the music carries me across the ocean on my Naish Glide at warp speed, catching every bump and trough possible, or better, turning on the face of a big wave.
Whatever your sport, your mental game and how you see yourself as an athlete makes a critical difference in how you perform. Do you see yourself as an athlete? Are you looking to build your game and confidence? I’m not a scientist, but what I do know is that the subconscious captures images of our desire outcomes and holds them and when an opportunity mimics the situation, it retrieves that image and allows our minds and body to shape and make that true.
I have the pleasure to introduce to you my training client, Stephen. Here is his awesome story on how his visualization training became an exciting reality, to a successful 27 mile stand up paddle race finish. The race was Saturday April 23rd, 2011. It started from Honolua Bay, Maui across the open ocean channel to the island of Molokai. Sport, stand up paddle, partner Mike Owens. ( photos by Joshua Kjorven )
“ I would like to help contribute, it was one of those crazy ideas one gets while I was watching Connor and Dave battle it out in the Pailolo Channel on last year’s race. It was in November when I first watched the video of the battle where Connor ultimately won. Watching him paddle, getting that imprint of his paddle stroke, and ability to read the swell was captivating. I thought with a little practice “I could do that” and why not, what could possibly go wrong? I never think about the details (they usually become a barrier),I just stay focused on the goal, and the details usually work themselves out in the end.
I set up our indoor pool to train and get in shape during the winter months, and then arrived in Maui to start training with you and Jeremy. Jeremy corrected my paddle stroke, and taught me to catch bumps on the four Maliko runs we did, plus several days in the harbor. Suzie helped me focus on my balance and strengthened the areas that I needed to improve upon, and it really helped. In reality was I ready for such a crossing and be a contender? No but my goal was to do it, learn it, and experience the rush, get the confidence, and then do it again next year, hopefully solo.
Getting ready for the Maui to Molokai Challenge!
My partner was Mike Owens, we did a great job, for first timers, and we had fun. And we will do it again next year. I started visualizing this goal in November, and kept at it since then, but on the beach that morning I was just grateful to have the opportunity to do such a thing, everyone was giving us course instructions, Jeremy was saying this will be an experience of a lifetime and to enjoy it, but once we put the paddle to the water… That visualization, the memory of Jeremy’s instructions and Connors video all came in to focus and that made the difference.It was a great day, emotional and draining but I will do it again next year for sure.” Stephen
This is an excellent example of how Stephen’s visual training of seeing his successful outcome and all the steps he needed to take to get there, seeing himself as an athlete, a competitor and a finisher! Good job Stephen!
What I suggest is that you get real clear on what you want to see. Get real specific with how you want to perform. Do you want to go faster, carve bigger turns, or catch bigger glides or simply finish? Focus that imagery on just that. See in your mind over and over again that perfect picture of the outcome. Some people also explore hypnosis.
When you look in the mirror at the gym, get hyper focused and don’t be embarrassed of how strong you think you look. Right on! That’s what I want. Growl, sing see the confetti! If one of my clients is training for a big event and we’re squeaking out one more set or rep, I just love to whisper in their ear, “this is when you win.” I’ll also say, “Are you not the fierce competitor I know? Then do it.”
Now I’m not the mean trainer you see on TV, but I do give my clients the tools to help them get real with themselves and give them lots of positive images while we are training. I am the one that will keep you very positive and erase any negative and mental obstacles. If you don’t have a trainer, I suggest you try and do the same.
Develop a mantra that you say to yourself as you have your image. This is also a very powerful tool I suggest to my clients that get’s them very fired up and focused. I don’t care if it sounds totally silly, or if it’s a string of unusual sounds, it’s what resonates with them, If it makes sense to them and get’s them to that place they must go, then say it. I know people hear me when I’m surfing, SUP surfing or training down Maliko. I talk to myself all the time out loud.
What I strongly suggest when testing out your mantra with your visual, please don’t say negative things, like “you dummy, just one more stroke” or “I’m an idiot… “. You get my drift. Positive words, positive images equal a positive outcome.
Takeaway: Say to yourself“ I am an athlete, a fierce competitor and I am strong”. See yourself getting tubed, finishing your first 5 or 10k, rounding that last buoy, or hitting it full throttle across the line.
I’d love to read about what you see when you train and what the outcomes are? Are you faster, stronger? How did it change the way you train? We welcome your comments!
Aloha, Suzie Cooney, CPT
Should you like to learn more about Suzie and train with her on Maui for your next successful experience, go to her website at http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com
For those of you who have always dreamed about Hawaii, one often thinks of the warm tropical breezes, palm trees swaying amazing sunsets and beaches, but the most exciting attraction for visitors and locals alike is the ocean. The blue-green waters, giant open water swells and waves that surround the island chain make our islands the biggest playground for two very popular sports, one man outrigger canoes (OC1s) and for stand up paddling (SUP).
Here in Hawaii stand up paddling and OC1 are a way of life, a source of fitness and a pastime as common as baseball is on the mainland. Now the world has a chance to see how dynamic, action-packed and inspiring this sport truly is.
On Maui, Ocean Paddler TV, our Honolulu-based paddling sport show, will cover the Ho’olaule’a this May 14 and May 15, 2011. Their coverage will be broadcast nationally on Universal Sports, an NBC Sports partnership. This means over 50 million households will get a glimpse into the athleticism and beauty of paddling. This is awesome! Check this out: http://www.olukai.com/NewsEvents.aspx
I am so excited to be a part of this movement as we grow the sport and get the word out. Make sure to sign up online by May 4 to get your spot and receive a pair of OluKai slippers!”
Also, if you’re new to the sports and want to experience the Ho’oleaule’a and thrill of doing an open ocean down winder, be sure not to miss our New Ohana Fun Paddle! Register today and join me in our first non-competitive, 3 mile fun paddle. We welcome everyone who may not be quite ready for the Maliko race, but may rather like go at their own pace.
Where: Maui’s N. Shore Paia Bay – Paia Bay Youth & Cultural Center
When: April 30th, Saturday Check in time 8AM Skippers/Safety Meeting 8:45 Paddle: 9AM
Course: 3 miles Coast Paddle Down Wind This is not a race.
This is your chance to go with a larger group for a supervised fun paddle. We’ll have coffee and juice for you at the start and refreshments at the finish. Click here to see a video from our last practice paddle and for more details.
As an avid paddler, this event is first class and will inspire you too. I really hope you can join us.
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)
This exercise requires you to drop to the ground from a box or raised platform and land softly. It is very important to land on the balls of your feet, not on your heels. The box I’m using is 29 inches tall.
Exercise 2: Box Hop Ups
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.
Suzie Cooney Radio Show Segment: September 20, 2011 Maui Breakfast Club. Every Tuesday @ 7:38am Health & Fitness Segment Tweet
Suzie is a professional 
