If you�re frustrated by how slow your kayak is or you�ve developed tendinitis in your wrists, eblows, or shoulders after a season's kayak fishing, I've got a couple of articles out on how to strengthen and paddle from the core, that large muscle group that has little to do with the arms or shoulders. You'll paddle faster, last longer on the water, and suffer less pain.

One article is in the April 2006 issue of MetroSports, the other in the June 2006 issue of Outdoor Athlete.

Much of the stuff I�ve also reprinted on my blog at http://paddlingtravelers.blogspot.com/2006/07/stamina-smoothness-power-use-your-core.html

and

http://paddlingtravelers.blogspot.com/

If you find that your elbows and wrists hurt at the end of a day of kakay fishing, but your stomach muscles aren't sore, chances are you aren't paddling from your core. Maybe the above will help.

Thanks for helping out your brother yak-ers Badman. Good stuff

I don't fish much, but used to paddle a whole lot. Several things to think about.

Your arms will tire very quickly, after that your back will be doing most of the work paddling. Sitting upright and not slouching will really help here.

Memory faids, but I recall both my Sea Kayak instructor trainer, and my slolom trainer both focusing heavily on technique. Ultimately efficiency is your friend. I rember key words like reach (with your blade), punch (with your outside arm), and rotate. The strength of the stroke is from your knees (or further forward) to your waist - drawing the paddle further back than that is only for correction.

From what I rember, your bicepts do little, your tricepts do more. Likewise, I know the slolom trainer did have workouts for wrist and shoulders -I suspect because those were muscle groups needed for control and efficiency.

Another thing I personally noticed is that I had less wrist issues with light(er) paddles. I started paddling with heavier paddles and notices my wrist hurting. Afterwards I have always used higher quality paddles and have had no wrist sourness for 10 years or so. I use an indexed paddle - and do develop a calious on the webbing of my thumb fairly quickly (or blister there if I paddle too much without gearing up for it first).

Anyway, sorry for the drivil. I suspect that sot people ultimately hav more problems with this due to more boat drag and far less enphasis on paddling technique. On the other side, white water people often dislocate their shoulders with bad technique - so the sot are still better off than those paddlers.