Paddling Workout: 9 Exercises to Improve Paddle Strength
We’ve all had the experience as surfers, usually early on. We paddle out, but can’t get out to where we want to be. Or we catch a wave and don’t have the energy to get back out to the lineup. If you can, maybe you can only last an hour in the water, while others surf for 2, 3, or 4 hours. You’re not alone.
Like any physical activity or sport, it takes time for muscles to grow and build endurance to be used in the way that you’re using them surfing. Although the best training for building paddling muscles is surfing, that’s not always practical or available.
Before jumping into the best surfing paddling exercises, there are a few other important things to consider. These things are just as important to paddling well in the water!
Using Correct Paddle Technique
Paddle technique is super important when it comes to surfing. You can certainly strengthen paddling muscles, but you can also use to learn those muscles to their maximum potential to save energy. Learning how to paddle a surfboard is an absolute must for every beginner surfer.
Here are a few really brief tips:
Find the Right Position - Don’t sit too far forward or too far back. Sitting back creates drag as you’re plowing water. Sitting too far forward sinks the nose and creates drag.
Slow is Pro - Watch the pros. You don’t need to paddle fast to paddle hard. Move slowly, deliberately, and smoothly.
Don’t Overreach - A big one in regards to follow-through. Don’t pull your hand through the water too far. Generally, you should be lifting your hand out of the water and reaching forward once your hand reaches your chest in the water to prevent downward push.
Keep Elbows High - A hallmark of Kelly Slater’s paddle. Keep the elbows high, keeping the hands down and ready to get back into the water.
Keep the Body Still - Don’t waste energy wiggling your whole body around. With the chest raised, your body should be relatively still and energy should be focused on the shoulders and arms.
Forward, not Out - When you move each hand forward, don’t go out. Your hands should be moving FORWARD, so move them forward in a straight line!
I’ve included a video below I like that has some useful demonstrations in regards to surfing paddling technique as well!
Paddle Smart, Conserve Energy
In addition to learning proper paddle technique, we also can benefit from learning exactly when to paddle. One of the most common mistakes I made as a beginner and see other newbies make is paddling super hard for waves they are simply never going to catch. But there are other ways we can be smart about our paddling energy.
As mentioned, learn to read waves. Learning when to paddle will save you a ton of energy. As you get to know a specific break, conditions, or the ocean in general, you will learn when to paddle and when to leave a wave. Learning and researching when to paddle and when a wave is catchable will save you a ton of energy and keep you in the water much longer.
Additionally, learn how to paddle back out after catching a wave. Don’t paddle right through the whitewater and break if you can avoid it. At many breaks, there’s a smoother channel. Although you have to go a bit around to get back to the lineup, it will likely cost you less energy and help you conserve paddle strength.
Exercises to Improve Paddle Strength
By now you probably know there are a lot of muscles used while surfing. Although we probably think of the arms and shoulders when it comes to paddling, we actually are using quite a few muscles. These include muscles in the back, core, arms, shoulders, and forearms. full disclosure, we don’t ever go to a gym. We do everything at home with dumbbells, a pullup bar, and a TRX Band. Anyway, let’s get into my favorite exercises to improve paddle strength.
Lat Pull Down
The lat pull-down is a solid workout for the back and has the added benefit of actually strengthening the abs and hips. It’s popular for swimmers, gymnasts, and wrestlers for a reason! A fun fact is that the lat pulldown has actually been found to work the abs more than the similar motion of a chinup (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24245055/).
Straight Arm Pull Down
The straight arm pulldown also requires gym equipment or resistance bands if you wish to do at home. I actually use a light resistance band and do straight arm pulldowns as a warmup for my other exercises. It’s a bit more joint-friendly than many other lat exercises, but can still grow those paddling muscles.
Military Press
The military press or overhead press is a staple exercise for most gym rats. Again, you can do this at home with dumbbells or resistance bands. A compound movement, it his the shoulders (deltoids), upper back (traps), and your core with proper form. Keep the core tight and back from arching, squeeze those shoulder blades, and allow the elbows to be slightly forward.
Pullups
This is an alternative to the lat pulldown really. Whereas the lat pulldown will give you hypertrophy and bigger looking muscles, the bodyweight exercise of the pullup is perhaps a bit more functional and my preferred exercise for surfing. We have a hangboard (as we also rock climb), and I use the big jugs on the hangboard. If you’re not quite there in doing a full pullup, work with a progression. Here’s one below to get you started.
Scarecrows
Scarecrows target the rotator cuff, a muscle we often neglect in our workouts. It’s also a muscle we use when paddling, so let’s target it! You can do both normal scarecrows with weights or bands, and reverse scarecrows to strengthen the rotator cuff in both directions. For me personally, this is a regular exercise I use to take care of my shoulders with all my paddling!
Rows
The good old row. A compound movement, tons of variations, and targets all the right muscles for surfing as it hits the biceps, shoulders, lats, and back.. You may use a rowing machine if you have access to a gym, or you can use bands, TRX, or dumbbells at home. If you’re looking for a more full-body row, check out my favorite version with the Bird Dog Row.
Pushups (and Variations)
The pushup is a staple workout for many athletes for good reason. It targets the chest, triceps, deltoids, and your core. If pushups are getting easy for you, you can try pike pushups, moving pushups, diamond pushups, or weighted pushups. You’ll work those paddling muscles, and also be moving in a similar movement to the popup during surfing!
Supermans (and Swimmers)
As discussed in the section on paddle technique, we need to keep our chests off the board when we paddle. Some may suffer from a sore lower back after their first few sessions. To become a better paddler, you’ll definitely need to strengthen those lower back muscles. Supermans and swimmers are two great bodyweight workouts you can do at home with ease to hit these muscle groups.
Rollouts
This is one of my favorite exercises for surfing and paddling. I do it at the beginning of every routine I do. Specifically, I do a TRX Ab Rollout. Although mainly a core workout, it also targets shoulders and greatly increases stability and balance in the core. Give it a try for a while, and see what it does for your paddling!
Honorable Mention: Swimming
Finally, we have to mention swimming. It’s not exactly a single exercise like the rest, but it is hands-down the best workout for your paddling strength. As you can imagine, you’re using the same muscles while paddling and swimming. Sure, the stroke may be slightly different, but the muscles are the same.
If you live near a body of water or have access to a pool, hit it for some laps. I personally get bored swimming back and forth in a pool, so will often go down to the beach on flat days and just swim for a while. I guarantee swimming will make you a better paddler.