Kayak Fishing Fitness Series - Intro

I feel like I pretty much constantly have ideas for blog series or videos. Many of those ideas never come to fruition for one reason or another. However, I am very excited to announce an upcoming Kayak Fishing Fitness series on Man Powered Fishing. I've partnered with good friend Eric Boyd of Foothills Angler, who is also a National Strength and Conditioning Association certified coach and my teammate with Bending Branches paddles. Kayak Angler Magazine online will also be featuring the series. This particular blog will provide an overview of the series, so that you know what to expect.

First, a bit about us. In addition to Eric's NSCA certification as a strength and condition specialist, he is a former college athlete, NCAA division I strength and conditioning coach, and professional baseball strength and conditioning coach. I am also a former college athlete and have been fortunate enough to work with numerous trainers and athletes, including USA Powerlifting record holders, extreme sports professional, health science educators, and various outdoor industry pros. I've written multiple articles for Rapid Media and Kayak Angler Magazine sharing my fitness regimen, tips, and tricks.

Eric fly fishing an eddy seam along a strong rapid in western NC

We aren't the gym selfie, Creatine ingesting, social media hash tag types. I love cooking delicious food and drinking good beer, and we would both rather spend our spare time with family or on various hobbies. That concept will be a big part of the series - S.M.A.R.T. goals, standing for specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound. I'll add economically feasible (read cheapskate) to that list. For instance, part of Eric's regular workout includes push-ups with his son Grayson on his back, while I utilize 5-gallon buckets, sand bags, and various other items around my house and yard. We don't spend our mornings checking for a six pack in the mirror (I prefer to keep mine in the fridge), and a perfectly sculpted body lost its appeal after age 25. We workout for health and to improve various functional exercises, paddling being one of them.

For me, especially here in New England, winter allows me to focus on health, new hobbies and projects, and coming up with goals for the upcoming fishing season. It is a perfect time to sneak in a short, high intensity workout nearly every day. We aren't believers in fad workouts or diets. Just as there is no perfect kayak, there also is no perfect workout or diet for everyone. The best diet and workout are ones you can consistently stick to. We believe in giving full effort, while it keeping it simple and fun. My average workout lasts about 20-30 minutes. In that time span, I typically do 3 circuits of 3 exercises with 3 sets per exercise. It is high intensity, but it is simple, functional, and focuses on improving strength, balance, and flexibility. And both of our workout regimes are based on years of experience, and at times experimenting, to find what provides us with the best bang for the buck.

Hooked up on a fall trout in western MA

In addition, these workouts have changed for us over time. Workout evolution is something I regularly think about. For instance, some lifts I did back in my football playing days aren't terribly useful on a daily basis today. However, lower back exercises and stretches have become incredibly important, since I spend 40+ hours a week in front of a computer earning a paycheck. So, workouts should include things you do on a regular basis, such as lunging, squatting, twisting, bending, etc.

One last item before I introduce the various topics. Success, especially related to diet and exercise, stems from support, motivation, and attitude. That means being non-judgmental, positive, and open minded - things this series will promote. All too often, I've seen these values disappear from gyms, and at times from social media.

Here is what we currently have planned. These blogs and videos will be released once per week, starting mid- to late-week next week. Some will also include input from other paddlers and industry pros.

1 – Creating a true home work out

Why spend money on a gym membership? You can put together a cheap home "gym" and incredible workout that will save time, money, and headaches in the long run.

2 – Cardio 
 I've always joked that, outside of athletics, there are two reasons to run - from the cops and to catch the ice cream truck. However, cardio exercises are paramount to our health, especially when combined with strength training and stretching.

3 – Diet and nutrition
Most folks reading this probably know the things they should and shouldn't eat. So, this blog will focus more on lesser discussed topics, such as our favorite fitness apps, recipes, and tips, especially for days on the water.

Rabbit food - a necessary evil

4 – Stretching, flexibility & posture
If there is one thing I consistently see anglers struggle with, it is flexibility and posture, which is heavily linked to stretching and fitness. It can help to improve your fishing from seated or standing positions, especially after long days on the water. We even dabble in the art of Yoga, with help from some special guests.

5 – Stability
Let's face it, the ability to stand and fish from a kayak is becoming more and more popular. Beyond that, stability exercises can vastly improve your core strength and paddling. We will break down a number of different key exercises for improving overall stability in this two part topic.

The ATAK is makes standing easy, but balance and stability exercises help

6 – Strength
After building a solid foundation with previous blog topics, we will dive into strength training. This two part topic will breakdown the ins, outs, dos, and don'ts of body weight exercises, as well as some of our favorite strength training lifts and circuits.

7 – Multi-functional favorites
Last, but certainly not least, we will focus on multi-functional activities, including plyometrics, medicine ball exercises, lifts, and more. These will kick your butt, but provide great bang for the buck!

If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, please shoot one of us an email (drew@manpoweredfishing.com or foothillsangler@gmail.com). Tight lines!