Background
At the start of the race, to get the boat moving from its stationary position you have to apply FORCE ... Because the boat is still without any MOMENTUM you need to apply more FORCE than at any other time of the race to get it moving. Furthermore the more FORCE you can apply the more it moves.
The greater the FORCE application the FASTER the boat moves.
This is obviously where strength training comes in and of all the qualities that you can train in the gym it is maximal strength that transfers best to acceleration at the start.
Athlete Types
When it comes to training there you may fall into 1 of the 3 athlete types below.
Athlete 1: has good maximal strength relative to body mass but has low overall muscle mass
Athlete 2: has good muscle mass but has poor relative maximal strength compared to body mass
Athlete 3: has poor strength and low muscle mass
If you are Athlete 1, you clearly have the ability to produce high force relative to your weight. You may already be quite a good starter as you are light and strong. However to push up your maximal strength you should invest in how much muscle mass you have. Ultimately your maximal strength potential is limited by the raw amount of muscle you have. You probably need to invest in some sort of hybrid training model between maximal strength and hypertrophy along with a solid nutrition plan to support muscle growth.
If you are Athlete 2, you probably haven't mastered how to maximise the neural drive behind each rep. This means you just dont know how to contract hard and fast enough to produce the forces you are capable of. To work on this you want to expose yourself to a combination of high load sets and high speed sets where the intention is always to lift either as heavy or as fast as possible (usually a combination of both).
If you are Athlete 3, you are probably untrained and need to start training with structure and purpose. Good news for you is that improvements will be quick as you soak up a new stimulus for the first time.
Connection
The other factor involved is whether or not you can connect your force application to the water and there is of course a technical element here. That's why you can't just put a powerlifter in the boat and hope for the best!
Through your strength training you should also aim to develop your technical skill and stability across each joint in a way that transfers to the water. This means not just lifting heavy with a disregard for technique. It also means selecting lifts that draw out specifically technical and stability qualities that transfer to the water. To do this you need to do more than just bench press, bench pull and pull ups and there are some novel uni-lateral exercises I have found that transfer really well (if you want to know what these re drop me a message and I will send them to you).
Timing of Sessions
You can also look to combine maximal strength sessions with your on-water acceleration work. I have had good effect with timing strength sessions immediately before the on-water session that may involve resisted and un-resisted starts. One reason these sessions work so well is that you can take the feeling of being maximally strong and channel that feeling on the water. There is also a potentiation effect where you will be able to tap into more of your strength potential as a result of the strength work you just performed.
Summary
When it comes to strength training for sprint kayak the good news for kayakers is that if you get it right strength massively transfers to performance on the water in a way that doesn't happen in other sports such as running or swimming. I have commented on this in a previous blog post that you can read by clicking here.
The message is clear. If you want to accelerate faster: improve your maximal strength along with the associated technical skills and you will reap the rewards.
Daniel has been the strength and conditioning coach for flat-water kayakers on the New Zealand Olympic Team and Team GB; including Olympic Champion Lisa Carrington, World Champion Teneale Hatton and Olympian Jess Walker. He has also trained dozens of international kayakers and national champions in multiple age groups.
If you are a kayaker interested in getting support with your strength training click here to see what services are available.
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