Sciency Stuff Archives - The Kayak House

If we all got paid a dollar every time someone said ‘You need a strong core for kayaking’ we could take early retirement en-masse and spend the remainder of our days sipping Piña Coladas on the beach…

But is it actually true?

If all you care about is paddling fast, then the simple answer is – NO. Speed can be generated in many ways on the water, and some athletes can be competitive at the highest level with weak cores.

The longer answer is – it’s complicated… and because it’s not black and white, what was originally planned as a short social media post, turned into this series of 8 articles about the Kayaker’s Core.

Throughout this series, we’ll dive deep into all things core related, and unpack why this reductionist view of the core (and kayak technique) isn’t particularly helpful for coaches or athletes and can lead to a lot of wasted training time.

But before we go too deep, let’s start off shallow. So shallow that I’m going to paraphrase a line from one of my favourite series of all time (The Diplomat).

A strong core is only helpful for kayaking if you actually use it…

This statement may seem so blindingly obvious that even Blind Freddy would find it insulting, but it’s important to recognise that there are a surprising number of elite-level athletes with strong, ‘ripped’ cores, paddling with little to no core involvement.

There are two main aspects to look at when considering why that is. Firstly, the core’s relationship to paddling technique is a complex one that involves many factors apart from strength alone. These include; functionality, integration, dissociation, stabilisation, adaptability, symmetry, and psychological stress.

To use the core effectively on the water and gain the maximum power contribution from it, then the interplay between the above elements, and all the individual elements, need to be functioning optimally.

Additionally, all these elements should be working together to support a technique that respects the technical fundamentals. For example, a strong and fully functional core can be used to support a backwards rotational pattern rather than a forward one, which works against the athlete when it comes to generating speed.

The second main factor influencing core use on the water, is the athlete’s paddling profile (how they generate speed). When categorising athletes, I like to divide them into 4 main profiles: Technical, Strong, Fit, Strong/Fit Hybrid. Many athletes in the Strong and Hybrid profiles can compensate for a complete lack of core use if their other physical qualities are developed to an exceptionally high level.

When we take all these variables into consideration, we see that there are fast and slow athletes with both strong and weak cores:

So if you can paddle fast without it – does having a strong, fully functioning, and integrated core matter?

If like me, you believe in prioritising technical and training efficiency, and minimising injury risk, then yes, it’s essential for most athletes.

Continue Reading:

Part 1: Core 101- What it is , What it does, & Why it’s important

Part 3: The Core, The Water, & The Holy Grail

Part 4: Core imbalances – When the movers take over

Part 5: How core dysfunction makes a big mess in the boat

Part 6: Correcting stabiliser/mover dysfunction

Part 7: Unpopular Opinions – Is core training on land a waste of time?

Part 8: 9 Fundamental Exercises for core stabiliser strength

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 6: Correcting core stabiliser-mover dysfunction

THE KAYAKERS CORE – Part 5: How core dysfunction makes a big mess in the boat

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 4: Core Imbalances – When the movers take over

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 2: Strength alone is Not Enough!

A strong core is only helpful for kayaking if you actually use it…

Continue Reading:

THE KAYAKER’S CORE – Part 1: Core 101 – What it is, What it does, & Why it’s important