full body strength

In most parts of the country sailing has slowed down for the season. Winter is here meaning less or no sailing for a couple months for most people. Sailing is a unique sport, however, like all other sports we do have our off-season. The off-season is so important to your sports performance, and should be used efficiently to improve your performance out on the water. Sometimes people think of the off-season as a time to take off from your training on the contrary it can be even more important then your in season training.
Why It’s Important:
Off season training for sailing is critical to the improvement of your sailing performance on the water. During this time you can recover from any injuries that may have occurred during the season. It is also a time to deal with muscles imbalances that may cause injury in the future. During the off-season you can increase your strength, power, and speed to help you be unstoppable during the regular sailing season. By doing the work in the off-season you are setting yourself up for better results in the future.
What To Focus on:
During the off-season you need to have goals on what you want to improve with your training routine. Depending on the sport the goals for the off-season will be a little different. For sailing some good goals to focus on are:
1. Increasing Aerobic Capacity: Your aerobic capacity refers to your ability to sustain a certain level of aerobic activity for a certain length of time, also referred to as VO2max. By increasing your aerobic capacity you will be able to last longer on the water. Increasing your aerobic capacity is not only beneficial to your performance in sailing, but everyday health. Your aerobic capacity can be increased by frequently working out, increasing your intensity, training for longer periods, and adding interval training to your routine.
2. Improving Overall Strength: In the off-season we really want to spend time improving are overall strength. We just went through a season using certain muscles everyday or mostly everyday for long periods of time. We now want to focus on improving our body’s overall strength. Strength training is so important to add to your weekly routine, by doing this you will see improvements out on the water.
3. Correct Muscles Imbalances: We all have muscles imbalances that we need to correct. A muscle imbalance occurs when one muscle is stronger then its opposing muscle. For example after a season of hiking our boats flat we may find we have some posture problems. In the off-season we want to spend time fixing these muscles imbalances to help prevent any injury in the future.
The Plan:
Now what’s your plan? Off-season for a sailor can vary depending on several factors, however, typically most sailors will be in off-season at least two to three months a year. So where you can start is to look at the amount of time you have off and make a training plan for those 8-12 weeks. With your training again you want to focus on workouts that are going to increase your aerobic capacity, improve your overall strength, and correct any muscles imbalances you may have. Here is an example of a training plan for a week:
Sunday – Rest/Stretching

Monday – Cardio Workout (HITT workout, running, biking, or swimming)

Tuesday – Full Body Strength Workout
Wednesday – Core Stability Workout
Thursday – Full Body Strength Workout
Friday – Core Endurance Workout

Saturday – Cardio Workout (HITT workout, running, biking, or swimming)
Now check out below and in the video for a full body strength workout to amp up your off-season training routine.

Full Body Strength Workout:
-Warm up with Dynamic Stretching (5 minutes)
Core Activation:
Plank (60 secs)
High Knees (60 secs)
Single Leg Squat (30 secs each side)
Repeat x2
Ski Abs (60 secs)
Side Lunge To Balance (30 secs each side)
Shoulder Taps (60 secs)
Repeat x2
Workout:
Renegade Row (30 secs) —Alternating Shoulder Taps (60 secs)
Switch Kicks (60 secs)
Overhead Tricep Extension (30 secs) — Tricep Dips (60 secs)
Switch Kicks (60 secs)
Repeat 3x w/ 60 secs Rest b/w Sets
Weighted Alternating Lunges (30 seconds) — Forward Lunge W/ Balance (30 secs each side)
Jumping Jacks (60 secs)
Dumbbell Deadlift (30 secs) — Burpees W/ Pushup (60 secs)
Jumping Jacks (60 secs)
Repeat 3x w/ 60 secs Rest b/w Sets
-Cool Down with Foam Rolling and Static Stretching
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