Fitness

[Jeremiah Hamilton]

Fitness, well this is something most of us hate. You here stories of the french team, getting timed how fast they can wade across the river. On the other had at last years Quebec Provincials, alot of the guys would not wade in to mid-current for a fish because it was two hard, But that was where I picked up the most fish just on the other side, but after my waders where full of water and legs where jelly.  For the guys that compete at the internationals, how import at that level is fitness? If its important, should I work on wading, endurance or speed?

[Dejon Hamann]

I think fitness is key.  You really can't compete at the top level if you're not in at least moderate  to good shape.  Case in point, over and over again I see Youth competitors in their late teens and early twenties with less skill and knowledge outfishing their older, and over weight counterparts (including me) because they are in fantastic shape and have an endless gas tank.

My problem with fitness is making it through the winter. I usually get all motivated in the summer, but immediately put it all back on in the winter

[Mike Wisniewski]

Great  Topic

How do I improve my wading?

What is the best on land training for wading?

Running?  hiking up hills?? Weight training?  A balance board?    Hopping one legged on the sofa to the love seat to the stairs?   Now if I just get my wife to spray a hose on my while I am doing this, then i will be in business.

Mike

[Tim Barrett]

      Being an EX-hockey coach I would say running will do more hurt than good. I would ride a bike or something that does not blow out your legs sometime down the road.
Pliometric training is something that keeps your joints in tune.
Somewhat like an obstacle course except no running. You get to each station
and do what is required at each stop.

Stop 1  leg steps.
Stop 2  chin ups.
Stop 3  balance beam (I would spend lots of time here)
Stop 4  push-ups...

Some hiking parks may have training courses on them.
Of course a good diet is key as well.

Boy my wife would have a field day if she heard I was giving training advise.
(She's a water aerobics instructor and I'm a bit big in the midsection area)

[Jeremiah Hamilton]

Well Dejon I am in the same boat, winter is a killer for me, but once rugby started I could lose 20lb of fat in a season. I would like to know how hard they wade in big comps, are they running back and forth to the controller, swimming though fast water so on.

Since I am not going to play rugby I feel I should put the same training in my competitive FF, and try to make the Canadian team. I feel if I take the fitness part out of the equation in the comps and just focus on fishing I'll be a head of most. I am a very strong wader, it is because of rugby and the leg training.
Strength work is obviously crucial to a rugby player's conditioning. It is very important that you have strong stomach and lower-back muscles for balance, fighting off tackles, then, for upper-body contact, strong shoulders and chest". Obviously strong legs are also vital in wading. Players squat, front and back, do leg extensions, leg press and hamstring curls. The power for a bone-crunching tackle comes from the legs and not the upper body, as you might think.

Mike training like a rugby player would help your wading. In addition to regular weight training, our coach used to make us carry each other piggy back and sprint up steep hills. Running stairs is also good. There are many ways to train your legs, run a lot to build up endurance, hockey works on short burst then rest, we go for 90+ mins with little rest. Of course the best way to be as fit as a rugby player is to BE a rugby player, not a pussy Hockey player , but that is not what were training for. I believe this is to extreme for CFF, but the stories I herd of french competitors it gets close, I will come up with a tone down version for leg and core strength training that would include RUNNING and not so extreme.

[Mark Hanes]

Yeah I really need to get in shape a drop some weight.  I have managed to drop a few pounds just by wathching my diet better. 

I am thinking running in water and/or sand would be a great workout that would help with wading. 

[Dejon Hamann]

I would like to know how hard they wade in big comps, are they running back and forth to the controller, swimming though fast water so on.

Yes.  If you're not puking from exhaustion at the end of your beat... you didn't work it quite hard enough

[Tim Long]

Is this a serious thread?

[Jeremiah Hamilton]

Yes it is! Some country's put there competitors through fitness training. If Todd, Pete, Lorren and those guys that compete internationally could tell there experience that would be great.

Is this a serious thread?

[Frank Muscente]

If it's not a serious thread than it should be.  Being in decent shape is important not only for the comp guys but for everyone who wades into a stream , walks  trails , climbs embankments, etc...Especially important for those of us who are a little older. I like to walk a couple of miles a day when possible and try to eat right.  It's not alot but it helps.

[Loren Williams]

For wading agility, endurance and balance there is no better training, than to wade.

I am very lucky to be in the water most every day, in a pretty aggressive river, quite often for a full day.  I see the benefits when I am with a dude who wades once in a while only in in easy spots.  The little support muscles in my joints are well developed so my balance and endurance is good.  It is a reason why weightlifters prefer free wights over machines--it makes them use support muscles.

Mental endurance is also key--so the athletic mindset becomes important when you compete--leave it all in the water.  During the AC in 2007 I had to swim/cross the Colorado numerous times..I think like 15.  After the 8th crossing my hip cramped and I dropped the net and fish at my controller and inhaled a liter of water.  I spent an hour on the near bank and picked up a few fish then went back across once I felt hydrated.  My mind never considered the possibility of another cramp and what it may have meant.  My body pushed on, running on endorphins and I scored another fish to top what the Pole (Mareck) in the session before me did.  He was my motivation and it forced me to push myself beyond what I would have without that mental target.

[Mike Norton]

great thread guys.....I am not inthe best of shape but try to keep up..just need to quit smoking and probably be a heck of a lot better....I keep in shape with my other hobby...I am a firefighter/emt so carry a airpack plus bunker gear totals about 60+ pounds then drag a hoseline or carry tools a drag a person out of a building..not an easy task, then go back in and swing some tools etc etc I think you get the point....
One key for me is to stay hydrated and eat high energy food and stay focused on task at hand whether it is fishing or climbing a ladder.

mike

[Lance Egan]

Fitness is not always a factor, but when it is you don't have time to get in shape during the session...

In comps where few fish are caught, fitness is less of a factor, but when big numbers of fish are caught, running back and forth through the river to the controller can easily and quickly wear you out.

One experience that comes to mind is the world championships in New Zealand.  On the Whanganui river, the famous Czech Tomas Starychfojtu and I both landed 30 in the session.  Tomas won the session because he had a few more fish points than I did, but if I had landed another fish or two I would have taken first rather than second in the session.  I was in pretty good shape, but most of my fish were coming on the far side of a fairly large river.  After nearly 20 fish (40 crossings) I was slowing down.  At the end of the session, fishing was still red hot.  had I been in better shape I may have had another minute or two to land a couple extra fish to put me over the top.  My legs and lungs were burning.  These are the types of memories that haunt me.  The woulda, coulda, shoulda...  memories.

[Tim Barrett]

Shoot, I forgot about the mental fitness thing. Thanks Loren for the reminder.

Having a positive attitude throughout your life will allow you to accomplish great things.

   When something doesn't exactly go right. I will just laugh and carry on. Reflect on what went wrong and TRY to correct it. All-in-all, Don't get upset or distraught.
Thats when you will be most likely to fail. I hope that everyone on this site has a great year of fishing.

LOL,Hey Jeremiah, You and I are going to have a talk on the HOCKEY-rugby thing

[Kevin Lowe]

uh oh! My fat a$$ is in trouble!!!   I need to shed major pounds. The wide open fishing and altitude at the America Cup last year about killed me!!LOL

[Todd Oishi]

Great response Lance!

I try to stay in shape all year-round (and YES, round is a shape), but I also make a serious attempt to "get fit" and work-out a few weeks or months before a major comp. Jogging, bike riding and working-out in the basement gym, as well as swimming laps really helps you stay ontop of your game during river sessions and for bank sessions on stillwaters - where wading is allowed. Yardwork on my farm also helps to keep me somewhat fit (and really pleases my wife when the "honey-do-list" begins to shrink  ).

Boat sessions are a totally different matter, as you remain seated for the duration of the session. But with that being said; properly conditioning your casting arm and stripping hand can be critical for the grueling six hour days of non-stop casting and retrieving (helps to reduce injury and cramping). It is also wise to start sitting on wooden saw horses ahead of time, so your butt is used to the abuse that often results while using the regulation thwart boards..

I personally feel that your level of fitness should not in anyway effect or hamper your performance, and especially that of your team.

Just remember the wise old saying:
If what to stay fit... THIS is it. If you want to get fat... grab a baseball bat!

[Philip Short]

Strength is imporant in the legs for wadding but also in the arms because you are always holding out our arm while nymphing. Also cardio is imporant so you won't get tired if you are running across the river.

[Chris Smith]

I'm with Loren on this one...the best workout training you can do in regards to wading is to wade.

Members of Team Stonefly and Team NC spent numerous days on the lower Nantahala last summer.  This is fast, somewhat dangerous water...and you're always dodging rafts.

After wading that river for an entire summer, other pieces of water seem slow and small in comparison.

Just remember, don't wade in these conditions alone, and always plan an escape route if needed. 

[Paul Bourcq]

Im with you Chris the Nantahala is mean in parts.  My favorite part is watching people get dunked in rafts then realizing the water is 50 degrees year round.......bikini is not such a good idea.......at least for them

I have gone fishing with people and tore off across the river only to look back and watch them skipping downstream. 

[Don Strandberg]

I got in better shape hiking. I dropped 37 pounds in the last 14 months. Just a warning. I am stronger, but lighter. A heavy current can push me around more now.

[Bill Welz]

Alan B told me that walking backward uphill is a good way to develop your quads which are an important muscle group for wading. I was skeptical but I tried it. I am 62 years old and this simple exercise has helped me a lot . I walk every day for three miles and walk up hill backwards. I get a lot of weird looks but I am a much stronger wader .

[Anita Coulton]

Great thread guys, and some great input as well.  As a certified strength and conditioning coach with a background in sports science and PT, I agree with most of you.  When you look at what it takes to wade really well (and I don't), there are a few key areas that come into play.  First off, lower body and glute strength is key.  If you don't posess a certain level of strength, nothing else matters.  I am a firm believer in functional/applied exercises.  By this I mean that I will choose to teach a free bar squat before a smith machine or leg press when it comes to wading.  The small intrinsic musculature are crucial.  This weight room work is dependent exclusively on the individual, but to see anykind of improvement strength wise, a periodized weight training program should last no less than 12-16 weeks.

Secondly, balance in the water plays a critical role.  Your strength needs to work hand in hand here with balance.  Leave either out, and you will struggle.  There are many exercises/drills that one can do, but I agree with Loren.  There is no substitute for time spent in the water wading. 

Lastly, an area that hasn't really been mentioned is flexibility.  Hamstring and lower trunk flexibility decrease as we get older (kind of the use it or lose it principle here) and are very important in order to be able to "catch yourself" when slipping or potentially falling, once again, preventing injuries.  Staying healthy is the name of the game here, since you can't fish from the sofa.



 

[Todd Huber]

Heard they're coming out with P90X on the Fly!! 

[Rich Strolis]

Personally, I would stray away from heavy weights and do more integrated core training.  I used to do a great deal of weight lifting and training and after several injuries some smaller and the worse a recurring bulging disc when I get way out of shape.  When you do mixed interval training with minimal weight, some balance and stability core training then a little cardio with short rest times you get the best of both worlds and will find you will be stronger and have better stamina which will help you out on those long days on the water.   There's a great a site out there where you can get some stuff to use at home if going to the gym isn't an option.   www.performbetter.com   These guys send you exercises and great diagrams on how to do them with any purchase.  You would be surprised how good of shape you can get into with a medicine ball, some bands and a balance ball.   Best of all it only takes about 20 minutes a day.  Planks are phenomenal for you core and take no time what so ever, better than crunches or situps too.   

[Dejon Hamann]

Planks are phenomenal for you core and take no time what so ever, better than crunches or situps too.   

What are planks?