Pacific Paddler June 2014 - (Page 43)
How to feel your lats when you paddle
Many of you have heard
the phrase: "Use your
lats!" at some point during your training. If you
haven't, you should still
read this. The latissimus
dorsi (lat) is one of the
broadest muscles in your
upper back. It works in
conjunction with the legs
and core to help pull the
blade through the water in
order to generate a more
powerful stroke. Learning how to use the lat muscle
properly when paddling will help prevent shoulder
and neck injuries such as rotator cuff tendonitis,
shoulder impingement, and neck sprains.
the basics
From an anatomical perspective, it is helpful to see
where the lats connect to the skeleton in order to understand their function. The lats connect the middle
of the spine to the upper arm to pull your arm toward
your trunk. In fact, it is the only muscle that connects
the arms to the spine. When paddling, you should
feel your lat muscle pull your bottom arm toward your
body when the blade is in the water.
wake up your lats
So how exactly do you feel this elusive
lat muscle? The easiest way is to find a
piece of furniture, like a shelf, at about
shoulder height. In this case we used a
grill. With a straight arm (thumb up),
push down while keeping your chest
up and your shoulder blade down and
back. You should feel a muscle mass on
your back contract beneath your armpit as your shoulder blade rotates downward. You can use this same
motion as a lat exercise; make sure your neck muscles
are relaxed to avoid compensation from other muscle
groups. Hold for about 10 seconds and repeat 10 times.
train your lats
muscles are relaxed to avoid compensation. Pull
down 15 times facing forward, and 15 times sideways. Repeat 2-3 times on each side.
Performing these exercises will help you memorize the feeling of your lats pulling your arm
toward your trunk, just as you will when paddling. When transferring your training to the
boat, your trunk will be rotated as you reach
forward. The bottom arm will feel the same
muscle mass contracting beneath the armpit as
you pull the blade through the water. As you learn to
coordinate this feeling with your legs and core, you
will become a force to be reckoned with!
Keep an eye out for more training tips to help keep
you injury-free this season!
See you on the water!
cat cuLLison, Pt, DPt
One of the best ways to start
strengthening your lats is to
perform straight-arm pull
downs (forward and sideways), as pictured. Start at
shoulder height and pull an
overhead pulley or resistance
band down toward your hip
while keeping your chest up
and shoulders down and back.
Again, make sure your neck
June 2014
www. pacificpaddler.com
43
http://www.jacorehab.com
http://www.pacificpaddler.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Paddler June 2014
Scott Hawaii State Championships
Maui Jim Waterman's Series
Hinano-Kialoa Coastal Relay
Hui Waa: Island to Island
Maui Jim Surfski World Champs
Coach Kevin Mokuahi
6th Annual OluKai Ho'olaule'a
Canada West Coast
Team USA - Kaya McTigue
How to feel your lats
Pacific Paddler June 2014
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