QUESTION: Why is it difficult to raise my heart rate while paddling OC1 compared to other sports like running or biking?
ANSWER: It’s not uncommon to experience this, and several factors affect your ability to raise your heart rate while paddling. The most significant ones include your technique, strength, and cadence.
Why OC1 paddling technique is so important
Even though OC1 paddling appears to be an upper body dominant sport, it’s actually a whole body sport.
You need to learn how to use your legs, glutes, back and rotation together with your lats and shoulders while paddling in an unstable environment. It’s a complex sport!
Two Big Issues
We naturally have more strength in our lower bodies than upper bodies, but accessing this potential power is difficult with poor technique.
In addition, you can’t take your effort up to 100% if you’re constantly worried about huli-ing. People disengage their lower body and collapse left to increase the feeling of stability instead of adopting a power posture and using ama skills.
Watch videos and read about stability and ama skills in a past article I wrote here.
For many people, the default is paddling while leaning left on the ama, not using their legs, and bending their bottom arm too soon. They are missing out on the full potential of their legs, glutes, back and lats while paddling because of these adjustments.
The Solution
Focusing on specific technique exercises that target muscles that stabilize and produce force will create a foundation from which to work harder.
Training sessions that focus on proper alignment and activating large and small paddling muscles builds your ability to recruit those muscles powerfully in different scenarios while you’re paddling.
Heart rate increases when we use more muscle.
Recruiting more muscle fibers increases heart rate because the body needs to pump more oxygen-rich blood to these muscles to support their increased workload.
Developing strength in paddling muscles and the ability to apply that strength with good alignment, balance and technique will make you faster and increase your heart rate.
Key Takeaway
If you are seeing a lower heart rate while paddling OC1 than in other sports, then know that you have not reached your OC1 potential yet!
The better your technique, the more muscle you can recruit, the harder you will be able to work.
Focus on technique training to improve your heart rate to unlock your performance in OC1 canoe paddling.