I like to paddle the weight bar. Its about 15 pounds (the smaller one, I don't use the big one) and gives my arms a good paddling work out. Last summer I was surprised at how easy it was to paddle and how fast I was. Even my husband noticed. I told him its all that weight bar paddling!

I'm stilcaringng a kid on my back in our hikes outdoors, so that's my back pack training for now. Although he rides on shoulders more than anything. last summer in the BW I had on Duluth pack and the 2 (now 3) year old road on my shoulders. Worked perfect

In addition to my overall weight training program I use the row machine (Concept 2) as one of my cardio outlets. Also for additional leg endurance I will (in just a few weeks) again start to walk steps at a local dam. Up and down, up and down, etc. When I get to the amount I want to be able to do without dying I'll add my pack and over a period of time I'll get up to normal Summer load and keep going.

Nowadays I do bench presses with my kids among many other lifts that includes my kids as the weights lol. It truly is a good way to stay in shape.

So today I started something I have wanted to do for a long long time-specific training. Just wanted to share.

Backstory-I am in the fitness field and stay in very good shape. I also train with BWCA in mind every spring with some specific strength exercises. The traps and shoulders are always taking a beating so I carry a pack around the neighborhood to try to mimic portages (up to 80#) as I paddle and portage all day when I trip. I'll get out on a local lake a few times a week leading up to trips as well.

A key to training for performance (sport) is specificity. And while all the things above are good, close to tripping activities and help, it just isn't the same. Today I got on a local lake and did 6 circuits of a .25-.3 mile portage with canoe and a 20# pack then a 1 mile paddle. I had looked at previous trips and found my average portage was about 90 rods so this is roughly accurate. It felt good and while I don't see doing this all day for training, I can see doing some progressive mornings in the future where each portage is a little longer or every other long or something like that. This also worked on the transition of shouldering a canoe which can get tough for me when I am doing it 10-15 times a day.

It felt great, the shoulders feel it, but not too bad and I know that this will prep me well for future trips (especially mentally).


John

jfinn: "
So today I started something I have wanted to do for a long long time-specific training. Just wanted to share.


Backstory-I am in the fitness field and stay in very good shape. I also train with BWCA in mind every spring with some specific strength exercises. The traps and shoulders are always taking a beating so I carry a pack around the neighborhood to try to mimic portages (up to 80#) as I paddle and portage all day when I trip. I'll get out on a local lake a few times a week leading up to trips as well.


A key to training for performance (sport) is specificity. And while all the things above are good, close to tripping activities and help, it just isn't the same. Today I got on a local lake and did 6 circuits of a .25-.3 mile portage with canoe and a 20# pack then a 1 mile paddle. I had looked at previous trips and found my average portage was about 90 rods so this is roughly accurate. It felt good and while I don't see doing this all day for training, I can see doing some progressive mornings in the future where each portage is a little longer or every other long or something like that. This also worked on the transition of shouldering a canoe which can get tough for me when I am doing it 10-15 times a day.


It felt great, the shoulders feel it, but not too bad and I know that this will prep me well for future trips (especially mentally).



John
"

My shoulders always get destroyed too. You think carrying a backpack around mimics the canoe enough? I carry an Alumacraft that is somewhere between 72-78 lbs plus a backpack... So maybe walk 2 miles or so with a 100 lbs backpack? I take Flexeril with me for the first night lol just in case cause sometimes it is bad.

I think a backpack does a good job, far better than nothing at all. I do various loaded carries as part of my normal workout routine but in the time leading up to my next trip I'll go to the alley behind our gym (that I belong to), and I'll go for distance with a lighter load. I'll alternate dumbells racked to the shoulders. In the end, portaging wasn't much of an issue.

Paddling, however ... I underestimated the amount of "paddles" I'd be doing. It didn't kill me, but I felt the repetitious strain. I will CERTAINLY be doing seated one-arm rows and allow my core to twist a bit. I know I'm doing it right when I feel it burn a bit when starting out.

But .... overall I do various things. I do an old-man version of Crossfit, Jiu-Jitsu a few times a week, and some accessory exercises like the loaded carries, trap-bar squats/deads, etc. If you have some sort of consistent program, you will most likely be ok. If you start a month before the trip, you may not be.