TRAINING TIPS FROM THE PRO'S- The Gassett's

Hey guys, I have had a lot of you asking about off-season training lately. A lot of people say they do not have a lot of time to train in the off-season due to kids/wife/husband/work/cold weather etc. So I figured what better way to get idea's on training then from the best paddlers in the world?? I know some of them just from going to different events and some of them I just contacted and they were cool enough to help us out with some tips. One of the coolest things about this sport is that even the best paddlers in the world are down to earth. I plan to post tips every few days from different pros that responded. The question I asked them was "if you had less then an hour a day to get a workout (Off Water) what would you do?" Here are their responses

See Karen Wrenn Here - http://supannapolis.blogspot.com/2011/12/training-tips-from-pros.html

See Doug Ellis Here - http://supannapolis.blogspot.com/2011/12/training-tips-from-pros-doug-ellis.html

See Slater Trout and Dave Boehne Here - http://supannapolis.blogspot.com/2012/01/training-tips-from-pros-infinity-team.html

See Danny Ching Here- http://supannapolis.blogspot.com/2012/01/training-tips-from-pros-danny-ching.html

Chase Kosterlitz- http://supannapolis.blogspot.com/2012/01/training-tips-from-pros-chase.html

Dave Kalama- http://supannapolis.blogspot.com/2012/02/training-tips-from-pros-dave-kalama.html


Bill and Anne Gassett -



Bill and Anne Gassett "the 1st couple of SUP on the east coast" based out of Sandbridge, VA. Everybody knows them and if you don't know them then you must not race on the east coast. You can't help but get stoked with the positive vibes they bring to every race. Not to mention they are CRAZY FAST paddlers! Bill is always on the top of the leader board and miles out in front of us. Then when you find out he is in the legends class (but looks 30 haha) and he still kicked your ass you feel even worse about your paddling day. Anne has to be one of the top females on the east coast, she crushes most of the guys BY A LOT and you can always find her on a podium. Both of them embody what SUP is all about and we are honored to call them friends. Anne is also a fitness trainer and has some great tips, she kicks Bill's butt in shape and here is what she has to say:

"Let's face it, the winter months with their cold temps and high winds can take even your best intentions and turn them into DE-motivation. Especially if you are a summer person like me.


I find myself doing a lot more cross-training in the off-season.
Taking a break from the rigors of being on the water and hammering out long miles can be a healthy change of pace for your body AND your mentality.


My typical summer schedule of 4-5 days/week of paddling turns into 1-2 days in the winter. Depending on the conditions, my time on the water is spent either completing a short series of interval workouts or taking my time with a moderately paced longer paddle, focusing on form and improved technique instead of speed.


On other days I will run for endurance at least twice a week, and at an absolute minimum do 3 solid CrossFit-style workouts, high intensity strength training incorporating body weight exercises like pull ups, push ups, squats, box jumps, burpees, kettlebells, TRX, etc. I'm also adding in some weights to gain overall strength.
In 20-40 minutes these workouts will provide huge benefits to your overall training and can be done with minimal equipment/space.


Here are a couple of quick but very effective workouts you can do when you don't have a lot of time:


On Water Intervals (Total time = 30 min): Warm up at a moderate pace for 5 minutes then complete: 10 rounds of 1 Minute Sprints (as hard as you can go) with 1 Minute of Active Rest (easy paddling) then cool down 5 minutes really focusing on good form/paddle technique.


On Land Intervals: Complete 5 Rounds of 20 Squats, 20 Push Ups, 20 Walking Lunges and 20 Dips with a 200-400m Sprint between rounds.


SUP racing is still in it's infancy stages here in the Mid-Atlantic, but the competition is getting stronger and stronger every year so off-season training is a must if you want to stay in the game.
I get bored doing the same things day in and day out so for me it's all about mixing it up and keeping it FUN.


Anne Gassett
Beach SUP and Fitness
www.sandbridgefitness.com"



GOOD STUFF Thanks Anne and Bill


Sup Annapolis