There’s no doubt one of the most appealing aspects of stand up paddleboarding is fitness. You can ask just about any “SUPer” why they love the sport, whatever their experience level, and it’s almost guaranteed high on their list will be the workout they get from stand up paddling.

Full body exercise, core strength, enhanced balance, aerobic training: these are all benefits that can be expected from stand up paddling. Plus, you’re outside, on the water, away from the crowded health clubs and roads. The air is cleaner, the scenery is more inspiring, and the conditions change from day to day.

The sport is also a challenge. In addition to working out physically, there is a technique component to the exercise that adds more dimension. The paddle stroke relies on precision and efficiency; it takes committed practice to implement properly. The more you learn about the SUP stroke and work on “perfecting” yours, the more rewarding your workouts will become.

Exemplifying this blend of strength and technical proficiency is Team Quickblade paddler Larry Cain. Cain, a Canadian Olympian, competed in three Summer Games as a sprint canoer, winning Gold in C-1 500m and Silver in C-1 1000m in Los Angeles (1984) – the highlights of a 16 year career on the international canoe racing circuit.

Cain has taken to stand up paddling with the same passion he had for racing canoes, and he’s quickly made his mark on the SUP racing scene. He brings a strong background of structured training, precise technique and competitive drive – things that many of us look for as we strive to get the most out of our fitness padding and racing. Quick to share his knowledge and eager to help the sport grow, Cain took some time to give us his perspective on SUP as a fitness and racing activity.

Q&A with Larry

Thorfinn: How does stand up paddling compare to canoeing for you – both in terms of all around enjoyment, and the type of workout you get? Now that you’ve been training and racing on stand up boards for awhile, do you feel you can build and maintain a comparable level of fitness?

Larry: Stand up paddling is very much like C1, which is what we call a single sprint canoe. The only difference, other than in one you are standing and one kneeling on one knee, is that in sprint canoe we only paddle on one side. All my life I have been a right. Almost immediately I felt good on a SUP board on the right. It has taken a while to mirror my right side technique to the left and get a similar level of comfort and balance.

As far as a workout is concern, SUP gives you a more full body workout. However I would say that C1 is harder on the body for the simple reason that you can’t move around in the boat or change sides. Being able to do those things makes a long paddle a lot more bearable.

I am trying to build a comparable level of fitness to what I had when I was racing sprint canoe. For me I think the limiting factor is age. I am 49 now. When I was racing canoe internationally I was only 17 to 33 years old.

Thorfinn: The boards are not as streamlined/efficient as racing canoes or kayaks. Do you find that you’ve had to build new strength to adapt, not just in your lower body but upper body as well? How well has your technique and form crossed over?

Larry: The technique I use on a board is very similar to technique in a canoe. The principles are identical – gather water behind your blade and make it stick in the water in front of you, then pull yourself to and past the blade. In canoe the driving force for the entire stroke comes from the hips. I am moving in an identical way on the board. The only difference is the movement is coming from a standing position.

As for the shape of the board, it definitely makes the stroke on the board heavier than in the canoe. That is actually okay with me. It allows you to feel the connection of the blade in the water better. I have always loved that solid, connected feeling. I quite enjoy the way it is really easy to feel the water on a SUP.

Thorfinn: Where does stand up paddling rank among your fitness activities in terms of the benefits you achieve – and that includes fun!

Larry: Tops for sure. Definitely the most fun. Best balance of entire body, strength, endurance, balance, agility. Plus it’s nice to be outdoors and on the water. The only problem living where I live is that it isn’t much fun paddling from November to April. I wish I lived in a warmer climate.

Thorfinn: What other types of exercises do you do that benefit you on the board? Do you do a lot of weights? Stretching?

Larry: Lots of weights. Some strength weights but a lot of power and endurance weights. Upper body, legs and core. A lot of plyometric work. I also do a lot of balance and agility training in the gym. It is amazing what an effective piece of equipment an 8 foot 2 x 4 is for SUP, especially when combined with a couple of BOSU domes or balance pads.

I also do a fair bit of running – lots of intervals and hills most recently, and if it is lousy outside I can do some pretty hard intervals on a stationary bike.

Stretching has always been something I should do more of but never seem to do. Lately I’ve been making a real effort on it but it is hard to maintain when you are trying to fit everything into a busy life.

Thorfinn: What has been the most positive change in your fitness and/or health since taking up stand up paddling?

Larry: I think I have done a good job of maintaining fitness since I stopped racing C1 at the highest level. I would say the most positive benefit of SUP has been mentally. It has been very refreshing to do something new, something so fun and physically demanding. I find being out on the water incredibly relaxing (even when I’m hammering or conditions are raging). It is an awesome way to de-stress at the end of a workday.

Thorfinn: A great way to stay motivated for fitness training is to enter races. Races help you set goals, stay focused, and enjoy the camaraderie of the sport. How big a part of your life is SUP racing at this point? Jim Terrell of Quickblade Paddles, also an Olympic canoeist, has said stand up paddling got his competitive juices flowing again, after being semi retired. Do you feel the same way?

Larry: Absolutely! Before I stood on a SUP board I had no desire to compete in anything again. Now I am enjoying the competition and having some goals to train for. Definitely rejuvenated me. The best part has been the camaraderie, meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones like Jim. Actually, without question, the best part of getting into SUP has been reconnecting with Jim and getting to meet his wife Lizzie. Awesome people. I am both grateful and honored to be part of Team Quickblade.

Thorfinn: What kind of training regimen do you follow as you become more active on the SUP racing circuit? Are you in the structured mindset of your Olympic training days? Or is it mainly just about fitness and fun? What’s your favorite SUP workout?

Larry: I try to structure things like the structure of a sprint canoe program. I strongly believe in the benefits of a well planned and structured, periodized training program. However the realities of life often intervene and sometimes I find it hard to maintain that type of program. At 49 I don’t want to ever feel like I am a slave to my training program, so at the end of the day fitness and fun is foremost. As for a favorite workout it is tough to say. It depends on what I am trying to accomplish. I think the most fun is to just get out in excellent downwind conditions and go for 15 to 20km from point A to B. It’s hard to pull off on the Great Lakes because those conditions aren’t there everyday, and of course there are the usual logistical issues of a downwinder as well.

Thorfinn: What kind of advice can you share for the new and intermediate paddlers who are looking to step up their training and want to become more competitive?

Larry: Beyond having fun? I’d say spend some time on flat water first getting comfortable using your paddle to move your board. Gathering water behind your blade and getting your body weight off the board and onto your paddle to me the two most critical issues of technique. I think it is impossible for a novice to learn how to do that when they are struggling for balance in rough water. Go to a lake, river or harbor and get comfortable with the feeling of the paddle supporting your body weight before trying to rip it up in big water.

Thorfinn: You’re a paddler with a flat water background. How much of an “equalizer” is open water padding for you? Even with your strong fitness and technique, have there been humbling moments when getting out onto a windy and wavy race course?

Larry: The most humbling moment for me was in March 2011 when I did a downwinder in North Carolina with Chris Hill. I was in the water more than I was on the board for sure. When I did the Carolina Cup in April, I was probably the fastest in the flats but got demolished in the ocean leg. Still did well enough to come 4th and beat some good guys, but it was pretty clear I had a lot of work to do. I spent most of the summer chasing waves and paddling in every condition imaginable and steadily improved. I went back to Carolina in November for a race that was a beach start and downwind run that finished in the flats and it was clear that I had improved a lot. I fell in less than anyone and had a fast ocean leg.

I don’t really view myself as a flat-water paddler anymore. I can handle ocean conditions. To be sure I don’t handle them as well as Jamie Mitchell, and I am quite confident that I never will. However, I am equally confident that with more time and experience in a variety of conditions, I can become very good. And the great thing is I will always have that flat-water edge up my sleeve.

Thorfinn: To date, what has been your favorite event, and type of SUP racing?

Larry: Wow….tough call. I have had fun at every event I’ve been to. I guess the BOP California has been the most fun and most challenging. It’s also where I did the worst, but it was so much fun. I’d really like to improve in that race. I love the Carolina races as well. I have made a lot of friends in Carolina and the place feels like home so I love that.

Thorfinn: How impressed are you with the mass appeal and exponential growth of SUP racing? What do you think are the key elements drawing in the numbers – and where would you like to see the sport go?

Larry: Obviously I am very impressed. SUP racing has outstripped sprint canoe/kayak and it is only in its infancy. It has fantastic mass appeal, I think because you can do so much in it. You can cruise around on the flats, you can surf shore break, you can surf downwind, you can do buoy races, and you can shoot rapids downriver. You can even do yoga on a board. It is very versatile. It is a whole body workout. It’s outdoors and on the water. It has an X-games feel to it too as a novice can feel like they are doing the same activity that a legend like Laird Hamilton is. All of that is very cool and it means you really never run out of opportunities to challenge yourself.

As for where would I like to see it go, that is tough to say. I would like to see it continue to gain in popularity all over the world. It would be great to see it become as popular as a sport like skiing or snowboarding. As for racing I would be happy to see it grow organizationally like it has on the water so that there can be one international governing body hosting one world championships every year. Right now it is all a little wild west compared to what I am used to from sprint canoe. Unquestionably it is fun, and in a way it is actually beautiful that anyone can show up to any race, anywhere, at any time. I just think at the highest level it needs to be a little more structured.

As for the Olympics, I don’t think it is necessary for SUP to be an Olympic sport to be legitimate. The top athletes that I’ve had the privilege to meet and race are every bit as legit as the Olympic medalists I know from canoe/kayak or any other sport. I think there are a number of huge hurdles involved in becoming ‘Olympic’ and SUP may have a hard time clearing all of them. That shouldn’t make anyone feel bad about our sport. SUP is, quite simply, one of the coolest sports around today.