Dragon Boat Training
Adorned with decorative Chinese dragon tails and heads for competitive events, dragon boats are powered by paddles and are most commonly made of teak wood. These magnificent boats are used in the team sport of dragon boat racing, which utilizes many forms of training in preparation for events. The sport originated in China over 2,000 years ago; however, it has come to be an international sport.
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Synchrony
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Paddling must occur at precise intervals for maximum propulsion in the water. Therefore, a dragon boat team's most intimidating challenge is creating, maintaining and managing team synchrony. Synchrony must be rehearsed, as a team, over and over again, which is why teams tend to spend more time practicing in the water than on land. To practice synchronized fluidity, an experienced caller is necessary. A caller sits at the front of the boat facing the team and recites specific calls to get the team paddling in a rhythm.
Resistance Training
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The best way to practice resistance training for this sport is by sitting in the back of the boat. By sitting in the back, you will have to deal with the wakes made by everyone in front of you. However, if you are sitting at the front of the boat, a great way to train for resistance is by having teammates behind you create more significant drag by putting their paddles in the water but not paddling.
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Training on One Side or Switching Sides
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Training for long periods of time on only one side of your body is not healthy for your posture, balance or spine. A rower should always switch sides midway through the round, one row at a time. Slowing down during switching occurs, which is a drawback. Always keep track of which side you paddle each week and make certain that you switch every weekly training cycle.
Cardiovascular Exercises
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If you are not an experienced runner, or have not trained for stamina purposes in a while, start of by walking for 10 to 30 minutes a day. After two weeks, or as long as it takes to be comfortable, work up to a slow jog for about the same amount of time. As you increase your speed and time, your stamina will increase and you will notice significant results in the water when it comes to paddling.
Strength Training
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Rowing requires a lot of back, bicep, shoulder and core strength. Here are a few exercises used by dragon racing teams that are critical for these groups:
Back Muscles:
"Low-row" or "Cable-row"--Available in most gym facilities, this exercise isolates the exact back and shoulder muscles used for paddling. It requires the user to remain seated on a fitness machine with back straight, and pull a cable in a motion similar to rowing.Lateral pull-downs--Also available at most gyms, this machine requires the user to sit and pull a resistance bar or cable down which works the back, shoulder, and bicep muscles.
Core Strength:
Pull-ups--These work the back, shoulders and abdomen.Standard crunch exercises--Work the abdomen. You can hold free weights while you do them to increase difficulty.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit dragon boats racing image by Clarence Alford from Fotolia.com
