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Resistance Training with Paddles

Explore the power of paddles for muscular conditioning in the pool. This water-specific training tool allows a wide range of options to challenge all ages and abilities, and simple techniques provide for progressive overload to allow each participant to achieve his/her fitness goals.


There are 2 types of water fitness equipment that specifically take advantage of the properties of water. Buoyant equipment uses the buoyancy of the water to create resistance. Examples of buoyant equipment are noodles and foam hand bars. Drag equipment takes advantage of the drag forces of water to create resistance. Examples of drag equipment are webbed gloves and paddles.

 

Most aquatic professionals are familiar with noodles, hand bars and webbed gloves, but may not be familiar with hand-held paddles (not swim paddles). Others are hesitant to use the paddles because they don’t know how to create safe and effective programming with this training tool. Thus, the purpose of this article is to offer ideas to implement paddles into aquatic fitness training.

 

Paddles are lightweight, rigid pieces of hand-held equipment made from plastic. The overall design (size and shape) increases drag resistance during submerged movement. The resistance is variable, based upon speed of movement as well as the surface area presented during the exercise. Some types have adjustable fan blades that open and close to several levels of resistance. The amount of water flowing through the fan alters the surface area.

 

Paddles can be held two different ways. In the freehold position, the paddle is perpendicular to the arm, with the ends unsupported. In the braced position, the handle is turned so that one end is braced against the forearm. This position increases the length of the lever arm, and helps to stabilize the equipment during submerged movement. The braced position offers less surface area than the freehold position.

 

To design safe and effective exercises for the paddles, the aquatic professional must be familiar with movements and range of motion appropriate for the involved joints, in particular the shoulder and elbow. The shoulder is designed for flexion, extension, and hyperextension; abduction and adduction; transverse abduction and adduction; as well as medial and lateral rotation. The movements of the elbow are flexion and extension. Paddles can also be incorporated to target the shoulder girdle through resisted scapular movement, and trunk rotation.

 

Most movements can be performed with both arms at the same time (bilateral symmetrical), or alternating right and left (bilateral reciprocal), or working only one arm at a time (unilateral). Drag equipment creates concentric muscle actions in the water, therefore both muscles in a muscle pair are targeted during a single exercise. However it is possible to perform a movement with acceleration (more force) in one direction and/or adjust the surface area (slicing vs. flat side of the paddle) to accentuate the focus on one muscle of the pair.

 

Another consideration is body stance. The stride, lunge, center and squat stances offer stability. Less stable positions will recruit the core muscles to maintain balance and alignment. One such position is a tandem stance where one foot is directly in line with the other, as if standing on a tight rope (the closer the feet are to one another, the greater the stability challenge). Another option is to stand on one foot. Regardless of the stance you choose, maintain a neutral spine and engage the core.

 

When you consider all the possible combinations of paddle adjustments, hand positions, joint movements and stances, it becomes obvious that there is a wide array of exercises from which to choose. For example, some options with the adjustable paddles for transverse abduction and adduction of the should include:

  1. Bilateral symmetrical sweep out and in, freehold position with fans open, lunge stance.
  2. Unilateral sweep out and slice in, braced position with fans closed, lunge stance.
  3. Unilateral sweep across midline and slice out, braced position with fans closed, squat stance.
  4. Alternating arms sweep out and in (begin with arms extended in front at chest level), hand brace position with fans partially open, squat stance.
  5. Bilateral sweep out and in, freehold position with fans partially open, tandem stance.
  6. Unison sweep side to side, hand brace position with fans open, tandem stance.
  7. Bilateral reciprocal sweep out and in, hand brace position with fans closed, standing on one foot.
  8. Unilateral sweep out and in, freehold position with fans open, standing on one foot.


With the multitude of movement options for each joint action, your muscular resistance training should never be boring. It is a good idea to have a plan prepared to assure that you include exercises to target various muscle groups for a complete, and well-balanced, workout in each class. Below is a sample lesson plan that can be used to get you started programming with paddles:

  • Bilateral symmetrical row, freehold, lunge stance
  • Bilateral symmetrical shoulder press (extension) & slice up, hand brace, lunge stance
  • Bilateral symmetrical abduction and adduction, hand brace, lunge stance
  • Bilateral symmetrical sweep in and out (transverse adduction & abduction), hand brace, lunge stance
  • Unilateral sweep out and slice in, hand brace, squat stance [R & L]
  • Unilateral sweep in and slice out, hand brace, squat stance [R & L]
  • Rotator cuff sweep, freehold, squat stance
  • Bilateral reciprocal elbow flexion & extension, freehold, squat stance
  • Trunk rotation, hands together, freehold, squat stance
  • Bilateral reciprocal sweep in and out (transverse adduction & abduction), hand brace, tandem stance
  • Bilateral symmetrical abduction and adduction, hand brace, standing on R foot
  • Unilateral abduction & adduction, hand brace, standing on one foot [R & L]
  • Bilateral symmetrical elbow flexion & extension, freehold, standing on L foot
  • Unilateral elbow flexion & extension freehold, standing on one foot [R & L]

 

Explore the power of paddles for muscular conditioning in the pool. This water-specific training tool allows a wide range of options to challenge all ages and abilities, and simple techniques provide for progressive overload to allow each participant to achieve his/her fitness goals.

 

Author

Christine Alexander is the author of Water Fitness Lesson Plans and Choreography. She is an AEA CEC provider and a member of the board of the Metroplex Association of Aquatic Professionals in Dallas, Texas. She teaches water fitness classes for the City of Plano Parks and Recreation Department. She holds certifications through AEA, USWFA, YMCA, and the Arthritis Foundation. Christine can be reached at chris.4321@verizon.net.

 




By Christine Alexander
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