Best Excercises for Paddling

[JMD]

What excercises (besides paddling while surfing) does everyone do to keep your paddling muscles up for long sessions in overhead waves?

I can handle the paddling in smaller stuff, but paddling out in the overhead waves reallys kicks my butt.

Run and swim. Weights also work even though people are saying they don't. It builds stamina in the muscles. You notice after paddling for a while your muscles burn and you get rubber arms. Ya...lifting weights will help that. If you are out of breath when you are paddling you need to run and swim more.

All forms of exercise is good. You need to mix in light weighted exercises it builds power and stamina along with doing some cardio. You WILL notice a difference. I know living on the east coast we can't surf all the time so on my off days/weeks I hit the gym and it does pay off because if there is a dry spell (SUmmer) and I get back into the water during a good swell it is like I have never stopped surfing.

[908 surfer]

I agree with the fact that the more you surf the better you will be with paddling...
I have taken a couple of exercise physiology classes and first off, being fit will always helps. For specifically improving your paddling capacity I would do a lot of muscular endurance and aerobic training because that is what paddling is.
For example, increase the number of sets you do per exercise in the gym and lower the rest time.
Also running or swimming regularly.

[bolo]

Keep yourself light, do lots of push ups and Yoga...yoga keeps you flexible and your muscles strong.

[RobfromFredneck]

Supersets of jumping rope, push ups, and pull ups. 30 push ups,15 min straight of jumping rope, 15 pull ups, rest for 2 minutes repeat X3.

Currently doing this on my cardio days. It gets me huffin and puffin and my entire body is worked when I'm done.

Oh, and work your core on other days like mentioned above.

Man, 15 pull ups is impressive!. I got an Iron Gym last year for X-mas...I've been doing a 3 set workout of pullups (wide grip /side grip /reverse grip for the last year giving 1-2 days rest in between and the most pullups I've been able to get to on my 1st set is 14. I've taken a few weeks off...now I've regressed back to 9 reps my first set. Also I'm very lean (5'9'' and 145 lbs). If you are doing 15 pullups thats great.