Re: [Paddlewise] Legs Are Everything

i took a class with a canadian olympic paddler a few years back - he 
said that the good paddlers indeed had callouses on their butt from the 
movement of the hips(powered by the legs) (i did not ask to see the 
proof of this statement). but i find that even a very modest movement 
translated into torso rotation has a perceptitble (though in my case 
modest) effect on my speed

cheers,
george ruta
*****************************
"There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle."
Albert Einstein


On Sep 7, 2004, at 9:09 AM, PaddleWise wrote:

>
> Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 00:23:03 -0500
> From: "WhiteRabbit" <whiterabbit_0117_at_charter.net>
> Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Legs Are Everything was "Long-short;  
> euro-GP..."
>
> Taking the devils advocate.  All the legs do is anchor the lower body.
>
> If your butt doesn't move  relative to the foot pegs, then  all the 
> legs are
> doing is anchoring the body so the power developed by the large torso
> muscles can be transferred into the paddle.  You can drive your legs 
> into
> the foot pegs all day and the boat won't move until you put the paddle 
> into
> the water.   You can also drive your legs for all you are worth and if 
> you
> are arm paddling still not accomplish much.
>
> It is a wide wide world, but I have never seen or heard of a paddler
> actually using their leg power to rotate their hips in the seat.  Most 
> keep
> their butt relatively still in the seat and rotate at the base  and 
> lower
> part of the spine.
>
> It is a useful visualization, and for many causes them to assume a 
> better
> posture, and do a better stroke, but it isn't where the power is coming
> from.
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