The Strong Paddler Blog
Paddling, broken down
Technique breakdowns, training science and race-day lessons from coach Ben Keys. New articles most weeks.
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Engage Your Full Power: Kayaking Technique Video
Here is my latest video on technique. Link here – Video For those looking for a visual guide on how to engage your shoulders, hips and legs to engage the full power of the kayak stroke. Also see Follow along technique session you can do at home – Video Home set up for kayak power…
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Paddlers – Why you need to train like a cyclist
Training hours logged in kayaking are generally much lower than in cycling. While both sports allow for long training sessions, let’s examine the differences, and why you should train like a cyclist for paddling.
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Surf Ski Paddling Down a Grade 2 River
I paddled a surf ski down in the coast to coast 2025. Flow was 38 cumecs ie low I was in a family team starting midfield in the kayak leg of the race. Finished in 4hrs 14min 2nd fastest time across the whole event. Here are my thoughts on a surf ski vs a kayak…
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Become a Stronger Paddler – Before You Even Hit the Water
Become a stronger paddler before you even hit the water. Create understanding a proprioception without distractions. Then hit the water.
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Paddling Rivers as a Surf ski Paddler + Waimak videos
Read about this surf ski paddler learning to go down rivers, key learners between paddle codes. Also 2 x videos of going down some key features of the Waimak.
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Performance Cycle
The Key to Long-Term Performance: Consistency Consistency is the cornerstone of athletic performance. Showing up regularly builds the adaptations that make us better at paddling. However, doing the same thing repeatedly can lead to burnout, which undermines long-term progress. To stay consistent over years or even decades we need a balanced approach to training. Enter…
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My last 5 years
Here is an insight into my last 5 years of training. You can see the load changes based on the goal. As well as how the successes relate to the overall training load.
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Guide to training over the holidays
Here is a quick guide to training over the holidays. Use all or some of the ideas depending on your goals.
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Top 10 paddling specific gym exercises
The strong paddler top 10 paddling specific gym exercises. – Will your favourite exercise make the cut? and what will miss out.
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