When you’re a serious angler, weighted vest exercises can put you in the best shape to reel in the best catch of the fishing season. After all, fishing isn’t just about cruising offshore until you feel a bite on the line.
And if you’re unsure how to jump-start your fitness routine, keep reading for expert secrets that help anglers from losing their most fantastic catch with fishing exercise!
Exercise Prepares Anglers To Get Big Fish
Getting in fishing shape for the fishing season is about feeling your best underneath the bumps and bruises with exercises that meet the physical demand of fishing.
You know, feeling aches and pain from standing knee-deep wading or wincing the next day from brawling with big fish hook-to-mouth.
Catching the biggest and baddest fish you can find is one of the most physically demanding ventures you’ll ever take.
And even something as simple as throwing jerkbait for long hours can start the fishing season off to a rocky sore start.
The key to training for a session is strength and conditioning your large muscles to defend and protect your back against heavy pull against open water.
Best Fishing Workout With Weight Vests
Depending on the part of your body you want to exercise, there are different vest routines you can do.
Core
Adding a weight vest to your planks are simple bodyweight exercises that undoubtedly strengthen the core for fishing workouts. They offer core strength and condition as well as balance and stability.
- Lay on the floor with your elbows stacked underneath your shoulders and hands face down on the mat or closed fist.
- Engage your core by raising yourself upward, pulling your belly button to your spine as if you have a ball underneath your belly
- Hold the position for 60 seconds.
Whether you’re fighting a fish or burning calories offshore, weight vest plank exercises can protect your core even for those slippery moments when you have your fish in between your hands, gripping for slips-sake.
Arms and Shoulders
Casting is an endurance game when your reel is heavy, and that fish you’ve got is getting away. Sprinkle in a weight vest for all arm and shoulder exercises to help build strength and comfort, casting and reeling in your catch.
Functional exercises like push-ups, tricep dips, deadlifts, and kettlebell swings with a weight vest
Back
Being on the water was more work than you thought. And the aches and pains of walking back to the truck start kicking in after the adrenaline has worn off. But you love it, so you’ll get back at it another day before the seasons are over.
Add pull-ups and rows with a weight vest to keep your body in a sore-free mode, so you’re ready to hop back on the water.
Hips
Your legs are like the roots of your fishing game. They have the foundation that holds you down during the chase, especially if you’re wading against currents on top of slippery rocks.
Think squats, lunges, and deadlifts to every fishing workout. With the weight vest of course.
Best Workout for The Big Game Fishing Season
This total body workout incorporates the balance of core muscles and stamina. That means when you’re winning the fight.
You feel confident that you got the fight to catch big fish even when you’ve been on the boat waiting for hours.
Burpee With Weight Vest:
- With a weight vest on, start with your feet just shoulder-width apart and begin in a low squat.
- Place your hands outside of your feet and kick your back into a push-up position
- Do one push-up and return to the low squat position
- From the squat position, jump as high as you, land in the squat, push and repeat.
- Repeat for three sets of 3-6 reps.
Taking the muscle memory from the gym on the water adds the icing on the cake of a catch and burpees as a full-body workout in one exercise.
Best Workout for The Commercial Fishing Season
This weight vest exercise helps you build strength and mental health for long summer days on the boat. And pulling in nets hand over hand and moving tons of fish all day can leave you feeling stiff and sore with tendonitis.
Kettlebell Thruster With Weight Vest:
- With your weight vest on, stand with a wide stance, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and bring your belly button into your spine to engage your core.
- Firmly hold the kettlebell in each hand at the chest, and drop into a 90-degree squat. Keep the chest open, and shoulder blades close together.
- Push into the floor, return to the standing position, and push the kettlebells straight up and hold.
- Return the weights to your chest.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 6-8 reps.
Benefits of weight vest Kettlebell Thruster:
- Pumps the quads, calves, and glutes
- Engages the pecs, delts, biceps, and traps in the upper body
When you don’t have that much space, a weighted vest can help you create a playful addition to your exercise routine and help you transition into the off-season that often leaves commercial fishers like you feeling weak and tired.
Best Exercises for The Wading Fishing Season
Wading anglers that want more balance while wading on top of slippery rocks against river currents can add the classic deadlift to their fishing workout routine.
Classic Deadlift Weight Vest:
- With your weight west on, stand shoulder-width apart feet and squeeze your shoulder blades back together.
- Bend at the knees and reach for your weights with your chest up.
- With the weights close to your body, lift the weights and keep your butt down, pushing your heels into the floor.
- When you’ve reached the top of the deadlift, squeeze your back muscles with a static hold and bring the weights back to the floor, pushing your heels into the floor.
- Repeat 3 sets of 6- 8 reps.
Final Thoughts
Deadlifts with a weight vest are the ultimate angler workout that helps you stay above water against water currents and scramble over rocks.
It’s fishing season! Leave a comment with your favorite weight vest workout for the fishing season.
