Physical Friday | Fitness For Poling A Skiff | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 610

Physical Friday episodes on the Tom Rowland Podcast focus on fitness protocols that directly translate to outdoor pursuits, and this episode tackles a skill that defines shallow water fishing in the Florida Keys: poling a skiff. Tom Rowland, who spent years making his living as a poling guide, breaks down the specific exercises that build the grip strength, pulling power, core stability, and shoulder health required to push a boat for ten hours a day, two hundred days in a row. He reveals the training methods that helped him overcome shoulder issues from overuse, explains why poling is absolutely not a "controlled drift," and outlines two complete workout formats—an AMRAP and an EMOM—that any guide or angler can use to extend their career on the water. This is practical strength programming from someone who's lived it.

Why Poling Is Not a Controlled Drift

Tom addresses a misconception he's heard from "a very famous person"—that poling is merely a "controlled drift." He explains that this couldn't be further from reality for working guides in the Florida Keys. Poling means taking the boat exactly where you need it to go despite wind, current, tide flow, and varying depths. You're pushing into the wind, down current, across shallow water where the pole barely touches bottom, and through every challenging condition imaginable. Tom makes it clear: you're not drifting, you're commanding that skiff through precise movements that require tremendous physical output. The reality is that guides don't cancel trips because it's windy—they pole through it. Tom's full explanation of what real poling demands starts at 3:56.

The Foundation: Grip Strength and Why Your Hands Matter

The most critical element for all-day poling is grip strength—the ability to hold that push pole for ten hours straight, day after day. Tom points out that every fishing guide who works 310 days a year will have incredibly strong hands, and if they don't, you should be wary. He recommends using 1.5-inch Manila rope for pull-ups and hangs to simulate the diameter of a push pole. Another key exercise: attaching a 50-foot rope to a sled, pushing it away, then walking back and pulling it hand over hand repeatedly. This trains not just raw grip power but endurance through the forearms and fingers. The complete grip strength protocol begins at 7:46.

Pulling Movements and the Full Body Mechanics

Poling is fundamentally a pulling exercise where you're pulling down on the pole, getting bend in it, and using a full body curl to propel the boat forward. Tom recommends pull-ups, chin-ups (both hand positions), and rope climbs as the best training movements. The rope climb is particularly effective because the hand-over-hand motion directly mimics the poling action. He also discusses incorporating core work—sit-ups, band pull-downs, flutter kicks—because that final push on the pole engages your entire trunk under tension. Squats matter too, since you're standing all day with occasional half-squat movements when driving that last push. The breakdown of pulling exercises and body positioning starts at 12:28.

Preventing Shoulder Injuries: Crossover Symmetry and Opposing Movements

After years of poling, Tom developed shoulder issues—a common problem for guides who only train pulling movements. His solution? Training the opposite direction with pushing exercises like shoulder presses, handstand push-ups, and push presses. But the real game-changer was Crossover Symmetry, a band-based system used in baseball, swimming, and CrossFit that targets both large and small shoulder muscles through varied movement patterns. Tom also credits Joe Hippensteel's Ultimate Human Performance stretching program for helping him overcome chronic shoulder problems. He recommends guides spend just 5-10 minutes on Crossover Symmetry before getting on the water each morning. Tom's complete shoulder health protocol, including specific tools and techniques, starts at 13:29.

Two Complete Workout Formats: AMRAP and EMOM

Tom doesn't just list exercises—he builds complete training sessions. For the AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible), he prescribes 20 minutes cycling through 5 rope pull-ups, 10 body curls with a band, and 15 squats, completing as many rounds as you can. For the EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) format, he constructs a 40-minute session alternating between sled pushes, hand-over-hand rope pulls, SkiErg calories, and pull-ups, with built-in rest determined by how fast you complete each movement. He explains how to swap exercises to create variety while maintaining poling-specific stimulus, and even suggests adding a rest minute if you're using only three movements. The full AMRAP and EMOM programming details begin at 17:20.

Final Thoughts from Tom

This question from Kyle really hits on something I care about—making people better at what they love to do outside. I spent so many years making my living on the platform, and I wish I'd known some of this stuff earlier in my career. The shoulder issues I developed were real, and they could have ended my time as a guide if I hadn't figured out how to train around them and eventually fix them.

What I love about this approach is that it's not just about getting stronger for the sake of getting stronger. Every one of these exercises translates directly to better performance on the water. When you can hold that push pole without your grip fatiguing, when you can drive the boat into a 20-knot wind without your shoulders burning, when you can do it all day without breaking down—that's when guiding becomes sustainable as a career. And even if you're not a professional guide, if you just love poling and want to do it well into your later years, this stuff matters.

The workout formats I lay out here are ready to go. You can start using them immediately. And if you come up with your own variations using these principles, I'd love to hear about them. Text me at (305) 930-7346 and let me know how you're training for poling. This episode is worth your time if you spend any amount of hours on a poling platform.