Monthly Archives: March 2013

Rowing WOD 3/12/13: 5x800m w/ 2min Rest – Post Splits

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD 3/12/13:

5 x 800m w/ 2min Rest

The Renegade Rowing Team is coming! Get on the Water with us starting in April! Email pat@renegaderowing.com if interested!

The Renegade Rowing Team is coming! Get on the Water with us starting in April! Email pat@renegaderowing.com if interested!

1st @2k Pace (w/ Start)

2nd @2k+3

3rd @2k+2

4th @2k+1

5th @2k

Some of our best results are found when training at high intensity.  In order to develop as an athlete you’ll need to develop an ability to go hard and bring your “A” game.  Today’s Rowing WOD provides an opportunity for just that.  Set the monitor for 800m of work and 2 minutes of rest.  Use the first piece to practice the start of your 2k and the last to practice the finish.  There should be a focus on power per stroke and solid intensity across all five pieces.  Write down the splits you would like to hold (ex: 2:00, 2:03, 2:02, 2:01, 2:00) prior to starting and make a commitment to attack each piece and execute every stroke.  Know what mental cues you will go to when it gets tough – breath, legs down, sit tall, swing, smooth, breath…

13.2 will be announced in a couple of days!  Will it be a 2k?  Better get ready just in case.  For those of you fighting to break that 8min or 7min mark today is a day to get after it.  Try to pick a slightly faster split then you rowed on Saturday.

Post your Average 500m Splits for each piece to comments.

Rowing WOD 3/11/13: “Snow Drifts” – 2x17min w/ 4min Rest – Post Distance

Posted on by
2

Rowing WOD 3/11/13:

“Snow Drifts”

RRC Blur2 x 17min w/ 4min Rest

as follows …

5′ @22 s/m, 4′ @24, 3′ @26, 2′ @28, 3′ @26

Last week we hit “The Castle” to focus on ratio and rhythm.  Today’s Rowing WOD is another opportunity for everyone to keep working on a sense of form and rhythm without the pressure of intensity and competition.  Sometimes it’s good to slow down and dial in that technique.  Pressure should be a moderate to hard steady state.  That means you can get out short sentences but it’s difficult to maintain a detailed conversation.

In today’s Rowing WOD the focus is developing rhythm and endurance.  Another word for rhythm in rowing is Ratio.  By varying the ratio of the drive to the recovery rowers can maintain the same pace or split, but work more efficiently and make the stroke feel lighter or heavier.

Slingshot Hands Away will be key when we get on the water!

Slingshot Hands Away will be key when we get on the water!

When going from a 26 stroke rating to a 28 you should focus on more pressure with the legs and quickly redirecting the hands through the finish.  Think of a slingshot as you pull the hands in and release them quick and smooth away.  This will help increase the stroke rating while leaving you the same amount of time to sit up, breathe, and relax as you slide forward on the recovery.  When the rating shifts down from a 28 to a 26 be sure to perform a ratio shift and try to maintain the same split.  Focus on pushing a little harder and take an extra second to breath on the recovery to bring the stroke rating down.

Post distance rowed to comments along with songs that helped you stick to each rating!

Music can motivate us to push harder and row longer, but it can also give us a sense of timing.  We might have to start calling it Music Monday’s if this catches on, but for now just have some fun trying to row to the rhythm of the music.  Please add to the playlists any songs that help you stick to a certain rating and keep pushing hard!

Below is the start of a list of songs for various stroke ratings.  If you were to use a music editing program like garage band to clip the songs into segments then you could perform today’s Rowing WOD completely in time to your favorite jams.

If you have Spotify, I’ve created a playlist for each stroke rating.  Each playlist is named “Renegade Rowing @(insert stroke rate)”, so for songs that you could row to at a 20 the playlist is named “Renegade Rowing @20″.  If you have favorite songs that go well at certain stroke ratings please feel free to add to the playlists on Spotify.  Thanks Mike T. for kick starting this project and I hope this helps motivate everyone to find better rhythm and ratio!

20 s/m: Renegade Rowing @20

22 s/m: Renegade Rowing @22

24 s/m: Renegade Rowing @24

26 s/m: Renegade Rowing @26

28 s/m: Renegade Rowing @28

30 s/m: Renegade Rowing @30

32 s/m: Renegade Rowing @32

34 s/m: Renegade Rowing @34

36 s/m: Renegade Rowing @36

Rest Day 3/10/13: Mobilize and make some Pulled Pork! – Share thoughts on first Open WOD

Posted on by
Reply

Rest Day 3/10/13:

mmm … Pork!

mmm … Pork!

Mobilize and make some Pulled Pork!

You’re no doubt sore from a solid week of training and the first Open WOD of 2013.  Use today as a day to get warm and mobilize everything.  Eating well plays a huge role in training and recovery.  Throw together this recipe for Pulled Pork and then mobilize while it cooks.

Share your thoughts on the first Open WOD and what you think of this recipe!

Pulled Pork, Sweet Potato & Pear Stew


photo 2It’s that time of year again where this Floridian forgets how long New England winters are (seriously, can it be above 50 degrees yet?). So naturally I was in the mood for some stew. I’d had something similar to this last year and remembered it being delicious, but couldn’t quite remember how to make it. So I got creative. And we all got this recipe. It’s a great lazy weekend or day off recipe and makes eight 3/4 cup servings.  …Click here for the entire recipe from Wicked Good Nutrition…

Rowing WOD 3/9/13: 2 x 5min w/ 3min Rest – Post 2k Goal and Avg Splits for Each

Posted on by
3

*** Are you in the Greater Boston Area?  Would you like to Row and Race on the Water?  Come to the Renegade Rowing Info Session at CrossFit Boston Iron and Grit this Saturday (Today! March 9th) at 8:30am!  Email Coach Pat for the details if you can’t make it. ***

Rowing WOD 3/9/13:

Renegades attacking the 2k this winter!

Renegades attacking the 2k this winter!

2 x 5min w/ 3min Rest

  • Max Effort and Focus
  • @2k Race Pace

When competing we need to be able to follow a game plan and execute it with control at full intensity, whether it’s a 5k row or a snatch ladder.  Many of you are looking to break a 7min or 8min 2k.  Those that can develop a race plan, hit their splits, and stick to their stroke ratings will come out on top and crush that goal.

Today’s Rowing WOD is all about focusing on that control and execution at full intensity.  Each piece should be full pressure trying to hold your ideal race pace.  You should visualize what it will be like in the middle of your 2k and what you will do to maintain mental toughness.  Be smooth, be consistent, breathe, and execute!

Last week we fought to hold our 2k split for 4 minutes.  This week our goal is to push it further and hold it for five minutes.  Look back at last weeks results and try to improve upon your performance.  Think back to where it got tough and then mentally prepare yourself to crush it this week.  Be ready for the pain, accept it, and push through!

Post your average 500m splits for each piece to comments as well as your 2k Goal!

Rowing WOD 3/8/13: 5RFT – 10 Calories, 10 Power Cleans, 10 Push Ups – Post Time

Posted on by
5

*** Are you in the Greater Boston Area?  Would you like to Row and Race on the Water? ***

Want to Race on the Water?

Who wants to Race on the Water?

Come to the Renegade Rowing Info Session at CrossFit Boston Iron and Grit this Saturday at 8:30am!  Email Coach Pat for more information. ***

Rowing WOD 3/8/13:

5 Rounds For Time …

10 Calories (As few strokes as possible)

10 Power Cleans (95/65)

A Renegade Rower killing the Power Clean!

A Renegade Rower killing the Power Clean!

10 Push Ups

When combining rowing with other movements in a training WOD or competition WOD there are many ways to attack the erg.  You can use the erg as active recovery to get warm and crush the other movements.  You can go all out and pull as hard as you can every stroke to try to gain a lead on your competitors or increase your training stimulus.  Or, you can row efficiently at a consistent effort that is somewhere in the middle of the previous two methods.  All three are valid plans of attack and can be useful depending on the workout, your abilities, and your end goal.

Power!

Power!

Today’s Rowing WOD is all about trying to find that middle ground where you’re pushing as hard as you can with every stroke, but you’re also remaining efficient and balanced.  The goal should be to row the 10 calories in as few strokes as possible, which means your power per stroke should be high and your stroke rating will probably be lower around 24 s/m.  Be sure not to pause at the finish.  Remember that efficient rowing is a continuous, smooth motion even when transitioning from the drive to the recovery and recovery to the drive.  If you’re moving well you’ll be able to focus on the legs during the row, the hips during the power cleans, and the upper body during the push ups.  Try to bust through unbroken for everything.

Post your time and number of strokes per round to comments!