Rest Day 11/13/14: Video Review – How can Nick help you?

Today’s programming is either an endurance block, olympic lifting, or active recovery.  If you’ve been training hard all week and you’re a little banged up from the last couple of days be sure to mix in some active recovery with yoga, a light row, or even just a walk along the river with some mobility and stretching mixed in!

Below is a little video review to check out while you’re recovering.  The video is of Nick A. who just started back up with the Renegade Rowing Club after rowing on the water all Summer/Fall.  He’s a competitive rower with lots of experience and he’s looking to keep raising his game by getting stronger and finding more speed wherever he can.  Take a look at the video and see what he does well and look for things that you might be able to improve as well.  If you have any questions please let us know in the comments and I’ll do my best to get right back to you.

Rowing WOD 11/12/14: “Jackie” Ladder – 1,000m Row, 50 Thrusters, 30 Pull Ups, 50 Thrusters, 1,000m Row – Post Time and Avg Splits

Rowing WOD:

RR Team back on the water! Hopefully this summer we'll be able to do "Jackie" on the water! Let us know if you want to join in!

“Jackie” Ladder

For time:

Row 1,000 meters

50 Thrusters (45 pounds)

30 Pull-ups

50 Thrusters (45 pounds)

Row 1,000 meters

The Girl WODs were introduced as benchmark workouts to measure your performance and improvements throughout your training.  Today’s Rowing WOD is a pumped up “Jackie”, a newer girl, aimed at measuring your efficiency and performance through three different full body movements.  It’s a great workout to test how well your technique has developed.  Ideally you’ll be able to hold a consistent split all the way through and leave your legs just fresh enough to go unbroken on the thrusters.  Before you start take some time to think about your game plan, the split you want to hold, how you’ll break up thrusters, and how to game the pull ups.

For the Renegades I’m going to recommend gaming this just like a 2k.  Good start, settle, and be consistent through the first 1k.  I’d suggest holding a split around 2k+5 to 2k+7 at a 28 stroke rating.  Split up the Thrusters to stay fresh on the front and back side.  Be sure not to tear on the pull ups.  For the last 1k just get right to the same split you were holding in the first 1k and then sprint when you get to the 250m mark.  Have a game plan and stay focused when the going gets tough.  If you can stay positive and mentally strong through this wod, you should be able to do it in just a 2k.

Renegade Rowing League is coming up November 22nd!  Don’t forget to sign up!

Post your time and average splits to comments!

Rowing WOD 11/11/14: 6×2:00 w/ 1:30 Rest – Post Splits and Favorite Drag Factor

Rowing WOD:

Suspension Drills

Recover to Strength in order to Suspend!

Recover to Strength in order to Suspend!

6 x 2:00 w/ 1:30 Rest,

@28 s/m for all

  1. @2k+3, Damper Set at 8
  2. @2k+3, Damper Set at 6
  3. @2k+3, Damper Set at 4
  4. @2k+3, Damper Set at 2
  5. @2k+3, Damper Set at 5
  6. @2k+3, Damper Set at Favorite

Check Drag Factor

Recently we’ve been reviewing the fundamental skills of posture, control, and connection.  Today we’ll take the idea of connection one step further as we feel what it means to suspend from the oar handle.  Suspension is all about using our body weight to hang on the oar and help accelerate the handle all the way through the drive.  The key is not to create any force Upward off the seat, but to just become weightless off your seat while keeping in contact with it.  Everything – forces, handle height, chain – needs to be HORIZONTAL when we row!  NO need to do extra Work (W = mgh) by moving stuff up and down every stroke, keep it horizontal!

Drills we’ll cover include the Stand Up/Sit Down drill to get the feeling of suspending above the seat.  Remember this is an exaggeration to get the correct sensation and feeling of good connection.  We will also do the Strap Drill where we statically hang and suspend from the handle while maintaining our body angles and strong postures.  Then we’ll do the Strap Drill dynamically by letting the strap out slowly and trying to hold suspension all the way through the drive.

In today’s Rowing WOD we’ll be varying the damper to find where we’re most efficient.  Over the next week play around with the damper to find where you’re most comfortable/efficient .  When you find a damper setting you like, check the drag factor so you can begin using a consistent drag factor.  For more information on Drag Factors read this article: http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/tips-and-general-info/damper-setting-101

For today’s 2min pieces, try to focus on good connection and suspension while keeping a consistent split for all 6 pieces.  After you’re done look back at the memory to see what your average stroke rating was for each piece.  Whatever piece felt comfortable/efficient and was done at a stroke rating of 28-32 might be a good drag factor for you.  Take a couple of minutes to set the damper to that number and check the drag factor on the monitor.  Remember that drag factor and try to use it next time you row to see if you still like it.

Post your average splits and favorite drag factor to comments!

********** IMPORTANT *************

The biggest thing to focus on and practice right now is the fundamentals!!!  Body Preparation by Half Slide is Key and Connection to move the handle with the seat out of the Catch is key!  If you can Prep and Connect, the suspension will come.  Whenever focusing on suspension ensure your abs are engaged and you have a solid hollow body!  Protect those discs!

If you have any questions let me know!

Here is a quick video of the strap drill.  It’s a fun challenge to do dynamically. If you like what you see, come try it and train with the Renegade Rowing Club!  The Renegade Rowing Club practices Tuesdays at 6:00am and Wednesdays at 6:00pm at CrossFit Boston.  Let me know if you’re planning on coming… pat@renegaderowing.com

Rowing WOD 11/10/14: 3Rds – 1min Max Distance, 1min Max Push Ups, 1min Rest – Post Scores

Renegade Rowing Training Plan for the week of 11-10-14

Renegade Rowing Training Plan for the week of 11-10-14

This week I hope to answer more questions on the Renegade Rowing Training Plan Template and how to use it.  If there is anything you’ve been wondering or anything you need help with please let me know in the comments section or shoot me an email.  Here is this weeks programming.

RRTP 11-10-14

Rowing WOD:

Get Hungry for next Spring! Winter training starts now!

Get Hungry for next Spring! Winter training starts now!

3 Rounds

1min Max Distance Row

1min Max Rep Push Ups

1min Rest

As rowers we seek to develop the strength and power of our legs.  As Athletes training for General Physical Preparedness we seek to develop the core and our ability to extend the hips.  The combination of the two if done well can produce amazing rowers.  However, if done poorly, the combination of rowing, strength, and fitness can tear the body apart.  Today’s Rowing WOD is a great example.  If you throw caution to the wind, flail around on the erg, and flop around in the push ups you will hurt something.  Focus on good posture and connection in both the rowing and push ups and keep good control through the whole range of motion.  Go hard and push your limits, but don’t compromise your form.

Post Total Meters and Total Push Ups to Comments.

Rowing WOD 11/8/14: 5x500m Equal Work:Rest – Post Avg Splits

RRTP 11-3-14Renegade Rowing Training Plan TemplateRR Athlete Template

Rowing WOD:

The Renegade Rowing Team!

5 x 500m

Rest as long as it takes you to complete 500m.  

Row as follows:

  • Pieces 1 and 2: practice the start of the race plan
  • Pieces 3 and 4: practice holding race pace like the body of the race plan
  • Piece 5: practice sprinting out at 250m like the finish of the race plan

Before getting after today’s Rowing WOD I want you to recall two things.  What are you training for and who are you training with?  We always talk about setting appropriate goals, which is a big part of Renegade Rowing.  Along with goals you should be finding an appropriate training partner.  In terms of the psychology of training and performance, we will always push harder and focus more when there is someone right there next to us.  A training partner will make you faster just by being there and holding you accountable.  Training partners are huge, especially when that little voice starts to creep inside your head and tell you to stop pulling.

Rowing Together at CFB

Posture was a big focus this week, so be sure to keep it through each piece.  Today’s Rowing WOD is all about POWER!  P = Force x distance / time.

There are three ways to row faster:

1) Row Harder,

2) Row Longer,

3) Row Higher (increased s/m).

For most rowers it’s easy to learn to row longer and higher, but rowing harder doesn’t come easy.  That is why we work on General Physical Preparedness!  Gym’s like CrossFit Boston are what allows us to row harder, push ourselves, and produce more force each stroke.  Keep up with your WODS!  In order to row longer we need more compression with the legs at the catch while maintaining a tall posture and not lunging.  This requires us to have more flexibility, so keep working on that extra mobility!  Hips and Hamstring Flexibility are key!  Last, rowing higher means rowing at a higher stroke rating.  After playing with the damper setting and learning about drag factors, we have come to realize that we are more efficient at that higher stroke rating.  Remember when we need to sprint at the end of a piece we can  start to bring that split down by picking up the stroke rating!

Before starting today’s Rowing WOD you should review our race plan.  My idea for using this race plan is to keep it simple.  I’d like us to keep it simple and execute rather than coming up with some elaborate plan that we can’t execute.

Here is the race plan:

Starting 5 strokes (3/4, Half, 3/4, Lengthen, Full)

5 − 10 high strokes

Settle to race pace (your goal split, this requires a RATIO shift, take time to sit up and breath on the recovery!)

Pull a consistent split +/- 1 split second through the body of the race

@250m sprint for the finish line!

Post your Average Splits for each piece to comments.

********** IMPORTANT *************

Keep practicing good Posture, Body Preparation, and Connection!  Have someone watch you and see if you’re getting your body angle set by 1/2 slide and keeping connected as you start each stroke.

Here is the typical Renegade Rowing WarmUp for your reference!

Row Smart, Row Hard!