Monthly Archives: August 2015

Rest Day 8/13/15: How does sport specificity play into your training? – Share Thoughts

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Rest Day:

The Renegade Rowing Team after a sunset row on the Charles River!

How does sport specificity play into your training?

When training with constantly varied, functional movements, performed at high intensity the focus is to build general physical preparedness.  The pyramid model of training has a base made of nutrition that supports metabolic conditioning, gymnastics, weightlifting, and a peak of sport.  So if the ultimate goal of our training is to compete in a sport and do so with super health and elite fitness, how do you work sport specific training into your daily/weekly routine?

In the sport of rowing it definitely helps to have as much water time as possible to become efficient at moving the boat.  One downfall of spending every hour in a boat can be a decrease in strength, power, and overall fitness.  How do we get enough time in the boat and still maintain our power and fitness?

I’ve combined the two – 1. Rowing on the Water with 2. Metabolic Conditioning and Strength Work – in the gym.  I’ve tested this program with the Boston College Men’s Team  over the past two years.  For a two-hour practice we row for 15 minutes, run a mile to the gym, do a 45 minute session at Our Crew Fitness, run a mile back to the boat, and then row back to the dock for another 15-20 minutes.

Having experienced this, I’m very excited to bring this Renegade Rowing programming to more rowers.  It allows for a sport specific warmup and cool down while mixing in an endurance aspect with the running and overall amount of work done in a two-hour practice.  The workout in the gym allows us to focus on building strength and power.  The best part is that with the right focus this work can be used for skill transfer to rowing.  While it’s not sport specific work, there are aspects that can reinforce the sport specific skills needed when we get back in the boat at the end of practice.

The absolute best part though is the Fun!  A two-hour practice of competition and fun, both on the water and in the gym.

Please share your thoughts and methods for combining sport specific training with general physical preparedness.

If you’d like to join in and train Renegade Rowing style this fall please get in touch with me … pat@renegaderowing.com

Rowing WOD 8/12/15: 3RFT – 1k Row, 15 DL @50% – Post Time, Load, and Avg. Splits

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Rowing WOD:RR Deadlift

3 Rounds for Time …

1k Row

15 Deadlifts @50% of 1RM

Last month we performed a similar workout.  In light of the upcoming Fall season the volume and load have been increased slightly.  Look back at your results and see if you can pull similar if not faster splits at this longer distance.

Today’s Rowing WOD is an opportunity to focus on consistent speed and intensity.  During the Deadlift find a smooth rhythm and keep a tight midline so that you can touch and go unbroken for all 15 reps.  Try to feel the amount of pressure you have to put into the floor and the bar each rep.  If you can anticipate and maintain even pressure through each lift you’ll be able to save energy and go faster.  When getting back on the erg try to feel the same thing.  Try to push the same amount each stroke and transfer the same amount of pressure to the handle each time.  Remain efficient on the erg by holding one split, as low as possible, through each piece.  Keep working on good form and do so at the highest intensity possible.  That’s how you’ll start to drop your 500m, 1k, and 2k times.

Remember, if you’d like to get on the water with the Renegade Rowing Team, sign up for a consultation with Coach Pat today.

Post your overall time, load, and average splits for each piece to comments.

Rowing WOD 8/11/15: 2x3k w/ 6min Rest – Post Avg Splits

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Rowing WOD:BC Men 2k Test

2 x 3k Row w/ 6min Rest as follows …

  • 1k @26 s/m (@5k+5)
  • 1k @28 s/m (@5k+3)
  • 1k @5k Race Pace

Why is rowing fun?  One reason is that it provides a challenge in learning technique to be as efficient as possible while working everything from your head to your toes.  Elsewhere in sports and training, if you’ve tried the Pose Method of running you may understand the beauty of focusing on technique and the perception of what your body is doing in space. Focusing on form and technique gives your mind something to work toward rather than complaining about how much your legs burn.

At the end of the month we’ll be testing our first 5k of the fall season.  We’ll be ramping up the volume/longer distance intervals a little to get you ready.  Focus on hitting the prescribed ratings and splits.  September will bring some additional strength and metcon work that will play hand in hand with the teams training with Renegade Rowing.  If you have a crew team interested in training with Renegade Rowing please have them get in touch with me soon.

Today’s Rowing WOD is a good opportunity to focus on one or two form fixes but get after it as well.  Set the monitor for Intervals Distance and enter 3,000m of Work and 6 minutes of rest.  This WOD has the potential to build your confidence for the 5k.  Come up with a plan and execute.  Be consistent with your splits and stroke ratings for both pieces.  If possible go a little bit faster every 1k.  5k Race pace should be at a stroke rating of 28-32 strokes per minute.  Find your efficient stroke.  Novices should focus on one form fix for each piece and work hard.

Post your Average 500m Splits to Comments!

Rowing WOD 8/10/15: “Snow Drifts” – 2x17min w/ 4min Rest – Post Distance

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Rowing WOD:

Larry's Post WOD Chalk Prints from last weeks 25min AMRAP! Nice work Larry!

“Snow Drifts”

2 x 17min w/ 4min Rest

as follows …

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

4min Rest

5′ @20 s/m, 4′ @24, 3′ @28, 2′ @30, 3′ @26

I know there’s no snow drifts out the window, but they’ll be here before you know it.  I hope you’re having an awesome Summer, because it seems like it has just flown by.

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

Rowing WOD 8/8/15: RR Total – Post Score

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Rowing WOD:

RR TotalRR UVM Men Alumni HOCR 2012

Row 1′-1′-1′

Squat 1-1-1

Press 1-1-1

Deadlift 1-1-1

The last time we performed the CF Rowing Total was in March and I wrote the following post.  I wanted to see where everyone is at before testing our 5k next week.  The CF Rowing Total is meant to test your power and strength in the 1 minute range on the erg.  It’s also an opportunity to test your functional strength.

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National Erg Standards

Many countries post national standards that athletes need to hit in order to tryout for the national team.  Below I’ve linked to the standards posted online by US Rowing and Rowing Canada.  In the coming month I hope to define Renegade Rowing standards for athletes looking to be competitive in both Rowing and CrossFit.  A good starting place is for athletes to see how they compare to elite rowers.  It’s a goal of mine to find a group of athletes that can train regularly on the water and in the gym without having to rely on hours and hours of steady state.  Would you like to help me?  How far off are you on the 1 minute test, 2k, and 6k?  Feel free to share your thoughts on the subject and what you’d like me to include in the Renegade Rowing Standards.

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Today’s Rowing WOD

After doing a dynamic warmup, do a good 10 minute warmup on the erg where you build up to race pace above a stroke rating of 30 for a few bursts.  When you’re ready to go, set the monitor for intervals time with 1 minute on, 4 minutes off.  The goal is to do as much work as possible in a minute.  Be sure to paddle for a minute after each attempt to help your body deal with any lactic acid that may start to build up.

Heavy DeadliftThe stroke rating is open, but keep good form.  Don’t compromise you’re body.  Maintain a strong posture at all times.  Anyone can pull hard for a few strokes, but those with functional rowing form can build throughout the minute test, stay safe, and produce the most power.

In rowing there are three things you can vary to go faster.  Force, distance, and time.  The best rowers know how to combine all three… row harder, row longer, and row faster.  Basically, put more force into the handle, row as long as possible every stroke without compromising your body, and increase the stroke rating.

After making three attempts on the erg, setup for and perform the three lifts.  Make sure to roll out your back, hips, and hamstrings as needed in between lifts.

Renegade Rowing Team Pushing Their Boundaries!

How much Strength and Power do you have?  Your score for the CF Rowing Total will be
Max Average Watts + CF Total Score.

Post your total as well as each individual result from the row, squat, press, and deadlift to comments.  Report the max average Watts for the best Row.