Category Archives: Fitness

Rowing WOD 12/3/14: “Sculler X” – Post Time and Strokes

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Rowing WOD:

Look Familiar? If you can do a pistol you can get into a rowing shell!

Look Familiar? If you can do a pistol you can get into a rowing shell!

“Sculler X”

5 Rounds For Time:

10 Pistols (5 each leg)

10 Inch Worm Push Ups

10 Kettle Bell Swings (2/1.5 Pood)

10 Calories on the Erg

  • (HOW MANY STROKES WILL THIS TAKE YOU?)

Walk the hands out

When rowing on the water balance and single leg strength come into play much more than rowing indoors on the erg.  Exercises like the pistol (single leg squat) really help develop the sense of balance and power needed to move a boat.  Think about making a big turn in a sculling shell mid race, like any of the turns in the Head of the Charles.  A sculler must be able to balance (a.k.a. set) the boat and transfer force to the water.  Those that do this well maintain boat speed around turns and can walk through opponents.  If you can’t do a pistol yet substitute goblet squats.

Keep a firm core

The inch worm is a great stabilizing exercise if you try to keep the hips and torso quiet.  Then when you add the push up, connection of the feet and hands come into play.  Keep that core firm and ensure everything touches and leaves the ground at the same time.  Last but not least there is the kettle bell swing.  Really focus on driving through the heels and activating the glutes and hamstrings while keeping a solid core.

Full depth push up!

Now hold up!  What about all of the athletes out there that are using rowing as a cross training tool?  You’re in luck.  If you can piece together good efficient movement in the first three exercises then you should be able to crush the row for calories at the end of each round.

Your goal should be consistent, efficient strokes.  For those that have been working on suspension and have tried a drill like the strap drill, you’ll want to fully suspend throughout each stroke in order to get done in as few strokes as possible.  If you suspend well and can maintain a nice ratio then the rowing part of this workout will become active rest and allow you to breathe.  Don’t get me wrong, 10 calories is not much and you should be pushing the pace, but work on suspension and make the rowing as effortless as possible so you can crush the rest of this Rowing WOD.

Post your time and the fewest number of strokes it took to complete 10 calories!

Compete! S&CWOD 11/28/14: Re-Test “Rowing Helen” – 3RFT – 500m Row, 21 KB Swings, 12 Pull Ups – Post Time and Splits

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preparation_mousetrapToday is a Competition Day!  Compete with yourself and try to crush your previous time!

Preparation vs. Competition

In our plan one week will be a microcycle. Our microcycles can be classified as either preparation or competition. During a preparation microcycle a fitness block and/or a rowing block will be introduced and then repeated the following week. In the following week, aka – competition microcycle, those blocks will be repeated and individuals will be expected to compete and try to better their performances from the preparation microcycle.

This week is a great example.  Today is a Re-Test of “Rowing Helen”, which was introduced last week.  Last week was a preparation microcycle and this week is the competition microcycle.  If you did “Rowing Helen” last Wednesday and you are attacking it again today your goal should be to hold more consistent splits and move a little bit faster in both your kettle bell swings and your pull ups.  Last week you prepared.  This week you drop the hammer and compete.  Have fun and get after it!  Let us know how you do and if you were able to improve.

Rowing is for all ages! Middle School athletes having fun learning to compete at the Renegade Rowing League!

Rowing is for all ages! Middle School athletes having fun learning to compete at the Renegade Rowing League!

Strength and Conditioning WOD:

Re-Test

“Rowing Helen”

3 Rounds For Time

  • 500m Row
  • 21 KB Swings (24/16 kg)
  • 12 Pull Ups

Today’s focus is Rhythm and Intensity. Get in some good skill work by warming up with a Reverse Pic Drill and Pic Drill in your 10min Erg Warmup. Go hard for the start and finish of this workout, but be smooth and efficient through the bulk of the work. Focus on breathing and consistent pace.  Find the right scale so that each movement is challenging and pushes your intensity while allowing rhythm and flow.  A good goal would be holding a 2k-1 pace for the 500m pieces.

This week is a competition week in the Renegade Rowing Training Plan. Today is your opportunity to compete against yourself and everyone else on your team to get a Personal Record for Rowing Helen. Dig deep and push harder for the person next to you!

Take quality strokes and have fun pushing yourself.

Post your time for the Strength and Conditioning WOD to comments as well as your splits for each 500m piece.  If you PR’ed let us know!

Rest Day 11/27/14: “The Gobble Gauntlet” – Happy Thanksgiving!

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“The Gobble Gauntlet”RR Gobble Gauntlet

800m Run

50 Sit Ups

800m Run

40 Air Squats

800m Run

30 Burpees

800m Run

20 Push Ups

800m Run

10 Split Squat Jumps

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year.  It’s a day of hanging out with family and friends while enjoying good food and football.  Many people do Turkey Trots or get up and walk the beach together before digging into a bountiful feast.  Hopefully you’ve got something planned.  If you don’t, try the Gobble Gauntlet with your friends.  Get outside and be active before relaxing for the rest of the day.

During the holidays you may be traveling or away from an erg, so be sure to stay active and get creative with your workouts.  Today is usually an active rest day, so make it one with your friends and family.  Keep a consistent pace and keep pushing.  This is a good one to work on your endurance.

Post Time to comments!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rowing WOD 11/24/14: 4:00 Max Distance, Tabata Squats, 4:00 Max Distance – Post Distances and Total Squats

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Here is the Renegade Rowing Training Plan for the week!  Have fun and let us know if you have any questions.  Bring on the Turkey!

RRTP 11-24-14

Rowing WOD 11/24/14:

A quick pic of the Renegade Rowing Training Plan for 11-24-14

A quick pic of the Renegade Rowing Training Plan for 11-24-14

4:00 Row – Max Distance (2k Pace)

1min Rest

Tabata Air Squats – Max Reps

  • 8 Intervals
  • :20 Work / :10 Rest
  • Count Total Number of Squats

1min Rest

4:00 Row – Max Distance (2k Pace)

Today is an opportunity to work off all the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes you plan to crush on Thursday.  Pick a goal, ideally somewhere around your 2k split, that you’re going to hold every stroke while you row.  If you can focus on consistent pressure and count the number of consecutive strokes you row at that goal split, the 4:00 will be over before you know it.  During the Tabata Air Squats be sure to get full depth and full extension, hip crease below the knee and butt squeezed at the top.  If you short yourself the quads will get blown up and your knees will be aggravated tomorrow.  Fight for perfect form and do as many air squats as possible every interval.  Count the total number of reps completed over all 8 intervals.  Last but not least, try to maintain form and pressure on the second erg piece.  As your legs come back to life, try to bring the split back to where it was in the first piece.

The Renegade Rowing League is coming December 20th!  Have fun and get after it!

Post your total distance for each piece and you total air squats to comments.

Strength and Conditioning WOD 11/19/14: “Rowing Helen” – 3RFT – 500m Row, 21 KB Swings, 12 Pull Ups – Post Time and Splits

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BC Men's Rowing getting after some KB Swings!

BC Men’s Rowing getting after some KB Swings!

Strength and Conditioning WOD:

“Rowing Helen”

3 Rounds For Time

  • 500m Row
  • 21 KB Swings (24/16 kg)
  • 12 Pull Ups

Today’s focus is Rhythm and Intensity. Get in some good skill work by warming up with a Reverse Pic Drill and Pic Drill in your 10min Erg Warmup. Go hard for the start and finish of this workout, but be smooth and efficient through the bulk of the work. Focus on breathing and consistent pace.  Find the right scale so that each movement is challenging and pushes your intensity while allowing rhythm and flow.  A good goal would be holding a 2k-1 pace for the 500m pieces.

This week is a practice week in the Renegade Rowing Training Plan. Today is your opportunity to compete against yourself and everyone else on your team to get a baseline for Rowing Helen. Dig deep and push harder for the person next to you!  Next Friday you’ll get a chance to Re-Test this.

Take quality strokes and have fun pushing yourself.

Post your time for the Strength and Conditioning WOD to comments as well as your splits for each 500m piece.