Category Archives: Fitness

Rest Day 12/5/13: Connection and Speed – Skill Transfer between Olympic Lifting and Rowing

Posted on by
2

Olympic Lifting and Rowing?RR Snatch Setup

What do you think about using Olympic Lifting in training to be a Rower or using Rowing to be a better Olympic Lifter?  Both require speed and power and incorporate similar movement patterns.  However, in rowing you sit down and are in contact with three surfaces.  In Olympic Lifting you are only in contact with two.  In Olympic lifting the goal is to transfer forces vertically and in rowing the goal is to transfer forces horizontally.  Where do you see the most benefit in training with both?  Are there downfalls?

One skill, concept, and idea that I keep coming back to is Connection.  Coaching people in the gym and on the water allows me to see many different movement patterns and levels of ability.  Athletes that grasp this idea of connection from one joint to another and one external object to another are able to learn faster, create more power, and transfer skills to other movements.  Learning to connect the hips to the hands as you initiate a movement or connect your feet to your hands at the catch, both in rowing and snatching, is invaluable.  Once this skill is perfected the possibilities are endless.

Yesterday morning I introduced the snatch to the BC Men’s Crew Team.  While we only worked with PVC pipes to begin with and 45# bars in the workout, the importance of generating speed through the middle of the drive and being turned on at the catch became apparent.  Those that had explosive hip extension from rowing and knew how to create speed on the oar through the middle of the drive in the boat had a lot more success transferring that skill to the barbell.

Using the Clean and the Snatch to generate speed on the drive through good connection is a lot of fun.  Rowers become athletes and are empowered to push harder by learning new movements and finding power they never knew they had.  It’s also a lot of fun seeing olympic lifters and other athletes learn to row because it helps them to find more connection and speed in their lifts.

Post your thoughts to comments!  Any experience transferring skills from one sport to another?

Rowing WOD 12/4/13: 500m Row, 5MBC, 400m Row, 10MBC, … – Post Time

Posted on by
4

Rowing WOD 12/4/13:

For Time …

500m Row, 5 Medicine Ball Cleans (20/14 lb)

400m Row, 10 Med Ball Cleans

300m Row, 15 Med Ball Cleans

200m Row, 20 Med Ball Cleans

100m Row, 25 Med Ball Cleans

The ability to work at high intensity depends largely on mechanics and consistency.  If your rowing is smooth and efficient you should be able to push this Rowing WOD and hold sub-2k pace for every piece.  A good goal might be to hold your 2k split for every piece or negative split so that each piece is one split second faster.  Same goes for the medicine ball cleans.  If you can focus on using the legs and hips to move the ball, then your arms will remain loose and fluid providing a greater efficiency of movement.  This will allow you to push the pace and go unbroken for every round.  Try to only pause for brief breaks in between exercises if you have to.  If you don’t have a medicine ball to clean than you could modify with a loaded back pack or just make the movement a Dumbbell Clean.  No matter what focus on good overall movement and ensure you have the mechanics and consistency dialed in during your warmup.

Post your time to comments!

Rowing WOD 11/29/13: 4:00 Max Distance, Tabata Squats, 4:00 Max Distance – Post Distances and Total Squats

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD 11/29/13:

Competitors crushing the 2k at the Third Race of the Renegade Rowing League!

Competitors crushing the 2k at the Third Race of the Renegade Rowing League!

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 crushed yesterday.  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 21st!  Have fun and get after it!

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

Rest Day 11/28/13: “The Gobble Gauntlet” – Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on by
Reply

“The 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 supposed to be a rest day, but this can count as active rest especially if you’re doing it for fun with 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 11/27/13: “King of the Erg” – Post the King and Fastest Winning Split

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD 11/27/13:

Chest to the deck!

Chest to the deck!

“King Of The Erg”

2 Athletes Compete At A Time:

5 Burpee Erg Jumps

300m Row (800m Max)

Win by 5m!  Winner Stays On!

Do you have what it takes to step up to the plate and execute when it counts?  Sport provides us an opportunity to compete and test ourselves and others.  By learning to push someone else, we learn to push ourselves. Don’t let your competitor off easy.  Push them.

Today’s Rowing WOD should be performed with at least three people, but can be a good challenge for the whole gym.  All you need is two ergs.  On 3,2,1 Go! Two athletes begin by doing 5 burpees (jumping over the erg rail each time).  Then the first athlete to get to 300m on the erg wins.  If the race is close, the first athlete to pull ahead by 5 meters after the 300m mark wins.  If no one takes it by 800m the competition is a draw and both athletes get off.  Otherwise the winner stays on to challenge the next athlete in line.  Repeat as long as time allows or until there are no challengers left.  If you don’t have anyone to compete against get in 6 rounds with equal work to rest in between each round.

Post your “King Of The Erg” and the best Average 500m Split of the day to comments.