Category Archives: Motivation

Video Review: How can Shadi help you? – Post your video/thoughts for feedback!

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How’s it going Renegades?  Today we’re taking a look at Shadi mid race.  This is a video review that I put together to help her and you develop your stroke and find new areas to improve upon.  I’ll be posting regular video reviews about once a week, usually on Thursdays.  If you’d like feedback on your stroke or would like to see me talk about a certain area of the stroke, please let me know in  the comments.  If you’d like to be featured in the weekly Video Review please send me a 5 stroke video via email to pat@renegaderowing.com.

Today’s topic relates to how you sit on the erg.  Are you sitting on the back of the seat or the front of the seat?  Are you balanced on the back of your tail bones or the front?  How does your point of contact with the seat affect your posture and positioning throughout the stroke?  These are things to think about and an area where you can make a quick change to see big gains.  Let us know what you think and if you have any questions.

Also, if you’d like to join in the fun in person, the Renegade Rowing Club practices every Tuesday morning at 6am and Wednesday evening at 6pm.  Everyone is welcome, just let me know via email – pat@renegaderowing.com, and I can get you the details on how to get started and join the group.  Don’t forget to register for the next Renegade Rowing League on January 24th!

1/1/15: Happy New Year!

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RR CRASH-B Coach PatI wish everyone the best and hope 2015 treats you well!  Take some of that into your own hands and commit to a certain number of Renegade Rowing Blocks per week.  Mixing in just 2 or 3 with your regular training can step up your game to a whole new level.  Comment with your results and let other Renegades know how you’re doing!

Also, get excited for some additional programming.  This Holiday Season I’ve been working on the Renegade Rowing Training Plan.  I’ll be adding in additional programming to the strength blocks so that if you are on your own or you’re looking to step up your performance you’ll have what you need to get the job done.

Enjoy your day and have some fun with Family and Friends!

All the Best!

Coach Pat

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Renegade Rowing!

Santas Rowing

The holidays are a time to spend with family, so we’re not going to do anything to crazy today.  I’d rather everyone go sing some carols and drink some egg nog than row today.  If you must have some fun, test your peak power with a few family members.  Maybe you can show the sport to someone new!

The Peak Power Test will give you a sense of the raw power you can put into one stroke. For the Peak Power Test set the monitor for 20 seconds of work and 2 minutes of rest.  Start by paddling a couple of strokes to get the fan moving and then go for max watts.  It may help to video the test or have a partner watch to tell you the highest watts you pulled in just one stroke.  During the 2 minutes of rest paddle lightly or roll out.  Take 3 or 4 tries to find your max wattage starting with the damper set low and increasing the drag each successive try.  At some point you’ll find a drag that you like and gives you the most power.  Your score for the Peak Power Test is the Max Watts pulled in just one stroke.

Post your Max Watts and/or your favorite Christmas Tradition!

Video Review: How can Terese help you? Are you Prepared?

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It’s that time of year Renegades!  The Holidays are upon us, the renegade rowing league is this Saturday, and it’s starting to look like snow.  Are you prepared?  Did you get your shopping in early and get the gifts you want to give?  Did you register and train for the Renegade Rowing League?  Do you have the tools necessary to deal with all of the snow this year?  If you answered yes to these questions you’re prepared and ready to have some fun.  It’s a good feeling that instills confidence and excitement rather than doubt and worry.

In the rowing stroke it also helps to be prepared.  If you’re prepared for the catch by 1/2 slide, you know your body is in a strong position and the timing of the catch comes together a lot easier.  It allows you to keep the hips and the hands connected, suspend, and basically pull whatever split you would like without wasting any extra energy.  Take a look at the following video review of Terese to see what I mean and how you might need to improve your stroke as well.

Another area where proper preparation can help is your WarmUP.  Performing an appropriate warmup for the workout that is set out each day can make or break a performance.  Below is the warmup we use fairly consistently in classes at CrossFit Boston and at the Renegade Rowing Club.  It’s a good 10min warmup to focus on control, connection, and recovering to strength.  Checkout how slow the Renegade Rowing Club approaches the catch in the beginning.  Executing this drill with control will allow you to really focus on putting technique changes into effect and hitting that catch with good timing and connection.

Please share your thoughts on preparation in regards to your stroke and your warmup to comments!

Renegade Rowing Club Warmup:

1min – 1/2 Legs Only

1min – Full Legs Only

1min – Legs and Body Only

1min – Full Stroke

1min – Pause @1/2 Slide Every Stroke

5min – 10 Strokes On/ 10 Strokes Off, 15 On/15 Off, 20 On/20 Off

Video Review: What do you think of your form? How about Erik’s?

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The Men attacking their 2k in Heat 2 of the Renegade Rowing League on Saturday!

The Men attacking their 2k in Heat 2 of the Renegade Rowing League.  Register for the next one taking place on Saturday, December 20th @8am!

Video Review

From time to time it can be beneficial to look at yourself on camera.  No we don’t care about the aesthetics or the fashion.  We’re looking to gain feedback and a mental picture.  We’re looking for just one or two cues that might give us a smoother, more powerful stroke.  What’s going right?  What’s going wrong?  What can we do better?

You should be asking yourself, “What do I look like now?  How do I move now? What could use some extra focus and improvement next time?”  Don’t dwell on to many things at a time, just find one or two things that might make your life on the erg or in the boat a little better.  Go work on them.  Then reassess in a couple of weeks.

The Renegade Rowing Club has agreed to help everyone by taking a look at their strokes. If you’d like feedback similar to this, post a 20 second clip of you rowing to YouTube and share it with us in the comments of this post.  I’ll do my best to give you a couple of things to work on!  Here is a video of Erik and what he’s going to work on over the next couple of weeks.

Take a look and share what you might focus on next time you row!