Category Archives: Motivation

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

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“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.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Rest Day 11/24/13: How do you introduce rowing to new rowers?

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Athletes from CFH2O getting after a partner 2k at the Renegade Rowing Workshop!

Athletes from CFH2O getting after a partner 2k at the Renegade Rowing Workshop earlier this year!

This past Friday I introduced a new client at the gym to rowing.  I was only using rowing as part of the warmup, but still needed to impart some words of advice on technique and “how to row” without taking the whole session.  I imagine it’s a challenge that a lot of athletes, rowers, and trainers run into.  What do you do with a class or client when there is limited time and you’d like to get them rowing well enough to have fun, push themselves, and walk away having learned something?

Below is a video I made when I was in the Institute for Rowing Leadership a couple of years ago.  One thing I might modify for using this type of intro in a gym setting would be to say the words “Push Away” instead of “Stretch Away” in order to emphasize that rowing is a pushing sport.  Try both though and see what happens.

If you have any good ideas or experiences for introducing rowing in 5min to new rowers or a class of athletes please share to comments!

Rest Day 11/21/13: What do you eat before a workout?

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Checkout the post below from Alex Black of Wicked Good Nutrition for some good info and ideas on what to eat before a workout.  

Get some ratio at the Renegade Rowing Club starting December 2nd!

Get some ratio at the Renegade Rowing Club starting December 2nd!

If you’re interested in joining the Renegade Rowing Club to train for the Renegade Rowing League and CRASH-B’s please register here.  The club starts training Monday, December 2nd at 6:30pm at CrossFit Boston.

What Should I Eat Before a Workout??

Deciding what to eat day-to-day can be challenging. Choosing the best thing to eat – a meal that will give you energy to perform without making you feel too full, sick, or hungry – can be even more challenging. Every workout is different, so how you fuel for each one will be different too. You probably wouldn’t eat the same breakfast before a 2K test as you would before a 10 mile run. Read on for some basic pre-workout meal guidelines and some ideas for before a workout.

..Read The Rest Here…

Then share your favorite pre-workout meal in the comments!

Top 10 Reasons Erging is Better Than Training Outside in the Winter (even when it still sucks)

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If you’re a runner or an athlete looking for good cross training options this winter checkout what one runner sent me even though she hates erging.  This was submitted by Alex Black of Wicked Good Nutrition … aka the Renegade Dietitian!  Share your thoughts!

Top 10 Reasons Erging is Better Than Training Outside in the Winter (even when it still sucks)

Three Renegades1. It’s cold outside. Today it was “feels like 16” in Boston. Running or rowing outdoors in that sucks.

2. Rowing is good for building power and strength in your legs, but is lower impact than running. Come row indoors and give those bones and joints a break.

3. Your nose won’t get as runny indoors.

4. It’s a bit tricky to row on the water when the water is ice. Unless you can put wheels on your boat. If you do, you should patent that.

5. You can’t slip and crack your spine on black ice when you’re rowing inside!

6. Rowing can help build strength and stability in your knees, just in time to prepare you for a good winter of skiing/boarding.

7. If you get too hot rowing in a heated gym, you can use the fan on your neighbor’s erg to cool off.

8. Forgot your shoes at home? No problem, you can row barefoot!

9. Rowing burns lots of calories in a short time. That means more sleep for you!

10. Rowing is good for the abs (seriously). If you do it right, you might just close out the winter with a 6-pack. Who doesn’t want a 6-pack?

If you’re interested in rowing this winter then you should join the Renegade Rowing Club.  We row together at 6:30pm at CrossFit Boston every Monday night starting December 2nd.  We’ll get you a training partner and before you know it you’ll be crushing life.  Email me, pat@renegaderowing.com, if you’re interested in joining us!

Rest Day 11/14/13: Got Skills? …Row and Get Some!

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Jodie from the 7am class challenging the BC Men's Crew Team!

Jodie from the 7am class challenging the BC Men’s Crew Team!

Rest Day 11/14/13:

How do you Master Skills?

As Winter starts to set in and you start working toward your goals, be aware of how you recover and master skills.  One goal you’ll probably set for the Winter is to master a new skill, like double unders, hand stand push-ups, or muscle ups.  I want to draw your attention to how you attack these skills and actually master them.

To master a skill is to know and have full control over every piece of a skill, both physically and mentally, when your fresh and your fatigued.  Lately we’ve been pushing the intensity in the gym and many people have found themselves sore and out of it for a few days.  One example would be Coach Tito and Carla of CrossFit Boston competing at the Southie Throwdown this past weekend.  They literally were crushed from back to back competition days.  What would you do on the Monday following a weekend like that?

The days following a hard training day are perfect for mastering a new skill through active recovery.  Rather than going back for a second or third hard training day and not performing at full intensity, commit to an active recovery day focused on mastery of the skills you’d like to develop.  Carla did just that on Monday.

Coxswains pushing hard right alongside their rowers!

Coxswains pushing hard right alongside their rowers!

Rather than join in on the 7am class at CFB, Carla took 1 hour out of her day to actively recover, rather than sitting around and feeling sore.  She set the erg for 2,000m of work and 10min of rest.  She rowed an easy 2k and then spent 10 minutes working on her goats, handstand push ups, pull ups, and Toes to Bar.  Three sets of this active recovery interval scheme gave her confidence with her skills and prepared her for a hard training day on Tuesday.

The erg is a great tool to use as active recovery.  A few hard training days back to back will leave your body depleted and full of metabolic waste.  In order to replenish your energy and clear out the metabolic waste it helps to eat well, move, and keep the blood flowing.  The erg provides a stable platform and is low impact,  perfect for recovery at a sub-maximal effort.  Next time you’re feeling sore or a workout absolutely crushes you, go sit down on the erg and row for 10 minutes.  It doesn’t have to be hard.  Enjoy it!  Row at about 40% effort, just hard enough to breathe a little bit.  You should be able to maintain sentences and tell your training partner what you’ll be doing to master your next skill!

If you have any fun methods to master skills please share!