Rest Day 1/3/13: Should we go Paleo? Checkout the Paleo Golf Challenge and let us know!

Rest Day 1/3/13:

 

℅ PaleoGolfChallenge.com

℅ PaleoGolfChallenge.com

Should we go Paleo?

Checkout the Paleo Golf Challenge and let us know!

On New Years Day Alex Black of Wicked Good Nutrition and myself launched a new business via our website PaleoGolfChallenge.com!  If you’re interested in eating healthier and making a lifestyle change, we have the tools, resources, and competition to get you were you want to go!  Checkout the website and our first post on the Paleo Diet to see what it’s all about.

If you’d like to try something from the Paleo Diet checkout this great Paleo Stuffed Pepper Recipe as well!

Paleo Stuffed Peppers

photo 1Why does getting back on track after the holidays seem so difficult sometimes? Motivation is high this time of year, but many find it tough to stick with that new diet. One of the best ways to help you stick with a new – or renewed – diet is to take the extra time to make some delicious food, instead of forcing yourself to eat something that tastes boring or plain bad because it’s “healthy”. These fairly easy stuffed peppers will make things a little easier.

…Click here for the step by step recipe and experience Paleo! …

Rowing WOD 12/31: “The Castle” – 21min @ Varying Rates – Post Distance and Songs

Rowing WOD 12/31:

“The Castle”

The RRC getting after 2x2k after the holidays!

The RRC getting after 2x2k after the holidays!

Row for 21min as follows…

3′ @20 s/m, 3′ @24, 3′ @28, 3′ @26, 3′ @28, 3′ @24, 3′ @20

  • Focus on Rhythm and Ratio

As we head into preseason for the games and the last month of training for CRASH-B’s many athletes will need some extra time on the erg to focus on rhythm, timing, and overall form.  Today’s Rowing WOD is a great opportunity for any athlete, experienced or not, to get a sense of form and rhythm without the pressure of intensity and competition.  Sometimes it’s good to slow down for an active recovery day in order to go harder and faster later on down the road.

Rhythm and Endurance are two necessities for successful competition in longer WODs.  A great example would be the KB Swings and Pull Ups found in “Helen”.  Those who find a consistent rhythm can flow through the movements naturally and rely on their aerobic endurance without dipping into their anaerobic energy supply.

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.

When going from a 20 stroke rating to a 24 you should focus on more pressure with the legs and quickly redirecting the hands through the finish.  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.

Post distance rowed to comments along with songs that helped you stick to each rating!

A project that I’ve been thinking about and have finally started thanks to Renegade Rower Mike T. is how to help people feel the proper rhythm and ratio by rowing to music.  Music can motivate us to push hard and row longer, but it can also give us a sense of timing.

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 these songs into 3min 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 for kick starting this project and I hope this helps motivate everyone to find better rhythm and ratio!

20 s/m
Mike Jones:  Back Then
Lil’ Flip:  Game Over (Flip)
Mims:  This Is Why I’m Hot
Coolio:  Gangsta’s Paradise
Portishead:  Wandering Star

22 s/m
Jurassic 5:  Quality Control
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince:  Parents Just Don’t Understand
Nelly:  Shake Ya Tailfeather (Feat. P. Diddy, Murphy Lee)
Christina Aguilera:  Genie In A Bottle

24 s/m
Clipse:  Grindin’
Drake:  Find Your Love
Natasha:  So Sick
Tupac Shakur:  I Get Around

26
Beenie Man:  Hmm Hmm
Kanye West:  Stronger
Nine Inch Nails:  Down In It

28
Daft Punk:  Da Funk
Nine Inch Nails:  Only
The Roots:  The Seed (2.0)
Steppenwolf:  Magic Carpet Ride (Feat. Philip Steir)

30
Carly Rae Jepsen:  Call Me Maybe
Kesha:  TiK ToK
Crystal Castles:  Vanished
Robyn:  Indestructible
Muse:  Supermassive Black Hole

32
David Guetta:  Who’s That Chick? (feat. Rihanna)
Flo Rida:  Club Can’t Handle Me (feat. David Guetta)
Paul Oakenfold:  Ready Steady Go
Rihanna:  S&M

34
Crystal Castles:  Not In Love (Radio Version) [feat. Robert Smith]
Nicki French – Total Eclipse of the Heart
U2:  Beautiful Day

36
Phoenix:  1901
Propellorheads:  History Repeating
Ricky Martin:  She Bangs
Billy Idol:  Cradle of Love

Rest Day 12/30: What was your December Goal? Did you achieve it?

Rest Day 12/30:

 

Have you put in the work to achieve your goal?

Have you put in the work to achieve your goal?

What was your December Goal?  Did you achieve it?

As 2012 comes to a close it’s a good time to look back on the year and reflect on what we’ve accomplished.  Did you have a goal for the year?  A New Year’s resolution perhaps?  How did that go?  It’s time to start thinking about what you’d like to accomplish next year.  Start by looking back at December.  Did you set an appropriate goal?  Was it positive, specific, and controllable?  Try to figure out what you did well to work toward that goal and what you need to improve.

Share your successes and thoughts!

Rest Day 12/20: Get Loose! – 15′ Hamstring/Hip Mobility – Share your favorite!

Rest Day 12/20:

Get Loose!

Monica using some hip distraction for a great hamstring stretch!

Monica using some hip distraction for a great hamstring stretch!

Enjoy 15 minutes of Hamstring and Hip Mobility.

Over the past week we’ve hit it pretty hard with heavy lifting, a 2k, and some solid 500m pieces.  Our ability to sit up and maintain a solid core through the stroke has a lot to do with our hamstring flexibility and the work we do on off days to promote recovery and rebuilding of the muscle fibers we tear.  Use today as an opportunity to stretch out and rebuild those hamstrings, increase your flexibility, and eat some good quality food.

Share where you’re feeling it and how you mobilized!

Rest Day 12/13: Mobilize your hips!

Rest Day 12/13:

Mobilize your hips!

Pidgeon with Banded Hip Distraction!

Pidgeon with Banded Hip Distraction!

In rowing the longer your stroke the more you can move the boat.  There are a couple of different ways to lengthen your stroke: lunge with the torso, lay back further, or compress the hips/legs more.  The first two are not ideal because they promote poor posture, are inefficient, and can lead to injury.  If you can mobilize your hips to get further up the slide, while keeping a strong position to apply power, you can row like a giant.  Almost all of the power in the rowing stroke comes from the legs and hips, so it’s important to take care of them.  While you enjoy a day off today take at least 15 minutes to work through some hip and hamstring mobility.  A couple of good stretches for the mobility we need include the pigeon stretch and lunge stretch.  Add a jump stretch band for joint distraction and you’ve got a recipe for a solid mobility wod.  Checkout MobilityWOD.com for more!