Category Archives: Rowing

Rowing WOD 10/27: 10 x 250m w/ 1min Rest – Post Avg Splits

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Yeah finish timing! The Renegade Rowing Club warming up as a Team.

Rowing WOD 10/27:

10 x 250m w/ 1 min Rest

  • Row it like your 2k race plan!

Have you ever gone into Fran or Jackie without a game plan?  Perhaps newer folks have, but those with experience know the benefit of pacing, gaming, and executing a plan to produce a personal best performance.  In the end a game plan facilitates mental toughness and focus to deal with pain when things get tough.

The second race of the Renegade Rowing League will be on December 15th.  In order to prepare for competing at the 2k distance both in the Renegade Rowing League and the CRASH-Bs come February, the programing will be geared toward different distances and mentalities to build confidence in executing a race plan over 2,000m.

Today’s focus is executing a 2k race plan at high intensity.  Set the monitor for intervals distance with 250m of Work and 1 minute of Rest.  Row the first two pieces as if they were the start of the 2k.  Row the next three pieces as if they were part of the second 500m, Row the next three pieces as if they were part of the third 500m, and finish the last two pieces with a sprint like the end of a race.

This should not be an all out 250m Max Row, but rather a calculated effort at a split close to what you think your current 2k split would be.  The goal should be to pull the lowest split possible, consistently through all 10 intervals.  For example: alternating between splits of 1:50 and 2:00 is inefficient.  Instead consistently pull 1:55 every interval.

Post your Average Splits to comments.

*** Renegade Rowing Club ***

For those attending Renegade Rowing Club tonight we’ll be working on speed deadlifts as part of the warmup and drill section of practice.  We will also review the feet out and banded rowing drill we worked on last week.  Here is an example of what you can do by rowing feet out and banded.

Rowing WOD 11/26: 1k, 3×3′ w/ 1′ Rest, 2×3′ w/ 1′ Rest – Post Total Distance and Experience

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Prepare your body earlier in the recovery for a better catch.

Rowing WOD 11/26:

1k @24-26 s/m (note average 500m split)

4′ rest

3 x 3’ On 1’ Off as follows (holding 1k split):

            3′ @26 s/m, 25 s/m, 24 s/m

(rate changes every minute)

            3′ @25, 24, 23

            3′ @24, 23, 22

4′ rest

2 x 3’ On 1’ Off as follows (holding 1k split):

            3′ @26, 24, 22

            3′ @24, 22, 20

One thing that all good athletes have in common is a sense of efficiency.  The athlete that can maintain proper mechanics and spend the least amount of energy to complete a task will be able to push harder and farther compared to the athlete that just flies and dies.  Todays Rowing WOD introduces a key concept to being efficient in rowing and may improve your efficiency in longer wods.

Start the workout by rowing 1,000m at 24-26 strokes per minute.  Effort should be about 60% – 75% as if you were jogging a half-mile, don’t go all out.  The average split for the 1k will be your goal split to hold through all of the 3 minute pieces.  Set the monitor for 3′ of work and 1′ of rest.  Each 3-minute piece is broken into 1-minute sections that should be rowed at the designated stroke rating.

In order to hold the goal split while decreasing the stroke rating you must perform a ratio shift.  A ratio shift changes the timing of the stroke on the drive and the recovery.  For example, shifting from 1 on the drive: 2 on the recovery, to 1 on the drive: 3 on the recovery.  This is a challenging workout.  Use it to develop a sense of efficiency.  A proper ratio shift maintains the power per stroke but allows the rower time to breath and prepare for the next stroke.

Post Total Distance and your Experience with ratio shifts.

Below are some pictures of Mike T. on Saturday after working on staying connected through the finish.  What does your finish look like? Is it efficient?  How fast do your hands move through the finish?  … Just a few things to think about as we continue to work on suspension through the stroke and balanced finishes.

Rowing WOD 11/24: 8 x 2 min w/ 1min Rest – Post Avg Splits for Each

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Rowing Feet Out! Well done staying connected to the footboards through the finish!

Rowing WOD 11/24:

Warmup: Suspension and Finish Drills

  • Banded Drive

  • Feet Out Rowing

8 x 2min w/ 1min Rest as follows:

2′ @28 (2k+4)

2′ @30 (2k+2)

2′ @2k Race Pace

2′ @2k Race Pace

2′ @2k Race Pace

2′ @2k Race Pace

2′ @33 (2k-1)

2′ @34 (2k-2/Open)

Today we’re continuing our work and discovery of maintaining pressure through the drive so that we can have a clean, balanced finished.  The goal is to be smooth an efficient stroke after stroke to save energy for later in the race, like the 3rd 500, when things really get tough.  When rowing feet out try to suspend all the way through the drive.  Time the finish so that you don’t tuck the hips, fall off your sit bones, and/or dump down into the finish.  The idea is to focus on pointing the toes just as you draw the arms to the body.  If you can imagine placing your body at the finish so it can immediately swing forward with control then you’ll be ready to breath and get hungry for the next catch.

In today’s workout dial in that suspension each piece and be consistent with your pressure.  You should aim to keep your split to the prescribed pace +/-1 spilt second.  In the coming weeks we’ll be building up to longer pieces at race pace, so build up your confidence now by picking a split you can hold every piece.  If you execute each piece according to plan then get after it on the last one and see how much you have left in the tank.  When things get tough always focus on your breathing and being consistent with your effort on each stroke.  Smooth is fast!

Post your average split for each piece to comments!

Here are a couple of videos from the drills we covered last Tuesday with the rear of the erg elevated and rowing feet out.

Rowing WOD 11/21: “King of the Erg” – And the Winner is! …

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Chest to the deck!

Rowing WOD 11/21:

“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.

And Get Up!

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.

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

****** And The Winner Is! ********

Last Saturday athletes from both CrossFit Boston and North Shore CrossFit pulled their first 2k of the winter season and took part in the Renegade Rowing League.  The league will consist of a 2k every month leading up to CRASH-B’s.  The results of last Saturday can be found below.  The fastest competitors in each event won a Sculling Lesson on the Water with Coach Pat.  Think you have what it takes?  Then get ready for the second race of the Renegade Rowing League to be held on Saturday, December 15th at 8am.  Email Coach Pat at pat@renegaderowing.com if you’re interested in having your gym join the fun.

Congrats to all competitors!

Renegade Rowing League Results 11-17-12

Rowing WOD 11/20: 8 x 1min w/ 1min Rest – Post Avg Splits

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Results from the Renegade Rowing League last Saturday!

Rowing WOD 11/20:

8 x 1min w/ 1min Rest As Follows

1′ @24 (2k+5)

1′ @26 (2k+3)

1′ @28 (2k+1)

1′ @30 (2k)

1′ Start and Settle to 2k pace (like race)

1′ 2k pace (like race)

1′ 2k pace (like race)

1′ 2k pace and then sprint last 30sec (like race)

Last week we focused on suspension.  As you warmup today try to feel connected to the footboards and remain weightless on your seat throughout the drive.  Be sure to keep the force horizontal and don’t do any more work than you have to.  For the first half of today’s Rowing WOD you should really emphasize and feel the connection to the erg through your feet.  Feel nice smooth suspension every stroke.

In the Renegade Rowing Club we’ll be working on the proper way to release the pressure you create by suspending.  We’ll be doing the feet out drill, rear of erg elevated drill, and $100 bill test.  The goal is to suspend and push through the heel/full foot and then just as you finish the stroke keep the balls of your feet attached to the footboards.  We don’t want to rely on the straps to pull us back up.  Our finish should be powerful but in control.  One cue is to point the toes as you finish the stroke.  Also ensure that when you finish the hips aren’t tucking under.  Stay on your sit-bones and transfer the weight to the front of your seat as you swing into the recovery.  I know this is a lot to think about, so don’t get to caught up in it.  Just be smooth and stay connected to the footboards through the bottoms of your feet.

Post your average splits from each piece to comments!

Checkout the Renegade Rowing League below!  Winner’s of a sculling lesson on the water will be announced tomorrow.