Category Archives: Strength

Compete! Re-Test “Sculler X”! – Post your score and any improvement

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Today is a Competition Day!  Compete with yourself and try to crush your previous time!

Results from Sculler X last week.

Results from Sculler X last week.

Preparation vs. Competition

In our plan one week will be a microcycle. Our microcycles can be classified as either preparation or competition. During a preparation microcycle a fitness block and/or a rowing block will be introduced and then repeated the following week. In the following week, aka – competition microcycle, those blocks will be repeated and individuals will be expected to compete and try to better their performances from the preparation microcycle.

This week is a great example.  Today is a Re-Test of “Sculler X”, which was introduced last week.  Last week was a preparation microcycle and this week is the competition microcycle.  If you did “Sculler X” last Wednesday and you are attacking it again today your goal should be to finish the rowing for calories in one less stroke and hold a more consistent pace overall.  Last week you prepared.  This week you drop the hammer and compete.  Have fun and get after it!  Let us know how you do and if you were able to improve.

The Renegades throwing down with "Sculler X" last week!

The Renegades throwing down with “Sculler X” last week!

Strength and Conditioning WOD:

Re-Test

“Sculler X”

5 Rounds For Time:

10 Pistols (5 each leg)

10 Push Ups

10 Kettle Bell Swings (2/1.5 Pood)

10 Calories on the Erg

  • (HOW MANY STROKES WILL THIS TAKE YOU?)

When rowing on the water balance and single leg strength come into play much more than rowing indoors on the erg.  Exercises like the pistol (single leg squat) really help develop the sense of balance and power needed to move a boat.  Think about making a big turn in a sculling shell mid race, like any of the turns in the Head of the Charles.  A sculler must be able to balance (a.k.a. set) the boat and transfer force to the water.  Those that do this well maintain boat speed around turns and can walk through opponents.  If you can’t do a pistol yet substitute goblet squats.

Keep a firm core

The push up is a great stabilizing exercise if you try to keep the hips and torso quiet.  Everything needs to move together.  Keep that core firm and ensure everything touches and leaves the ground at the same time.  Last but not least there is the kettle bell swing.  Really focus on driving through the heels and activating the glutes and hamstrings while keeping a solid core.

Full depth push up!

Now hold up!  What about all of the athletes out there that are using rowing as a cross training tool?  You’re in luck.  If you can piece together good efficient movement in the first three exercises then you should be able to crush the row for calories at the end of each round.

Your goal should be consistent, efficient strokes.  For those that have been working on suspension and have tried a drill like the strap drill, you’ll want to fully suspend throughout each stroke in order to get done in as few strokes as possible.  If you suspend well and can maintain a nice ratio then the rowing part of this workout will become active rest and allow you to breathe.  Don’t get me wrong, 10 calories is not much and you should be pushing the pace, but work on suspension and make the rowing as effortless as possible so you can crush the rest of this Rowing WOD.

Post your time and the fewest number of strokes it took to complete 10 calories!

S&C WOD 12/10/14: 5RFT – 20 Cal, 15 Push Ups, 10 DB GtO, 5 Split Squat Jumps – Post Time

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Strength and Conditioning WOD:

Are you getting a full finish every stroke?

Are you getting a full finish every stroke?

5 Rounds for time…

  • 20 Cal Row
  • 15 Push Ups (hand release)
  • 10 Dumbbell Ground To Overhead 45/30
  • 5 Split Squat Jumps (ea. leg)

Rest 1:30 between rounds

Today’s Rowing WOD is another long burner to build up your muscular endurance as well as your cardiovascular and respiratory endurance.  Fight to go unbroken in all the movements and be sure to get a good mobility session afterwards to begin rebuilding and realigning all of your muscle fibers.  Be efficient in your movement, keep a constant pace, and keep breathing.

Post your time to comments.

S&C WOD 12/8/14: 4Rds for Max Reps – 1′ Row, 1′ KB Snatch, 1′ DU, 1′ KB Snatch, 1′ Rest – Post Score

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Check out the Renegade Rowing Training Plan for this week below.  It’s going to be a solid week, so be sure to hydrate and sleep well.  Have your meals and pre/post workout snacks ready to go!  You will need them!

RRTP 12-8-14

Strength and Conditioning WOD:

Snapshot of the Renegade Rowing Training Plan for the week of 12-8-14

Snapshot of the Renegade Rowing Training Plan for the week of 12-8-14

4 Rounds for Max Reps of …

1min Row for Calories

1min Left Arm Kettle Bell Snatch

1min Double Unders

1min Right Arm Kettle Bell Snatch

1min Rest

Today’s Rowing WOD will be a good burner to  get your lungs going and allow you to really focus on a solid core.  The double unders and kettle bell snatches are technical and require a higher focus on skill and efficiency.  For the double unders try to keep your wrists loose and get into a good flow that you can maintain.  A good goal would be to go unbroken for a minute.  With the one arm kettle bell snatch focus on driving through the heels and getting good hip extension to move the weight.  A bonus for the KB Snatch is that it requires you to keep a stable core and not allow your torso to rotate.  Any movement that involves an anti rotation component and stabilizing of the core is good for rowing.  Every time we reach out to the rigger in sweep rowing there is both a compression and rotation on our spines, which can lead to disc injuries over time.  By strengthening the core and resisting rotation we can prevent those injuries from happening. So keep that chest up and don’t let the shoulder drop too much through the bottom!  Here is a good link from Rogue Fitness on the Kettle Bell Snatch: http://youtu.be/6l2Iu26oWW8

Post your total score and thoughts to comments!

Strength and Conditioning WOD 12/5/14: 500m Row, 5MBC, 400m Row, 10MBC, … – Post Time

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Strength and Conditioning WOD:

Focus on fully extending the hips! A Med Ball Clean would be a good scale for beginners.

Focus on fully extending the hips! A Med Ball Clean would be a good scale for beginners.

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 12/3/14: “Sculler X” – Post Time and Strokes

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Rowing WOD:

Look Familiar? If you can do a pistol you can get into a rowing shell!

Look Familiar? If you can do a pistol you can get into a rowing shell!

“Sculler X”

5 Rounds For Time:

10 Pistols (5 each leg)

10 Inch Worm Push Ups

10 Kettle Bell Swings (2/1.5 Pood)

10 Calories on the Erg

  • (HOW MANY STROKES WILL THIS TAKE YOU?)

Walk the hands out

When rowing on the water balance and single leg strength come into play much more than rowing indoors on the erg.  Exercises like the pistol (single leg squat) really help develop the sense of balance and power needed to move a boat.  Think about making a big turn in a sculling shell mid race, like any of the turns in the Head of the Charles.  A sculler must be able to balance (a.k.a. set) the boat and transfer force to the water.  Those that do this well maintain boat speed around turns and can walk through opponents.  If you can’t do a pistol yet substitute goblet squats.

Keep a firm core

The inch worm is a great stabilizing exercise if you try to keep the hips and torso quiet.  Then when you add the push up, connection of the feet and hands come into play.  Keep that core firm and ensure everything touches and leaves the ground at the same time.  Last but not least there is the kettle bell swing.  Really focus on driving through the heels and activating the glutes and hamstrings while keeping a solid core.

Full depth push up!

Now hold up!  What about all of the athletes out there that are using rowing as a cross training tool?  You’re in luck.  If you can piece together good efficient movement in the first three exercises then you should be able to crush the row for calories at the end of each round.

Your goal should be consistent, efficient strokes.  For those that have been working on suspension and have tried a drill like the strap drill, you’ll want to fully suspend throughout each stroke in order to get done in as few strokes as possible.  If you suspend well and can maintain a nice ratio then the rowing part of this workout will become active rest and allow you to breathe.  Don’t get me wrong, 10 calories is not much and you should be pushing the pace, but work on suspension and make the rowing as effortless as possible so you can crush the rest of this Rowing WOD.

Post your time and the fewest number of strokes it took to complete 10 calories!