Category Archives: Strength

Rest Day 12/3/15: Connection and Speed – Skill Transfer between Olympic Lifting and Rowing

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 Olympic Lifting and Rowing?

RR Snatch Setup

What do you think about using Olympic Lifting in training to be a Rower or using Rowing to be a better Olympic Lifter?  Both require speed and power and incorporate similar movement patterns.  However, in rowing you sit down and are in contact with three surfaces.  In Olympic Lifting you are only in contact with two.  In Olympic lifting the goal is to transfer forces vertically and in rowing the goal is to transfer forces horizontally.  Where do you see the most benefit in training with both?  Are there downfalls?

One skill, concept, and idea that I keep coming back to is Connection.  Coaching people in the gym and on the water allows me to see many different movement patterns and levels of ability.  Athletes that grasp this idea of connection from one joint to another and one external object to another are able to learn faster, create more power, and transfer skills to other movements.  Learning to connect the hips to the hands as you initiate a movement or connect your feet to your hands at the catch, both in rowing and snatching, is invaluable.  Once this skill is perfected the possibilities are endless.

Recently I introduced the snatch to the BC Men’s Crew Team.  While we only worked with PVC pipes to begin with and 45# bars in the workout, the importance of generating speed through the middle of the drive and being turned on at the catch became apparent.  Those that had explosive hip extension from rowing and knew how to create speed on the oar through the middle of the drive in the boat had a lot more success transferring that skill to the barbell.

Using the Clean and the Snatch to generate speed on the drive through good connection is a lot of fun.  Rowers become athletes and are empowered to push harder by learning new movements and finding power they never knew they had.  It’s also a lot of fun seeing olympic lifters and other athletes learn to row because it helps them to find more connection and speed in their lifts.

Post your thoughts to comments!  Any experience transferring skills from one sport to another?

Rowing WOD 11/30/15: 1k, 3×3′ w/ 1′ Rest, 2×3′ w/ 1′ Rest – Post Total Distance and Experience

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 Rowing WOD:

RR Release

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 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 11/28/15: 8x2min w/ 1min Rest – Post Avg Splits

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Rowing WOD:

Rowing Feet Out! Well done staying connected to the footboards through the finish! Renegade Rowing Club Starts Monday @6:30pm @CFB

WARMUP: 10min of SUSPENSION AND FINISH DRILLS

  • Reverse Pic Drill
  • FEET OUT ROWING

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

2′ @28 s/m (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 and 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 to checkout with the rear of the erg elevated and rowing feet out.

Rowing WOD 11/27/15: 4:00 Max Distance, Tabata Squats, 4:00 Max Distance – Post Distances and Total Squats

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 Rowing WOD:

Competitors crushing the 2k at the Third Race of the Renegade Rowing League!

4:00 Row – Max Distance (2k Pace)

1min Rest

Tabata Air Squats – Max Reps

  • 8 Intervals
  • :20 Work / :10 Rest
  • Count Total Number of Squats

1min Rest

4:00 Row – Max Distance (2k Pace)

Today is an opportunity to work off all the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes you crushed yesterday.  Pick a goal, ideally somewhere around your 2k split, that you’re going to hold every stroke while you row.  If you can focus on consistent pressure and count the number of consecutive strokes you row at that goal split, the 4:00 will be over before you know it.  During the Tabata Air Squats be sure to get full depth and full extension, hip crease below the knee and butt squeezed at the top.  If you short yourself the quads will get blown up and your knees will be aggravated tomorrow.  Fight for perfect form and do as many air squats as possible every interval.  Count the total number of reps completed over all 8 intervals.  Last but not least, try to maintain form and pressure on the second erg piece.  As your legs come back to life, try to bring the split back to where it was in the first piece.

The Renegade Rowing League is coming December 12th!  Have fun and get after it!

Post your total distance for each piece and you total air squats to comments.

Rest Day 11/26/15: “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.

Post Time to comments!

Happy Thanksgiving!