Tag Archives: endurance sports

Rowing WOD 1/12/13: 4 x 2:00 w/ :30 Rest – Post Splits

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Rowing WOD 1/12/13:

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!

4 x 2:00 w/ :30 Rest

  • Race Pace
  • Execute Race Plan

Today’s Rowing WOD is all about executing your race plan and sticking to your splits.  For the first piece come out fast with a good start and then 7 to 10 quick strokes.  Then be sure to settle right to the pace you’d like to hold for the first 500m of a 2k.   For the second and third pieces paddle into them and hold strong at your ideal race pace.  Imagine they are the second and third 500m of the race.  During the 30 seconds of rest paddle lightly, take deep breaths through your nose, and try to bring your heart rate down.  For the last piece hold steady at your race pace and then sprint out the last 30 seconds like you’re sprinting for the finish line.  Have positive mental cues ready for all 4 pieces just like during the race.  There is no room for negativity or “I can’t…” phrases.  They won’t help you.  Just sit up, breath, push the legs down, swing, have quick hands, and attack.  Each stroke is an opportunity to spin that flywheel a little faster and each piece an opportunity to get yourself that much closer to a personal record.  Get hungry and get after it!

Post your average 500m splits for each piece to comments.

Rowing WOD 1/9/13: 5RFT – 250m, 10 PU on DB, 10 DB HSC, 10 DB StOH – Post Time and Splits

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Rowing WOD 1/9/13:

5 Rounds for time…

250m Row
10 Pushups on Dumbbells
10 DB Hang Squat Cleans 45/30
10 DB Shoulder to OH 45/30

Checkout everyone's preparation for the catch!

Checkout everyone’s preparation for the catch!

1:1 Work to Rest Ratio Each Round (Do the math each round!)

In order to develop elite fitness we must develop our core and powerful hip extension.  An athlete must be able to hold a strong posture and move efficiently through the hips when transferring force through the core.  Today’s Rowing WOD will not only train and test our core, but bring attention to the shoulders and lats, which must be strong to hold a good posture and transfer force efficiently.  Be sure to grab a lacrosse ball afterward and roll out the front, side, and back of your shoulders for at least three minutes on each arm.  You will be sore if you don’t.

The goal for the 250m pieces should be to hold your ideal 2k split or faster.  Don’t worry, the 1:1 rest allows you to hit it hard and go all out each round.  The push ups are meant to be a deficit push up, so your chest should touch the floor below your hands.  If you are still developing your push up, add an abmat or two to limit the range of motion and scale down.  Focus on keeping the shoulders away from the ears and lats engaged.  On the Hang Squat Cleans and Shoulder to Overhead movements be sure to use your hips to move the weight in order to save your arms.  Keep active shoulders overhead!

Anja and Alex pushing each other!

Anja and Alex pushing each other!

Last but not least you will need to do some math.  The biggest improvement you can make in rowing and racing a 2k is mastering your mental capacity.  If you can stay sharp and use your mind even when fatigued, you can execute a race plan and push yourself through the pain.  Today’s workout requires a 1:1 Work to Rest Ratio.  That means after the first round look at the time on the clock and rest that amount of time.  For the second round, remember what time you start and note what time you finish.  You’ll need to subtract your start time from the finish time of round two in order to calculate the rest needed after round two.  Have a piece of paper or a whiteboard handy.  Be ready to control your breathing and think!

Post your time and average splits for the 250m pieces!

For those that have been following the blog or are new and looking for some helpful tips, below is a video I took yesterday of the Renegade Rowing Suspension Drill.  We like to use this drill to really feel what it means to suspend from the oar during the drive.  Whenever there are short pieces in a WOD suspension is key and can really be a game changer!

Rowing WOD 1/7/13: “Snow Drifts” – 2 x 17min w/ 4min Rest – Post Distance

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Rowing WOD 1/7/13:

“Snow Drifts”

RRC Blur2 x 17min w/ 4min Rest

as follows …

5′ @22 s/m, 4′ @24, 3′ @26, 2′ @28, 3′ @26

Last week we hit “The Castle” to focus on ratio and rhythm.  Today’s Rowing WOD is another opportunity for everyone to keep working on a sense of form and rhythm without the pressure of intensity and competition.  Sometimes it’s good to slow down and dial in that technique.  Pressure should be a moderate to hard steady state.  That means you can get out short sentences but it’s difficult to maintain a detailed conversation.

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 26 stroke rating to a 28 you should focus on more pressure with the legs and quickly redirecting the hands through the finish.  Think of a slingshot as you pull the hands in and release them quick and smooth away.  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.  When the rating shifts down from a 28 to a 26 be sure to perform a ratio shift and try to maintain the same split.  Focus on pushing a little harder and take an extra second to breath on the recovery to bring the stroke rating down.

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

Music can motivate us to push harder and row longer, but it can also give us a sense of timing.  We might have to start calling it Music Monday’s if this catches on, but for now just have some fun trying to row to the rhythm of the music.  Please add to the playlists any songs that help you stick to a certain rating and keep pushing hard!

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 the songs into 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 T. for kick starting this project and I hope this helps motivate everyone to find better rhythm and ratio!

20 s/m: Renegade Rowing @20

22 s/m: Renegade Rowing @22

24 s/m: Renegade Rowing @24

26 s/m: Renegade Rowing @26

28 s/m: Renegade Rowing @28

30 s/m: Renegade Rowing @30

32 s/m: Renegade Rowing @32

34 s/m: Renegade Rowing @34

36 s/m: Renegade Rowing @36

Rowing WOD 1/5/13: 6 x 2:00 w/ 1:30 Rest – Post Best Avg Split

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Rowing WOD 1/5/13:

Renegade's at the first RRC Practice of the new year!

Renegades at the first RRC Practice of the new year!

6 x 2:00 w/ 1:30 Rest

(1st @28 s/m, 2nd @28, 3rd @30, 4th @30, 5th @32, 6th @Open Rating)

What stroke rating are you most efficient at?  Use today’s Rowing WOD as an opportunity to gain confidence and figure out what your most efficient race pace is for the next time you have to do a 2k or 1k… perhaps the Renegade Rowing League coming up on Saturday, January 19th at 8am?  Get after it and get ready to race!

Post your best average split and the stroke rating you maintained.

Note whether it was because you were fresh or because that stroke rating seemed easier for maintaining a faster split.

Checkout the racing action from the last Renegade Rowing League!

Rowing WOD 1/4/13: “Row For It!” – 3RFT – 750m Row, 15 Deadlifts – Post time and cues

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Rowing WOD 1/4/13:

“Row For it!” (AKA – Fight For It)

3 Rounds For Time:

750m Row (Race Pace)

15 Deadlifts (40% 1RM)

Members of the RRC getting in a quick AMRAP of jumping jacks, jump squats, and push ups pre-Rowing WOD

Members of the RRC getting in a quick AMRAP of jumping jacks, jump squats, and push ups pre-Rowing WOD

In a 2,000m race the pain really starts to kick in after the first thousand.  If you can be prepared with mental thoughts to stay strong and Fight for your goal split, every stroke for 750m after that first 1k, then you’ll be able to open the flood gates and sprint at 250m to go.  A key to having solid mental thoughts is building confidence in your training leading up to the race.  Have cues to repeat, especially cues that you can attach to specific moments in time or sessions you crushed like today.  We performed this WOD at the beginning of November.  Look back in your training log and see what cues helped.  Use those same mental thoughts and any others you’ve developed since then.  Your goal should be to go faster than you did in November by executing a good race plan and solid mental cues!

In today’s Rowing WOD build and settle to your current 2k split right away.  You want to be in full control of your stroke rating, breathing, and split.  Hold solid, consistent pressure every stroke of each 750m piece.  Know that when things get tough and the pain tells you to stop, you can hold strong and fight for every stroke.  Bring that same focus to your Deadlifts.  Keep a neutral spine and focus on efficient movement through the hips.  Push through the heels and build the speed on the bar as you extend your hips.  Focus on keeping tight abs and feeling the connection of the hips and hands as you pry the bar off the floor.  Try to bring the feeling of a solid deadlift to your rowing and use the cue “heels down” as one motivational thought during that 75om Row.

Post your time to comments and share your mental cues!