Rowing WOD 11/19: 2 x 15min w/ 5min Rest – Post Distance

Props to NSCF Rowing Club for hitting the 2k on Saturday!

Rowing WOD 11/19:

2 x 15′ w/ 5′ Rest

  • 5′ @ 18

  • 5′ @ 20

  • 5′ @ 22

Saturday we kicked off the Renegade Rowing League by crushing a 2k.  Results are in and are in the process of being formatted and posted online.  Many thanks to those who participated and I look forward to seeing everyone’s progress when the second 2k of the RRL takes place in December.  The rowing club from North Shore CrossFit rowed a 2k from their box on Saturday and hopefully we’ll get them to come join us in Boston for an even bigger event in December.

Today’s Rowing WOD is a chance to work on Rhythm and Timing while building some aerobic endurance.  In long chippers rowing can be used as active recovery and a chance to catch your breath.  Try to find the efficient rhythm and consistent pressure you’ll need to recover mid WOD.  Every five minutes the rating will change to keep you focused.  Try to fix one part of your stroke each five minutes.  Your effort level on this should be such that you can get out sentences to a neighbor, but breathing is labored.

Post your distance rowed each piece!

Rowing WOD 11/16: Partner WOD – 4RFT – 1. 500m Row 2. Shuttle Sprint, 20 Jump Squats – Post Time

Grab your training partner and get after it!

Rowing WOD 11/16:

Partner WOD

4 Rounds For Time

Partners Alternate between

1. 500m Row

2. Shuttle Sprint, 20 Jump Squats

*Partner 1 starts with a 500m row

**Partner 2 starts with a shuttle sprint and 20 jump squats

***Whoever finishes first gets rest before having to switch stations

Rowing is an opportunity to push yourself as an individual and as part of a team.  Today’s workout is a partner wod and a good example of how training with a partner can take your effort and performance to the next level.  If you don’t have a training partner you can still do this workout, but it would be a lot more fun to grab someone from the gym and show them what rowing is all about.

One partner will start on the rower and one will start on the run.  The rower completes the noted distance while the partner sprints a shuttle sprint and does 20 jump squats.  For the run, designate a starting line and then setup three cones at 10m, 20m, and 30m.  A shuttle run will be down and back three times to a different cone each time; in other words – touch the 10 and run back, touch the 20 and back, touch the 30 and back.  The partner that finishes each round first gets time to rest!

Post Time and Team Name to comments!

Checkout the Renegade Rowing League Setup!  The RRL starts Saturday at CrossFit Boston!

Rowing WOD 11/13: 5 x 500m w/ Equal Work:Rest – Post Avg Splits

What’s your goal? Finals at the Garage Games?

Rowing WOD 11/13:

5 x 500m

Rest as long as it takes you to complete 500m.  

Row as follows:

  • Pieces 1 and 2: practice the start of the race plan

  • Pieces 3 and 4: practice holding race pace like the body of the race plan

  • Piece 5: practice sprinting out at 250m like the finish of the race plan

Before getting after today’s Rowing WOD I want you to recall two things.  What are you training for and who are you training with?  On Saturday we talked about setting appropriate goals, which is a big part of Renegade Rowing.  Along with goals you should be finding an appropriate training partner.  In terms of the psychology of training and performance, we will always push harder and focus more when there is someone right there next to us.  A training partner will make you faster just by being there and holding you accountable.  Training partners are huge, especially when that little voice starts to creep inside your head and tell you to stop pulling.

Today you should practice a few of the suspension drills we covered on Saturday and then really put that suspension to work in these 500’s.  Practice those drills once or twice with your training partner this week when you workout.

Along with suspension, today’s Rowing WOD is all about POWER!  P = Force x distance / time.  

There are three ways to row faster:

1) Row Harder,

2) Row Longer,

3) Row Higher.  

For most rowers it’s easy to learn to row longer and higher, but rowing harder doesn’t come easy.  That is why we work on General Physical Preparedness!  Gym’s like CrossFit Boston are what allows us to row harder, push ourselves, and produce more force each stroke.  Keep up with your WODS!  In order to row longer we need more compression with the legs at the catch while maintaining a tall posture and not lunging.  This requires us to have more flexibility, so keep working on that extra mobility!  Hips and Hamstring Flexibility are key!  Last, rowing higher means rowing at a higher stroke rating.  After playing with the damper setting and learning about drag factors, we have come to realize that we are more efficient at that higher stroke rating.  Remember when we need to sprint at the end of a piece we can  start to bring that split down by picking up the stroke rating!

Before starting today’s Rowing WOD you should review our race plan.  My idea for using this race plan is to keep it simple.  I’d like us to keep it simple and execute rather than coming up with some elaborate plan that we can’t execute.  

Here is the race plan:

Starting 3 strokes (Half, 3/4, Full)

7 − 10 high strokes

Settle to race pace (your goal split, this requires a RATIO shift, take time to sit up and breath on the recovery!)

Pull a consistent split +/- 1 split second through the body of the race

@250m sprint for the finish line!

Post your Average Splits for each piece to comments.

********** IMPORTANT *************

Keep practicing Body Preparation and Connection!  Have someone watch you and see if you’re getting your body angle set by 1/2 slide and keeping connected as you start each stroke.

To see some of the warmup videos from the past week check out the media page on the website:

http://www.crossfitboston.com/page/index.php?menu=media&page=videos

I’m working to update these videos as well, so check back frequently.

Row Smart, Row Hard!

Rowing WOD 11/12: Double Pyramids – 2 x 19min w/ 2min Rest – Post Distances

Final Survivor WOD of the day!

Double Pyramids

2 x 19min

w/ 2min Rest

  1. 4′ @18, 3′ @20, 2′ @22, 1′ @24, 2′ @22, 3′ @20, 4′ @18

  2. 4′ @20, 3′ @22, 2′ @24, 1′ @26, 2′ @24, 3′ @22, 4′ @20

Yesterday was the final day of competition at the Garage Games New England Finals.  Props to all those who competed and crushed those calories on the chipper.  I saw a lot of great form with athletes really trying to focus on efficiency and being ready to hop off the rower ready to go.  That being said there were a number of athletes that could use 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 an 18 stroke rating to a 20 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 you’re distance rowed to comments as well as your thoughts on Ratio.

***Also remember to throw in a few strokes where you focus on Suspension and what we covered on Saturday!

Rowing WOD 11/10: 5 x 500m w/ 1:30 Rest @2k+5, vary damper – Post Splits and Favorite Drag Factor

Rowing WOD 11/10:

Suspension Drills

5 x 500m w/ 1:30 Rest

  1. @2k+5, Damper Set at 6

  2. @2k+5, Damper Set at 5

  3. @2k+5, Damper Set at 4

  4. @2k+5, Damper Set at 3

  5. @2k+5, Damper Set at 2

Check Drag Factor

Recently we’ve been reviewing the fundamental skills of posture, control, and connection.  Today we’ll take the idea of connection one step further as we feel what it means to suspend from the oar handle.  Suspension is all about using our body weight to hang on the oar and help accelerate the handle all the way through the drive.  The key is not to create any force Upward off the seat, but to just become weightless off your seat while keeping in contact with it.  Everything – forces, handle height, chain – needs to be HORIZONTAL when we row!  NO need to do extra Work (W = mgh) by moving stuff up and down every stroke, keep it horizontal!

Drills we’ll cover include the Stand Up/Sit Down drill to get the feeling of suspending above the seat.  Remember this is an exaggeration to get the correct sensation and feeling of good connection.  We will also do the Strap Drill where we statically hang and suspend from the handle while maintaining our body angles and strong postures.  Then we’ll do the Strap Drill dynamically by letting the strap out slowly and trying to hold suspension all the way through the drive.

In today’s Rowing WOD we’ll be varying the damper to find where we’re most efficient.  Over the next week play around with the damper to find where you’re most comfortable/efficient .  When you find a damper setting you like, check the drag factor so you can begin using a consistent drag factor.  For more information on Drag Factors read this article: http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/tips-and-general-info/damper-setting-101

For today’s 500m pieces, try to focus on good connection and suspension while keeping a consistent split for all 5 pieces.  After you’re done look back at the memory to see what your average stroke rating was for each piece.  Whatever piece felt comfortable/efficient and was done at a stroke rating of 28-32 might be a good drag factor for you.  Take a couple of minutes to set the damper to that number and check the drag factor on the monitor.  Remember that drag factor and try to use it next time you row to see if you still like it.

Post your average splits and favorite drag factor to comments!

********** IMPORTANT *************

The biggest thing to focus on and practice right now is the fundamentals!!!  Body Preparation by Half Slide is Key and Connection to move the handle with the seat out of the Catch is key!  If you can Prep and Connect, the suspension will come.  Whenever focusing on suspension ensure your abs are engaged and you have a solid hollow body!  Protect those discs!

If you have any questions let me know!  I look forward to seeing the Renegade Rowing Club on Saturday at 8am.

To see some of the warmup videos mentioned in this post check out the media page on the CrossFit Boston website:

http://www.crossfitboston.com/page/index.php?menu=media&page=videos