Tag Archives: endurance sports

Rowing WOD 7/16: 5k Row – Post Time

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD 7/16:

5k Row

How well does your body process and use oxygen to do work?  How long can you sustain work?  Today’s assessment will give you an idea of both your aerobic capacity and endurance.  Set your monitor for 5,000 meters and get after it.  Be sure to record your time, average 500m split, average stroke rating, and average watts.  This will give you an idea of your work capacity over about 20 minutes.

For those wondering why we’re doing such a long test and how to attack it, think of this as a Girl Wod like “Mary”.  The athlete who can efficiently and effectively move their body weight will be able to consistently do more work aerobically without having to dip into anaerobic energy stores.  Also, when tackling “Mary”, good competitors will go in with a game plan based on what they know they can maintain.  The first couple of rounds may be used to ease into the work without flying and dying.

Whether you’re a Vet or Novice, the goal should be to maintain a consistent 500m split and stroke rating throughout the whole piece.  If this is your first 5k aim to build your confidence by negative splitting.  Start the first 1k at a moderately hard pace that you can consistently hold.  Then every 1k after that try to pull a little bit faster, perhaps 1 split second every 1k.  What you should avoid is going out to hard, say 1:45 /500m, and then dying half way through to limp in at a split of 2:00 /500m.

Novices should try to maintain a stroke rating of 24 to 26.  Vets should work on executing a race plan, maintaining their splits, and rowing at a stroke rating of 26 to 28.

Let us know how you do!  Post your results to Comments.

Rowing WOD 7/13: Max Pressure 2x1k w/ 5′ r, 2×500 w/ 3′ r, 2×250 w/ 1:30 r

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD 7/13:

Max Pressure

2 x 1k w/ 5:00 Rest

2 x 500m w/ 3:00 Rest

2 x 250m w/ 1:30 Rest

Have you ever seen a WOD like 5-5-5-5-5 Front Squat and that’s it?  Did you think that would be a good day to take off because there’s not much to it and you’d rather go to a session with more stuff?  Well snap out of it and hit that WOD hard next time.  High Intensity and you’re ability to push your boundaries a little further everyday will get results.  If you never test your limits you’ll never know what you’ve got.

Todays Rowing WOD calls for Max Pressure and is a test of your ability to consistently perform at your highest intensity.  Set the monitor for Intervals Variable and input 1k, 5min rest, 1k, 5min rest, 500m, 3min rest, 500m, 3min rest, 250m, 1min30sec rest, 250m, 1min30sec rest.  Pick a 500m Split and a Stroke Rating you plan to hold for each distance.  The first time you perform that distance execute that pace (split and SR) as consistently as possible.  When you repeat the distance try to be more consistent and go a little bit faster.  

Remember, the goal is to row at max pressure for every piece.  Focus on your split and stroke rate and row at high intensity with good form.

Post your average 500m splits to comments.

Rowing WOD 7/11: 500m Slide Control Relay – Post Time

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD 7/11:

500m Slide Control Relay

200m Run

500m Row @ 17 spm

500m Row @ 19

500m Row @ 21

500m Row @ 23

500m Row @ 21

500m Row @ 19

500m Row @ 17

200m Run

Rowing is both individual and team oriented.  Today provides a fun challenge for both the team and individual.  The team will be trying to finish as fast as possible and every individual will have an opportunity to focus on individual slide control and strength.  In terms of Competitions, this is a great opportunity to practice quick transitions on the erg or even experiment with rowing feet out.  

The workout should be run as follows.  Create teams of two or three.  On 3,2,1 Go! Run 200m as a team.  Then complete 7 separate 500m pieces.  A different rower must start each piece.  The catch is that each 500m must be rowed at the designated stroke rating with a tolerance of +/- one beat.  So for the first piece the stroke rating must be at a 16-18, with 17 being the ideal rate.  Rowers will have five strokes to get within the designated stroke rate.  After that, if the stroke rating goes outside of the tolerance zone, that rower must switch and a teammate must hop on.  After all 7 pieces are complete the whole team must run one more 200m sprint to finish the workout.  

One last catch, the teammates not rowing must do a plank hold while they wait and cheer.  Once the plank hold cannot be maintained with proper form, an Ass-to-Grass Squat should be performed.  If anyone’s back begins to act up focus on keeping a firm core as you initiate the drive and roll out while you wait.

Post your time and thoughts on slide control to comments.  Is it really necessary?

Rowing WOD 7/10: 8 x 250m Row w/ 1min Rest – Post Your Splits

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD 7/10:

8 x 250m Row w/ 1 min Rest

What’s your game plan for Jackie or perhaps today’s WOD in your gym?  No matter what the workout you’ll benefit from having a plan and a focus.  Even if things don’t go according to plan you’ll end up doing better by adjusting your plan than making one up on the fly.  In Rowing WODs the key is to not fly and die, but be as efficient as possible.  You want to empty the tanks, but get the most out of your effort.

Next week will be an assessment week for all you interested in testing your fitness.  In order to prepare for testing at different distances some of the rowing wods this week will be focused on race pressure and executing a race plan.  

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 two pieces as if they were part of the second 500m, Row the next two 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 8 intervals.  For example: alternating between splits of 1:50 and 2:00 is inefficient.  Instead consistently pull 1:55 every interval.

Post you Splits and Thoughts to comments.

Rowing WOD 7/9: 3x10min w/ 2min Rest – Post Stroke Ratings

Posted on by
Reply

Rowing WOD 7/9:

3x10min w/ 2min Rest

1st 10min: (hold one stroke rate)

  • 2min @ 2:20
  • 2min @ 2:18
  • 2min @ 2:16
  • 2min @ 2:14
  • 2min @ 2:12

2nd 10min: (hold one stroke rate)

  • 2min @ 2:15
  • 2min @ 2:13
  • 2min @ 2:11
  • 2min @ 2:09
  • 2min @ 2:07

3rd 10min: (hold one stroke rate)

  • 2min @ 2:10
  • 2min @ 2:08
  • 2min @ 2:06
  • 2min @ 2:04
  • 2min @ 2:02

 Today’s Rowing WOD is an opportunity to learn about stroke rating, rhythm, ratio, pressure, and control.  The goal is to pick one stroke rating for each 10 minute piece and hold it through all of the 2 minute shifts.  This will force you to control the recovery.  Try not to pause anywhere in the stroke.  The goal is to maintain continuous, smooth motion throughout the stroke, but to vary the speed/rhythm of the drive time versus the recovery time.  For the really high /500m splits the recovery may take two or three times as long as the drive.  Remember the recovery is an opportunity to breathe and relax, not to rush up the slide for the next stroke.

If you can master this workout you’ll be able to have full control over your pressure and effort in a WOD.  Instead of being afraid of rowing, you’ll be able to say – I’m going to hold this stroke rating and this split for this long – then I’ll be ready to hop off and crush whatever comes next.  Over the next few weeks we’ll be increasing the intensity of these types of pieces, so start developing your sense of control now while the intensity is less.  Really focus on your posture, sequencing, and form if you’re confident in your ability to control the split and the stroke rating.

Post your stroke ratings for each piece and share your thoughts on control.