Rowing WOD:
2k Row
Today’s Rowing WOD is a 2k Row. It’s a test of how much pain and glory you can endure over seven to eight minutes. Grab some friends and get after it. This is our first test of the winter season and will give us a baseline to work off of and use in pacing future workouts. Be in the moment, execute your splits, smile, have some fun, breath, and get after it!
Post your 2k results to comments!
Rowing WOD:
Some friends doing something different on a Saturday morning! Competing at the Renegade Rowing League!
All For Time …
1. 500m Row (like start of 2k)
2. 3 Rounds Of:
3. 500m Row (like finish of 2k)
Today’s Rowing WOD is an opportunity to practice both the beginning and end of your 2k race plan while developing power with the hips. Treat each 500 as if they were your ideal 2k. For the first 500m perform your starting sequence with a race start, high 7-10 strokes, and settle to race pace. During the Power Cleans and Burpees work on efficient movement and connection through your hips. Try to go unbroken and consistently jump the same distance for each broad jump. If you’re still working technique for the power cleans, substitute 3 med ball cleans for every power clean to build up your strength and conditioning. As you come into the last 500m you will be feeling it just like the 2k, so focus on breathing and holding onto race pace. When you hit the last 250m start to negative split and practice your sprint for the finish.
Post your overall time to complete all three parts to comments along with your average split for each 500m.
RR Decal for Competitors at Renegade Rowing League!
Performing an appropriate warmup for the workout that is set out each day can make or break a performance. Below is the warmup we use fairly consistently in classes at the Renegade Rowing Club. It’s a good 10min warmup to focus on control, connection, and recovering to strength. Checkout how slow the Renegade Rowing Club approaches the catch in the beginning. Executing this drill with control will allow you to really focus on putting technique changes into effect and hitting that catch with good timing and connection.
Please share what you do for a warmup when rowing is involved in the workout. What is your focus?
Renegade Rowing Club Warmup:
1min – 1/2 Legs Only
1min – Full Legs Only
1min – Legs and Body Only
1min – Full Stroke
1min – Pause @1/2 Slide Every Stroke
5min – 10 Strokes On/ 10 Strokes Off, 15 On/15 Off, 20 On/20 Off
Olympic Lifting and Rowing?
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:
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!
Renegade Rowing 