Tag Archives: mental toughness

Compete! Re-Test “Sculler X”! – Post your score and any improvement

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Today is a Competition Day!  Compete with yourself and try to crush your previous time!

Results from Sculler X last week.

Results from Sculler X last week.

Preparation vs. Competition

In our plan one week will be a microcycle. Our microcycles can be classified as either preparation or competition. During a preparation microcycle a fitness block and/or a rowing block will be introduced and then repeated the following week. In the following week, aka – competition microcycle, those blocks will be repeated and individuals will be expected to compete and try to better their performances from the preparation microcycle.

This week is a great example.  Today is a Re-Test of “Sculler X”, which was introduced last week.  Last week was a preparation microcycle and this week is the competition microcycle.  If you did “Sculler X” last Wednesday and you are attacking it again today your goal should be to finish the rowing for calories in one less stroke and hold a more consistent pace overall.  Last week you prepared.  This week you drop the hammer and compete.  Have fun and get after it!  Let us know how you do and if you were able to improve.

The Renegades throwing down with "Sculler X" last week!

The Renegades throwing down with “Sculler X” last week!

Strength and Conditioning WOD:

Re-Test

“Sculler X”

5 Rounds For Time:

10 Pistols (5 each leg)

10 Push Ups

10 Kettle Bell Swings (2/1.5 Pood)

10 Calories on the Erg

  • (HOW MANY STROKES WILL THIS TAKE YOU?)

When rowing on the water balance and single leg strength come into play much more than rowing indoors on the erg.  Exercises like the pistol (single leg squat) really help develop the sense of balance and power needed to move a boat.  Think about making a big turn in a sculling shell mid race, like any of the turns in the Head of the Charles.  A sculler must be able to balance (a.k.a. set) the boat and transfer force to the water.  Those that do this well maintain boat speed around turns and can walk through opponents.  If you can’t do a pistol yet substitute goblet squats.

Keep a firm core

The push up is a great stabilizing exercise if you try to keep the hips and torso quiet.  Everything needs to move together.  Keep that core firm and ensure everything touches and leaves the ground at the same time.  Last but not least there is the kettle bell swing.  Really focus on driving through the heels and activating the glutes and hamstrings while keeping a solid core.

Full depth push up!

Now hold up!  What about all of the athletes out there that are using rowing as a cross training tool?  You’re in luck.  If you can piece together good efficient movement in the first three exercises then you should be able to crush the row for calories at the end of each round.

Your goal should be consistent, efficient strokes.  For those that have been working on suspension and have tried a drill like the strap drill, you’ll want to fully suspend throughout each stroke in order to get done in as few strokes as possible.  If you suspend well and can maintain a nice ratio then the rowing part of this workout will become active rest and allow you to breathe.  Don’t get me wrong, 10 calories is not much and you should be pushing the pace, but work on suspension and make the rowing as effortless as possible so you can crush the rest of this Rowing WOD.

Post your time and the fewest number of strokes it took to complete 10 calories!

S&C WOD 12/10/14: 5RFT – 20 Cal, 15 Push Ups, 10 DB GtO, 5 Split Squat Jumps – Post Time

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Strength and Conditioning WOD:

Are you getting a full finish every stroke?

Are you getting a full finish every stroke?

5 Rounds for time…

  • 20 Cal Row
  • 15 Push Ups (hand release)
  • 10 Dumbbell Ground To Overhead 45/30
  • 5 Split Squat Jumps (ea. leg)

Rest 1:30 between rounds

Today’s Rowing WOD is another long burner to build up your muscular endurance as well as your cardiovascular and respiratory endurance.  Fight to go unbroken in all the movements and be sure to get a good mobility session afterwards to begin rebuilding and realigning all of your muscle fibers.  Be efficient in your movement, keep a constant pace, and keep breathing.

Post your time to comments.

Rowing WOD 12/9/14: 5x800m w/ 2min Rest – Post Splits

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Don’t forget to checkout the Renegade Rowing Training Plan for this week and choose which blocks you will hit – RRTP 12-8-14.

Rowing WOD:

Greg is ready for the Catch!

5 x 800m w/ 2min Rest

1st @24 s/m (2k+5)

2nd @26 (2k+3)

3rd @28 (2k+1)

4th @30 (2k)

5th @32 (2k-1)

Some of our best results are found when training at high intensity.  In order to develop as an athlete you’ll need to develop an ability to go hard and bring your “A” game.  Today’s Rowing WOD provides an opportunity for just that.  Set the monitor for 800m of work and 2 minutes of rest.  While the stroke rating starts out low, there should be a focus on power per stroke and solid intensity across all five pieces.  The increasing stroke rating will give you a chance to see where you’re most effective.  Ideally whenever the stroke rating is increased the split should decrease.  Try to pick a split for each stroke rating and commit for the whole piece.  The last 3 should be around race pace.

Post your Average 500m Splits for each piece to comments.

****Renegade Rowing Club****

Today we will work on goblet squats to the erg in the warmup to complement the explosiveness we want in the legs at the catch.  We also reviewed the strap drill to feel suspension through the whole stroke.  Keep working to turn the legs on and suspend at the catch.  Here is a picture of Renegade Rower Thor getting after that suspension and explosiveness.

Keep Crushing It Thor!

Keep Crushing It Thor!

Rowing WOD 12/6/14: Max Pressure 2x1k, 2x500m, 2x250m – Post Splits

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Rowing WOD 12/6/14:

Greg of the RRC getting after it!

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 posted in your gym like 5-5-5-5-5 Back 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 is your ability to push your boundaries a little further everyday.  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 even 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.

Strength and Conditioning WOD 12/5/14: 500m Row, 5MBC, 400m Row, 10MBC, … – Post Time

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Strength and Conditioning WOD:

Focus on fully extending the hips! A Med Ball Clean would be a good scale for beginners.

Focus on fully extending the hips! A Med Ball Clean would be a good scale for beginners.

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!