Rowing WOD 11/29/13: 4:00 Max Distance, Tabata Squats, 4:00 Max Distance – Post Distances and Total Squats

Rowing WOD 11/29/13:

Competitors crushing the 2k at the Third Race of the Renegade Rowing League!

Competitors crushing the 2k at the Third Race of the Renegade Rowing League!

4:00 Row – Max Distance (2k Pace)

1min Rest

Tabata Air Squats – Max Reps

  • 8 Intervals
  • :20 Work / :10 Rest
  • Count Total Number of Squats

1min Rest

4:00 Row – Max Distance (2k Pace)

Today is an opportunity to work off all the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes you crushed yesterday.  Pick a goal, ideally somewhere around your 2k split, that you’re going to hold every stroke while you row.  If you can focus on consistent pressure and count the number of consecutive strokes you row at that goal split, the 4:00 will be over before you know it.  During the Tabata Air Squats be sure to get full depth and full extension, hip crease below the knee and butt squeezed at the top.  If you short yourself the quads will get blown up and your knees will be aggravated tomorrow.  Fight for perfect form and do as many air squats as possible every interval.  Count the total number of reps completed over all 8 intervals.  Last but not least, try to maintain form and pressure on the second erg piece.  As your legs come back to life, try to bring the split back to where it was in the first piece.

The Renegade Rowing League is coming December 21st!  Have fun and get after it!

Post your total distance for each piece and you total air squats to comments.

Rowing WOD 11/27/13: “King of the Erg” – Post the King and Fastest Winning Split

Rowing WOD 11/27/13:

Chest to the deck!

Chest to the deck!

“King Of The Erg”

2 Athletes Compete At A Time:

5 Burpee Erg Jumps

300m Row (800m Max)

Win by 5m!  Winner Stays On!

Do you have what it takes to step up to the plate and execute when it counts?  Sport provides us an opportunity to compete and test ourselves and others.  By learning to push someone else, we learn to push ourselves. Don’t let your competitor off easy.  Push them.

Today’s Rowing WOD should be performed with at least three people, but can be a good challenge for the whole gym.  All you need is two ergs.  On 3,2,1 Go! Two athletes begin by doing 5 burpees (jumping over the erg rail each time).  Then the first athlete to get to 300m on the erg wins.  If the race is close, the first athlete to pull ahead by 5 meters after the 300m mark wins.  If no one takes it by 800m the competition is a draw and both athletes get off.  Otherwise the winner stays on to challenge the next athlete in line.  Repeat as long as time allows or until there are no challengers left.  If you don’t have anyone to compete against get in 6 rounds with equal work to rest in between each round.

Post your “King Of The Erg” and the best Average 500m Split of the day to comments.

Rowing WOD 11/26/13: 8x1min w/ 1min Rest – Post Splits

Rowing WOD 11/26/13:

Renegade Rowing Club starts next Monday! Register Here!

Renegade Rowing Club starts next Monday! Register Here!

8 x 1min w/ 1min Rest As Follows

1′ @24 (2k+5)

1′ @26 (2k+3)

1′ @28 (2k+1)

1′ @30 (2k)

1′ Start and Settle to 2k pace (like race)

1′ 2k pace (like race)

1′ 2k pace (like race)

1′ 2k pace and then sprint last 30sec (like race)

Last week we focused on suspension.  As you warmup today try to feel connected to the footboards and remain weightless on your seat throughout the drive.  Be sure to keep the force horizontal and don’t do any more work than you have to.  For the first half of today’s Rowing WOD you should really emphasize and feel the connection to the erg through your feet.  Feel nice smooth suspension every stroke.

In the second half of this workout focus on the release.  The goal is to suspend and push through the heel/full foot and then just as you finish the stroke keep the balls of your feet attached to the footboards.  We don’t want to rely on the straps to pull us back up.  Our finish should be powerful but in control.  One cue is to point the toes as you finish the stroke.  Also ensure that when you finish the hips aren’t tucking under.  Stay on your sit-bones and transfer the weight to the front of your seat as you swing into the recovery.  I know this is a lot to think about, so don’t get to caught up in it.  Just be smooth and stay connected to the footboards through the bottoms of your feet.

Post your average splits from each piece to comments!

Checkout the Renegade Rowing League below!  If you’re interested in competing this year it will be held on December 21st and January 25th.  You can register online here!  Deadline to register for the first competition is December 18th.

Rowing WOD 11/23/13: 2k Row, 1k Row, 500m Row – Post Times, Avg Splits, and Avg S/M

Rowing WOD 11/23/13:CFRowing Trainer Course

2k Row

3min Rest

1k Row (@2k-3)

3min Rest

500m Row (@2k-5)

Why is rowing fun?  One reason is that it provides a challenge in learning technique to be as efficient as possible while working everything from your head to your toes.  Elsewhere in sports and training, if you’ve tried the Pose Method of running you may understand the beauty of focusing on technique and the perception of what your body is doing in space. Focusing on form and technique gives your mind something to work toward, rather than complaining about how much your legs burn.

Today’s Rowing WOD is a good opportunity to focus on one or two form fixes but get after it as well.  Set the monitor for Intervals Variable and enter the work/rest accordingly.  This WOD will give you an idea of where you might need to focus your training in the coming months.  At the end of today you’ll have three benchmark rowing times that can be used to game other Rowing WODs.  These three times will also come in handy if you’re joining the Renegade Rowing Club and training for the Renegade Rowing League and CRASH-B’s!  Sign Up for the December 21st Renegade Rowing League here.

Come up with a plan and execute.  You want to have mental cues on form, breathing, and effort to fall back on the second your mind starts to wander.  If possible grab a friend and take turns coxing each other through each piece.  Be consistent with your splits and stroke ratings through each piece.  The stroke rating for this workout should be around a 28-32, but everyone needs to find what works.  Find your efficient stroke.  Novices should focus on one form fix for each piece and work hard for consistency.

Post your Times, Average 500m Splits, and Average Stroke Ratings to Comments along with an answer to this question…

Why is Rowing Fun?

Rowing WOD 11/13/13: “Row For It!” 3RFT – 750m Row, 15 Deadlifts – Post Time and Load

Rowing WOD 11/13/13:

“Row For it!” (AKA – Fight For It)

3 Rounds For Time:

750m Row (Race Pace)

15 Deadlifts (40% 1RM)

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.

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 750m Row.

Post your time to comments and share your mental cues!