Tag Archives: personal experiences

Video Review: Coach Pat – The Shoulder Press, Push Press, and Push Jerk – How well do you perform these movements?

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Shoulder Press_Boat HandlingWhen’s the last time you performed a Shoulder Press?  When’s the last time you lifted a boat from shoulders to overheads?  For many of you in Boston and the Northern states it’s been a while, but that ice is almost gone and regular water practices will be happening in no time.  Regardless, anytime you take a weight or external object from your shoulder to overhead, you are pressing, because that’s what a shoulder press is.  It’s the strongest, most efficient way to move something from shoulder to overhead.  If you need to move more weight and create more power the best movement becomes a push press.  If you need to move even more weight and create maximum speed and power that movement becomes an Olympic Lift, the Push Jerk.

I believe that if you can learn to move weight from your shoulder to overhead correctly you can and will become a better rower.  The key is how you press and what you focus on.  Here is a little video review of a pre-elite rower I’ve started working with.  This is her form before any coaching. Check out what she’s doing well and what she can do better.

Now take a look at my shoulder press, push press, and push jerk.  What parts of these movements can we tie to the rowing stroke?  I always teach the skills of 1. Posture, 2. Control, and 3. Connection whether it’s rowing or weightlifting.

1. Posture – How am I doing at maintaining a solid brace through my torso?  Is there any movement within the vertebrae of the spine?

2. Control – Is the bar traveling in a straight line over the middle of my foot?  Am I in control of my body and the bar? Can I stop at any point in time and be in a strong position?

3. Connection – How am I connected to the bar?  How am I connected to the floor?  Are my hips, hands, and shoulders connected as I initiate each movement?

After taking a look and answering some of these questions, think about your own stroke.  In the front end of your stroke, from 1/2 slide up to the catch and back, how do your joints move in relation to one another?  Can you stay connected?  Do you break or tense your arms early?  Is your shoulder and upper body strong enough to connect the power coming from your legs to your hands?  Do you feel or see any similarities when you press/push press/push jerk and row back to back?  How’s your posture and brace at the finish? Can perfecting these movements help improve your rowing?

Please share your thoughts to comments and I’ll get back to you with feedback.

Video Review: Coach Pat – The Squat and Rowing – How well do you perform these movements?

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One of the First Renegade Rowing Athletes to become a Firsthand Athlete!

One of the First Renegade Rowing Athletes to become a Firsthand Athlete!

When’s the last time you performed a Squat?  When’s the last time you sat in a chair or got in a boat?  For many of you in Boston and the Northern states it’s been a while, but that ice is almost gone and regular water practices will be happening in no time.  Regardless, anytime you sit or stand up you are squatting, because that’s what a squat is.  It’s the strongest, most efficient, most powerful way to get your body up out of a chair or seated position.

I believe that if you can learn to squat correctly you can and will become a better rower.  The key is how you squat and what you focus on.  Here is a little video review of a pre-elite rower I’ve started working with.  This is her form before any coaching. Check out what she’s doing well and what she can do better.

Now take a look at my squat and rowing below.  What parts of the squat can we tie to the rowing stroke?  I always teach the skills of 1. Posture, 2. Control, and 3. Connection whether it’s rowing or weightlifting.

1. Posture – How am I doing at maintaining a solid brace through my torso?  Is there any movement within the vertebrae of the spine?

2. Control – Is the bar traveling in a straight line over the middle of my foot?  Am I in control of my body and the bar? Can I stop at any point in time and be in a strong position?

3. Connection – How am I connected to the bar?  How am I connected to the floor?  Are my hips, hands, and shoulders connected as I go to stand?

After taking a look and answering some of these questions, think about your own stroke.  In the front end of your stroke, from 1/2 slide up to the catch and back, how do your joints move in relation to one another and what does your body angle look like?  How much distance is there between your butt and your heals?  Do you feel or see any similarities when you squat and row back to back?  Can perfecting one movement help improve the other?

Please share your thoughts to comments and I’ll get back to you with feedback.

Video Review: Coach Pat – The Deadlift and Rowing – How well do you perform these movements?

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Coxswains getting after the Deadlift last winter!

Coxswains getting after the Deadlift last winter!

When’s the last time you performed a Deadlift?  When’s the last time you picked the boat up out of the water?  For many of you in Boston and the Northern states it’s been a while, but that ice is almost gone and regular water practices will be happening in no time.  Regardless, anytime you pick something up you should be deadlifting, because that’s what a deadlift is.  It’s the strongest, most efficient, most powerful way to pick something up off the floor or out of the water.

I believe that if you can learn to hip hinge and deadlift correctly you can and will become a better rower.  The key is how you deadlift and what you focus on.  Here is a little video review of a pre-elite rower I’ve started working with.  This is her form before any coaching. Check out what she’s doing well and what she can do better.

Now take a look at my hip hinge and deadlift below.  What parts of the deadlift can we tie to the rowing stroke?  I always teach the skills of 1. Posture, 2. Control, and 3. Connection whether it’s rowing or weightlifting.

1. Posture – How am I doing at maintaining a solid brace through my torso?  Is there any movement within the vertebrae of the spine?

2. Control – Is the bar traveling in a straight line over the middle of my foot?  Am I in control of my body and the bar? Can I stop at any point in time and be in a strong position?

3. Connection – How am I connected to the bar?  How am I connected to the floor?  Are my hips, hands, and shoulders connected when the bar is below the knee?

After taking a look and answering some of these questions, think about your own stroke.  In the front end of your stroke, from 1/2 slide up to the catch and back, how do your joints move in relation to one another and what does your body angle look like?  Does it stay the same?  When does your body start to swing open?  Do you feel or see any similarities when you deadlift and row back to back?  Can perfecting one movement help improve the other?

Please share your thoughts to comments and I’ll get back to you with feedback.

Who is sick of the ice? – Video Review on C2 Sliders – Share your thoughts!

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Are you sick of Winter?  I think I am, especially after that warmer weather last week.  It was nice to be able to wear just a light jacket and not a parka. To inspire you and motivate you to get on the Water as soon as the ice melts on the Charles River, I’m sharing a video of some slider work.  This past week we’ve been using the sliders to find rhythm and ratio.  That way we’re ready to hop right in the boats and race in another week.  Take a look and see how they can help you.  What are they doing well?  What do they need to work on?  Are you focused on rowing on the erg as if you were going to row on the water?  Please share your thoughts in the comments section and consider joining Renegade Rowing this Spring.

Where’s the fun in life? Our Reason for Competition in Rowing, Fitness, and Strength Training

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The morning crew at CRASH-B 2015. Great racing everyone!

The morning crew at CRASH-B 2015. Great racing everyone!

Last week I shared my belief that life is all about motion and learning.  To live and survive, we must be able to move from place to place and interact with the world around us.  That’s great, but how does fun fit into that line of thinking?  I recently had an epic weekend with my college buddies and they reconfirmed my love for competition and sport, which is where I find fun in life.  Competition turns some people off, but let me explain why I think it’s an integral part of our daily lives that everyone should embrace.

Competition is the basis for all sport.  People play sports because they’re fun.  Sports are fun because every participant is given a chance to compete.  It’s not the outcome or the opponent that matters.  People enjoy competing because they’re given an opportunity to test themselves and their abilities in order to experience the thrill of an improvement toward a goal.  Competition can be both individual and team oriented.   By incorporating competition into everyday practice, Renegade Rowing allows us to track progress toward our goals, but more importantly to have fun and experience the journey.

Pat UVM CrewIn order to compete, athletes must develop mental toughness.  Firsthand athletes are developed through competition when they harness the power of the mind.  Our thoughts affect our feelings and our feelings affect our actions.  Anyone can develop an ability to do work with regards to fitness and rowing, but when work capacity is combined with mental toughness, athletes can control their actions and reach their goals.  Mental toughness is an athlete’s ability to commit to competition with a belief in oneself, to have a positive focus on the things they can control, and to embrace challenge as an opportunity for learning and self-improvement.

While the thrill of intrinsic motivation should be what drives us, we should not forget about the power of the opponent or the teammate in competition.  We can push ourselves asCFRowing Trainer Courseindividuals, but the opportunity to push ourselves against others will only make us better.  I’m a competitive guy and I like being pushed and challenged and testing my abilities against others.  There’s honesty in giving it all you have against others, especially knowing they’re doing the same.

Rowing is an Olympic Sport that elite athletes train for year round.  Some athletes may only compete 5 to 6 times per year and of those competitions they might only peak for one race.  Most other sports have seasons filled with games allowing for learning and development during competition.  Renegade Rowing incorporates daily competition so that athletes have the same opportunities that other sports have.  Renegade athletes will have the confidence needed to perform on race day.  By providing many opportunities to experience race day competition in practice, athletes will have a wealth of experiences to draw from when race day arrives.

If you enjoy the thrill of competition and are looking for a community of like-minded individuals who push each other to be better, Renegade Rowing is for you.  Share your thoughts, comments, and questions below.  We’d love to hear from you and compete alongside you!

Here is the training plan for the week:

RR Training Plan 3-16-15