Push Ups” – Post Time

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Renegade Rowing

Rowing WOD:

Rowing Annie w/ Push Ups – For Time…

500m Row
50 Double Unders
25 Push Ups
400m Row
40 Double Unders
20 Push Ups
300m Row
30 Double Unders
15 Push Ups
200m Row
20 Double Unders
10 Push Ups
100m Row
10 Double Unders
5 Push Ups

Today’s Rowing WOD is a great take on the classic Girl WOD Annie. The rowing pieces are descending in length, so a good goal would be to hold the average 500m split that you row on the first 500m all the way through the rest. If you can finish the last 100m in 10 strokes you got game! Be sure to breathe and find a consistent rhythm for the double under’s and sit ups.

Long time Renegade Larry finished in 18 minutes last time he did this. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone crush it. I’ve substituted the push ups for the sit ups to give you guys a break from the sit ups we did on Wednesday. I’m sure this version will be just as spicy.

Attack it and post your time to comments!

Rowing WOD 8/19/15: 2k Row; 5Rds – 10 OHS, 10 Sit Ups; 2k Row – Post Time and Splits

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Renegade Rowing

Rowing WOD:

For Time …

Row 2k (@5k-1 Pace);

Then 5 Rounds of …

10 Overhead Squats w/ Empty Barbell

10 GH Sit Ups to Parallel (sub w/ abmat sit ups or v-ups);

Then Row 2k (@5k+3 Pace)

When rowing longer distances like 4k to 10k it helps to have a game plan. Usually that game plan is to negative split. Row the first thousand meters at an easy pace and then start to chip away and push harder through the middle and the end. That plan doesn’t always work, but if you can find a way to be mentally strong and clear your head as if each 2k is a whole new race than there’s a chance you’ll get it done with a negative split.

Today’s Rowing WOD is a beast and a game plan will definitely be required. A great goal would be to hold the same split for the first 2k and the last 2k. That being said, there is a lot of work in the middle that will tax the arms and core. Your ability to transfer power from feet to hands will be challenged at the start of your second 2k. When you first start rowing again try to focus on power from the legs until your body and arms come back to normal. If every muscle in your body is obliterated then just focus on being smooth and efficient with your technique and energy use. If you can, mentally reset for the second 2k and hold a pace of 5k+3.

Post your overall time and average split for each 2k to comments.

Rowing WOD 8/15/14: 2x2k w/ 4min Rest – Post Splits During On

Posted on August 15, 2015 by Renegade Rowing

Rowing WOD:

2 x 2k Row w/ 4min Rest as follows …

1st 2k:

750m @ Race Pace
250m @ 18 spm (paddle light)
750m @ Race Pace
250m @ 18 spm (paddle light)

Rest 4min

2nd 2k:

750m @ Race pace
500m @ 18 spm (paddle light)
750m @ Race Pace

Have you ever wished you could get a feel for Fran before competing so that you know what to plan for mentally and physically? If you’re competing in the Renegade Rowing League this winter I’m sure you’re thinking about that 2k. What will it feel like? How should it be paced? What can I do to improve upon my last 2k?

While our focus over the next two months is the 5k, it doesn’t hurt to build ourselves up by staying familiar with the 2k distance. Look back at your results from last Tuesday and try to go faster. You only have two 2k’s to do today.

Today’s Rowing WOD is a great way to test out the race pace you’d like to hold on your next 2k. Set the monitor for 2,000m of work and 5 minutes of rest. During the first 750m hold your ideal race pace and really execute with intensity. Then paddle out for the next 250m . At the 1000m mark build back up and row the next 750m at race pace. Finish with a paddle to recover. The second 2k will be executed similarly.

To see your consistency during the race pace portions set the monitor to record split lengths of 250m. This is done on the screen when you enter the work and rest. After the workout go into the memory and check it out.

Post your goal 500m Split and how you executed the 750m portions to achieve it.

Rest Day 8/13/15: How does sport specificity play into your training? – Share Thoughts

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Renegade Rowing

Rest Day:

How does sport specificity play into your training?

When training with constantly varied, functional movements, performed at high intensity the focus is to build general physical preparedness. The pyramid model of training has a base made of nutrition that supports metabolic conditioning, gymnastics, weightlifting, and a peak of sport. So if the ultimate goal of our training is to compete in a sport and do so with super health and elite fitness, how do you work sport specific training into your daily/weekly routine?

In the sport of rowing it definitely helps to have as much water time as possible to become efficient at moving the boat. One downfall of spending every hour in a boat can be a decrease in strength, power, and overall fitness. How do we get enough time in the boat and still maintain our power and fitness?

I’ve combined the two – 1. Rowing on the Water with 2. Metabolic Conditioning and Strength Work – in the gym. I’ve tested this program with the Boston College Men’s Team over the past two years. For a two-hour practice we row for 15 minutes, run a mile to the gym, do a 45 minute session at Our Crew Fitness, run a mile back to the boat, and then row back to the dock for another 15-20 minutes.

Having experienced this, I’m very excited to bring this Renegade Rowing programming to more rowers. It allows for a sport specific warmup and cool down while mixing in an endurance aspect with the running and overall amount of work done in a two-hour practice. The workout in the gym allows us to focus on building strength and power. The best part is that with the right focus this work can be used for skill transfer to rowing. While it’s not sport specific work, there are aspects that can reinforce the sport specific skills needed when we get back in the boat at the end of practice.

The absolute best part though is the Fun! A two-hour practice of competition and fun, both on the water and in the gym.

Please share your thoughts and methods for combining sport specific training with general physical preparedness.

If you’d like to join in and train Renegade Rowing style this fall please get in touch with me … pat@renegaderowing.com

Rowing WOD 8/10/15: “Snow Drifts” – 2x17min w/ 4min Rest – Post Distance

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Renegade Rowing

Rowing WOD:

“Snow Drifts”

2 x 17min w/ 4min Rest

as follows …

5′ @22 s/m, 4′ @24, 3′ @26, 2′ @28, 3′ @26

4min Rest

5′ @20 s/m, 4′ @24, 3′ @28, 2′ @30, 3′ @26

I know there’s no snow drifts out the window, but they’ll be here before you know it. I hope you’re having an awesome Summer, because it seems like it has just flown by.

Last week we hit “The Castle” to focus on ratio and rhythm. Today’s Rowing WOD is another opportunity for everyone to keep working on a sense of form and rhythm without the pressure of intensity and competition. Sometimes it’s good to slow down and dial in that technique. Pressure should be a moderate to hard steady state. That means you can get out short sentences but it’s difficult to maintain a detailed conversation.

In today’s Rowing WOD the focus is developing rhythm and endurance. Another word for rhythm in rowing is Ratio. By varying the ratio of the drive to the recovery rowers can maintain the same pace or split, but work more efficiently and make the stroke feel lighter or heavier.

Slingshot Hands Away will be key when we get on the water!

When going from a 26 stroke rating to a 28 you should focus on more pressure with the legs and quickly redirecting the hands through the finish. Think of a slingshot as you pull the hands in and release them quick and smooth away. This will help increase the stroke rating while leaving you the same amount of time to sit up, breathe, and relax as you slide forward on the recovery. When the rating shifts down from a 28 to a 26 be sure to perform a ratio shift and try to maintain the same split. Focus on pushing a little harder and take an extra second to breath on the recovery to bring the stroke rating down.

Post distance rowed to comments along with songs that helped you stick to each rating!

Music can motivate us to push harder and row longer, but it can also give us a sense of timing. We might have to start calling it Music Monday’s if this catches on, but for now just have some fun trying to row to the rhythm of the music. Please add to the playlists any songs that help you stick to a certain rating and keep pushing hard!

Below is the start of a list of songs for various stroke ratings. If you were to use a music editing program like garage band to clip the songs into segments then you could perform today’s Rowing WOD completely in time to your favorite jams.

If you have Spotify, I’ve created a playlist for each stroke rating. Each playlist is named “Renegade Rowing @(insert stroke rate)”, so for songs that you could row to at a 20 the playlist is named “Renegade Rowing @20″. If you have favorite songs that go well at certain stroke ratings please feel free to add to the playlists on Spotify. Thanks Mike T. for kick starting this project and I hope this helps motivate everyone to find better rhythm and ratio!

20 s/m: Renegade Rowing @20

22 s/m: Renegade Rowing @22

24 s/m: Renegade Rowing @24

26 s/m: Renegade Rowing @26

28 s/m: Renegade Rowing @28

30 s/m: Renegade Rowing @30

32 s/m: Renegade Rowing @32

34 s/m: Renegade Rowing @34

36 s/m: Renegade Rowing @36