Rowing WOD 7/16: 5k Row – Post Time

Rowing WOD 7/16:

5k Row

How well does your body process and use oxygen to do work?  How long can you sustain work?  Today’s assessment will give you an idea of both your aerobic capacity and endurance.  Set your monitor for 5,000 meters and get after it.  Be sure to record your time, average 500m split, average stroke rating, and average watts.  This will give you an idea of your work capacity over about 20 minutes.

For those wondering why we’re doing such a long test and how to attack it, think of this as a Girl Wod like “Mary”.  The athlete who can efficiently and effectively move their body weight will be able to consistently do more work aerobically without having to dip into anaerobic energy stores.  Also, when tackling “Mary”, good competitors will go in with a game plan based on what they know they can maintain.  The first couple of rounds may be used to ease into the work without flying and dying.

Whether you’re a Vet or Novice, the goal should be to maintain a consistent 500m split and stroke rating throughout the whole piece.  If this is your first 5k aim to build your confidence by negative splitting.  Start the first 1k at a moderately hard pace that you can consistently hold.  Then every 1k after that try to pull a little bit faster, perhaps 1 split second every 1k.  What you should avoid is going out to hard, say 1:45 /500m, and then dying half way through to limp in at a split of 2:00 /500m.

Novices should try to maintain a stroke rating of 24 to 26.  Vets should work on executing a race plan, maintaining their splits, and rowing at a stroke rating of 26 to 28.

Let us know how you do!  Post your results to Comments.

Rowing WOD 7/14: 4RFT – 500m Row, 10 Deadlifts 225/155 – Post Time

Rowing WOD 7/14:

4 Rounds For Time

500m Row

10 Deadlifts 225/155

How do you game your WODs?  When attacking a 2k row a good way to game it is to think of 4 different races in your head.  Each one is a fresh start to hold your ideal split, stick to a stroke rating, refocus and fight.  Today’s Rowing WOD is all about that mentality.  Before going into it be sure to warmup your deadlift and do a few bursts on the erg at the split you aim to hold for each piece.  Think of each set of deadlifts as a power 10 to walk through your opponents.  Drive those heels down, make that boat feel light, and crush them!

Post your time to comments.

Rowing WOD 7/13: Max Pressure 2x1k w/ 5′ r, 2×500 w/ 3′ r, 2×250 w/ 1:30 r

Rowing WOD 7/13:

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 like 5-5-5-5-5 Front 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 and you’re ability to push your boundaries a little further everyday will get results.  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 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.

Rest Day 7/12: How do you think Rowing will be used in the Games?

Rest Day 7/12:

How do you think Rowing will be used in the Games?

CrossFit Rowing Coach Shane Farmer and many of the fittest people on earth will be competing this weekend at the 2012 CrossFit Games.  At regional competitions around the world we saw a 2k row, a 1k row, and rowing for calories in a chipper.  How do you think rowing will be used this year?  There’s a team competition already posted for Friday with a 750m Row.  What distances might show up for individuals?  

Share your thoughts on what you’d like to see in the games!

Rowing WOD 7/10: 8 x 250m Row w/ 1min Rest – Post Your Splits

Rowing WOD 7/10:

8 x 250m Row w/ 1 min Rest

What’s your game plan for Jackie or perhaps today’s WOD in your gym?  No matter what the workout you’ll benefit from having a plan and a focus.  Even if things don’t go according to plan you’ll end up doing better by adjusting your plan than making one up on the fly.  In Rowing WODs the key is to not fly and die, but be as efficient as possible.  You want to empty the tanks, but get the most out of your effort.

Next week will be an assessment week for all you interested in testing your fitness.  In order to prepare for testing at different distances some of the rowing wods this week will be focused on race pressure and executing a race plan.  

Today’s focus is executing a 2k race plan at high intensity.  Set the monitor for intervals distance with 250m of Work and 1 minute of Rest.  Row the first two pieces as if they were the start of the 2k.  Row the next two pieces as if they were part of the second 500m, Row the next two pieces as if they were part of the third 500m, and finish the last two pieces with a sprint like the end of a race.  

This should not be an all out 250m Max Row, but rather a calculated effort at a split close to what you think your current 2k split would be.  The goal should be to pull the lowest split possible, consistently through all 8 intervals.  For example: alternating between splits of 1:50 and 2:00 is inefficient.  Instead consistently pull 1:55 every interval.

Post you Splits and Thoughts to comments.