Tag Archives: Strength

Rest Day 8/20/15: What’s your favorite mobility move for Rowing? – Get Loose!

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Rest Day:

The Renegade Rowing Team drilling by Moonlight!

What’s your favorite mobility move for Rowing?

Get Loose and Enjoy 15 minutes of Hamstring and Hip Mobility.

Over the past week we’ve hit it pretty hard with intensity and higher volume.  Our ability to sit up and maintain a solid core through the stroke has a lot to do with our hamstring flexibility and the work we do on off days to promote recovery and rebuilding of the muscle fibers we tear.  Use today as an opportunity to stretch out and rebuild those hamstrings, increase your flexibility, and eat some good quality food.

Share your favorite mobility move, where you’re feeling it today, and how you mobilized!

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

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Rowing WOD:

Renegade Rowing Workout

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

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Rowing WOD:

Renegade Rowing Practice - Imagine Today's Rowing WOD on the water.

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.

Rowing WOD 8/14/15: AMRAP10 − 1 HSPU, 100m Row, … – Post Rounds + Reps

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Rowing WOD:

Renegade Rowing Team after a solid practice learning the Triple Pause Drill.

As Many Rounds As Possible in 10min …

1 Handstand Push Up, 100m Row

2 Handstand Push Ups, 200m Row

4 Handstand Push Ups, 400m Row

8 Handstand Push Ups, 800m Row

… keep doubling the reps and distance each round.

Today’s Rowing WOD provides a chance to work on maintaining a tight midline and building our aerobic capacity.  No matter what scale you’re doing for the Handstand Push Ups, be sure to lock your ribs down with a tight belly, squeeze your butt, and point your toes to create tension throughout your whole body.  This will work both your core stability, needed for better posture in the boat, and your ability to transfer force to the oar.

After each set of HSPU get right on the erg and get the wheel spinning.  Try to keep steady pressure and hold a consistent split until you get your breath back.  Once your breath returns try to negative split the rest of the piece with a solid sprint in the last 100m.  The idea is each piece will get longer and you’ll have to rely on good form and breathing to get through it.  Dig deep and get after it!

Have a goal of the splits you would like to hold for each piece.  Just like the HSPU, focus on a solid core as you approach the catch and initiate with the legs.  Try to get as much power as you can from the legs to save your upper body for the HSPU.

Post your score, rounds + reps (every 10m is 1 rep), and any scales to comments.

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

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Rest Day:

The Renegade Rowing Team after a sunset row on the Charles River!

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