Rowing WOD 3/3/15: Double Pyramids and Training in Jacksonville, FL

BC Men working in small boats at Spring Training.

BC Men working in small boats at Spring Training.

Rowing WOD:

Double Pyramids

 

2 x 19min as follows …

  • 4′ @18 s/m, 3′ @20, 2′ @22, 1′ @24, 2′ @22, 3′ @20, 4′ @18

2min Rest

  • 4′ @20, 3′ @22, 2′ @24, 1′ @26, 2′ @24, 3′ @22, 4′ @20

    BC Men working on their Deadlifts and Cleans in Jacksonville, FL during Spring Training.

    BC Men working on their Deadlifts and Cleans in Jacksonville, FL during Spring Training.

Competing in the gym or on the water requires rowing efficiency.  Taking a little extra time once a week to focus on rhythm, timing, and overall form will go a long way in performance come game day.  Today’s Rowing WOD is a great opportunity for any athlete, experienced or not, to get a sense of form and rhythm without the pressure of intensity and competition.  Sometimes it’s good to slow down for an active recovery day in order to go harder and faster later on down the road.

Rhythm and Endurance are two necessities for successful competition in longer WODs.  A great example would be the KB Swings and Pull Ups found in “Helen”.  Those who find a consistent rhythm can flow through the movements naturally and rely on their aerobic endurance without dipping into their anaerobic energy supply.

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.

When going from an 18 stroke rating to a 20 you should focus on more pressure with the legs and quickly redirecting the hands through the finish.  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.

Post you’re distance rowed to comments as well as your thoughts on Ratio.

Congrats to all CRASH-B Competitors! Get ready for new classes and the RRTP!

Coach Pat and Renegade RowingIt’s been a long weekend, but it’s what we live for.  This past weekend I got a chance to interact and brainstorm with some of the best rowing coaches and athletes in the country at the What Works Summit at Community Rowing.  I got to hang out with the 4 alumni classes of the Institute for Rowing Leadership.  Then we all crushed it at CRASH-B 2015.

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

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

I was asked many times yesterday if I was racing.  While I would love to get on that Concept2 Erg and test my limits, I had a lot more fun coaching all 11 of the Renegade Rowers who competed yesterday.  Many of them PR’ed and all of them rowed like champs.  I’m proud to say that all of them were rowers yesterday as well as athletes.  They came prepared, went through their warmup, and executed a solid race plan.  All of them left it on the floor and I couldn’t be prouder.

So now what?

Lauryn and Terese getting in their warm up at CRASH-B 2015

Lauryn and Terese getting in their warm up at CRASH-B 2015

In the past we’ve taken a couple of weeks off.  This year we’re kicking it up notch and getting right back in the gym.  I’m on the way down to Florida, currently stuck in Charlotte, NC because of weather, but I’ll be there later this morning to coach the Boston College Men’s Rowing Team.  All of you Renegades at home should get right back in the gym and keep training hard.  The snow and ice in Boston will melt at some point and we’ll all be on the water.  Be sure to checkout the Renegade Rowing Training Plan for this week:

RRTP 3-2-15

Also, I’ve updated the Renegade Rowing Website.  Please take a browse through all of our new offerings and let me know what you think.  If you know any friends in the Boston area who could use Renegade Rowing, please have them sign up for a consultation!

New Classes start next week! Get Excited!

S&C WOD 2/27/15: “Baseline” – 500m Row, 40 AS, 30 SU, 20 Push ups, 10 Pull Ups – Post Time

CRASH-B 2015 is Sunday.  Use today’s WOD to practice your first 500m of the race and feel good afterwards.  Be sure to get in a good cool down to recover well and be fresh for Sunday.  Saturday is a rest day.  Stay hydrated, eat well, and sleep well.  Don’t just sit around all day, get up and move, but don’t blow yourself up.  Looking forward to seeing all of you renegades crush it!  Be sure to say hi if you see us!

All of the athletes who competed in the Renegade Rowing League in preparation for CRASH-Bs!

All of the athletes who competed in the Renegade Rowing League in preparation for CRASH-Bs!

Strength and Conditioning WOD:

“Baseline”

Complete For Time:

500m Row

40 Air Squats

30 Sit Ups

20 Push Ups

10 Pull Ups

As a Renegade Rower you should be developing broad, general, and inclusive fitness as well as your competence in the sport of rowing.  Today’s workout is a way to test your abilities in both.  It should give you an idea of your work capacity in the 3-6 minute range.  Try to row the 500m piece at a consistent pace to stay fresh for the other movements.

Post your time and strategy to comments.  What stroke rating and 500m split did you try to maintain?

S&C WOD 2/25/15: “High Noon Mod” – 12-10-8-6-4-2 of Row, BJ, and PU – Post Time

Who’s going to come cheer us on at CRASH-B 2015?  It takes place this Sunday, March 1st at Boston Universities Agganis Arena.  If you’re competing, today is a great day to practice you race warmup and a few starts.  Get pumped, race day is coming!

Game Faces are on!  Bring on that 2k!

Game Faces are on! Bring on that 2k!

Strength and Conditioning WOD:

“High Noon Mod”

For Time Complete 

12-10-8-6-4-2

Row for Calories

Box Jumps (24/20)

Push Ups

In today’s Rowing WOD really focus on good connection and suspension with the legs.  In this workout you will perform the work as follows: complete 12 calories on the erg, then 12 box jumps, then 12 push ups, then 10 calories, 10 box jumps, 10 push ups, … and so on. Coming off the push ups your arms may be feeling it so work for efficiency and power with the legs on the erg.  Also, be sure to strive for virtuosity and complete each rep of the box jumps and push ups according to the standards of performance.  For box jumps you’re hips must be fully open above the box and for push ups your chest must touch the ground.  For maximum fun grab a partner and have a High Noon Showdown!  Who can make it to the end first? 3-2-1 Go!

Post time to comments!

What Renegade Rowing Class is right for you? Check it out and share!

Renegade Rowing Class ScheduleYesterday the new Renegade Rowing Class Schedule and Renegade Rowing Pricing was released.  It will kick in this March.  Today I wanted to share some more info on the classes themselves.  Below you will find a brief description of each class.  While they may help paint you a picture of what to expect, the only way to know what a class involves is to experience.  Keep an eye on the landing page for the sign up form and get excited for March!

RR Classic
This is the original Renegade Rowing Class.   It’s where it all began. The goal is to improve your Rowing, Fitness, and Strength. We clean up your Rowing Technique in the warmup. We work on improving mobility and increasing flexibility. Then we throwdown in a strength wod (workout of the day) and a conditioning wod that brings together the best of Rowing and Strength Training.
Renegade Blast
This class is meant to kick your ass in 45 minutes.   Expect to be moving and sweating from start to finish. We’ll put you through various levels of High Intensity Interval Training using Rowing, Bodyweight Movements, and Functional Movements. Anyone can jump in and get a solid workout as long as they’re ready to move, sweat, and have some fun doing it. Get fired up for 45 minutes of awesome that will keep you coming back for more!
RR Running and Endurance
We don’t want you to just be a rower, we want you to be an athlete and to succeed at life! The Renegade Running and Endurance Class will help you do both.   We’ll work running skills and drills into a team style warmup and then either hit the beautiful banks of the Charles River for a group run or the Harvard Track for sprints and interval training. Don’t be surprised if you end up meeting a new training partner or end up dragging your friends along to give it a shot once a week. Our running class gets addicting and it’s a great way to network.   Just imagine if you met one new athletic friend in Boston every Friday morning, Boom! Great start to the weekend.
RR Sculling/ Indoor Rowing
This class is all about taking it to the water and reaching your goals through teamwork. When the Charles River is full of ice, we’ll use the Concept2 Ergometer as a tool to not only improve our fitness, but learn the intricacies and discipline it takes to row on the water. Indoors we’ll row together as if in a boat and take turns leading and following. Everyone will get a chance to make calls and test their knowledge of the sport while also getting in a kick ass workout. When the ice finally does melt and it’s warm enough to get on the water, we’ll be sculling in quads and singles at the Community Rowing Inc. (CRI) – Harry Parker Boathouse in Brighton, MA. Stop wondering what it would be like to fly across the mirrored surface of the Charles River and come do it. Seriously, it’s an experience like none other!
RR Stadium/Social WOD
The best part of training with Renegade Rowing is that you get to do it with a great community of healthy, athletic, like-minded people who want nothing but the best for each other. Every Monday on the blog we’ll announce some version of a Stadium Run or a Social Workout where everyone can come throwdown together and push each other. The best part about these workouts is they are free if you bring a friend who’s never been! Spread the word and let’s Get Awesome together!

Also, afterwards we’ll all go grab a bite to eat or meet up and do some other fun activity around Boston!

Rowing WOD:

Does your race plan involve you're Warm Up?

10 x 250m w/ 1:30 Rest

  • Execute Race Plan
  • Post Splits to Comments

CRASH-B’s are on Sunday and now is the time to commit to your game plan for the 2k.  Those with experience know the benefit of pacing, gaming, and executing a plan to produce a personal best performance.  In the end a game plan facilitates mental toughness and focus to deal with pain when things get tough.

Today’s focus is Tactical Rowing.  Focus on executing a 2k race plan at high intensity.  Set the monitor for intervals distance with 250m of Work and 1:30 Rest.  Row the first two pieces as if they were the start of the 2k.  Row the next three pieces as if they were part of the second 500m, Row the next three 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 Effort, 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 10 intervals.  For example: alternating between splits of 1:50 and 2:00 is inefficient.  Instead consistently pull 1:55 every interval.

Post your Splits and Thoughts to comments.