Tag Archives: training

Rowing WOD 8/20: “7k in Heaven” – 7k Row w/ Rear End Elevated – Post Time

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Recover to Strength!

Rowing WOD 8/20:

“7k in Heaven”

7k Row

w/ Rear End of Erg Elevated

Rowing is all about the legs.  If you can’t initiate the stroke with your legs than you’re missing an opportunity to go faster.  Today’s Rowing WOD will give you an opportunity to feel the weight come onto your feet at the catch, keep your legs engaged, and really stand up off the footboards.  Place the back of the erg on a 45# bumper plate and get after it.  What you’ll find is that you’re forced to eliminate two common problems, clenching the arms early and over-compressing the legs at the catch.

This wod will take the average person over 30 minutes so keep focused on an efficient push with the legs without letting yourself go at the catch.  Once you settle into the piece and get used to using the legs more, then you can cycle through the following three concepts, which will help keep your form all the way through the piece.

Focus:

1. Consistent Pressure

  • Feel consistent pressure on the handle and the feet all the way through the drive.  Put the monitor on the power curve display by hitting the second arrow button from the top while you’re rowing.  The ideal curve you’re looking for is a smooth, inverse parabola.  Make that happen and you’ll have consistent pressure.
  • Also focus on holding a consistent split and stroke rating all the way through.  Whatever you can hold keep it consistent, efficient, and smooth.

2. Pointed Finish

  • Try to row the first half of the piece with your feet out of the straps.  As you finish the stroke ensure that you’re pointing your toes and your elbows.  This will promote a full pull without dumping your weight and having to do more work on the recovery.  Stay seated on your sit bones all the way through.  If you can master this you’ll be much more efficient.  Try to keep those feet attached to the footboards at all times…that’s how you transfer force to the handle.

3. Recover to Strength!

  • Hold your legs down as you finish the stroke and then swing your arms and body forward to start the recovery.  Keep your chest up and transfer the weight from the back of your seat to the front.  As you get half way up the slide you should be in a strong athletic position with your torso angled forward of your hip.  Broad Chest, Bones Stacked, Solid Core.  Ready for anything!

Get after it and post your time to comments!

Rowing WOD 8/18: 3 RFT – 25 Med Ball Cleans, 500m Row – Post Time

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Rowing WOD 8/18:

3 Rounds For Time

25 Medicine Ball Cleans (20#/14#)

500m Row

Functional Movements are glorious for both rowing and fitness.  They are the movements we need to survive AND excel in sports.  Functional movements are powerful, use multiple joints, and feel awesome when executed well.  Almost all functional movement involves the extension of the hips and the proper recruitment of muscles from core to extremity.  

When combining a foundational movement like the med ball clean with rowing on the erg there is an opportunity for skill transfer.  Athletes can use the med ball clean to promote good rowing form and rowers can use the med ball clean to focus on better hip extension and posterior chain engagement.  One main problem with athletes jumping on the erg for the first time is the tendency to clench and pull with the arms when all the work should be done by the legs and hips.  By engaging the legs first and getting full extension with loose arms on the med ball clean, the novice rower can think about and feel the same thing on the erg or in the boat.  For rowers looking for more power and speed, there is a lot to be gained in developing the ability to draw from the glutes and hamstrings during the drive and forcefully extend the hips as the torso opens.  Rowers should focus on driving through the heels and making the ball weightless with the hips.

For both movements in today’s Rowing WOD try to be smooth and efficient.  If you’re confident in your movement then push the pace.

Post time to comments!

Rowing WOD 8/17: 5 x 800m w/ 2min Rest – Post Avg Splits

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Rowing WOD 8/17:

5 x 800m Row

w/ 2min Rest

1st @24 S/M

2nd @26 S/M

3rd @28 S/M

4th @30 S/M

5th @32 S/M

Intensity and focus is what gets results.  In order to develop and grow as an athlete you’ll need to develop an ability to go hard and bring your “A” game.  Today’s Rowing WOD provides an opportunity for just that.  Set the monitor for 800m of work and 2 minutes of rest.  While the stroke rating starts out low, there should be a focus on power per stroke and solid intensity across all five pieces.  The increasing stroke rating will give you a chance to see where you’re most effective.  Ideally whenever the stroke rating is increased the split should decrease.

This week we’ve focused on finding and rowing with ratio to be efficient, breathe, and have good rhythm.  Put that ratio to work here.  It should change from about 1:3 (1 on the drive, 3 on the recovery) at 24 strokes per minute to about 1:2, or closer to 1:1, by the time you hit the last piece at a 32 stroke rating.  No matter what try to bring your average split down each piece.  When the stroke rating goes up you should be going faster.

Post your Average 500m Splits for each piece to comments.

Rest Day 8/16: What do you do during a thunderstorm if you can’t row on the water?

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Rest Day 8/16:

What do you do during a thunderstorm if you can’t row on the water?

Yesterday morning there was a large thunderstorm at Community Rowing in Boston.  Most of the morning practices had already finished up, but there were a few programs that got kicked off the water due to lightning.  This a frequent occurrence that rowers have to deal with.

If you’re not a rower yet, but just an athlete using the erg, I’m sure you have your own thunderstorms to deal with in terms of training.  Maybe a knee or shoulder has decided to flare up or your quads are burned up from a few intense WODs.  That doesn’t mean everything has to be thrown out the window and you call it a day.

At the boathouse I had some fun with the Renegade Athletes and introduced bear crawls into the workout.  While most rowers that got kicked off the water had to resort to the drudgery of a steady state erg, we had some fun crawling around them.  In the past I’ve used those days as opportunities to play dodgeball and do squats or push ups if you get hit.  If your regular mode of training isn’t available then have some fun, do something different, and challenge yourself.

On the other side of things, if you’re an athlete who needs work on the erg and your body is banged up, take some time to do a few drills and dial in that technique with slow motion rowing.  Try rowing with no pressure and then slowly building up the speed keeping the proper sequence and form.  Or just take the day to work on a couple of goats while you wait for your issues/thunderstorms to pass by.

Share your favorite thunderstorm activities!

Rowing WOD 8/15: AMMAP 10 − Row For Distance, 20 DU Every Minute – Post Meters Rowed

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Rowing WOD 8/15:

10min – As Many Meters As Possible

Row For Distance

*Start w/ 20 Double Unders

**Perform 20 Double Unders at the top of every minute

When it comes to Double Unders and WODs with supplemental tasks to perform every minute it helps to focus on rhythm.  Don’t freak out about the clock.  Just find your rhythm, breathe, and flow.  The same focus is needed on the row in today’s Rowing WOD.  When you get to the erg just strap in and get the flywheel moving.  Then focus on solid pressure and breathing.  Try to put some of the ratio work from Monday to use so that you have a chance to breathe and recover on the recovery.  Finding a smooth rhythm on the erg will help maintain your efficiency.  Try not to pause through the finish.  Keep the hands moving.  Also use this wod to practice the quick release getting off the erg.  

Holding the lowest split possible consistently every stroke should be the goal.  Remain efficient and don’t blow yourself up on any one stroke.  Push through and get as many meters as possible!

Post total meters rowed to comments!