Video Review: How can the Renegade Rowing Workshop at Mt. Strength CF help you?

Hey Renegades!

I hope everyone is enjoying this weather and planning a beach day sometime soon!  I just wanted to shout out to all of those athletes that participated in the Renegade Rowing Workshop at Mt. Strength CF earlier this year.  Well done learning the stroke and mastering those skills and drills.  I had a blast working with you guys!  I will be helping out the employees at Tufts Health Plan in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait to get them rowing.  If you or your company is interested in a rowing seminar, let me know and I can help you guys get started in an amazing sport that you will enjoy for the rest of your life.

IMG_3541Earlier this year I had the privilege to coach 13 athletes at Mt. Strength CF in Winchester as part of my Renegade Rowing Workshop.  The video review seen below was taken there and we all had a blast.  I love seeing people learn and improve.  If there is any way I can help you get better at something please let me know.

I’m constantly trying to learn more and improve myself as well as Renegade Rowing.  I would like to offer the best program and training I can and to do that I need your help.  If you have any feedback or would like to see something added to Renegade Rowing please let me know in the comments or via email.  I will soon be adding body weight movements to the regular programming for those without access to a gym/equipment.
Any feedback helps!  Thank you for being awesome!

Rowing WOD 6/10/15: 4x8min w/ 4min Rest – Post Focus and Avg Splits

Rowing WOD:J Row

4 x 8min w/ 4min Rest

@26-28 s/m (2k+4 to 2k+6)

Deliberate practice is key to success and mastery of any sport.  It’s been said you need to spend at least 10,000 hours to master a discipline whether it’s athletic or otherwise.  While this may be the case the more quality and purpose you bring to your practice the more you’ll get out of it.

Today’s Rowing WOD is an opportunity to bring deliberate practice to your erging.  Row each 8 minute piece at a pace of 2k + 5 seconds.  Meaning if your 2k split is 2:00 /500m (8:00 2k) then you would row each piece today at 2:05 /500m.  Pick 4 things you want to improve about your technique and fix one per piece.  Things you can focus on are keeping level hands, initiating with the legs, smooth tension on the chain, keeping the feet attached to the footboards, or keeping the chest up at the catch.

Post your technique focus and average splits to comments.

Rowing WOD 6/9/15: 10×1:00 On, :45 Off – Post Splits and Distances

Rowing WOD:

10 x 1:00 On, :45 Off

CRASH-B's here we come! Attention! Row!

  • Goal Pace!!!

Today is the day to attack it and dial in your 2k Race Plan.  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 executing your goal 2k race plan at high intensity.  Set the monitor for intervals distance with 1 minute of Work and 45 seconds of 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 Max Effort, but rather a calculated effort at a split close to your goal split.  The goal should be to pull the lowest split possible, consistently through all 10 intervals.  If you have a good start and settle in the first two pieces and a solid sprint for the last two pieces then you’re average split for all 10 pieces should be that goal split you’d like to hit on the 2k.

Post your Splits and Distances for each piece to comments.

RR Training Plan and Rowing WOD 6/8/15: 3x15min w/ 2min Rest – Post Distances

I hope everyone had a beautiful weekend and you’re ready to get after it this week!  Here is the training plan: RR Training Plan 6-8-15

Rowing WOD:Coach Pat and the Break

3 x 15min w/ 2min Rest

Varying Stroke Rate as follows

  • 5min @ 22 s/m; 75% Pressure,
  • 5min @ 26 s/m; 80% Pressure,
  • 5min @ 24 s/m; 85% Pressure

Today’s Rowing WOD will give athletes a chance to focus on a couple of technique fixes as well as gaining confidence to keep their head in the game every stroke for 15 minutes.  Pick a goal split you want to hold for each stroke rating and see how consistent you can be each time you’re at that rating.  Try to be a little more consistent and push a little bit farther each piece.  A good goal is to bring your split down by 3-5 seconds every time the rating shifts up.  When the rating shifts back down your goal should be to hold the same split you were holding on the last stroke rating.  Focus on smooth rhythm, vary the pressure of your drive and the length of your recovery to shift ratings, and breathe.

Report in with your distance rowed each piece.

Rowing WOD 6/6/15: 8x500m w/ 2min Rest – Post Splits and Focus

Rowing WOD:

Abby getting after it at the Renegade Rowing League last Saturday!

8 x 500m w/ 2min Rest

1st/2nd – Like start of 2k

3rd/4th – Like 2nd 500 of 2k

5th/6th – Like 3rd 500 of 2k

7th/8th – Like finish of 2k

As you continue to master your game plan for the 2k, try to keep a consistent pace over all 8 or “negative split” toward the end if you’re feeling good.  Negative splitting means you pull a faster split than you did the last piece.

As a quick review for novice rowers, race pace over 2,000m will be at a stroke rating of 28 − 32 strokes per minute and a consistent 500m split.  The lower the split the better.  Good things to focus on include breathing, getting the knees down, driving through the heels, quick hands, and being smooth.  I also like to coach a smile or grin 10 just to take yourself out of your body for a second, have some fun, and then refocus with a fresh mindset.  Focus on one positive thought for 10 consecutive strokes and you’ll be that much closer to your goal.

Post your split for each piece and share what you focused on!