WORKING LESS AT WORKING HARD

Despite being vertically challenged and not necessarily built for it, I love to row. Five days a week, I start the day with a 1000m row, 50 GHD sit-ups and 50 back extensions. When I row my 1000m, I concentrate on keeping a sub 2 minute 500m pace. Relatively easy to do. I work at trying to pull with the least amount of strokes per minute as possible. Why? I figure if I can go just as fast or faster than someone else with less strokes, then I will be better prepared to handle another task after I row. So what do I mean?

 This pic isn't 100% correct. I actually pulled a 1:41 500m pace at 19 strokes per minute. When I moved the rower into the sun to take the picture, the 500m pace number changed to 1:32. Go figure... I would have done it again, but I set this up after last weekend's run/row workout and I was pretty much done with the rower for the day. 

So, I pulled a 250m row at a 1:41 pace with a 19 stroke per minute pace. I have seen many people pull faster and with way higher strokes per minute. I refer to their technique as the "row it like you stole it" technique. My theory is that if rowing is in a workout, the less strokes you do, the better off you will be when you tackle the other parts of the workout. 

Let's use the row/burpee/overhead workout from the 2009 NorCal Regional Qualifier as an example. Competitor A pulls 500m in 1:40 at a 36 strokes per minute pace. Athlete B pulls 500m in 1:45 at a 20 strokes per minute pace. Who is going to be better off come time to do those burpees? 

Be cognizant that I am talking about rowing in a CrossFit workout. Competitive indoor rowing is completely different. You should all row a lot. It's good for you and will improve your overall fitness level in many ways. But.... pay attention to what is happening on the monitor. Play around with trying to go far with less strokes. Then play around with going as fast as possible with way more strokes. Draw your own conclusions. For me, it makes rowing 1000m a lot more interesting than just getting on the rower and hammering out the distance. Always think about how to improve yourself! BTW- If you want good tips on how to improve your row technique, hit up Bradass.

***Note: Unlike last week when I talked about running, but we didn't run in the workout, we are definitely rowing in today's workout!***

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Workout   4/26/2008

Strength:

Squat

If you are on week #1-

• Set #1 is 5 reps @ 65% of your "working" one rep max.
• Set #2 is 5 reps @ 75%
• Set #3 is 5 reps (or more) @ 85%

If you are on week #2-

• Set #1 is 3 reps @ 70% of your "working" one rep max.
• Set #2 is 3 reps @ 80%
• Set #3 is 3 reps (or more) @ 90%

If you are on week #3

• Set #1 is 5 reps at 75% of your "working" one rep max
• Set #2 is 3 reps at 85%
• Set #3 is 1 rep (or more) @ 95%

If you are on week #4, you are "Deloading"

• Set #1 is 5 reps at 40% of your "working" one rep max
• Set #2 is 5 reps at 50%
• Set #3 is 5 reps at 60%

Conditioning:

"The San Francisco Crippler"

Complete the following for time:

• 30 squats (M:225#/W:155#)
• Row 1000m

Training Tips: The scaleable version of this workout is body weight or less. I got word straight from Adrian Bozman of San Francisco CrossFit that this workout is 30 reps at 225#, not 30 reps at body weight (which I have done before). I did this workout on Sunday. I racked the weight after rep #20, but quickly realized that there is no good reason to rack the weight. Just gut it out and get the reps! For those of you who are lifting heavier during your strength workout, 225# is gonna feel light.

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Comments

[MO]

2010 CROSSFIT GAMES @ THE HOME DEPOT CENTER IN SOCAL!!!

[Andrea]

"Row it like you stole it." LMFAO

[Chris Kamper]

Freddy, for some reason any discussion of rowing prompts me to get on my soapbox. I used to row competitively, yadda yadda yadda. PLEASE tell me to shut up at any point. Bottom line, IMHO if you are doing a workout that has more than just rowing, you want to do the rowing as efficiently as possible, not taking as few strokes as possible, because you may be wasting a lot of energy by trying to load up each stroke, in a way which you can never reproduce on the water, anyway - bending metal rather than generating speed. Okay, my two cents. Gotta say, I am IMPRESSED that you pulled a 500 in the low 1:40s at a 19 spm! Dude, that is strength! And I am definitely going to try moving the erg out into the sun after finishing my next sprint ...

[freddy c.]

Chris,

I learn so much from competitive rowers. I REALLY appreciate the input. Yes, I am pulling hard, but I have the strength to pull that hard without it being very exerting. Yes, I know not everyone can do this. I just wanted to get people thinking about it :)

Thanks again!

[freddy c.]

Now I know why they called this workout "Crippler"... I did this Sunday morn. Its now Monday morn. I am getting sore!

[trace]

how the heck did you do that with 19 strokes.....never knew that was possible....pretty cool to say the least...

[James]

Trace, it's actually 19 strokes per minute. At 1:41, that's roughly 32 total strokes. :)

[Andrea]

Chris,

I totally agree that having the lowest stroke rate possible isn't the ultimate gauge of effective rowing - however it depends on what kind of athlete we're talking about as to what split/stroke rate is most effective for the CrossFit workout at hand. Freddy's a strong mofo, so for him, he saves the most energy by rowing a little harder at a lower stroke rate. For more endurance-biased athletes, upping the stroke rate EFFECTIVELY can produce the most efficient effect for them (not to ASS-ume on my end, but as an ex-competitive rower, you are probably more likely to fall into the latter category). Although personally, I have always done better rowing harder at a lower stroke rate to "save" myself in the metcon sense. I also consider it a source of revenge at finally being able to row at my own pace on the C2, rather than having to somehow make my disproportionate 5'7" body match my typical 6'2" pair partner stroke for stroke.

[Chris Kamper]

Andrea,
Excellent points - I am definitely not trying to say there is only one way to do this. In the grand spectrum of things, I am most comfortable sort of in the middle - about a 30 spm rate depending on distance. I knew guys who said you could "game" the machine by spinning along at super-high rates, but I never found that myself.

[Atsushi]

Went to Moxie yesterday and their WOD was Isabel, which I'm stoked to say I PR'd by over 90 seconds!! (the form practice helps). But I rested after and tried this workout... f*ckin' ass kicker! Proud to say I gutted out the 30 reps w/o dropping it! Total time was 6:30.

[Physical Therapy Software]

These seems like a really effective strategy that could be useful in other training endeavors as well. The idea of being able to move from one task to another without being overly fatigued or strained also seems like a smart way to train for competitions which include more than one type of exercise like the Iron Man. Thanks for the the insightful post.