November 21, 2015: Comfortable with Uncomfortable

Stretching my hips after a hard rowing session.

I used to row in high school. It was there that I was introduced to the Concept 2 Rowing Machine. Although I enjoyed rowing on the water in a boat, I kind of dreaded and despised the rowing machine. Basically, it took all of the "difficult" stuff about the rowing movement without the fun stuff. You get the burning quads and lungs and the desperate hope that your piece (rowing session) will be over soon. You don't get the gliding on the water or the breeze at your back. You don't get the satisfying feeling of your oar pulling you through the water. Instead, you get the whir of the flywheel. And lactic acid...oh, I mentioned that already with the burning quads.

Rowing is a great exercise. It works the legs, glutes, lower back, upper back, forearms, and hands. You can train both aerobically and anaerobically. When done correctly, the rower learns how to initiate power in the stroke by connecting the drive from the legs into the prying and pulling of the back and arm movements. An efficient stroke is graceful and powerful.

Speaking of graceful and powerful rowing, here is a rowing tutorial from Concept 2:


I see a lot of people rowing improperly at the gym. At a minimum, they waste a lot of energy with suboptimal strokes. At worst, they risk injury, particularly to their lower backs. If you have access to a Concept 2 Rowing machine, try to learn the stroke properly. Looking for an experienced rower at your gym who is willing to give you tips is a great idea. Besides the video above, check out Concept 2's page on rowing technique (that includes the above video as well).

I highly recommend adding rowing to your fitness regimen. Besides the physical benefits mentioned above, the general discomfort of hard rowing will help you develop mental toughness. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable will serve you in all areas of your life.

November 21, 2015

Workout time: 3:30 PM

Warm-up: 5 minutes Rowing - 1007 m

Stretching

Rowing: 2000 m in 9:12.4

A hard rowing piece. I increased my intensity throughout the piece, finishing with a faster stroke rate and pressure. I was pleased with my effort.

Cool-down: Rowing 3:06 - 502 m

Did some pause reps and stopped at arms away and arms and back. I tried to accentuate these aspects of the stroke to improve my technique. In particular, I think my flexion at my hip needs improvement although part of this may be flexibility in my hamstrings, so I will work on that.

Plank: 30 sec. with 20 sec. rest x 3 sets

I will increase my planks to 40 seconds next time. 

Stretching: 10 minutes

Total Time of workout: ~40 minutes