December 17, 2015: Fixing my Rowing

This past week, I have been receiving some feedback on my rowing technique from the Concept 2 forums. I was very appreciative of the other rowers who gave me some good feedback. Admittedly, sometimes it is hard to hear the critical feedback. A few of the critiques I expected and had noticed. However, some of them were surprising to me, and things that I thought I did well. When I looked at my video alongside with their feedback, I saw they were right.

I wanted to share this because I think sometimes it's easy to say that you should always accept critical feedback and work on your weaknesses. However, sometimes it is difficult because of our pride and egos. If you feel this way, don't feel bad. We all do to some extent. However, when you can recognize these emotions and still go forward and accept the criticism, then progress will be made.

God bless you.

December 17, 2015 Workout

Warm-up for Bench Press: 

Stretching

Push-ups: 5 reps x 3 sets

Bench Press:

1. 95 lbs. x 5

2. 115 x 5

3. 135 x 5

4. 135 x 5

5. 135 x 5

I felt a lot stronger this workout than I did when I bench pressed last week. Not sure what the difference was, but I felt pretty good today. I worked really hard on my form, using my legs and lats to assist in the lift.

Rowing

Warm-up, 8 min., 1387 m

I worked on my form during the warm-up. Mainly not breaking my elbows too early in the stroke and making the hands away smooth and quick after the finish. I rowed strapless to help keep me honest and it helped. These are my two biggest form weaknesses at the moment, so I will keep working on it.

12' x 2 UT1, 2 min. rest between intervals

1. 12:00 2296m, 19 s/m

2. 12:00 2301m, 19 s/m

My concentration was a little off today. I was working hard on my technique flaws, which made it very hard mentally. However, it was a great workout.

Cool-down: 5 min., 836 m

Stretching: 10 minutes

December 15, 2015: Hard Intervals

No deep thoughts for today. It was a good hard workout. 

December 15, 2015

Overhead Press:

1. 45 x 5

2. 55 x 5

3. 65 x 5

4. 75 x 5

5. 75 x 5

Rowing:

Warm-up 12 minutes, 2137 m

Intervals: 4 x 1:30 AN, 1 min. rest between intervals.

1. 354 (29 s/m) 
2. 354 (29 s/m) 
3. 353 (29 s/m) 
4. 352 (29 s/m)

These were hard intervals. I told myself that I wasn't going to quit during them and I was pleased at my performance overall. I kept my form pretty much throughout. The 4th interval was the hardest, and the burning was the worst, but I kept myself mentally focused and pushed through to the end.

Cool-down: 3:23.7, 539 m

Stretching: 10 minutes

December 13, 2015: Keep Learning

Today's post is going to be short because my family is busy getting ready for Christmas with cleaning, decorating, addressing cards, and in general enjoying each other's company. However, I wanted to share a very interesting discussion about growth and success.

One of my favorite podcasts is Barbell Shrugged - a podcast about fitness, Crossfit, and getting strong. Their hosts share a lot of insights into various aspects of fitness and life and have fun doing so. This particular episode resonated with a lot of what I have read in the past about success as well as some new and fresh insights that I found helpful personally. Warning: Some explicit language, but otherwise incredibly informative.

One of the impressions I got from this episode is to always be learning. Even if you are very experienced in something, there is always a different way to look at it or some detail that you may have overlooked in the past. All extremely successful people in all walks of life are constantly learning.

For read about it and some discussion on their website, check out: http://daily.barbellshrugged.com/the-common-qualities-of-amazing-athletes-coaches-righteous-human-beings/

I am applying this in my current training for the indoor rowing competition. I am having my friend from high school (who has coached rowing at the collegiate and high school level) look at my rowing videos. He will help me correct my technique and improve in a school that I have done for a while. I have the humility and clarity to see that I have plenty to improve upon so his insight and help will be very important and much appreciated.

So keep learning about all areas relevant to your life. For fitness and health, it may include nutrition, exercise programs, specific technique, mental training, or sleep and recovery. For other areas of your life, it may include relationships, communication, parenting, housekeeping, and a multitude of other areas that will be helpful to you. Enjoy the process along the way! God bless you.

December 13, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 4 PM

Location: YMCA

Warm-up - just some loosening up before I bench pressed. I probably should have taken a little more time, but I was pressed for time as well.

Push-ups: 5 reps x 3 sets 

I stretched in between as part of warming up for bench press.

Bench Press: 

1. 95 x 5

2. 115 x 5

3. 135 x 5

I cut it short here. I was pressed for time, but also, I wasn't feeling mentally sharp. I think the volume of the rowing is affecting my lifting a little. I will consider if I should do anything to change, but one thing I will be working on is getting more sleep and making sure I'm eating enough as well as eating right. For the time being, I also may want to focus more on the quality of my lifting as opposed to the quantity since I'll be putting in a lot of rowing volume.

Rowing:

Warm-up: 5 minutes, 1053 m

The video below is a minute or so of hard rowing between my warm-up and my main workout. I wanted to get a side angle to highlight the body angles at the catch (the beginning) and the finish (the end) of the stroke. My technique is pretty good overall (although I'm having my friend coach me and may have some corrections for me when he gets a chance to look at it) and you can see how I initiate the drive with my legs and hips while my arms and back form a solid connection between my seat and the handle. Then you see towards the end of the stroke how the handle accelerates into my chest at the end of the stroke. I then return the handle back along a straight path and it passes over my knees before my knees break. The return to the beginning position is called the recovery, and it should be smooth and slower than the drive portion of the stroke. 

20 min. UT1 (Hard aerobic) 3887 m (2:34.3/500m; ~20 s/m)

This felt pretty good overall (as in it was a great workout). I focused on keeping my form solid throughout. What I'm feeling good about so far in training is that I am able to keep focused mentally. I am using kind of a 10-count method to focus on each 10 strokes. Sometimes, I will give myself a cue. For example, I'll focus on driving through my heels for 10 strokes or keeping a strong back during the drive for 10 strokes. This type of mental exercise during the piece I think helps keep me consistent throughout.

Cool-down: 3:12, 522 m

I just rowed until I felt loose again then I stretched.

Stretching: 10 minutes

December 11, 2015: Rowing Intervals

I was writing the 2nd part of my training plan, but I was too tired to finish it. In this post, I'll just be reporting my training for the day.

December 11, 2015 Workout

Time for workout: 11 AM

Location: YMCA

Overhead Press:

1. 45 x 5

2. 55 x 5

3. 65 x 5

4. 65 x 5

5. 75 x 5

I felt pretty good with these. I wasn't sure if the bar weighed 45 like mine does, but I don't think it was too far off otherwise. 

Rowing:

Warm-up 10 minutes 1586 meters

I took some strokes to record to check on my form:

Intervals 3 x 2 min. with 1 min. rest (Total 1312 m)

1. 435 m (2:17.9/500m; strokes/minute=25)

2. 438 m (2:16.9/500m; strokes/minute=25)

3. 440 m (2:16.3/500m; strokes/minute=25)

These were hard, but I felt good. Form was good. I made sure to emphasize safe form despite working hard during the work intervals.

Cool-down 10 minutes 1833 m

Planks: 40 sec. x 3 with 20 sec. rest

Stretching ~10 minutes

Rowing Plan Part 1: Don't Get Broken

Introduction

As I mentioned in a previous post, I plan on competing in an indoor rowing competition in February 2016. I wanted to give a brief outline on my training plan. I am not an expert trainer or anything, but I have a little experience with training for this event.

This will be a three part mini-series. In this first part, I'll be talking about how I'm going to avoid injury (not breaking myself). In Part 2, I'm going to discuss how I'm going to get faster. In Part 3, I'm going to discuss recovering from each workout. 

I think a lot of training when you get older - once you're in your 30's and 40's - should focus on not getting injured and recovery. In your 20's, you can do a lot of things and not worry too much about it and be ready to go again the next day. However, this is not so as you get older. However, I do believe with proper recovery and nutrition (as well as balanced programming), people can improve their performance dramatically as they age.

So let's talk about not getting hurt. There are two main things that I feel will help keep me fit and injured. First, I want do develop overall strength. Second, I want to improve my rowing stroke.

Getting Strong

Luckily, my current workout program doesn't have to be changed too much to accomplish the objective of increasing strength. There are two purposes to increasing my overall strength. 

First, as the muscles in the rowing stroke - particularly the legs, back, and arms - get stronger, the rowing stroke becomes easier. Or put another way, rowing hard becomes a lower percentage of our maximum strength. As an example, if you had a max deadlift of 300 pounds and had to deadlift 100 pounds, you would be lifting about 33% of your maximum. However, if you could increase your max deadlift to 500 pounds and then had to deadlift 100 pounds, you would only be lifting 20% of your maximum. The main exercises that will supplement the rowing stroke include low bar back squat, high bar back squat, deadlift, and chin-ups. 

The second purpose to getting stronger is to maintain balance within the muscles of the body. In rowing, the muscles of the posterior chain are emphasized - back, glutes, hamstrings (although the quads are also emphasized). The muscles of the chest, the front of the shoulders, and the triceps are not used as much (although they are used in the recovery, but with very little resistance). Therefore, training these muscles with exercises like bench press and overhead press are important. 

I will mainly be training for maximum strength, so I will be doing less volume and higher weights. I figure most of my muscular endurance I will gain from the act of rowing itself. Specializing for a specific event has certain trade-offs, but I want to minimize them through my program.

Rowing Technique

The importance of rowing technique in injury prevention should be obvious. The rowing stroke is designed to exert the most force on the oar (or handle in this case) in the most efficient manner. The sequence of using your legs and hips before your back and before your arms not only ensure you are pulling as hard as you can, but that the strongest muscles get engaged first and therefore make it safer for the weaker muscles. 

Besides the sequence of engagement, there are a couple other technique errors that I will be vigilant about. First, there is what rowers call "shooting your butt." This happens you don't brace or engage the muscles of your back when you drive with your legs and hips. It causes you to overextend your back while you straighten your legs. Besides the inherent inefficiency caused in the stroke, it puts your lower back in a more dangerous position. The other typical mistake I've made and see is rounding the back to reach further in the beginning or catch position. The problem with this is that when you drive with your legs, your spine is overextended and again susceptible to injury. It is important to have a neutral spine and to engage the back muscles as you drive, just as one would with a deadlift.

I posted a video on technique in my article Comfortable with Uncomfortable. Although I'm not currently working with a rowing coach, I think my previous experience has given me enough insight into an efficient and safe rowing stroke. I plan on occasionally taking videos of me rowing so I can self-correct the stroke. I will also show them to one of my friends, who spent a few years as a college rowing coach. 

Conclusion

I believe keeping myself injury free is incredibly important as I get closer to my 41st birthday. I will err on the side of safety versus aggressive progress as I train and I will keep aware of my limits during my workouts. I think by strengthening my whole body through heavy weightlifting and by perfecting my rowing technique, I plan on getting to my race healthy and ready to row my best!

December 9, 2015 Workout

Warm-up: Rowing 5 min. 904 m.

Rowing: 2000 m in 9:01.6

(This is a pic of the splits on my test today). I felt like my game plan worked well. I need to get used to the intensity, but otherwise I felt pretty good about the pacing throughout the race. I will be training three times a week (although I'll talk more about that in my next post).

I actually drove home right after this to catch my son's bus, so I didn't stretch until I got home. In general, I'd do a cool-down row at low intensity and then a nice long stretching session. 

December 5th and 6th, 2015: Reporting In

I'm a little wiped out from the last couple days of housework and family events. I did get a couple workouts in, which provided some respite from the social activities of the last couple days.

December 5, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 3:45 PM

Warm-up: 3 minutes 

Just loosened up for a few minutes. Not the best warm-up but didn't have much time.

12 minutes AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible)

1. 8 Overhead Press @ 45 lbs.

2. 10 KB Swings

3. 12 Jump Rope Double Unders

Completed: 6 Rounds

This workout was a little tainted as at around 7 minutes I had to take care of something for my son, so I had a 2 minute break. I noticed my bottleneck during this workout was the Overhead press as my shoulders got burned out pretty quickly after the few couple rounds. I think this is partly due to the fact that the double unders burned the shoulders a little as well. It was a good workout though and got me breathing hard.

Stretching: 3 minutes

Total Time: ~ 20 minutes

December 6, 2015 Workout

Warm-up: 5 minutes

Loosened up and moved around. I also figured the next exercise would warm-up all of the relevant muscles.

Romanian Deadlift (RDL): 

1. 45 x 8

2. 65 x 6

3. 65 x 6

4. 65 x 6

These felt great on the hamstrings and glutes. I didn't add much more resistance because I didn't want to fatigue the hamstrings and lower back too much for the deadlifts.

Deadlift

1. 135 x 5

2. 135 x 5

3. 135 x 5

These felt good and powerful as well. This weight is light for me, but I'm going to ease into higher weights because I want to ensure perfect form.

Chin-ups

1. 5

2. 4 + 1 negative rep

3. 5

Felt good overall. I think the lighter deadlifts help warm-up the back for this exercise. 

Overall, this was an  easy going workout - although the sets were hard. I gave myself probably 3-5 minutes between each set because I wanted to make sure I was rested for all of the sets. I think I can add 10 pounds to the deadlift.

December 3, 2015: Running Technique

"I tell a student that the most important class you can take is technique. A great chef is first a great technician. 'If you are a jeweler, or a surgeon or a cook, you have to know the trade in your hand. You have to learn the process. You learn it through endless repetition until it belongs to you." - Jacques Pepin


I never ran much for fitness until I was in college. Admittedly, my motivation for running was to get to know a girl I was dating (and happy married to now). She always tells the story of my bad form and fitness from those days. I kind of enjoyed running after I got in better shape and started doing some road races. My progress increased dramatically after I learned proper technique in running. Today, I'd like to share a couple resources about running technique with you.

I discovered the Pose Method, which teaches an efficient method of running. Once I started incorporating this, I had less injuries like shin splints, Also, I felt better running and got faster. I felt stronger when I ran instead of weak. Overall, I enjoyed running more. As opposed to it being a chore, it become enjoyable and relaxing. 

Below is a video that helps explain the technique (and there are follow up videos that go further into it):

Besides these videos, here is an article by the pioneer of the technique, Dr. Nicholas Romanov. Try incorporating this into your running. The major changes I made in my form were shifting away from heel striking as well as "falling" forward and allowing gravity to help propel me forward.

Besides using the Pose Method, I also did a few other things to help my running.

• I engage my core, so that my upper body doesn't work against me when I'm running - which also helped cure lower back pain, which I used to get a lot when I first started running.
• I keep my head in a neutral position - not tilted too far back or forward. Think about a bowling ball connected to your neck and how having it flop back and forth would affect your running.
• I control my breathing. For the most part, I time the breathing with my strides. When I'm running hard, I may inhale for two strides and exhale for two strides. When I'm sprinting, I inhale for one and exhale for one. I find it helps my rhythm, although I know other runners who do not pay attention to their breath and do very well. I say experiment with it and find what works for you.
• Increasing my overall strength. I attribute some of my current progress in running to a well balanced fitness program. Exercises like the squat and kettlebell swings strengthen the back, hips, glutes, quads, and hamstrings. My training in martial arts and jump rope work strengthen other muscles including the calves which contribute to my overall ability to keep my form. 

I hope you will consider looking at your technique in all of the exercise you do, whether it be running, rowing, swimming, weightlifting, or kettlebells. Good technique makes your exercise safer and your movements more efficient, meaning that you will go further and lift more with less risk of injury. Also, by keeping your mind engaged on proper technique, you are exercising your mental focus and attention as well. Enjoy your workouts and God bless you.

December 3, 2015 Workout

Warm-up: I warmed up by running slowly and walking in the first half mile of the run.

Run: Conley Loop (3.28 miles) in 38:19.
I wanted this to be kind of an active recovery day while going for this goal. I enjoyed the run, and I did throw a few "faster paced" segments into it. It was not a hard run, but I got a good sweat going and I was breathing hard. This is something I don't want to do too often, but it was better than taking the day off and helped me cross off a goal! This is the most I've run in one workout since my knee surgery. For the next couple months, I'll be focusing on Rowing because of my rowing challenge, but it was good to get this in.

Planks: 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds rest x 3 sets
These started out easy, but the last set was difficult. I will keep it at this intensity for a while.

Stretching and Foam Rolling: 15 minutes
Had a little time today, so did some extra foam rolling and stretching.

Additional Notes

I was feeling a little twinge in my SI joint, which I had an injury a couple years ago. This is right near where the spine meets my hips. I am sure this is from rowing. So I want to keep an eye on that, and make sure to prioritize proper form over intensity until that feeling goes away. It feels fine right now, and a little stretching and foam rolling helped a lot. I didn't feel it at all during the run, but I think my body is giving me a tiny warning to keep an eye on my technique.

December 2, 2015: Setting Up New Challenges

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Sometimes, we need to give ourselves a challenge. I've written about the importance of challenging yourself before. Challenging our previous efforts and attempting to improve upon them is our key to progress in life - not just in fitness. 

We can challenge ourselves with our goals and within each workout. Another way to challenge ourselves is to participate in an event or competition. I have done this in my past mainly with running road races and with thai boxing. These events give you something to train for in the not too distant future. I have found some of my greatest progress in fitness when training for a competition.

Last week, I decided to train for an indoor rowing race that is about 10 weeks away. The competition gives me enough time to focus my training a little and try to get a dramatic improvement. Also, the spirit of friendly competition and comparing myself to the performance of others gives me a lot of motivation as well. Also, as opposed to a running race which I've done more recently (albeit a couple years ago), I have not done an indoor rowing race in over 20 years (when I rowed in high school). The race also aligns with my current goals since I have a specific rowing goal and I don't have to postpone my other goals because those goals complement my rowing goal.

I won't say too much more other than to encourage you to find an event or competition that would help motivate you to improve yourself. For running and endurance challenges, there are a ton of road races at all times of the year. If you are looking for more of a challenge, you can try a Tough Mudder. If you want to improve your strength, there are a ton of power lifting meets all around the country. Pick one three or four months away and sign up! It may be intimidating at first, but the benefits to your fitness and your confidence will be worth it.

December 2, 2015 Workout

Warm up 500 m row 3:07 

Stretching

Push-ups 5 x 3 sets

I generally stretch in between my push-up sets (and during my barbell sets too). Rowing is a great warm-up for me as it hits the whole body. It also gave me a chance to work on my form a little before my longer rowing piece.

Bench press 

1. 95 x 5 

2. 115 x 5

3. 135 x 5

4. 135 x 5

5. 135 x 5!

Felt  tired last couple sets. I didn't get as much sleep as I usually do (maybe 5 hours) and I think that affected me a little. Also, I didn't feel as focused today during the sets. However, my reps were clean (except for the very last one) and overall I felt great afterwards.

. 

Rowing: 15 min. 2745 m (Avg. 500m Split 2:43.9)

I felt very comfortable during this. Every 5 minutes (so 3 times during this workout) I pushed a little harder for a minute - I brought my stroke rate up to about 22 and the split to about 2:30. I wanted this to be an easier row today, as I hadn't rowed for 15 minutes in a while, so I wanted to keep things in the "cardio" zone intensity-wise. I set a pace-boat for 3 min. splits, but it was pretty easy to beat, so I'll increase it next time for my longer rows.

Stretching 10 min.

December 1, 2015: Do It Anyway

After a week off from exercise due to Thanksgiving and travel, I'm back in the gym (or the basement in this case). It was actually a little hard for me to finally get going today. This scared me a little. I had had periods of time in my life where I was very motivated with exercise and fitness. Then something would happen in my life to distract me for a few days from working out and then my motivation would just trail off.

However, I came across a great article by James Clear in my e-mail (I am a subscriber to his e-mail list). The article is called How to Stay Focused When You Get Bored Working Toward Your Goals. I felt like he wrote this article for me on this very day! Here are just a few of the most important points I got out of the article.

First, he discusses that the top performers show up even when the work is boring because it is something they've done before. One of the things that separates the best from the rest is being able to sustain effort even when they're not feeling the passion that maybe initially got them moving towards world-class performance.

Next, people who consistently achieve their goals and continue to do so are committed to the process of achievement - not just the goal itself. For example, with my current goal setting system I am learning to love the methods I am using to reach my goals, and also creating the habit of setting new goals right away when I achieve one. I've also come to really enjoy certain exercises that I didn't before - although I'm still not loving the front squat.

Finally, he alludes to the "10 years of silence" that world class performers go through before they reach the top. This is the famous 10,000 hours of deliberate practice that the top performers do before they become truly the best in their field. The realization that getting really good at anything takes time can be both a burden and a blessing. However, the way I see it, it gives me permission to be patient with myself.

In conclusion, today I wasn't feeling super excited about working out. However, I did it anyway. God bless you!

December 1, 2015 Workout

Time of Workout: 10:45 AM

Warm-up: 10 minutes

Dynamic and static stretching warm-up from Alan Thrall

I thought I'd try something different. It worked out pretty well, although I will continue to experiment with different warm-up routines.

Bodyweight Squat: 5 reps x 3 sets

Back Squat:

1. 45 x 5

2. 55 x 5

3. 75 x 5

4. 95 x 5

5. 115 x 5

I felt pretty good with my depth and positioning, but the bar didn't feel great a little higher on my back. Also, as this was my first workout in a week, I decided to keep the weight where it was.

I rested for about 3 minutes, then
4 rounds 3-minute Boxing with 1 min. rest between rounds



This was very hard for me. I think part of this has to do with the squats I just did, but I just need to build up my stamina for bag work again. From a technical standpoint, I did okay. I need to keep my hands up a little more, but my punches were strong and my combinations were crisp. As my conditioning increases, I want to continue to improve my technique as well.

Stretching: 5 minutes

Total Workout Time: ~1 hour