SBTC Workout of the Week: # 6

Workout Type: Steady state while reinforcing technical development Purpose: Even as one builds to racing, it’s important to continue to incorporate steady state work to stress the aerobic systems of the body, review technical development and offer the body a chance to recover. This is an especially good workout after days of speed work.Frequency: 2-3 times with 10 workouts.Workout: Eight, 15 minute pieces, with an alternating focus between technical elements and steady state work.Workout structure: Have an adequate land workout/warm-up so you can start piece #1 right off the dock (as well as another opportunity to perfect your land based warm-up). During this row, odd numbered pieces (1, 3, 5 and 7) are technique driven and even numbered pieces (2, 4, 6 and 8 ) are different forms of steady rowing.Technical elements by piece number:Piece # 1 - Balance drills working on balance during the recovery. We’ll focus on pause drills for this piece. Select three locations during the recovery to pause; two body positions and one slide position. Begin with one minute of pausing at all three positions, the next minute pausing at only two locations, and the third minute just pausing once. Have three minutes of 16spm steady state continuous rowing, before resuming this pattern.Piece # 3 - Catch Press Drills to reinforce proper sequence of catch and drive. For this drill, we’ll focus on half slide rowing, or half to half as I like to call it. Release at half slide, into the catch. Engage the blade and feel the immediate engagement of your legs as you drive back out to half slide.Piece # 5 - Release drills so that the transition from drive to recovery is seamless. For this drill, bring the blade out square, only feathering when out of the water and blade is traveling toward the bow. The key is again that your feather is occurring out of the water.Piece # 7 - Recovery drills reinforce allowing the shell to move under the sculler, becoming one with the shell. To highlight this, we are going to “cut the cake”:  taking two recovery movements of the arm and body per stroke. The two movements are one false recovery motion after the release using just arms and body, followed by the real recovery into the next stroke.NOTE: During technique pieces 3, 5 and 7, use a pattern of 3 strokes of the drill, then 2 regular strokes. After three minutes of this alternation, row continuously for three minutes at 16spm. Alternate like this until you’ve completed fifteen minutes, and move straight to the next piece.Steady State elements by piece number:Piece # 2 -16 spm. Every 3 minutes (or 50 strokes) take 10 strokes at 24 spm more vigorously.Piece # 4 - 2 min @18, 2 min @ 21, 1 min @24, transition with 5 full pressure strokes as you stride to the new rate.Piece # 6 -16 spm. Every 3 minutes (or 50 strokes) take 10 strokes at 24 spm more vigorously.Piece # 8 - 2 min @18, 2 min @ 21, 1 min @24, transition with 5 full pressure strokes as you stride to the new rate.Example Pieces 1 and 2 Piece # 1 - Pick 3 pauses position for each recovery. After 1 minute of performing all three, drop to 2 pauses. After one minute of this, drop to a single pause. After completing 3 minutes in this fashion, row steady state for 3 minutes. Repeat your pause drill, this time alternating feathered and square blades rowing with the pauses. Continue this sequence of drills and ss until 15 minutes are completed.Piece # 2 - 16 spm, steady state. Every 3 minutes (or 50 strokes) take 10 strokes at 24 spm more vigorously, then return to 16 until 15 minutes are completed.Cool Down: Given the reduced intensity level of this row, the cool down time should be more focused on properly stretching once back on land.Next Workout: 15 repetitions of 1 minute work/1 minute paddle.Something not quite making sense? Need some individual adaptation? Drop a line to Coach Gluckman and he’ll be in touch.