Move of the Month: Full-Body Warmup

by GRP strength coach Will Ruth

A new on-water season is always an opportunity to start fresh, whether it’s a new technical emphasis, training plan design, or modification in practice routine. I’ve found that a short 10-minute full-body warmup before erging, rowing, and strength training is one of the quickest and easiest ways to enhance training and performance in rowers of all ages, types, and levels. I love Craftsbury sculling coach Carol Bower’s quote that a warmup for rowers is, “the transition between being a land animal and a water animal.”

I use a full-body warm-up routine to mobilize joints and activate key muscles before all forms of training. This takes just 10 minutes and can be done with no equipment - just your body and somewhere to move it.

I find that rowers are often reluctant to invest the transition time at first, especially if it means waking up earlier, but find that they get that time back in how quickly and effectively they transition to full performance for the actual training session. This routine also makes a great “movement break” during the day or to reverse the effects of long sedentary travel.

Watch my demonstration video for each of these movements, key technique pointers for each one, and a full-series demo in under 8 minutes. Pick one movement from each of the following categories for your warmup:

• 5 minutes of easy aerobic activity that ideally isn’t erging (walk, bike, jump rope, etc.)

• Ankle Mobility: choice of 2 exercises

• Hip Mobility: choice of 2 exercises

• Glute Activation: choice of 4 exercises

• Core Activation: choice of 4 exercises

• Bodyweight Hip Hinge: 10-15 reps

• Shoulder Activation: choice of 3 exercises

• Bodyweight Pushup: 10-20 reps, possibly including the “plus” movement for those who need extra rib injury prevention attention

• Deep Squat Progression: 10 reps