Introduction to Rowing with Coach Brock Sampson prt.II

written by Brock Sampson

Hello students! What an awesome class Thursday evening. How did you like rowing with experienced rowers? I think it’s a great way to learn in a quick and effective manner.

I’d like to reflect on our lesson, by referring to our ‘Into to Rowing’ handbook you should have received your first day, and a couple of videos that re-enforce some things you experienced on the water.

EQUIPMENT and TERMINOLOGY: Page 3, 5 and 6

In the video above, Charlotte Hollings with Calm Waters Rowing, demonstrates some fundamentals. Please note that, even though she demonstrates from a ‘single skull’ (2 oars), equipment adjustments and safety applies to what we learned in the ’8+ sweep’ (0ne oar):

• Understanding what ‘blade’, either ‘port’ (facing ‘stern’, your right oar and ‘rigger’) or ‘starboard’ (facing ‘stern’, your left oar and ‘rigger’) it is critical that once the ‘blade’ is placed in the ‘oarlock’, that the ‘gate’ is facing ‘stern’, and fastened securely.
• When the ‘coxswain’ calls for ‘blades’ out to water, make sure that the ‘blade’ is fully pushed out to its ‘collar’.
• To have an effective and safe row, adjustments of ‘foot boards’ may be necessary. Review the wing nuts that that are applicable to adjustment. How does the ‘finish’ position Charlotte demonstrates in the ‘single skull’ apply to a ‘sweep’ position in an 8+?

SWEEP ROWING and TECHNIQUE:: Page 10 and 12

In the above video, Charlotte demonstrates some fundamentals from the ‘finish’, through ‘recovery’ to ‘catch’. Below are some takeaways that we can incorporate each day on the water:

• ‘blades’ drop in (gravity takes over) before the ‘drive’ (with legs) takes place
• hold the arms (hang the arms, like on a jungle gym) all the way until the legs are down, allowing the momentum generated through your strongest legs to move through your back, then arms
• idea is not to JAM the pressure on at the ‘catch’, but squeeze pressure through from heel, total legs, total body, including lower back and lats, and finishing strong with a confident finish
• GOOD ANALOGY:: create a concrete slab by way of blades square in the water. Now, what’s the best way to move the boat through that concrete slab? not by using my arms to bring the blades into my body, but effective use of my powerful legs, hanging off the blade, and ‘squeezing’ power from heel to a powerful finish.

Ok team, the fastest way to enjoy rowing, is to be effective early on. Please use this forum to add comments and questions, so that others can learn from our journey. Ofcouse, I am always available at media@austinrowing.org to answer your questions via email. See you next Tuesday!

Introduction to Rowing with Coach Brock Sampson

written by Brock Sampson

Hello students! Welcome to the Austin Rowing Club! We are so glad you’ve chosen us to assist in your journey to personal best in physical fitness. I want to thank Jack Graham and Jon Riley, ARC members extraordinaire, in assisting us along the way.

In our first class, we learned some important concepts about rowing and teamwork, such as:

• how to work together in getting a 8+ in and out of the water

This is a fundamental exercise, as it stresses the importance of boat and personal safety while preparing to row.

We also learned some fundamental questions to ponder about the rowing stroke and terminology, such as:

• “what is the ‘finish’ and ‘catch’ position?
• “what is difference between ‘feathering’ and ‘squaring’?
• “how do i know if i am in ‘port’ or ‘starboard’ position, and what oar do i use?”
• “how do i know if i’m near the ‘bow’ or ‘stern’?

Wow, there is a lot to learn about rowing terminology and the stroke itself. Take a look at the following video, and start to formulate some questions of your own.

We also learned some fundamentals to erg technique, such as:

• “how do i use my legs instead of my upper body?”
• “how does the ‘catch’ and ‘finish’ on the erg relate to what i learned on the water?”

Take a look at the following video, and see how John Dunn from Calm Waters Rowing explains the importance of efficient erg technique.

Ok team, just a quick look into the exciting journey you’re about to embark! As you start to formulate questions, use this forum and add comments along the way. See you tonight!

Coach’s Corner – The Erg

What’s Watts!

By Dave Miller and Charles Barksdale, Coach, Austin Rowing Club

Be it ever so humble the most under-utilized feature of the ergometer is the “watt” function. It probably the most useful piece of information on the machine as it can define individual fitness AND quality of stroke.

Before we go on, let us indulge in a bit of rowing heresy by challenging the orthodoxy of “split times.”  It is a given in rowing circles that split times and 2k times define the rower as evidenced by the annual  international competition celebrating the lowest 2k ergo time (CRASH-Bs)! We are reverential when we talk about 1:20 splits and 5:30 2Ks but we never ask how much power a rower was producing while pulling marvelous split times.

Rowing is a power/endurance sport with the emphasis on power- leg power- power to squat one and a half times your body weight 35 times a minute for 6 minutes! Average splits and 2K times are useful as a measure of endurance and general fitness; watts are the true measure of potential speed.

To illustrate, look at the world of elite competitive cycling. The top 190 cyclists are tested for VO2 max, oxygen uptake, lactate thresholds, kilo-cal burn rates, max heart rates, and max watts. All things being equal, the percentage of difference between athletes in any of these tests is probably one or two percent, except in one category-watts. The best of the best generate higher watts (power) over longer periods. Lance Armstrong was good because of his ability to drive the pedals with more sustained force over longer periods. You may ask, was it not because he was fitter than his competition? Maybe, his rivals could turn the pedals over as quickly as he could and ride the same distances, but Lance generated more power per stroke over time. Power is speed, faster speed- more power!

All the best riders in the world train using watts as their primary fitness tool. The heart rate monitor slipped to an adjunct to correlate fitness to max and sustained watts.

So how does this apply to rowers?  The Watt function on the ergo will improve the quality of the stroke cycle as maximum watts only build at the front of the stroke; the body suspends against the handle as the legs begin to uncoil in the drive- emphasizing the powerful catch. It also keeps the rower honest as once leg drive stops, the watts will fall no matter how much layback and heaving one might otherwise employ to drop a split time. If one were to do a 2K piece sustaining the highest watt number possible, one might be surprised to see a 2K time better than imagined.

To put theory to practice on the ergo, a few basic rules apply. First, good posture is a must- head on top of shoulders, shoulders on top of hips, hips erect-sitting squarely on “sits” bones. Second, the watts (power) come from the legs-at the catch. One does not “pull” the handle into the body rather, one “pushes” the feet firmly into the foot stretchers bracing the upper body against handle allowing the handle to flow back toward the body as the fly wheel accelerates. Done correctly, one feels suspension of the body weight at the moment of max resistance (catch) as well as contraction of the quadriceps in the legs. The back will feel tension through the middle of the back as the big muscles “brace” against the legs as though one were bracing the back against a wall while simultaneously pushing a large object with the legs. Third, keep the back closed until the hands reach the knees to maximize leg drive. Fourth, once the legs have extended, the back stops with a firm finish by the arms to the body. Lastly, erging feet out will emphasize and isolate to the strong leg drive at the front end and improve posture. Simple, really!

I know that the argument can be made that a good ergo time must mean a high watt average. Not necessarily, if one is utilizing good form as described above that will be true but if, as most rowers do when erging for time, there is the usual significant breaks in form (over-reaching, excessive layback, leg slamming, slide rushing etc) a high watt average will not be reflected in the time. It is easy to fool the erg (and yourself) when using time as a standard but watts are the real truth-teller.

Maybe it is time to redefine rowing cool from how low is your time to how big was your watt!

Sculling Footstretcher Adjustment

By Charles Barksdale, Coach, Austin Rowing Club

Rowing with the boat adjusted properly will make it easier to learn and develop a good rowing stroke.  Proper adjustment of your footstretchers will help your technique and increase your comfort in the boat.

While sitting at the finish, pull your oars in and they should touch your body with 4 to 6” between the ends of the handles.  Each boat is different so it is important to check this setting before each and every row.  This is an easy adjustment to make and will improve your rowing immediately.  Below are a couple of pictures of correct and incorrect foot-stretcher settings.

Correct finish associated with proper footstretcher placement.

Correct finish associated with proper footstretcher placement.

Incorrect handle orientation due to footstretchers being adjusted too far to the stern.

Incorrect handle orientation due to footstretchers being adjusted too far to the bow.

Capsize Recovery

Have you ever flipped in your single? Odds are, if you haven’t already you will someday. This blog has some important safety info that you should be aware of if you row a single.

Best case scenario – If you flip near shore, or in an area shallow enough to stand, you simply get up – take the oars out if needed – flip the boat back over to dump out the water – put the oars back in, and off you go.

Slightly worse case scenario – What happens if you flip in deep water? Number one – always stay with the boat. The boat is your only floatation device. It is your lifeline, do not leave it. Here’s how to get back in:

1. Roll the shell so that it is ‘seats up’

2. Get control of both oar handles so they are together over the shoes

3. You are facing the boat, treading water alongside the seat deck

4. In one hand, you have BOTH oar handles, and you are holding them together just over the shoes

5. Your other hand is on the seat deck – pushing the seat to the back

6. Just as you would get out of a pool –  leverage yourself  up and across the seat deck.

DO NOT let those two oar handles separate as you adjust and get back into the seat.

Keeping the oar handles together is the key element here. If the oar handles are not together, you will simply roll right back over.

Check out this video to see the process explained:

Check out this video of lots of people getting back into their boats:

Worse case scenario – What if I just can’t get back in? Again, STAY WITH THE BOAT. Flip it over, seats down. Climb on top and wait for someone to rescue you.

Finally, some of us are just so good at balancing that there is no worry about flipping. If this is you – you probably  look something like this:

Dock Time

By Charles Barksdale, Coach, Austin Rowing Club

If you have been down to the club in the last few weeks you probably have noticed the increase in activity.  With Texas Crew, St. Ed’s, and the ARC Juniors back on the water, and competitive ARC crews taking more boats out it is important that we are on and off the dock a quickly as possible.

Here are a few things we can do to reduce dock time:

When going out:

-     Go to the bathroom first.

-     Make sure your oars are down (staged near or on the docks) before getting the boat out of the racks.

-     Have items you are taking in the boat with you ready, water bottles filled etc.

-     Shove off from the dock before adjusting pop-outs and foot stretchers.

When returning:

-     Take oars off the boat immediately and leave them on the dock or place then to the side of the apron.

-     Put the boat in slings and wash it

-     Return the boat to its rack and sign back in.

-     Then pick up your oars and belongings.

No No’s

-     Don’t leave your boat and equipment at the dock or on the apron unattended.

-     Don’t yell; we pride ourselves at being courteous at ARC and yelling at a boat or crew to hurry is not productive.

If a rower is expedient it should take them around 2-3 minutes of dock time to get underway and the same when returning.

If we all work together we can increase dock traffic and reduce waiting!

Thanks and See you on the water,

Charles B. Barksdale

Austin Rowing Club

Men’s and Club Crew Coach

The Heat Is On!

By Charles Barksdale, Coach, Austin Rowing Club

As the heat and humidity in Texas start to turn up, it is really important that everyone remembers to stay hydrated–this is for rowers and coaches as well.

As a rower, you should drink 3 – 5 oz of fluid every 10- 15 minutes.  This is the rate of absorption, and if you drink more than this you are likely to get that “jelly belly” feeling of water sloshing around in your stomach and this doesn’t help your workout.  It is a good idea in this heat to bring 2 water bottles of fluid with you for every workout.

Coxswains must make sure to take breaks for water and make sure your rowers bring water and are drinking it.

Dehydration can contribute to injuries, poor technical performance, poor physical performance, and extreme Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion (for symptoms see below).

Studies have shown that being dehydrated by as little as one liter can decrease overall performance by 50%.

And in the immortal word of Sgt Phil Esterhaus, Hill Street Blues “Hey let’s be careful out there, okay?!”

Charles B. Barksdale

ARC Men’s and Club Coach

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Headache
• Muscle cramps
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Heat exhaustion can develop into heat stroke suddenly without warning.

Common symptoms of heat stroke include:

• High body temperature
• Absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin
• Rapid pulse
• Difficulty breathing
• Strange behavior
• Hallucinations
• Confusion
• Agitation
• Disorientation
• Seizures
• Coma

Coach’s Corner: Balance and Square Blades

By Charles Barksdale, Coach, Austin Rowing Club

Balance and Square Blades:

Balance is always an issue in rowing, especially for novices. One of the best ways to improve your balance is to practice rowing square blades.  This is a daunting task for some but if you break it into smaller pieces it’s easier to tackle. Here is a good way to break it down for both sculling and sweep:

• Start by rowing with square blades with just arms only.
• When that becomes easy add in the upper body then quarter slide, etc.
• You’ll find your trouble areas of your stroke and then you can isolate them and work on them directly.
• When you can row full strokes (at least 8 out of 10) square blades it is time to step up the power!

*Tip- it is always easier to balance the boat out when it is moving so take a couple of strokes with the feather first, then go to square blades!

Coach’s Corner: The Body – Seat (Butt) Position

As we move into the fall and winter training season it is a great time to go over and refresh ourselves on some of the basics!