Train Hard : Sunday lunch session

Broke ten minutes today with my 2.5km jog on the treadmill with a time of 9.58 – was feeling rather pleased with that. I’ve shaved off over a minute in a week!

Train hard evening session

Cardio

Treadmill run:

11.07  minutes – 2.5km

Building from 12km/h up to 16.5km/h, followed by a 2 minute cool down at 6.5km/h

Peak heart rate – 198bpm

Recovery time – 3 minutes

Recovery heart rate – 198-172 / 10 = 2.6 – needs some work sadly!

 

Weights

Shoulder press resistance machine:

9kg x 10 x 3 sets

Leg press resistance machine:

79kg x 10 x 3 sets

Lat pull down:

32kg x 10 x 2 sets

33.1kg x 5

34.2 x 5

Converging chest press resistance machine:

11kg x 10

18kg x 10 x 2 sets

Train as you mean to go on …

So, I got back into the gym today!

It’s been quite a while since I hit a gym (aside from TRC’s gym, of course – although that’s been a couple of weeks too!)

 

Cardio

Treadmill run:

11.12 minutes – 2.5km

Building from 10km/h up to 16km/h, followed by a 2 minute cool down at 6.5km/h

 

Row:

9.13 minutes – 2012m

2.16.6 avg/500m

18spm avg

Weights

Tricep pressdown with cable:

10.2kg x 10 (reps)

7.9kg x 10

5kg x 10

 

Shoulder press resistance machine:

4.5kg x 10

9kg x 10

14kg x 3

 

Leg press resistance machine:

59kg x 10

66kg x 10

73kg x 10

79kg x 10

 

Bent over row with dumbells:

10kg x 20

 

Bench press with dumbells:

8kg x 20

 

– I have to admit, I left the gym feeling rather smug after seeing a guy’s jaw drop whilst I used the leg press – each time I increased the weight he looked rather surprised!

Despite not having lifted weights for a couple of months, I feel like I can carry on not far from where I left off. Although I’ll be honest, the erging didn’t feel as easy as it has before – however I didn’t have the best shoes on for it, and found myself pushing with my heels instead of my toes – nowhere near as effective.

Next gym session I shall push for 5km as we are now entering winter season, and so we’re back to long, long erg sessions!

Be Happy : Friday’s Health & Fitness Fact

Walk yourself fit!

Not a fan of running?

Walking at a brisk pace – 15 minutes per mile – burns almost as many calories as jogging for the same distance.

Not only this, but it reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.

So get those walking shoes on this weekend, leave the car at home, and walk to the shops!

 

But dont forget …

Jogging takes less time to cover the same distance and is good for your bones.

Weight-bearing exercises like running reduce your risk of osteoporosis, as it helps maintain bone mineral density.

 

Did you know?

There are many misconceptions around running and it’s effect on the body.

Many believe that running is bad for bones and joints, however recent research from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2008) found no evidence of accelerated rates of osteoarthritis among long-distance runners when compared with healthy non-runners.

It is in fact suggested that running could delay the onset of arthritis by more than 12 years – with those that run between 6 and 20 miles a week seeing the most benefit.

Professor Jim Fries, an expert in healthy ageing, emeritus professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, California, and senior author of the study found the following from his research:

‘Running or jogging does not increase the risk of osteoarthritis, even though traditionally we thought it was a disease of wear and tear.

‘It’s the wearing that’s OK and not the tearing, because it’s important to avoid injury. 

We know now that painless running or other activities which are aerobic and make you fit help you remain vigorous for longer. 

You are four times better off in avoiding disability, and that’s what we all worry about. 

But we can’t say the same for the type of exercise that involves tears around the joint, primarily through twisting and turning. This accelerates development of osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee. Internationally, the most frequent cause is football. 

Even ballet dancers are at increased risk for osteoarthritis – at the base of the big toes.’

 

So don’t let the many misconceptions of others hold you back!

Train Hard : Road to Henley!

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve been on an erg, as the last few weeks have been used for race prep, with lots of mid-week outings, however on the road to Henley, the training is getting ramped up further!

Tonight’s work was 2 x 5km pieces, rate 18.

It hurt!

Weight : 58.6kg

Piece 1

Time : 22.00.1
Average Split : 2.12.0
Average Stroke Rate : 19
Watts : 152
Calories : 302

Piece 2

Time : 22.37.2
Average Split : 2.15.7
Average Stroke Rate : 18
Watts : 140
Calories : 294
 

A good 37 seconds slower in the second piece, after a five minute break – understandably so though!

Be Happy : Friday’s Health & Fitness Fact

Sports Drinks are no more hydrating than water!

We see adverts all around us for the latest sports drinks, that promise to ‘revitalise us’, keep us ‘going longer’, and ‘improve performance’ – however do they actually work?

Oxford University Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine conducted various tests to research into claims made by manufacturers of sports drinks and protein shakes, and concluded that the quality of the evidence from the manufacturers was poor, and that the effect of the products was miniscule.

Sugar

In fact many sports drink are so high in sugar that the average fitness-freak doesn’t burn enough calories in a session at the gym to warrant drinking them!

A bottle of Lucozade Energy contains 266 calories – more than a Mars bar – only 260 calories!

Whilst a bottle of Powerade contains as much as seven teaspoons of sugar – similar to that of a can of coke – and you would need to walk for 30 minutes, or run for 15 to 20 minutes to burn it off!

Make your own sports drinks, and say goodbye to unnecessary sugar!

Water is better at hydration than any other liquid, both before and during exercise, however sports drinks may be seen to be more hydrating as you are more likely to drink larger volumes, therefore leading to better hydration!

You should drink 120-170ml of water for every 15-20 minutes of exercise – so an hour’s worth of exercise would require between 480 and 680ml – an average-sized sports drink bottle … But instead of drinking the sweet sugary option, keep that empty bottle before buying another, and make your own – not only a healthier option, but much cheaper too!

 

Isotonic Sports Drink :

• 100ml fruit squash
• 400ml water
• a very small pinch of salt

Mix it all together and chill in the fridge.

An isotonic sports drink is best for :

• A boost of carbohydrates
• Long distance/long duration sports and activities
• Replacing fluids lost through sweat

 

Hypertonic Sports Drink :

• 200ml fruit squash
• 500ml water
• a very small pinch of salt

Mix it all together and chill in the fridge.

A hypertonic sports drink is best for :

• A boost of carbohydrates – higher level than isotonic and hypotonic drinks
• After exercise, to help top up muscle glycogen stores
• For long distance events like marathons
• Can also be taken during strenuous exercise.

 

Hypotonic Sports Drink :

• 50ml fruit squash
• 500ml water
• a very small pinch of salt

Mix it all together and chill in the fridge.

A hypotonic sports drink is best for :

• Quickly replacing fluids without adding carbohydrates
• Drinking straight after a workout, as they directly target the main cause of fatigue – dehydration – by replacing lost water fast.

Terminology : Rate (Rowing)

What?

Rate, or Stroke Rate is the number of strokes you take per minute in rowing, also referred to as spm, s/m or rating.

When?

Stroke Rate is used both in the boat, and on an erg during a piece.

Where?

On an erg, the stroke rate is usually displayed in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and is displayed as a number with s/m.

In a boat, the stroke rate is usually measured using a magnet and sensors attached to the underneath of the stroke seat (or under the bow man’s seat in a bowloaded boat), connected to a cox box. As the rower moves up the slide, a measurement is taken and relayed to the cox box.

 

Why?

Stroke rate is used to measure and monitor intensity.

It is important in competitive rowing, as a high stroke rate could mean that the rowers are being hurried and technique is more likely to suffer, subsequently causing the boat to unbalance.

An unbalanced boat means that not all blades are covered properly by the water, and so collectively displace a smaller amount of water, therefore moving the boat forwards less than that of a perfectly balanced boat.

High rating can also cause a crew to tire quickly, however this depends on the level of fitness of the crew. The higher the level of fitness, the higher the stroke rate can be without negatively affecting the balance or technique.

 

And finally …

Try it for yourself …

A low-rate erg session does not have to mean lower intensity!

The best way to maximise your energy output is to row at a lower intensity for longer.

As a good base-level workout for cardio fitness, lower-rate rowing can be used to focus on power.

Try rowing for 20 to 40 minutes at a stroke rate of 18 to 22 – pushing as hard as you can, but taking your time with the recovery – the fitter you get, the you should see your split-time lower, as you are able to use the oxygen more efficiently and push harder with each stroke. Keep a note of your average split time at the end of your piece, and use this to compare your progress over the weeks.

Rowing at a slow rate can burn as much as 400 calories per hour (dependant on your own bodyweight) – so get off the cross trainer and hop on the erg!

Train Hard : 2km Testing – Round 2

It’s been a couple of weeks since the last test, and we’ve had races and camp in between, but here it is – my results from tonight’s 2km.

Time : 8.00.1
Average Split : 2.00.0
Average Stroke Rate : 28
Weight Pre-testing : 56.1kg

Split breakdown :
0-500m : 1.55.4
500-1000m : 2.00.4
1000-1500m : 2.03.0
1500-2000m : 2.01.3

 

Building on the last 2km, I had a plan and I tried to stick to it, but I found myself stupidly pushing at the wrong times.

I went off hard and quick in the first 100m, to get myself a good head start and got my split down to 1.50.0, however as I then eased out to get a consistent pace I aimed for my previous split of 1.58.0 and failed to stick at it and couldn’t keep my rate high enough. I just didn’t have the energy in my legs or glutes to push harder, and my arms wouldn’t move any quicker.

I’ve lost a kilo since the last test, I hadn’t eaten much today and last week I had come down with the start of a virus – I’m hoping this may be the reason I just couldn’t find the energy to push for more.

As I finished the test my cough kicked off again, and I could feel a lot of gunk loosened off in my chest.

I’m a little annoyed with myself – I’m not going to lie! I’m far to competitive not to be! But having said that, it’s not an awful time in the grand scheme of things, it would have just been nice to get it a little lower – it’s only a difference of 4.4 seconds on my last test, and I have missed the last few erg sessions as I keep running myself in to the ground! I’m still trying to master the art of balancing all angles of life!

Annoyingly though, heart-rate-wise I recovered quickly, and more importantly it didn’t just give up mid-erg!

Sports Tracker Workout Results for 2km testing

Train Hard : Gym workout

It’s been a while since I was in the gym, so I made the most of the treadmill – like an excitable dog every time I hop on one!

 

Treadmill Workout

http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/workout/trainhardeatwellbehappy/9an3ts0ccqsu3l8p

I strapped up and gave myself a 30 minute workout on the treadmill 4.85km

• 1500m jog @ 13km/h                           (07:22 minutes)
• 300m brisk walk @ 6km/h
• 200m @ 14.5km/h
• 200m @ 6km/h
• 200m @ 15km/h
• 200m @ 6km/h
• 200m @ 15.5km/h
• 300m @ 5km/h
• 200m @ 16km/h
• 300m @ 4.5km/h
• 300m @ 16.5km/h
• 300m @ 4.5km/h
• 300m @ 17km/h
• 350m @ 4km/h

My legs felt alright, and although I reached a PB peak speed on the treadmill, I didn’t feel too much out of breath, or that it was uncomfortable. The only thing stopping me going for longer was the rumbling stomach

 

Weights Workout

I then quickly moved over to the weights whilst still warm (it was a very small gym, so it was literally a hop off and on!) – and all back-to-back as a giant set.

Bench Press (dumbells) :

• 9kg – 3 sets, 10 reps

Shoulder Press (machine)  :

• 15kg x 6 reps,
• 12.5kg x 8 reps,
• 10kg x 10 reps

Bicep hammer curl (dumbells) :

• 7kg x 10 reps,
• 6kg x 10 reps,
• 5kg x 10 reps

Leg press (upright machine) :

• 80kg x 10 reps,
• 90kg x 10 reps,
• 100kg x 10 reps,
• 110kg x 10 reps,
• 120kg x 10 reps

 

A fairly short workout – about an hour in total, but my arms felt exhausted after that! It’s been a while since I have done much in the way of weights for my arms, as weights sessions at training haven’t been arm specific, but upper body in general.

Awaiting the DOMS! 🙂

Camp Hard : Spring Camp 2013 : Day 5

Today was the last day of camp!

A slight change of plans to the day, as the coaches wanted to get one trailer of boats back to the club as early as possible, so after breakfast, and once packed we all headed to the club. Here we were split into groups for two outings.

Those not on the water first thing would be derigging boats for the trailer.
I went out in the first outing with the first 8, as bow – my usual seat in that crew!

Everyone was feeling pretty exhausted, and many had aches and pains, so the outing was only about an hour long. We started off with practicing of racing starts, which seemed to go quite smoothly, and we were able to pick up speed pretty quickly. Our cox, Caroline, then tried a routine of moving through the different stroke lengths, but square bladed. Starting with the full stroke, down to three quarters, half, a quarter, arms and bodies and then just arms – then building it back up the other way.
The balance was pretty good, given we were doing it as all 8, whereas the normal routine is done just with stern four or bow four at a time.

Once Caroline was happy with how we were doing, she then took it down to rowing in sixes so that we could power stroke back up to the club.
It was a good outing, and so a good end to a very long weekend of rowing!!

After that we got involved with the derigging, as one trailer was sent off with a few from the squad to unload and rig back at the club.

Given that the work was split in half as half the squad was busy, we finally finished tying on the last boats at 3pm, and so were able to get on the coach back to London an hour earlier than planned.

It only took 3 hours once back at the club to rig the boats back up and get them back to their rightful homes!

A few from the squad went out for dinner at the local Thai restaurant – those clever enough to have booked the Tuesday off work! – however along with those that hadn’t, I headed off home to unpack and have an early night!

Here’s to next year’s Spring Camp!

(Fingers crossed, as an intermediate, rather than a novice!)