Showing posts with label How to improve your Rowing Technique. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How to improve your Rowing Technique. Show all posts
Oct 18, 2012
Any type of crazy rowing is a great way to improve your boat moving skill!
Enjoy this footage that I have found a few years ago on Youtube. This is a French fellow in a single scull who is not afraid of potentially going into the drink.
I do a lot exercises to losen rowers up so that they start hanging from the skeletal.
Rowing the boat is more of a dance than a heavy lifting exercise.
Xeno
Sep 11, 2012
You may be racing him at the Head of the Charles, trouble ahead. :-)
[caption id="attachment_1190" align="aligncenter" width="735"]
Getting ready for the Head of the Charles 2012[/caption]
The Head of the Charles regatta is only a few weeks away. Some competitors use this fall race as a way to judge and wrap up their 2012 racing season. I have the pleasure to work with individuals who do not want to leave their fate up to chance. I enable scullers to understand their own technique through describing what they do to move them boat. Frame by frame commentary leaves no unnecessary motion undetected. Each time I watch someone's stroke I zero in onto the computer screen and anything beyond becomes blurry. Everyone's technical signature speaks to me. I do not have a set way to start a stroke analysis. The rowing motion is so natural, so organic, that my study flows with the pros and cons of its boat moving effectiveness.
[caption id="attachment_1145" align="aligncenter" width="3600"]
As the weather gets colder and you need to wear more layers of clothing to stay warm, rowing a racing scull is impossible. The fear of skim ice, or falling into the frigid water is a powerful deterrent. The Xeno Signature Tango, will keep you afloat and leaves you with room to drop your extra layers when you find your rowing groove. Row in winter, row in the snow, don't worry your safe![/caption]
Getting ready for the Head of the Charles 2012[/caption]The Head of the Charles regatta is only a few weeks away. Some competitors use this fall race as a way to judge and wrap up their 2012 racing season. I have the pleasure to work with individuals who do not want to leave their fate up to chance. I enable scullers to understand their own technique through describing what they do to move them boat. Frame by frame commentary leaves no unnecessary motion undetected. Each time I watch someone's stroke I zero in onto the computer screen and anything beyond becomes blurry. Everyone's technical signature speaks to me. I do not have a set way to start a stroke analysis. The rowing motion is so natural, so organic, that my study flows with the pros and cons of its boat moving effectiveness.
[caption id="attachment_1145" align="aligncenter" width="3600"]
As the weather gets colder and you need to wear more layers of clothing to stay warm, rowing a racing scull is impossible. The fear of skim ice, or falling into the frigid water is a powerful deterrent. The Xeno Signature Tango, will keep you afloat and leaves you with room to drop your extra layers when you find your rowing groove. Row in winter, row in the snow, don't worry your safe![/caption]
Sep 8, 2012
Coaching worldwide, making boats faster, one sculler at a time.
Improving strokes worldwide one rower at a time. That is what I do and I love it. This stroke analysis is 32 minutes long. I point out the good and the bad. I explain which technical exercises need to be used and how those feel when they are done right. I make comments on rigging and explain why changes in rigging are needed. The result is superior power application. I know these scullers will be going faster. This young man is European. I can coach in five different languages: English, French, Spanish, German, and Swiss-German :-)
Jul 28, 2012
You don't have to be tall and built like a gorilla to win at the 2012 London Olympics in the single scull.
[gallery]
Smart training and sound sculling technique that is how you will fly in your boat. This is how I coach.
In the background you have a super athlete who won the first Olympic heat. He does an excellent job applying his body to maximize boat glide and acceleration.
Good luck to Tim Maeyens, let there be tailwind!
Smart training and sound sculling technique that is how you will fly in your boat. This is how I coach.
In the background you have a super athlete who won the first Olympic heat. He does an excellent job applying his body to maximize boat glide and acceleration.
Good luck to Tim Maeyens, let there be tailwind!
Jul 21, 2012
Nice hang in sculling, good for sweep rowing too, but the keystone to accelerating the single scull is missing.
A lovely demonstration of hanging of the skeleton during the leg drive. It is possible that the pelvis could be rotated slightly further to the stern, but nice hang from the spine and shoulder blades.
The problem is that when the hands are closest to the stern, the blades are not near entering the water. The blades hang in the air and will lead to the stroke being rowed in. It is a true pity, because the sculler has huge potential. It is all about how early the sculls connect with the water. The hands must rise when they move to the stern. The blades need to have fallen into the water by the time the knees get to the full compression. (These two pictures were not taken in the same single scull.)
Above, blades enter the water at full extension.
A similar post to this one can be found here: http://biz123.inmotionhosting.com/~xenoco5/how-to-row-safe-and-fast/difference-in-technique-what-brings-olympic-gold-and-what-does-not/
Top two pictures from www.row2k.com
Smart Training | Good Team Communication | Sound Sculling Technique. What could have been in 2008 is happening now at the London Olympics 2012
In 2008... I coached two men, Peter and Tom Graves, for 6 months. They almost qualified for the Olympics in the men's double scull, they were one second and scrap behind the winning double. Peter and Tom weighed roughly 25-30 pounds less than Elliot Hovey and Wes Piermarini.... The difference in erg scores for 2K 15 seconds or more. How is it possible that Peter and Tom almost won? Simple, smart conditioning, great communication between brothers, and the right sculling technique. Now Peter is in the men's heavyweight 4X at the London Olympics. I am very happy for Peter. The lesson in all of this is that, technique makes boats move fast and technique is the major handicap in US-Sculling. This needs to change. I can help change this, we proved it.
Xeno
Jul 18, 2012
10 Simple concepts to scull and row better and faster.
+ Handle speed on the recovery is not equal to the combined movement of extending the elbows, hinging the body forward, and rolling into the catch. It is the succession of those movements that create a steady recovery with lots of boat run.
+ The right blade movement at the catch cuts into the water, like spear, or a spoon carving out ice cream from the container.
+ The most power a rower has at the oar handle is when the oar is at 90 degrees to the boat. It is also the moment the handle travels the fastest. To stay connected the forward body angle is activated as the last quarter of the leg drive is completed.
+ The handle on the recovery first travels away from the chest, then through the forward body angle away from the hip joint (body over position) and that is it! Through the draw of the hamstrings it is then the stern that comes to the hands.
+ The blade enters and exists the water on the square.
+ Catching and feathering only occurs with the hands moving to the stern.
+ The finish is completed with the lungs full of air.
+ The wheels of the seat accelerate to the finish. On the recovery their speed is steady.
+ The wheels on the seat stop at the finish, they don't stop at the catch, just change direction.
+ You spend more time on the recovery in a race, it is never too late to learn how to glide.
Xeno
Jul 14, 2012
Who is your "row model"? Frans Göbel was one of mine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRHKbFgJX9M&feature=my_liked_videos&list=LLwE9lwZSwC_pjuhjavRXlUQ
Frans Göbel won the world championship in the lightweight single scull twice and he did it with an incredible display of technical superiority. I was very fortunate that my coaches understood Frans' superiority. At the time, my national team coach, Harry Mahon, was known for coaching crews that effortlessly glided over the water. Martin Cross, author of Olympic Obsession, used described Harry's crews as "ghosting along". When I read those words it gave me chills. Few are the crews that display such superiority. Frans' and Harry's technique is the reason why I won Olympic medals and am one of the very few men to have rowed in the six thirties for 2000 meters.
Enjoy this clip of Frans and the others that you will discover about him.
Frans Göbel won the world championship in the lightweight single scull twice and he did it with an incredible display of technical superiority. I was very fortunate that my coaches understood Frans' superiority. At the time, my national team coach, Harry Mahon, was known for coaching crews that effortlessly glided over the water. Martin Cross, author of Olympic Obsession, used described Harry's crews as "ghosting along". When I read those words it gave me chills. Few are the crews that display such superiority. Frans' and Harry's technique is the reason why I won Olympic medals and am one of the very few men to have rowed in the six thirties for 2000 meters.
Enjoy this clip of Frans and the others that you will discover about him.
Jul 13, 2012
A sculling stroke that can easily be improved, creating more boat speed with a lot less effort..... Rowing
[caption id="attachment_921" align="alignleft" width="532"]
Pulling while pushing.... it could go easier and faster.[/caption]
The competitive rower above is in the middle of his start strokes. His arms are bent during the most powerful part of the leg drive. In other words, what this rower can pull is currently equal to what his legs can push... Does that seem right to you?
The legs are the most powerful part in the rowing stroke. In between the legs and arms is the back... Is the back more powerful than the arms? Yes. The sculler would be a lot faster in a more sequential application of power. Combining all three body parts at the same time, pushes the rower against the foot board rather then moving the boat past the oars. It is key that the leg drive with a suspended body drives the oars as far to 90 degrees to the boat as possible before a pulling motion is fully engaged. The pulling motion is most effective when the oars pass 90 degrees to the hull.
This type of technical deficiency can be corrected through five different exercises. A stroke analysis with a clear explanation of what these exercises are supposed to feel like solves the problem.
Xeno Müller
Rowing Coach
Olympic gold and silver medalist
Olympic record holder
Pulling while pushing.... it could go easier and faster.[/caption]The competitive rower above is in the middle of his start strokes. His arms are bent during the most powerful part of the leg drive. In other words, what this rower can pull is currently equal to what his legs can push... Does that seem right to you?
The legs are the most powerful part in the rowing stroke. In between the legs and arms is the back... Is the back more powerful than the arms? Yes. The sculler would be a lot faster in a more sequential application of power. Combining all three body parts at the same time, pushes the rower against the foot board rather then moving the boat past the oars. It is key that the leg drive with a suspended body drives the oars as far to 90 degrees to the boat as possible before a pulling motion is fully engaged. The pulling motion is most effective when the oars pass 90 degrees to the hull.
This type of technical deficiency can be corrected through five different exercises. A stroke analysis with a clear explanation of what these exercises are supposed to feel like solves the problem.
Xeno Müller
Rowing Coach
Olympic gold and silver medalist
Olympic record holder
Feb 15, 2012
How to enjoy rowing more, row faster, row safely, join us.
Xeno Muller won an Olympic Gold in Atlanta and an Olympic Silver in Sydney, and is the current Olympic Record holder in the 2000m Single Scull. He is also the President of XenoRowingCoach and Row2Go which is quickly becoming THE online community for both indoor and on-the-water rowers providing its members with weekly online workout routines and individualized coaching programs.
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Feb 10, 2012
Chronic issues on the water with boats and technique.
Hi Rowers and Coaches,
Yesterday as I was communicating with a couple rowers over the internet it occurred to me that I ought to write about chronic problems that I encounter and hear about of technique and rigging issues, here goes:
Scullers and sweep rowers seem to be chronically rigged too far into the stern, which forces an insanely uncomfortable lay back. This leads to washing out of the blades at the finish and contributes to a sore lower back. The biceps are overdeveloped and the latesimus dorsalis underdeveloped. The finish posture leads to a bunched up recovery where arms away is combined with a forward body angle similar to the hunchback of Notre Dame, and a skyward tug of the knees which is solely the result of contracting the hip flexor, totally leaving out the far more important hamstrings. The movement of the seat arrives too early to the end of the track which stops the knees and allows a lurch of the upper body which leads to a drop of the handle height, a late squaring and skying of the blade. In a women's eight, the shoes are usually set too low making over-compressing of the knees likely and perpetuating the lurch at the catch. The leg drive tends to be shortened through the steeper angle at which the legs are at extension because of the low foot board position and over-sized shoes. Men in sweep and in sculling are rigged too low, while women are rigged too high. In sweep rowing, the inboard handle is either too short, or the span too wide. The sculls and sweep oars are held in fists instead of fingers creating blisters in the palm of the hand. Shoulders during the drive look like they are attached to the rower's earlobes. That catch occurs when the boat sits deep in the stern instead of when the hull comes out on its own buoyancy. During the drive the notion of hanging of the leg drive is fuzzy. Hanging does not mean contracting muscles above the hip joint while pushing with the legs. Heels come off the foot board at the finish creating and perpetuating the lack of support in the lower back and the lack of use of the hamstrings to lever the swing of the upper body against the last quarter of the leg drive, which is the most powerful angle, but also the shortest distance the seat travels, creating a drop of the knees indicates the loss of connection between leg drive and upper body swing. Catches are performed with an early opening of the back, clearly showing that the knees/legs are not the primary driving force of the rowing stroke. Arms are used in similar manner as a squirrel holds an acorn, which slows down the extension of the legs and uses up the draw too early in the stroke which then prevents a supported finish position. Foot boards are usually too flat instead of too steep. Larger junior teams spend more time lining the boats up than worrying about training at target heart rate and building torque. Junior teams tend to train too little at the aerobic zone, and too often at and above the anaerobic threshold. Such training leads to injury, mental and physical plateau, an angry coach, because the team is not improving, a dislike of returning to the boathouse, low self esteem. Coxswain are the most underrated assets in a boathouse. If the coach new how to coach, the coxswain would make the coach's life a living dream. Coxswains feel boat and hear what the team is saying without the coach hearing it. The coach is to a crew what a five star general is to an army, therefore the coxswain is a four star general.
Ok, got to quit I have a couple stroke analysis to do.
You can find me on www.xenorowingcoach.com and @rowingadviser on twitter. You can row with me at www.row2go.com.
Happy February and know that I am certain that you can go 20 seconds faster on a 2K if you have never been coached by me or have made it to the national team.
Yesterday as I was communicating with a couple rowers over the internet it occurred to me that I ought to write about chronic problems that I encounter and hear about of technique and rigging issues, here goes:
 |
| This is not good enough of a hang either :-) |
Ok, got to quit I have a couple stroke analysis to do.
You can find me on www.xenorowingcoach.com and @rowingadviser on twitter. You can row with me at www.row2go.com.
Happy February and know that I am certain that you can go 20 seconds faster on a 2K if you have never been coached by me or have made it to the national team.
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Jan 30, 2012
Mens eights final Sydney 2000 olympic regatta.mpeg
Harry Mahon, one of two coaches of the GBR 8+, was my coach. This eight is a beautiful demonstration of how much technique matters. No eight has yet achieved such perfection. Harry Mahon is awesome, rest in peace Harry.
Xeno Muller
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Jan 1, 2012
Being coached by Harry Mahon leading to Olympic Gold and Olympic record
I met Harry in April 1988 on a lake in Switzerland. I was 16 participating at a 3 day rowing camp. Harry at the time was the Swiss national team coach. That morning I had heard that “He” was coming to watch some of our club row. I had no idea what he looked like, sounded like, all I knew is that he had a beard and was from New Zealand.
As I sculled my single on a amazingly glassy lake, a morning so crisp that sound traveled for miles, and clock towers from different villages along the lake created a symphony celebrating the holy weekend. I spotted at one kilometer across the lake Harry and a couple other club coaches following a men’s straight four. Then the launch veered of and started approaching. I later heard from one of my future junior coaches that Harry suddenly spotted me at a distance and asked who that was and the answer given: “A new kid, he comes from France, has a Swiss passport, speaks English, a big kid, needs some work.” At that moment my quest for Olympic gold in the single scull took a serious turn to reality.
My work with Harry spanned from 1988 to 1992. I had the pleasure to work with Harry in Sarnen, Switzerlandduring summer vacations in preparation of the junior and senior world championships and my first Olympic participation in 1992. He came to coach me a couple of times in Fontaine bleau,Francewhere I lived as a kid. Scott Roop and Steve Gladstone our Brown University coaches inProvidenceRhode Islandhad the pleasure to have him visit me and get his opinion on our Freshmen eight, as I was also training the single scull to prepare for the Olympic qualification.
I have several memorable experiences with Harry regarding sculling technique. He reminded me constantly that him pulling 1:47 at stroke rate 20, with his body size is only the result of hanging from the leg drive and connecting with the upper body without pulling. He would watch like a hawk for any contraction in the upper body that came prematurely during the leg drive. While he coached us on the rowing machine, he would stand next to me and mimic relaxed shoulders with hands drawn to the side of the ribcage, with a totally relaxed face, and say, that the stroke is executed in a powerful relaxed way. Harry loved the Rowperfect and knew how difficult it was to teach pushing and hanging on a static rowing machine. Harry’s ability to understand, push and hang, without ever having been a record smashing rower himself is really remarkable. He simply had a great understanding of body mechanics and the Eye.
He made me row circles on different lakes, explaining me how the blade needed to be extracted at the finish and how I had to catch on the way up so that I would not miss water and cancel out any chance of rowing it in. I would scull along his coaching launch and he would mention squaring the blade earlier and quietly tell me that I started to move away from the constant speed the launch was traveling at. One of Harry’s trademark coaching technique was to observe the stern of my sculling boat and help me understand what an efficient pick up was. He would pull the launch right behind my stern so that I had the ability to gage my boat movement with the constant speed of the coaching launch. On good catches my single scull would stay at a constant speed away from the bow of Harry’s launch, when I missed, his launch would surge towards me, scarring me at the beginning, when in reality it was me checking the boat, because of a poor catch… rowing it in. At times he would comment every single catch for minutes at a time to let me know whether the way I was doing it was correct or not here is a sample: “No, no, no, no, no, yes, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOO! Zeino, you have to hang from the shoulders, you go like this, I would look at him and he would shrug his shoulders, blow air in his cheeks, and bend the arms and I would curse inside of myself and want to break boat and oars once I came on the shore with my fits, I never did. Then one day in Providence, suddenly started hearing: “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…” tears started flowing over my cheeks and I stopped the boat, and began cry. I finally felt it, at the time I could not describe in words, how I did it, but I felt it and I could recreate it. Today, I can describe everything that Harry taught me and convey it to scullers and rowers whom I have the pleasure to coach. Harry pulled his launch up to me and asked what was wrong. I gathered my strength and controlled my mixture of emotional happiness and urge to go to rowing war. I said: “Harry, I get it, I GET IT, holy s..t, I G-E-T it!!!” I then saw his smiling face, his blue eyes, his friendly smile come through his beard. He was happy, he LOVED giving this type of “AHA” moments to rowers of all ages, nationalities, and caliber.
Thank you Harry, you enabled me to become an Olympic gold and silver medalist, and Olympic record holder. You gave me athletic freedom that lead me to California where I met my wife and now have four wonderful children. Thanks to you and the people who supported me over the years I can say that I have no regrets and that you were a huge part of it by sharing your passion on the water and believing in your talent as a coach and the ability of the people you worked with.
Xeno
As I sculled my single on a amazingly glassy lake, a morning so crisp that sound traveled for miles, and clock towers from different villages along the lake created a symphony celebrating the holy weekend. I spotted at one kilometer across the lake Harry and a couple other club coaches following a men’s straight four. Then the launch veered of and started approaching. I later heard from one of my future junior coaches that Harry suddenly spotted me at a distance and asked who that was and the answer given: “A new kid, he comes from France, has a Swiss passport, speaks English, a big kid, needs some work.” At that moment my quest for Olympic gold in the single scull took a serious turn to reality.
My work with Harry spanned from 1988 to 1992. I had the pleasure to work with Harry in Sarnen, Switzerlandduring summer vacations in preparation of the junior and senior world championships and my first Olympic participation in 1992. He came to coach me a couple of times in Fontaine bleau,Francewhere I lived as a kid. Scott Roop and Steve Gladstone our Brown University coaches inProvidenceRhode Islandhad the pleasure to have him visit me and get his opinion on our Freshmen eight, as I was also training the single scull to prepare for the Olympic qualification.
I have several memorable experiences with Harry regarding sculling technique. He reminded me constantly that him pulling 1:47 at stroke rate 20, with his body size is only the result of hanging from the leg drive and connecting with the upper body without pulling. He would watch like a hawk for any contraction in the upper body that came prematurely during the leg drive. While he coached us on the rowing machine, he would stand next to me and mimic relaxed shoulders with hands drawn to the side of the ribcage, with a totally relaxed face, and say, that the stroke is executed in a powerful relaxed way. Harry loved the Rowperfect and knew how difficult it was to teach pushing and hanging on a static rowing machine. Harry’s ability to understand, push and hang, without ever having been a record smashing rower himself is really remarkable. He simply had a great understanding of body mechanics and the Eye.
He made me row circles on different lakes, explaining me how the blade needed to be extracted at the finish and how I had to catch on the way up so that I would not miss water and cancel out any chance of rowing it in. I would scull along his coaching launch and he would mention squaring the blade earlier and quietly tell me that I started to move away from the constant speed the launch was traveling at. One of Harry’s trademark coaching technique was to observe the stern of my sculling boat and help me understand what an efficient pick up was. He would pull the launch right behind my stern so that I had the ability to gage my boat movement with the constant speed of the coaching launch. On good catches my single scull would stay at a constant speed away from the bow of Harry’s launch, when I missed, his launch would surge towards me, scarring me at the beginning, when in reality it was me checking the boat, because of a poor catch… rowing it in. At times he would comment every single catch for minutes at a time to let me know whether the way I was doing it was correct or not here is a sample: “No, no, no, no, no, yes, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOO! Zeino, you have to hang from the shoulders, you go like this, I would look at him and he would shrug his shoulders, blow air in his cheeks, and bend the arms and I would curse inside of myself and want to break boat and oars once I came on the shore with my fits, I never did. Then one day in Providence, suddenly started hearing: “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…” tears started flowing over my cheeks and I stopped the boat, and began cry. I finally felt it, at the time I could not describe in words, how I did it, but I felt it and I could recreate it. Today, I can describe everything that Harry taught me and convey it to scullers and rowers whom I have the pleasure to coach. Harry pulled his launch up to me and asked what was wrong. I gathered my strength and controlled my mixture of emotional happiness and urge to go to rowing war. I said: “Harry, I get it, I GET IT, holy s..t, I G-E-T it!!!” I then saw his smiling face, his blue eyes, his friendly smile come through his beard. He was happy, he LOVED giving this type of “AHA” moments to rowers of all ages, nationalities, and caliber.
Thank you Harry, you enabled me to become an Olympic gold and silver medalist, and Olympic record holder. You gave me athletic freedom that lead me to California where I met my wife and now have four wonderful children. Thanks to you and the people who supported me over the years I can say that I have no regrets and that you were a huge part of it by sharing your passion on the water and believing in your talent as a coach and the ability of the people you worked with.
Xeno
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
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Showing posts with label How to improve your Rowing Technique. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How to improve your Rowing Technique. Show all posts
Oct 18, 2012
Any type of crazy rowing is a great way to improve your boat moving skill!
Enjoy this footage that I have found a few years ago on Youtube. This is a French fellow in a single scull who is not afraid of potentially going into the drink.
I do a lot exercises to losen rowers up so that they start hanging from the skeletal.
Rowing the boat is more of a dance than a heavy lifting exercise.
Xeno
Sep 11, 2012
You may be racing him at the Head of the Charles, trouble ahead. :-)
[caption id="attachment_1190" align="aligncenter" width="735"] Getting ready for the Head of the Charles 2012[/caption]
The Head of the Charles regatta is only a few weeks away. Some competitors use this fall race as a way to judge and wrap up their 2012 racing season. I have the pleasure to work with individuals who do not want to leave their fate up to chance. I enable scullers to understand their own technique through describing what they do to move them boat. Frame by frame commentary leaves no unnecessary motion undetected. Each time I watch someone's stroke I zero in onto the computer screen and anything beyond becomes blurry. Everyone's technical signature speaks to me. I do not have a set way to start a stroke analysis. The rowing motion is so natural, so organic, that my study flows with the pros and cons of its boat moving effectiveness.
[caption id="attachment_1145" align="aligncenter" width="3600"] As the weather gets colder and you need to wear more layers of clothing to stay warm, rowing a racing scull is impossible. The fear of skim ice, or falling into the frigid water is a powerful deterrent. The Xeno Signature Tango, will keep you afloat and leaves you with room to drop your extra layers when you find your rowing groove. Row in winter, row in the snow, don't worry your safe![/caption]
Getting ready for the Head of the Charles 2012[/caption]The Head of the Charles regatta is only a few weeks away. Some competitors use this fall race as a way to judge and wrap up their 2012 racing season. I have the pleasure to work with individuals who do not want to leave their fate up to chance. I enable scullers to understand their own technique through describing what they do to move them boat. Frame by frame commentary leaves no unnecessary motion undetected. Each time I watch someone's stroke I zero in onto the computer screen and anything beyond becomes blurry. Everyone's technical signature speaks to me. I do not have a set way to start a stroke analysis. The rowing motion is so natural, so organic, that my study flows with the pros and cons of its boat moving effectiveness.
[caption id="attachment_1145" align="aligncenter" width="3600"]
As the weather gets colder and you need to wear more layers of clothing to stay warm, rowing a racing scull is impossible. The fear of skim ice, or falling into the frigid water is a powerful deterrent. The Xeno Signature Tango, will keep you afloat and leaves you with room to drop your extra layers when you find your rowing groove. Row in winter, row in the snow, don't worry your safe![/caption]
Sep 8, 2012
Coaching worldwide, making boats faster, one sculler at a time.
Improving strokes worldwide one rower at a time. That is what I do and I love it. This stroke analysis is 32 minutes long. I point out the good and the bad. I explain which technical exercises need to be used and how those feel when they are done right. I make comments on rigging and explain why changes in rigging are needed. The result is superior power application. I know these scullers will be going faster. This young man is European. I can coach in five different languages: English, French, Spanish, German, and Swiss-German :-)
Jul 28, 2012
You don't have to be tall and built like a gorilla to win at the 2012 London Olympics in the single scull.
[gallery]
Smart training and sound sculling technique that is how you will fly in your boat. This is how I coach.
In the background you have a super athlete who won the first Olympic heat. He does an excellent job applying his body to maximize boat glide and acceleration.
Good luck to Tim Maeyens, let there be tailwind!
Smart training and sound sculling technique that is how you will fly in your boat. This is how I coach.
In the background you have a super athlete who won the first Olympic heat. He does an excellent job applying his body to maximize boat glide and acceleration.
Good luck to Tim Maeyens, let there be tailwind!
Jul 21, 2012
Nice hang in sculling, good for sweep rowing too, but the keystone to accelerating the single scull is missing.
A lovely demonstration of hanging of the skeleton during the leg drive. It is possible that the pelvis could be rotated slightly further to the stern, but nice hang from the spine and shoulder blades.
The problem is that when the hands are closest to the stern, the blades are not near entering the water. The blades hang in the air and will lead to the stroke being rowed in. It is a true pity, because the sculler has huge potential. It is all about how early the sculls connect with the water. The hands must rise when they move to the stern. The blades need to have fallen into the water by the time the knees get to the full compression. (These two pictures were not taken in the same single scull.)
Above, blades enter the water at full extension.
A similar post to this one can be found here: http://biz123.inmotionhosting.com/~xenoco5/how-to-row-safe-and-fast/difference-in-technique-what-brings-olympic-gold-and-what-does-not/
Top two pictures from www.row2k.com
Smart Training | Good Team Communication | Sound Sculling Technique. What could have been in 2008 is happening now at the London Olympics 2012
In 2008... I coached two men, Peter and Tom Graves, for 6 months. They almost qualified for the Olympics in the men's double scull, they were one second and scrap behind the winning double. Peter and Tom weighed roughly 25-30 pounds less than Elliot Hovey and Wes Piermarini.... The difference in erg scores for 2K 15 seconds or more. How is it possible that Peter and Tom almost won? Simple, smart conditioning, great communication between brothers, and the right sculling technique. Now Peter is in the men's heavyweight 4X at the London Olympics. I am very happy for Peter. The lesson in all of this is that, technique makes boats move fast and technique is the major handicap in US-Sculling. This needs to change. I can help change this, we proved it.
Xeno
Jul 18, 2012
10 Simple concepts to scull and row better and faster.
+ Handle speed on the recovery is not equal to the combined movement of extending the elbows, hinging the body forward, and rolling into the catch. It is the succession of those movements that create a steady recovery with lots of boat run.
+ The right blade movement at the catch cuts into the water, like spear, or a spoon carving out ice cream from the container.
+ The most power a rower has at the oar handle is when the oar is at 90 degrees to the boat. It is also the moment the handle travels the fastest. To stay connected the forward body angle is activated as the last quarter of the leg drive is completed.
+ The handle on the recovery first travels away from the chest, then through the forward body angle away from the hip joint (body over position) and that is it! Through the draw of the hamstrings it is then the stern that comes to the hands.
+ The blade enters and exists the water on the square.
+ Catching and feathering only occurs with the hands moving to the stern.
+ The finish is completed with the lungs full of air.
+ The wheels of the seat accelerate to the finish. On the recovery their speed is steady.
+ The wheels on the seat stop at the finish, they don't stop at the catch, just change direction.
+ You spend more time on the recovery in a race, it is never too late to learn how to glide.
Xeno
Jul 14, 2012
Who is your "row model"? Frans Göbel was one of mine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRHKbFgJX9M&feature=my_liked_videos&list=LLwE9lwZSwC_pjuhjavRXlUQ
Frans Göbel won the world championship in the lightweight single scull twice and he did it with an incredible display of technical superiority. I was very fortunate that my coaches understood Frans' superiority. At the time, my national team coach, Harry Mahon, was known for coaching crews that effortlessly glided over the water. Martin Cross, author of Olympic Obsession, used described Harry's crews as "ghosting along". When I read those words it gave me chills. Few are the crews that display such superiority. Frans' and Harry's technique is the reason why I won Olympic medals and am one of the very few men to have rowed in the six thirties for 2000 meters.
Enjoy this clip of Frans and the others that you will discover about him.
Frans Göbel won the world championship in the lightweight single scull twice and he did it with an incredible display of technical superiority. I was very fortunate that my coaches understood Frans' superiority. At the time, my national team coach, Harry Mahon, was known for coaching crews that effortlessly glided over the water. Martin Cross, author of Olympic Obsession, used described Harry's crews as "ghosting along". When I read those words it gave me chills. Few are the crews that display such superiority. Frans' and Harry's technique is the reason why I won Olympic medals and am one of the very few men to have rowed in the six thirties for 2000 meters.
Enjoy this clip of Frans and the others that you will discover about him.
Jul 13, 2012
A sculling stroke that can easily be improved, creating more boat speed with a lot less effort..... Rowing
[caption id="attachment_921" align="alignleft" width="532"] Pulling while pushing.... it could go easier and faster.[/caption]
The competitive rower above is in the middle of his start strokes. His arms are bent during the most powerful part of the leg drive. In other words, what this rower can pull is currently equal to what his legs can push... Does that seem right to you?
The legs are the most powerful part in the rowing stroke. In between the legs and arms is the back... Is the back more powerful than the arms? Yes. The sculler would be a lot faster in a more sequential application of power. Combining all three body parts at the same time, pushes the rower against the foot board rather then moving the boat past the oars. It is key that the leg drive with a suspended body drives the oars as far to 90 degrees to the boat as possible before a pulling motion is fully engaged. The pulling motion is most effective when the oars pass 90 degrees to the hull.
This type of technical deficiency can be corrected through five different exercises. A stroke analysis with a clear explanation of what these exercises are supposed to feel like solves the problem.
Xeno Müller
Rowing Coach
Olympic gold and silver medalist
Olympic record holder
Pulling while pushing.... it could go easier and faster.[/caption]The competitive rower above is in the middle of his start strokes. His arms are bent during the most powerful part of the leg drive. In other words, what this rower can pull is currently equal to what his legs can push... Does that seem right to you?
The legs are the most powerful part in the rowing stroke. In between the legs and arms is the back... Is the back more powerful than the arms? Yes. The sculler would be a lot faster in a more sequential application of power. Combining all three body parts at the same time, pushes the rower against the foot board rather then moving the boat past the oars. It is key that the leg drive with a suspended body drives the oars as far to 90 degrees to the boat as possible before a pulling motion is fully engaged. The pulling motion is most effective when the oars pass 90 degrees to the hull.
This type of technical deficiency can be corrected through five different exercises. A stroke analysis with a clear explanation of what these exercises are supposed to feel like solves the problem.
Xeno Müller
Rowing Coach
Olympic gold and silver medalist
Olympic record holder
Feb 15, 2012
How to enjoy rowing more, row faster, row safely, join us.
Xeno Muller won an Olympic Gold in Atlanta and an Olympic Silver in Sydney, and is the current Olympic Record holder in the 2000m Single Scull. He is also the President of XenoRowingCoach and Row2Go which is quickly becoming THE online community for both indoor and on-the-water rowers providing its members with weekly online workout routines and individualized coaching programs.
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Feb 10, 2012
Chronic issues on the water with boats and technique.
Hi Rowers and Coaches,
Yesterday as I was communicating with a couple rowers over the internet it occurred to me that I ought to write about chronic problems that I encounter and hear about of technique and rigging issues, here goes:
Scullers and sweep rowers seem to be chronically rigged too far into the stern, which forces an insanely uncomfortable lay back. This leads to washing out of the blades at the finish and contributes to a sore lower back. The biceps are overdeveloped and the latesimus dorsalis underdeveloped. The finish posture leads to a bunched up recovery where arms away is combined with a forward body angle similar to the hunchback of Notre Dame, and a skyward tug of the knees which is solely the result of contracting the hip flexor, totally leaving out the far more important hamstrings. The movement of the seat arrives too early to the end of the track which stops the knees and allows a lurch of the upper body which leads to a drop of the handle height, a late squaring and skying of the blade. In a women's eight, the shoes are usually set too low making over-compressing of the knees likely and perpetuating the lurch at the catch. The leg drive tends to be shortened through the steeper angle at which the legs are at extension because of the low foot board position and over-sized shoes. Men in sweep and in sculling are rigged too low, while women are rigged too high. In sweep rowing, the inboard handle is either too short, or the span too wide. The sculls and sweep oars are held in fists instead of fingers creating blisters in the palm of the hand. Shoulders during the drive look like they are attached to the rower's earlobes. That catch occurs when the boat sits deep in the stern instead of when the hull comes out on its own buoyancy. During the drive the notion of hanging of the leg drive is fuzzy. Hanging does not mean contracting muscles above the hip joint while pushing with the legs. Heels come off the foot board at the finish creating and perpetuating the lack of support in the lower back and the lack of use of the hamstrings to lever the swing of the upper body against the last quarter of the leg drive, which is the most powerful angle, but also the shortest distance the seat travels, creating a drop of the knees indicates the loss of connection between leg drive and upper body swing. Catches are performed with an early opening of the back, clearly showing that the knees/legs are not the primary driving force of the rowing stroke. Arms are used in similar manner as a squirrel holds an acorn, which slows down the extension of the legs and uses up the draw too early in the stroke which then prevents a supported finish position. Foot boards are usually too flat instead of too steep. Larger junior teams spend more time lining the boats up than worrying about training at target heart rate and building torque. Junior teams tend to train too little at the aerobic zone, and too often at and above the anaerobic threshold. Such training leads to injury, mental and physical plateau, an angry coach, because the team is not improving, a dislike of returning to the boathouse, low self esteem. Coxswain are the most underrated assets in a boathouse. If the coach new how to coach, the coxswain would make the coach's life a living dream. Coxswains feel boat and hear what the team is saying without the coach hearing it. The coach is to a crew what a five star general is to an army, therefore the coxswain is a four star general.
Ok, got to quit I have a couple stroke analysis to do.
You can find me on www.xenorowingcoach.com and @rowingadviser on twitter. You can row with me at www.row2go.com.
Happy February and know that I am certain that you can go 20 seconds faster on a 2K if you have never been coached by me or have made it to the national team.
Yesterday as I was communicating with a couple rowers over the internet it occurred to me that I ought to write about chronic problems that I encounter and hear about of technique and rigging issues, here goes:
|
| This is not good enough of a hang either :-) |
Ok, got to quit I have a couple stroke analysis to do.
You can find me on www.xenorowingcoach.com and @rowingadviser on twitter. You can row with me at www.row2go.com.
Happy February and know that I am certain that you can go 20 seconds faster on a 2K if you have never been coached by me or have made it to the national team.
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Jan 30, 2012
Mens eights final Sydney 2000 olympic regatta.mpeg
Harry Mahon, one of two coaches of the GBR 8+, was my coach. This eight is a beautiful demonstration of how much technique matters. No eight has yet achieved such perfection. Harry Mahon is awesome, rest in peace Harry.
Xeno Muller
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Jan 1, 2012
Being coached by Harry Mahon leading to Olympic Gold and Olympic record
I met Harry in April 1988 on a lake in Switzerland. I was 16 participating at a 3 day rowing camp. Harry at the time was the Swiss national team coach. That morning I had heard that “He” was coming to watch some of our club row. I had no idea what he looked like, sounded like, all I knew is that he had a beard and was from New Zealand.
As I sculled my single on a amazingly glassy lake, a morning so crisp that sound traveled for miles, and clock towers from different villages along the lake created a symphony celebrating the holy weekend. I spotted at one kilometer across the lake Harry and a couple other club coaches following a men’s straight four. Then the launch veered of and started approaching. I later heard from one of my future junior coaches that Harry suddenly spotted me at a distance and asked who that was and the answer given: “A new kid, he comes from France, has a Swiss passport, speaks English, a big kid, needs some work.” At that moment my quest for Olympic gold in the single scull took a serious turn to reality.
My work with Harry spanned from 1988 to 1992. I had the pleasure to work with Harry in Sarnen, Switzerlandduring summer vacations in preparation of the junior and senior world championships and my first Olympic participation in 1992. He came to coach me a couple of times in Fontaine bleau,Francewhere I lived as a kid. Scott Roop and Steve Gladstone our Brown University coaches inProvidenceRhode Islandhad the pleasure to have him visit me and get his opinion on our Freshmen eight, as I was also training the single scull to prepare for the Olympic qualification.
I have several memorable experiences with Harry regarding sculling technique. He reminded me constantly that him pulling 1:47 at stroke rate 20, with his body size is only the result of hanging from the leg drive and connecting with the upper body without pulling. He would watch like a hawk for any contraction in the upper body that came prematurely during the leg drive. While he coached us on the rowing machine, he would stand next to me and mimic relaxed shoulders with hands drawn to the side of the ribcage, with a totally relaxed face, and say, that the stroke is executed in a powerful relaxed way. Harry loved the Rowperfect and knew how difficult it was to teach pushing and hanging on a static rowing machine. Harry’s ability to understand, push and hang, without ever having been a record smashing rower himself is really remarkable. He simply had a great understanding of body mechanics and the Eye.
He made me row circles on different lakes, explaining me how the blade needed to be extracted at the finish and how I had to catch on the way up so that I would not miss water and cancel out any chance of rowing it in. I would scull along his coaching launch and he would mention squaring the blade earlier and quietly tell me that I started to move away from the constant speed the launch was traveling at. One of Harry’s trademark coaching technique was to observe the stern of my sculling boat and help me understand what an efficient pick up was. He would pull the launch right behind my stern so that I had the ability to gage my boat movement with the constant speed of the coaching launch. On good catches my single scull would stay at a constant speed away from the bow of Harry’s launch, when I missed, his launch would surge towards me, scarring me at the beginning, when in reality it was me checking the boat, because of a poor catch… rowing it in. At times he would comment every single catch for minutes at a time to let me know whether the way I was doing it was correct or not here is a sample: “No, no, no, no, no, yes, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOO! Zeino, you have to hang from the shoulders, you go like this, I would look at him and he would shrug his shoulders, blow air in his cheeks, and bend the arms and I would curse inside of myself and want to break boat and oars once I came on the shore with my fits, I never did. Then one day in Providence, suddenly started hearing: “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…” tears started flowing over my cheeks and I stopped the boat, and began cry. I finally felt it, at the time I could not describe in words, how I did it, but I felt it and I could recreate it. Today, I can describe everything that Harry taught me and convey it to scullers and rowers whom I have the pleasure to coach. Harry pulled his launch up to me and asked what was wrong. I gathered my strength and controlled my mixture of emotional happiness and urge to go to rowing war. I said: “Harry, I get it, I GET IT, holy s..t, I G-E-T it!!!” I then saw his smiling face, his blue eyes, his friendly smile come through his beard. He was happy, he LOVED giving this type of “AHA” moments to rowers of all ages, nationalities, and caliber.
Thank you Harry, you enabled me to become an Olympic gold and silver medalist, and Olympic record holder. You gave me athletic freedom that lead me to California where I met my wife and now have four wonderful children. Thanks to you and the people who supported me over the years I can say that I have no regrets and that you were a huge part of it by sharing your passion on the water and believing in your talent as a coach and the ability of the people you worked with.
Xeno
As I sculled my single on a amazingly glassy lake, a morning so crisp that sound traveled for miles, and clock towers from different villages along the lake created a symphony celebrating the holy weekend. I spotted at one kilometer across the lake Harry and a couple other club coaches following a men’s straight four. Then the launch veered of and started approaching. I later heard from one of my future junior coaches that Harry suddenly spotted me at a distance and asked who that was and the answer given: “A new kid, he comes from France, has a Swiss passport, speaks English, a big kid, needs some work.” At that moment my quest for Olympic gold in the single scull took a serious turn to reality.
My work with Harry spanned from 1988 to 1992. I had the pleasure to work with Harry in Sarnen, Switzerlandduring summer vacations in preparation of the junior and senior world championships and my first Olympic participation in 1992. He came to coach me a couple of times in Fontaine bleau,Francewhere I lived as a kid. Scott Roop and Steve Gladstone our Brown University coaches inProvidenceRhode Islandhad the pleasure to have him visit me and get his opinion on our Freshmen eight, as I was also training the single scull to prepare for the Olympic qualification.
I have several memorable experiences with Harry regarding sculling technique. He reminded me constantly that him pulling 1:47 at stroke rate 20, with his body size is only the result of hanging from the leg drive and connecting with the upper body without pulling. He would watch like a hawk for any contraction in the upper body that came prematurely during the leg drive. While he coached us on the rowing machine, he would stand next to me and mimic relaxed shoulders with hands drawn to the side of the ribcage, with a totally relaxed face, and say, that the stroke is executed in a powerful relaxed way. Harry loved the Rowperfect and knew how difficult it was to teach pushing and hanging on a static rowing machine. Harry’s ability to understand, push and hang, without ever having been a record smashing rower himself is really remarkable. He simply had a great understanding of body mechanics and the Eye.
He made me row circles on different lakes, explaining me how the blade needed to be extracted at the finish and how I had to catch on the way up so that I would not miss water and cancel out any chance of rowing it in. I would scull along his coaching launch and he would mention squaring the blade earlier and quietly tell me that I started to move away from the constant speed the launch was traveling at. One of Harry’s trademark coaching technique was to observe the stern of my sculling boat and help me understand what an efficient pick up was. He would pull the launch right behind my stern so that I had the ability to gage my boat movement with the constant speed of the coaching launch. On good catches my single scull would stay at a constant speed away from the bow of Harry’s launch, when I missed, his launch would surge towards me, scarring me at the beginning, when in reality it was me checking the boat, because of a poor catch… rowing it in. At times he would comment every single catch for minutes at a time to let me know whether the way I was doing it was correct or not here is a sample: “No, no, no, no, no, yes, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOO! Zeino, you have to hang from the shoulders, you go like this, I would look at him and he would shrug his shoulders, blow air in his cheeks, and bend the arms and I would curse inside of myself and want to break boat and oars once I came on the shore with my fits, I never did. Then one day in Providence, suddenly started hearing: “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…” tears started flowing over my cheeks and I stopped the boat, and began cry. I finally felt it, at the time I could not describe in words, how I did it, but I felt it and I could recreate it. Today, I can describe everything that Harry taught me and convey it to scullers and rowers whom I have the pleasure to coach. Harry pulled his launch up to me and asked what was wrong. I gathered my strength and controlled my mixture of emotional happiness and urge to go to rowing war. I said: “Harry, I get it, I GET IT, holy s..t, I G-E-T it!!!” I then saw his smiling face, his blue eyes, his friendly smile come through his beard. He was happy, he LOVED giving this type of “AHA” moments to rowers of all ages, nationalities, and caliber.
Thank you Harry, you enabled me to become an Olympic gold and silver medalist, and Olympic record holder. You gave me athletic freedom that lead me to California where I met my wife and now have four wonderful children. Thanks to you and the people who supported me over the years I can say that I have no regrets and that you were a huge part of it by sharing your passion on the water and believing in your talent as a coach and the ability of the people you worked with.
Xeno
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
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