Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Jan 8, 2009
Jan 7, 2009
Letter To Alaska
Hello Alaskan Rower,
Here are a couple of tips on intensity and diet:
As far as heart rate goes. Here is a formula that can be used without too much outside help:
http://indoor-rowing.blogspot.com/2007/09/explanation-on-training.html
The most important is to find the routine to get on the rowing machine and put in time on the "water" figuratively speaking. The more strokes you take with the right technic you will find your stroke lengthening out and become more powerful.
Rowing is about efficiency for each stroke that you take. The torque part of the rowing stroke is what makes rating (strokes per minute) too high not necessary. You want the load per stroke to be such that your recovery is worth spending time on. The ratio between recovery and drive is 2 to 1 roughly. So when you drive the stroke, feel the effort, then on the recovery take your time to allow the arms to travel away from the chest until elbows are straight, then hinge at the hip joint to a forward body angle while your arms are still straight and your shoulders relaxed. At that point you raise the knees so that you feel the contraction of the hamstrings which draws you to the footboard. The rolling of the seat on the recovery is steady, whereas in the drive it is an acceleration. When rowing on the water, you actually draw the boat towards you.
Back to intensity: At our indoor rowing studio, I want to achieve two things: Smiles and sweaty shirts. When you achieve that at home in Alaska, you succeeded and will keep succeeding.
As for the weight loss, I am in the same boat as you are. I could lose thirty pounds, yet to do that I would have to row more. The family and business requirements have priority, so I don't get to row as much as I would want to. Therefore, it is important that I do not take in too many cheap and easy calories. Since March, I totally stopped soda pop, no more eating wrapped candy, no more fries and potatoes.
It was in March, that I used Nutrisystem to get myself jump started, with my weight loss. Nutrisystem showed me how LITTLE I needed to eat in order to lose weight. In a nutshell, every main meal would fit in one cup... There was a snack three times a day, which was small, and the anytime finger food were vegetables that you could eat as much as you wanted.
I hope this helps.
Good luck and happy new year.
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Jan 4, 2009
Neck and Shoulder Tightness
Hello Rowers and WaterRowers,
Yesterday at the Iron Oarsman, I had a conversation with a couple of our rowers. They mentioned to me that they felt tight between the shoulders and the neck. They were a little worried that the rowing would not loosen up that area. The advice I gave, was to warm up gently by rowing full slide one arm at a time. This allows the stretch and hang off the arm and shoulder blade through the back and finger tips during the leg drive portion of the stroke.
The shoulder and neck area are often tight without someone noticing it until that area is used for moving something or when exercise is being done. Those muscles and their mobility are often victim to stress. It is therefore important to start out any exercise, whether it is rowing or jumping with potato bags, in a gentle smooth manner. Be patient when you warm up. Love your WaterRower, it will give you amazing benefits back for all your life.
All the best,
Xeno
Yesterday at the Iron Oarsman, I had a conversation with a couple of our rowers. They mentioned to me that they felt tight between the shoulders and the neck. They were a little worried that the rowing would not loosen up that area. The advice I gave, was to warm up gently by rowing full slide one arm at a time. This allows the stretch and hang off the arm and shoulder blade through the back and finger tips during the leg drive portion of the stroke.
The shoulder and neck area are often tight without someone noticing it until that area is used for moving something or when exercise is being done. Those muscles and their mobility are often victim to stress. It is therefore important to start out any exercise, whether it is rowing or jumping with potato bags, in a gentle smooth manner. Be patient when you warm up. Love your WaterRower, it will give you amazing benefits back for all your life.
All the best,
Xeno
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Jan 1, 2009
A question from Norway:
Hello and happy new year.
This morning, I got an email from a Norwegian rower asking me for advice as to how I tackled 2K races on the ergometer. Luckily, I have it all written out for people to read. The URL for my race pace description is this:
http://indoor-rowing.blogspot.com/2007/01/pacing-for-2000-meter-racing.html
I do not believe that I am a glutton for punishment, therefore I always looked for the path of least resistance when it came to having to go all out in race situations. As I read my last sentence, it is a total paradox, but hey it worked for me. Trevor, a university friend, once told me that there were two types of athletes: Race horses and work horses. He clearly filed me under work horse. My vision for racing was to build as much armor as possible so I would not feel the pain, when it came to out-row others to the finish line. Spending hours building aerobic fitness, at a high torque per stroke ratio, and keeping the intensity below 2mmol of lactic acid, that was my calling.... WORK HORSE. I remember Trevor filing Jamie, another university friend and world champion single sculler, as a RACE HORSE. So the question I had for me: When would I become more of a race horse... At the 2000 Olympics I graduated as race horse, although I only walked away with silver. That race was a titanic battle with myself. I personally narrated it, follow this link:
http://indoor-rowing.blogspot.com/2008/08/personal-narration-of-2000-olympic.html
At different ages, rowing represents different solutions and challenges, keep it in perspective.
All the best to you,
Xeno
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Dec 28, 2008
BBC Health Check on Rowing and why it is good for you:
Follow the link HERE
The photo is of me and Reid doing kitchen chores and finding information the internet about the benefits of rowing
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Jan 8, 2009
Jan 7, 2009
Letter To Alaska
Hello Alaskan Rower,
Here are a couple of tips on intensity and diet:
As far as heart rate goes. Here is a formula that can be used without too much outside help:
http://indoor-rowing.blogspot.com/2007/09/explanation-on-training.html
The most important is to find the routine to get on the rowing machine and put in time on the "water" figuratively speaking. The more strokes you take with the right technic you will find your stroke lengthening out and become more powerful.
Rowing is about efficiency for each stroke that you take. The torque part of the rowing stroke is what makes rating (strokes per minute) too high not necessary. You want the load per stroke to be such that your recovery is worth spending time on. The ratio between recovery and drive is 2 to 1 roughly. So when you drive the stroke, feel the effort, then on the recovery take your time to allow the arms to travel away from the chest until elbows are straight, then hinge at the hip joint to a forward body angle while your arms are still straight and your shoulders relaxed. At that point you raise the knees so that you feel the contraction of the hamstrings which draws you to the footboard. The rolling of the seat on the recovery is steady, whereas in the drive it is an acceleration. When rowing on the water, you actually draw the boat towards you.
Back to intensity: At our indoor rowing studio, I want to achieve two things: Smiles and sweaty shirts. When you achieve that at home in Alaska, you succeeded and will keep succeeding.
As for the weight loss, I am in the same boat as you are. I could lose thirty pounds, yet to do that I would have to row more. The family and business requirements have priority, so I don't get to row as much as I would want to. Therefore, it is important that I do not take in too many cheap and easy calories. Since March, I totally stopped soda pop, no more eating wrapped candy, no more fries and potatoes.
It was in March, that I used Nutrisystem to get myself jump started, with my weight loss. Nutrisystem showed me how LITTLE I needed to eat in order to lose weight. In a nutshell, every main meal would fit in one cup... There was a snack three times a day, which was small, and the anytime finger food were vegetables that you could eat as much as you wanted.
I hope this helps.
Good luck and happy new year.
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Jan 4, 2009
Neck and Shoulder Tightness
Hello Rowers and WaterRowers,
Yesterday at the Iron Oarsman, I had a conversation with a couple of our rowers. They mentioned to me that they felt tight between the shoulders and the neck. They were a little worried that the rowing would not loosen up that area. The advice I gave, was to warm up gently by rowing full slide one arm at a time. This allows the stretch and hang off the arm and shoulder blade through the back and finger tips during the leg drive portion of the stroke.
The shoulder and neck area are often tight without someone noticing it until that area is used for moving something or when exercise is being done. Those muscles and their mobility are often victim to stress. It is therefore important to start out any exercise, whether it is rowing or jumping with potato bags, in a gentle smooth manner. Be patient when you warm up. Love your WaterRower, it will give you amazing benefits back for all your life.
All the best,
Xeno
Yesterday at the Iron Oarsman, I had a conversation with a couple of our rowers. They mentioned to me that they felt tight between the shoulders and the neck. They were a little worried that the rowing would not loosen up that area. The advice I gave, was to warm up gently by rowing full slide one arm at a time. This allows the stretch and hang off the arm and shoulder blade through the back and finger tips during the leg drive portion of the stroke.
The shoulder and neck area are often tight without someone noticing it until that area is used for moving something or when exercise is being done. Those muscles and their mobility are often victim to stress. It is therefore important to start out any exercise, whether it is rowing or jumping with potato bags, in a gentle smooth manner. Be patient when you warm up. Love your WaterRower, it will give you amazing benefits back for all your life.
All the best,
Xeno
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Jan 1, 2009
A question from Norway:
Hello and happy new year.
This morning, I got an email from a Norwegian rower asking me for advice as to how I tackled 2K races on the ergometer. Luckily, I have it all written out for people to read. The URL for my race pace description is this:
http://indoor-rowing.blogspot.com/2007/01/pacing-for-2000-meter-racing.html
I do not believe that I am a glutton for punishment, therefore I always looked for the path of least resistance when it came to having to go all out in race situations. As I read my last sentence, it is a total paradox, but hey it worked for me. Trevor, a university friend, once told me that there were two types of athletes: Race horses and work horses. He clearly filed me under work horse. My vision for racing was to build as much armor as possible so I would not feel the pain, when it came to out-row others to the finish line. Spending hours building aerobic fitness, at a high torque per stroke ratio, and keeping the intensity below 2mmol of lactic acid, that was my calling.... WORK HORSE. I remember Trevor filing Jamie, another university friend and world champion single sculler, as a RACE HORSE. So the question I had for me: When would I become more of a race horse... At the 2000 Olympics I graduated as race horse, although I only walked away with silver. That race was a titanic battle with myself. I personally narrated it, follow this link:
http://indoor-rowing.blogspot.com/2008/08/personal-narration-of-2000-olympic.html
At different ages, rowing represents different solutions and challenges, keep it in perspective.
All the best to you,
Xeno
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Dec 28, 2008
BBC Health Check on Rowing and why it is good for you:
Follow the link HERE
The photo is of me and Reid doing kitchen chores and finding information the internet about the benefits of rowing
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)