RowingChat

• Self-diagnosis as a coaching tool

  How to improve your rowing using self-diagnosis coaching and progressive drills. Timestamps 00:45 A powerful coaching tool for both coaches and athletes. Masters rowers like autonomy. Enabling the athlete to work things out for themselves facilitates mastery in a self-directed environment. The change is more likely to stick. Canada research by Derrik Motz, University of Ottawa on athlete coach relationship Coaching Masters Athletes – Advancing Research & Practice in Adult Sport https://fastermastersrowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/MOTZ-Faster-Masters_Rowing_webinar.pdf If you don't have regular coaching, this is a tool to try. 02:00 Start with a model of good rowing This has to have common understanding across your group. The rowing stroke cycle diagram is a good place to start. Where your rowing goes wrong - an example of a boat going "wonky" which was caused by the athletes stamping hard on the foot stretcher. 04:00 Progressive movements Start by working out when you do not have the problem. In this case increase the pressure progressively from 60% pressure, 70% etc and work out when the issue started to happen. Discuss this with your crew about the cause of the problem. Then decide what fixes the problem? Can you make the change in 1 stroke? 1 - identify the problem is happening 2 - what to do to fix it 3 - fix it in as few strokes as possible 4 - row in the new way so the problem doesn't occur 06:15 An example from sweep rowing - balancing the boat. The boat is balanced generally when the oars are under the water and the imbalance occurs on the recovery when the oars are out of the water. Our model of good rowing has the boat balanced throughout the stroke cycle. Is the boat balanced as the oars come out of the water? Yes. Is it still balanced when we get our arms straight / body rock forwards / roll up the slide? Work out where the problem starts to happen and then decide what to do to effect a change. The cause might be timing of the oar handle movement at the finish transition to the recovery. What fixes this? Probably handle heights or sequencing of the finish body movement. If handle height is the issue. Choose a drill like rowing with the oar flat on the water on the recovery. Then progressively change this to increase the depth of handle push down to take the oar out of the water. Then keep the handle at this height throughout the recovery until the next catch. The progression is to start with a 1 cm tap down; move to 2 cm and 3 cm. Can you keep the boat level at these stages? The self - diagnosis method helps us to diagnose the issue, fix the problem and then row in the new way. Use your autonomy to try to fix the issue and see if you can make it work in practice. Want easy live streams like this? Instant broadcasts to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn. Faster Masters uses StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5694205242376192

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• What to expect from rowing as you age

  Masters rowing is about rowing with adaptations. Timestamps: 00:45 Grant Faulkner quote: The speed the clock moves forwards and the things it takes away. Masters learn to enjoy age and the things we have to adjust for our rowing. 01:45 Recognising when you need to make the next adaptation Nobody told me it was going to be like this! Strength and Mobility are the main things you will notice first. Strength diminishes differently between men and women 50s versus 60s. Your 60s is a 'hold steady' decade. Read article. Use the Facebook group to post questions and get answers from people who have the same issues. https://www.facebook.com/groups/595853370615544/ 04:00 Mobility and aging Range of movement in joints is important - pelvic mobility in the hips to get into the rowing stroke positions. Flexibility is also key. Programs Page "FREE STUFF" How to test your functional movement and strengthening exercises. https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/functional-movement-assessment/ David Frost's webinar on Functional Strength and Movement is a deeper dive into exercises for body strengthening for daily life - essential for older women who find it hard to lift a boat. https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/functional-strength-and-movement/ If athletes can't get into the right positions for rowing it's difficult to teach them. 05:15 Technique changes with age Adjustments to take account of mobility issues. Adapting Rowing Rigging For Masters Physiology article https://fastermastersrowing.com/adapting-rowing-rigging-for-masters-physiology/ Try to maintain your technique and range of motion as you age. Adjust rigging to accommodate physical limitations - some are easy, medium and hard - they take tools and more time to set up. We can still always improve our technique as we age. Despite losing strength, masters rowers can always be more skilful at the catch, get the blade in without slip, get a full leg drive, recruit extra muscles to add to power delivery. Technique has no regard for age - you can improve at all ages. What is the next horizon for you? https://fastermastersrowing.com/rowing-and-aging-each-decade/ Most of us delay making changes - if you are losing strength, you should be shortening your oars (Volker Nolte Rigging Webinar has charts for oar designs, Men and Women). Most masters row on oars which are too long for their strength and capability. https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/rigging/ This webinar includes - Volker Nolte’s oar rigging chart – learn how to rig your oars correctly based on the oar make and spoon design - Mike Purcer's Masters 1x rigging chart (span, oar length, inboard) different for men and women. Want easy live streams like this? Instant broadcasts to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn. Faster Masters uses StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5694205242376192

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• Rowing in Circles

  Slowing down makes you faster in the future. What is rowing circles good for? Timestamps 00.30 Rowing in Circles I know I could make a lot of progress if I could just practice my stroke over and over. Yes, this is the purpose of rowing in circles. Get the intense, focused practice in a stable environment. 01:30 One person rows at a time in sweep; in sculling you row one side at a time. Often done in small boats so that the effect is all about what you're doing - the boat movement isn't muffled by what others are doing. It gives direct feedback and a strong learning outcome. 02:15 What is rowing circles good for? Level bladework - are your oars going into the water at the correct depth in the power phase and are they staying at the correct height above the water in the recovery phase. If you row "over the barrel" this is good. Catch placement - how to time lifting the handle so your blade goes into the water when your seat is just arriving at the change of direction at full compression? Get the oar under the water before the seat stops moving. Recovery height of blade above the water - Sweep align which hand does the height and squaring/feathering. Single hand or wide grip rowing can be practiced in circles. How to row square blades - see exactly what is needed to get the oar out of the water square. 05:00 Increase the challenge Learn the basic skill at light pressure, then make it harder by moving to firm pressure rowing. Try not watching your blade while rowing to keep the same technique. Remember when you are learning something new - there is a ladder of learning. Step up to make it more challenging but if this isn't working well, step down to re-establish the pattern of technique movement before trying to make it harder again. 06:15 Do it 3 times It takes time to acquire a new skill - repetitions help you to learn. Rest and reflect while your partner tries the rowing in circles. Many people learn in an interesting way - your brain processes the movement between practices. It may be better at the next practice. 08:13 Coaching rowing circles Watch this video to see Marlene Royle coaching a single sculler on Rowing Circles. https://youtu.be/1Jaqv1eiN5Y?si=c6KaXwnAE1pFo4by&t=133 To see the video of this podcast (if you're listening audio only) head over to https://youtube.com/live/_RfJ7Ku3Qe8 Want easy live streams like this? Instant broadcasts to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn. Faster Masters uses StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5694205242376192

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  10:19
• Harness the voice in your head

  Why thinking like a scientist will fix the voice in your head and harness it to coach yourself in a rowing boat. 00:30 Positive self-talk coaching When you row you are thinking about what you do - it's the voice in your head. The devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other. Masters work best when thinking about one thing at a time. Create the outcome you want with different ways of saying it - how will you do it, when will you do it. 02:30 4 competency stages - unconscious incompetence - conscious incompetence - conscious competence - unconscious competence When you no longer need to use your brain to think about one technical point, you free up your mind to think about other things. Acquire the skill, learn it and put it into the background in your mind so you can do the skill without thinking about it. The voice in your head is working hard. 04:30 Objectivity is key The voice in your head can be devilish. It talks subjectively to you which can make a negative spiral of thoughts which do not help you to row better. Train the voice in your head by thinking like a scientist. They are objective (no value judgements), it's an observation only. Assess if you did or did not do the movement e.g. squaring early. It's not "good" or "bad". Keep the voice in your head 'on task'. 06:15 Can you self coach in a rowing boat? Watching your blade is a good way to start self-coaching. The blade is a good indicator of how you are rowing. Look at it at the catch, blade depth at the mid-stroke, look at the finish. Row in circles watching one oar at a time. Play games with yourself - on the water have some fun. Take a small challenge - little goals give a focus for self-coaching. Try exaggerating part of the stroke so your body moves with precision and consistency as if you're demonstrating to a beginner. Notice how this impacts your stroke and how the boat moves. You can do it deliberately wrong too. That's great fun. It creates a contrast between the two - find a happy mid point. 10:00 Positive Self Talk Enable your brain to be a positive thought that adds to your rowing. Try rowing for 10 strokes without thinking of anything. After those ten, allow your brain to focus on your technique point and do the scientist observation again. If yes, continue rowing without thinking; if no, make a small change to get back to the technique and then continue rowing without thinking. Use this skill to train your brain through the 4 competency stages towards unconscious competence. A useful article https://www.craftsbury.com/blog/self-coaching-in-the-single Train a rowing mindset https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/rowing-mindset/ Want easy live streams like this? Instant broadcasts to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn. Faster Masters uses StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5694205242376192

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  12:15
• The Stages of Masters Rowing

  The three stages of masters rowing and a checklist of the skills learned in each stage - Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Timestamps 01:00 What will happen next for me? When learning to row you move up through experience and grades. Beginners - learning to row and getting familiarity with the boathouse, equipment and people. Be open to different frequencies showing up and learning styles. Progress is varied based on how much practice they do. 02:40 Clubs miss opportunities with intermediate rowers. Intermediate - often very keen to assist and engage with running the learner group. Include them in the learner program so they're included as tutors / helpers. Challenge them to try something new like being in stroke seat, small boats, toe steering or doing the calls for the crew. New horizons make rowing more fun and challenging. 04:00 Advanced The number of athletes is quite low - but does your coaching accommodate their needs? These people need specific training if they are racing - a program which builds up to a peak performance at key regattas. A coach needs to understand racing skills, periodisation for the program, how to read a race and respond. Long distance racing needs include steering, overtaking tactics, varied race rate and pace. 06:00 Rowing Skills Checklist The major stages of learning to row. This is a summary checklist - you can get a more detailed one if you join the Coach Mastermind Group - customise this to suit your waterway. https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/coach-mastermind/ Beginner skills - follow traffic navigation, emergency stop, turning on the spot and backing down. Intermediate skills - bladework skills, stroking and following in a crew, consistent rate / pressure. De rigging a boat, loading a trailer and do oar gearing adjustment. Diagnose faults and suggest drills to improve. Advanced skills - Add to the above lists - safety in weather/wind; launch in rough water, row square blades at firm pressure, catch start pick drill, using a pitch gauge to rig, measure span/spread and do a trailer loading diagram, confident coaching inside the boat - peer-to-peer coaching. Know where your skills are now and where you want to go next. Download the summary skills checklist https://fastermastersrowing.com/the-stages-of-learning-masters-rowing/ Want easy live streams like this? Instant broadcasts to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn. Faster Masters uses StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5694205242376192

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