RowingChat

Improve your rowing ratio while lifting in the gym.
Timestamps
00:45 Rowing can be improved by strength training
Lifting heavy has lots of benefits - today we'll talk about ratio. The contrast between the power phase and recovery phase. How to use this concept of ratio in strength training.
02:00 Improve range of movement
As we age we find our muscles and tendons don't have the same range and so our stride gets shorter. Strength training can help improve or maintain RoM.
Weight lifting works in two planes - when you lift the weight and when you return it to the start point.
Concentric muscle movements are shortening the muscle (as you lift).
Eccentric muscle movements are lengthening the muscle (as you return the weight to the start).
Eccentric muscle work can help improve your range of movement. Working on this part of the strength lift can use the rowing ratio as part of the movement.
03:45 Ratio in strength training
The braking effect that you use as you control the weight in the eccentric lengthening muscle phase as you lower the weight down can enable you to have greater force production.
When lifting heavy for few repetitions or using small muscles e.g. doing chin-ups against your body weight you may find the difference between the last successful lift and when you fail is large.
Do your first chin up
One way to improve your strength and do your first chin up is to start at the top of the lift with your chin over the bar (you may need a chair to step or jump up there). Then slowly lower yourself by straightening your arms doing just the eccentric part of the lift. You will gain strength more quickly by doing this slowly muscle lengthening under load. When you've done this a few times, try doing one chin up - you probably can lift yourself up.
Use approximately a 3:1 ratio in your lifting. The more ratio you can manage the more you will be working the braking effect on the eccentric lift.
06:45 Improve range of movement
Consider a difficult lift like a squat using an olympic bar. Getting a deeper squat - to 90 degrees or to a deep squat position is challenging.
08:00 6 week challenge to improve your ROM.
3x per week for 6 weeks.
Start each lift with an ultra-light load. This helps refamiliarise your muscles with the movement. Then add weight so that you keep good form. Try to do 3-5 sets of each lift each time you go to the gym.
Do 6 sessions on power - increase the load you can lift. Position a bench behind you so you squat down to just touching your bum on the bench. Goal is 90 degrees. For a deep squat choose a lower block to sit down to. Start with 5-8 reps on power - increase load.
Do 6 sessions on range of movement - lower the bench. You may need to reduce the load in order to do this. Have someone spotting for you and checking your movements.
Do 6 sessions on speed - lower for 3 and push up fast for 1. So build your ratio into these sessions.
11:30 Take your ratio training from the gym back into the boat. Can you push the oar faster through the water so that you can take longer on the slide recovery? You may be able to increase your ratio thanks to your work in the gym.

A visual reference to aide adjustments to blade depth.
Timestamps
00:45 Low technology solutions for rowing too deep.
The tape goes around the oar shaft so that when the oar is under the water at the correct depth and the handle is at the correct height for you to old. Mark exactly where the shaft is level with the water surface. You can do this where the oar shaft is wet if you do this carefully. Measure the spot, return the oars to land and transfer that measurement to all the other oars and put white tape on them too.
While rowing you can look sideways at your oar to see if the white tape is going under the water and where in the stroke it goes too deep (and you can no longer see the tape).
03.30 Causes of rowing too deep
Usually it's caused by the athlete holding the handle too high. Modern oar designs naturally sit at the correct depth. If you row 'over the barrel' the path of the handle is too high mid-stroke (and usually too low at the finish so your oar spoon washes out). The water is flat and so the path of the handle in the power phase should also be flat.
At the catch if you take the catch by lifting your shoulders it can also cause the oar to go too deep.
Tension in the hand grip also can cause the oar to go too deep. In sweep this is often the inside hand holding on too tightly.
05:55 Drills to help you correct blade depth
- Backing down into the catch. Push the oars from the finish backing down and then leave the oar in the water and take the stroke. Go backwards and forwards gradually lengthening from half slide to full slide. This helps you to work out the correct handle height.
- Row in circles. One person row in sweep and look out at your oar as you row so you can see the depth. In sculling just row with one oar and get a friend to hold the boat steady.
- Half blade depth rowing. Row with only half the oar under the water - feel the depth by controlling the handle precisely with very small movements.
- The amount of power you put on can affect blade depth. So try alternating light and firm pressure strokes to help you work out depth.

How watching videos of good rowing can help improve your technique.
Timestamps
00:45 Using mirror neurons
Parts of our brain get activated when watching movement. Researchers noticed monkeys' brains were firing when watching the researchers eat lunch - as if the monkeys were also eating.
Mirror neurons help you to understand and internalise actions, emotions and intentions.
This is helpful when learning the subtleties of rowing timing points.
03:00 Yawning is contagious
When I yawn the chances are you will too. This is your mirror neurons.
Dr Laby from Sports Vision researched if you watch correct performances and see the technique being used. He noted that the video needs to be as close as possible to reality.
This means you get best results watching at race stroke rates, not slow motion. Try to create a race situation rather than a training row. You need both - understand the movement first and then be able to do it at stroke rates comparable to a race.
05:50 Watching video
Find videos online to watch - they need to be good athletes, rowing well in high cadence high stroke rate situations. Check out MostynARC YouTube channel for Penny Chuter's video collection.
07:00 Coaching demonstration
When a coach tells a story about rowing, your mirror neurons activate as you listen. They make you feel that you are experiencing what the coach describes. Neural coupling with the story teller.
First get the athletes to observe the task done well - demonstrate the task first yourself. This is more likely to trigger the mirror neurons as the athletes think themselves into what you're describing.
Then explain the action at the same time as demonstrating as a second stage.
Our Drills Compendium uses this method and adds written captions as well.
https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/drills/
Real-time observation and real time skill correction improves skill acquisition.
The experts recommend peer-to-peer observation as a further stage. Teach observation and comparison to good technique - this also has a permission-based feedback structure allows the athletes to see if they are getting the movement right.

Masters have to pay attention to our range of motion as we age, without it we lose stroke length and raise injury risk.
Timestamps
00:45 What this is and how to get more of it.
Masters rowing is rowing with compromises - we may be less mobile or carrying old injuries.
Our goal is full movement potential which helps our performance - with full range of movement we get longer strokes. Things which limit us are tight glutes, hamstrings or back muscles.
Injury prevention gets more important as we age - a good range of motion supported by strong musculature helps prevent injury.
Muscle capacity for the rowing movement. It's hard to teach rowing to people who cannot sit with their legs straight, who cannot get into the catch position or whose arm extension is insufficient to get the oar handle around the arc.
03:00 Things to do to improve range of motion (ROM)
Active isolated stretching is different from a traditional stretch you get movement more of the time and it's a short stretch and hold. One muscle group works (agonist) and the opposite muscle group (antagonist) is relaxing and lengthening.
https://fastermastersrowing.com/active-isolated-stretching-rowing/
04:45 Decline with age
We lose our full movement potential as age causes our bodies to change. Natural connective tissue elasticity reduces with age - strive to retain what you have; joint cartilage reduces too, and muscle flexibility lessens. Scar tissue from prior injuries may also exist.
06:00 Range of motion
Things you can do to improve - know what ROM you have at the moment. 10 tests for yourself and video exercises / stretches you can do. Free webinar
https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/functional-movement-assessment/
Simple changes to your rigging which help you to get into the correct rowing positions when you have movement limitations.
Adapting rowing rigging for masters physiology
https://fastermastersrowing.com/adapting-rowing-rigging-for-masters-physiology/
Start a practice to improve your range of motion - do it with your rowing friends.

Get easy video streams like this https://streamyard.com/pal/c/5694205242376192

Looking backwards to go forwards: what rowing taught me about big tech and what big tech taught me about rowing with Matt Brittin.
Timestamps
01:00 From schoolboy to the Olympics - from a family of ball sport heros.
Matt was inspired by Martin Cross to row to a high level - he was his school teacher. Later he was President of his university club where he led the introduction of professional coaching.
04:00 Rowing teaches skills
Matt was running Google in Africa, Middle East and Europe for the past 10 years - he tells a lot of anecdotes about rowing. Steve Gunn (a harsh coach) taught how to take responsibility for what you are doing. Are you a piece of sh*t on the end of the oar?
When the mindset is right but the self-appraisal was not.
The things Matt learned at rowing were the human things - more useful than Business School, Consultancies and University. I wouldn't be where I am in the business world without the rowing lessons.
08:30 Act like an owner
The unique side of rowing is that when I'm seat racing, I'm against you. When we are in the crew, I'm with you. Act like an owner at Google - take responsibility for what you're doing and win as a team. We collaborate hard - and sometimes a collaborative competitiveness gives a better outcome.
11:00 High Pressure Situations
The start line of a Henley Royal Regatta final is where Matt felt the most intense pressure.
Take confidence from the feeling of nerves and the adrenaline surge - this is a sign you are ready for a big performance. Get the attention off yourself - focus on the process is helpful. Know there is someone there who wants you to succeed.
14:45 Henley Royal Regatta Progress
Matt is a Henley steward - he marks the progress over recent years. Sir Steve Redgrave asked Matt to help the committee to plan a 10 year strategy. It looks unchanging yet it's always evolving. Three new womens quad scull events were announced - near parity in Open events and Womens events. Since 2015 every race has been on YouTube live and on demand. You Win or You Learn.
20:00 Returning to Rowing
It has been a joy and a recalibration too. The gains as you come back are lovely - rediscovering the joy. A lot is about remembering the feelings.
How to balance training and travelling for work. How you manage your time at work is important. Matt blocks his diary to take kids to school twice a week - the most important time of the week.
He does the same for rowing training. The discipline when traveling of visiting the hotel gym.
The more senior you get the more important it is to show up refreshed and feeling great - in good shape. Leaders need to be in the moment and to have time for staff.
Matt is planning to mentor people in business, improve his sculling, rowing strength training this year.
Masters rowing is "running up the down escalator". It doesn't have to be the same each year - unlike younger rowing years. Choose something fun to plan for your future rowing.