Corbab

Hi, I'm headed off to University in August and was considering trying to get on the novice rowing team.  Do you have any workout suggestions (I don't currently have access to a rowing machine)?  

You should focus on building a strong aerobic base. Go on long runs, bike rides, swim, anything that gets your heart pumping; you should be working for about 40-60 minutes, at a comfortable pace (don't go all out and quit halfway through). 

Like Malenfant said, your legs are the main power source for rowing. Do some squat jumps, box jumps, and hill sprints to get your quads ready for the punishment. Also, make sure you're working your core, as the entire force of your legs is transferred through your back, and you won't go anywhere if you're flopping around in the boat like a noodle.

I am completely in on this. I've logged about 700km since January, but 4000km is some good motivation to get me on the erg more.

I love it. Their Nutrition section is pretty solid, too. A little bit CW, but good basic info.

I had a pair of Skullcandy earbuds (Fixd, I think) that worked pretty well. They had a bit of a hook on them so they sat well in your ear, and the sound was good. I think they were $40.

Eat Move Improve has been running a handstand clinic of sorts for the past few weeks. I'm following it very loosely, but there are some good tips that helped me get started.

Pretty sure canola oil isn't paleo...

If you're at 15% BF, and you lost 5%, you'd only loose 10lbs. And I don't think you want to get lower BF than that for rowing. So you're gonna have to shed some muscle weight, I think.

I figured on that much. Should I change my training (cut out Starting Strength?) with this in mind? I don't want to lose a ton of strength, and I know I can gain it back at a lower weight.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I need to lose weight. I'm 6'2", 200lb, 10-15%bf (tape-measured), so I'm not exactly overweight, but in order to be competitive as a rower, I need to be around 185. For the mathematically lazy, I need to lose 20 pounds. I'm eating paleo, lifting heavy 2x weekly, sprinting 2-3x weekly, and doing ~1hr steady state cardio 5x weekly, which I plan on increasing. My estimated calorie expenditure is 4,000kcal/day, and I'm aiming for 3,500 to start. I read Lyle McDonald's series on cutting while training, and used eatthismuch.com to rough in my meals.

Am I missing anything? Does anyone have experience with anything like this? Any tips?

TL,DR: I need to lose 20lb. What do?

I have a ridiculous amount of extra time lately, all of which has gone into training. I just joined a real gym (for the first time ever) and they have all the equipment I could ever ask for, including kettlebells.

My primary training focus is rowing (I want to gain some serious speed and become recruitable for college).

Now I'm doing:

• 40-80 min steady-state cardio, 5x/week
  
• Starting Strength, 2x/week (might push it to three)
  
• interval sprints, 4-5x/week
  
• bodyweight circuits 3x/week (might lower number/replace)
  

I know kettlebells are good for the posterior chain, which can always use more work, and I have a good idea of proper exercise form, but I have no idea how to add KB work into my program. What should I be doing for reps/sets? I'm comfortable with the 24kg size, and I have received instruction about proper form, etc.

When I stated CrossFit I bought a pair of these: New Balance Men's Minimus 20v2 Trail Running Shoe

I've been wearing them for all my workouts including running. They fit my feet great and I love how light they are' date=' but I'm sure there is a better shoe out there is you are strictly running.[/quote']

I have a pair of the NB Minimus as well (forget which ones) and I absolutely love them. They've held up for a year of almost daily use, and they don't look like they'll quit any time soon. I added some Yankz laces, which make them even better. Lots of my friends and coaches have them as well, and I hear no complaints. They do make road- and track-specific models as well, if you plan on using them primarily as a running shoe.

I hear good things about the Under ARmour Cold Gear shirts as a base layer. I have an outdoor event in Jan. so I've been doing some research.

I have head-to-toe Under Armour for rowing when it gets into mid-October (which equals 45-50º days around here). It's been rained on, splashed, and soaked completely through, and I stay nice and warm regardless. It's kinda touch to justify at $40/piece, but it's 100% worth it. Also, the new "Fitted" Cold Gear works a lot better than the old skin-tight stuff.

I think the Baoding balls (at least some) are specially weighted and designed for the exercise. I have a set that I pick up on occasion, but I haven't used them regularly enough to notie any benefits. If you're worried about wasting money, I'd look at some other options first.

I liken crap food to smoking—it may be appealing in the moment, but you know damn well that the long-term consequences (or even the immediate post-consumption ones) far outweigh any benefits. Once you've been eating healthy for long enough, even the "good" foods no longer have any appeal—until then, it's just about telling yourself it isn't worth it.

Still, you'll slip occasionally. Everybody does. The first thing is to just stop eating the junk (duh). Don't under-eat to try and make up for anything—you'll recover much faster working out at 100%. Make sure to hydrate, and make some ginger or peppermint tea to get your digestion going again. Greek yogurt, sauerkraut, or any other fermented food will put your gut bacteria back in order.

How were you running? If you're using either a mid-foot or fore-foot strike, it's pretty common to have some calf soreness afterwards, even from a short run. If you were heel-striking, you might have shin soreness from that.

I've had it come and go in the past—never really figured out the cause, but it goes away with some stretching and a little time. I wouldn't be worried about shin splints after the first workout, but if there is actual pain (not just soreness) or anything that severely impedes your workouts, it's time to take another look.

I lift alone, so the embarrassment isn't a factor (I shame myself enough when I fall out of a squat). The worst part for me (at 150#) is rolling the bar over my hipbones. Otherwise, I can't sit up, so I just end up stuck in a weird crunch with the bar in my belly.

Also this.

And this.

What sort of time commitment are we talking?

Same question. I'm not a pro, but I could probably work a few things up.

At this point, I am conversational in French, and I can get by in Spanish. I really want to learn German and Khmer (Cambodian). I picked up a couple of Khmer phrases spending three weeks in Cambodia, and I really want to go back with a few more words under my belt.

The scale is a cruel mistress. I've had my weight shift by as much as 8lbs over a couple of days, without any noticeable physical differences. There are so many factors involved—water retention, stomach/intestine contents, hydration level, muscle vs. fat mass—that weight becomes a very unreliable barometer of health (especially as you become more fit). Have a look in the mirror—if you're happy (or happier than last week), you're just fine.

P90X is great if you want to look good (and you define good as "skinny with some weird muscle-ish things.") I've had a few friends start it, and all of them quit within the first month. A barbell would have you (and him) looking better with the added bonus of being able to toss the P90Xers around the beach like a frisbee.

I'll pull out the old Mark Twight quote: "Appearance is the consequence of fitness." Get some strength, and you'll never look better.

Can you tell I try really hard to come up with names for these?

Anyway, I just want to put my squat here (255#) to make sure everything is where it should be. I struggled with 235# for a while until I fixed my form, so I'm wondering if there are other changes to be made.

It's happened to me a few times. I've been primal for over 6 months now, and I still get the occasional ravenous craving for all things flour-based. Sometimes, it's just a case of nothing else in the house, so I eat one thing, and then use that as an excuse for another, and on and on... Recently, they've been coming less and less frequently, and I can avoid them almost entirely, so long as I stay full on paleo-approved food.

I row too! Or rather until half a year ago I was in a beginner's rowing course at my high school, which wasn't much training at all, but in a month I'll get a chance to join my new university's rowing team, and I think that one's going to be a whole lot more serious and harder. I don't think I'll go paleo (vegetarian and completely dependent on soy), but I believe you that it's probably best I start eating better (and more!) before I even get there, just to get in the habit.

Another rower?! Finally! I've been so lonely on here...

You'll definitely get a better workout on a university team. Who will you be rowing for? I'm not headed to university until next year, but that just means more training time.

..I don't think I've ever heard of a vegetarian rower before. I usually think of them eating 4-5k calories because their workouts are craaaazy.

That's about right.

Wow 4-5k kcal. I don't know how I'd eat that, I can hardly get over 2000. This is going to be an interesting experience, me trying to keep up.

Don't worry, you'll have no problem pounding down the calories after a week or so.

Is anyone actually surprised that someone who weighs 200lb burns less than someone who weighs 300lb? I suppose having actual data and formulae is useful, but it doesn't exactly seem like groundbreaking information. Also, one scientist essentially said the findings just supported what they already knew.

When you start training harder, you'll realize your diet makes as big an impact into your performance as anything else could. Size isn't the only thing altered by diet.

This. I've rowed for four years, and until this winter, my diet was all over the place. When I started training harder, I needed more food to maintain that level. I went paleo, and since then, my performance has exploded. If you're not serious about performance, you may not need to worry about your diet, but if you are, it's foolish to think what you eat is unimportant.