Finally, I have found the perfect cross training - the kind of workout that challenges my muscles and my heart but doesn't wreck my joints or tear up my cartilage. The kind of workout that is just as calming as it is invigorating.
Yes, indoor rowing is my new favorite training BFF! And this Badass CEO is strongly encouraging all of you Badass soldiers to give it a try if you haven't already.
Indoor rowing has been around forever, but I'm in love with the hottest and newest incarnation: IndoRow, an indoor rower with a water tank for real water resistance that is the foundation for group classes featuring intervals, speed drills, waves that build, and an all-out relay race at the end. Totally Badass.
I trained for eight hours on the indoor rowing machine this past weekend as part of my instructor certification, and I torched so many calories that my stomach wasn't really satisfied all day. When I woke up Monday morning, I felt awesome. A little sore in my quads and glutes, but it was that "good sore."
That was my "aha!" moment, when I knew indoor rowing would be the ideal compliment to my cycling and strength training.
IndoRows are hot in California and New York, and favored by the likes of Lady Gaga. They're newer to Florida. But there are no excuses in the Badass Army, right? So if you don't live anywhere near a facility with IndoRow classes, suck it up and put that old-school indoor rower at your gym to use!
Consider the benefits:
- A full-body workout: Indoor rowing, used correctly, works the legs, core and upper body by mimicking a leg press, a hip hinge and a row.
- Intense calorie burning without intense impact: A 45- to 60-minute rowing class or personal session can torch between 400 and 800 calories, yet there is none of the pounding that comes with running.
- Dynamic, functional flexibility: The first time you get on a rower, especially if you're a runner or cyclist, you'll likely realize very quickly that your back and hips are tight as hell. But once you start rowing, leaning forward with the "oars" and pulling them back, it opens up your back and your hips and will ultimately make you a better all-around athlete or weekend warrior.
- Finding your personal best: The IndoRow and other indoor rowing machines have monitors to tell you exactly how fast you're going through water, how well you're maintaining your stroke rate, etc. So every time you get on that puppy, you can push yourself to perform better and stronger than you did the previous go-round.
That's what this Badass thing is all about: Getting better, getting stronger, pushing harder. So here's a workout to be used on the IndoRow or any indoor rowing machine- preferably with some Badass tunes plugged into that iPod. Try it as cross-training to compliment your cycling, running, etc.
Badass Rowing 101
Warmup: Row at an easy pace, about 22 or 24 stroke rate, for 5 minutes.
Pressure buildup: Row easy for 90 seconds, then at medium effort (about a 26 stroke rate) for 90 seconds, and then full effort (about a 28 stroke rate) for 90 seconds.
Recover: Row at easy to medium effort for 4 minutes.
Interval: Row easy for 30 seconds, hard for 30 seconds, and keep alternating every 30 seconds for a total of 5 minutes.
Recover: Row easy for 3 minutes.
Buildup: Row easy for 2 minutes, and kick it up for two. For the last two minutes, go at full effort.
Recover: For 2 minutes, row easy.
Personal best sprint: For 30 seconds, row at medium effort. For one minute, row all-out. Come back for 30 seconds, and for the last minute, row all-out, trying to go faster than you did the first sprint.
Cool down: Keep rowing at an easy to light pace, and breathe as your heart rate comes down.
Coming Friday: Badass CEO's Favorites, Fall 2010 Edition