Exercise is such an important part of life, but can get overlooked when life takes priority. And staying truly fit is even harder with age. Although your body holds on to aerobic endurance a little longer as you age, your power output can drop dramatically if it is not properly maintained.

This training plan is designed for the aging adult rower. With the reduced volume of work, the increase in intensity, the increase in the amount of rest within a workout, a more controlled level of perceived exertion, and the option for an extra recovery day, this training plan will fit into your busy life while keeping you fit, healthy, and powerful.

Let’s cover some definitions. Try these rowing warm up (WU) and cool down (CD) routines as part of your routine. In the context of the programming, WU and CD refer to your build up and down in your stroke rate (SR). The SR is the number of times you pull in a minute, and is displayed on the erg. Your steady state (SS) performance means maintaining the same pace over a period of time or distance.

Ready to get started?

The post A Training Plan For Masters 50+ Rowers appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. At the catch, pressure should be applied through the balls of the feet, similar to the jumping position. This turns on the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. However, if the connection is too much in the toes, the glutes and hamstrings will turn off, and the quads will bear more load than they should. Conversely, if the heels are forced down at the catch or too soon in the drive, there will be too much tension in the calves and hamstrings to allow for proper firing of the glute and hamstring muscles.
2. Through the drive, power is transferred down through the heels, keeping the glutes engaged. Again, if the connection is too much in the toes or only stays in the balls of the feet, the glutes and hamstrings will turn off, and the quads will bear more load than they should. It will also be difficult to keep a strong core in the second half of the drive if the glutes are not turned on.
3. At the finish, pressure should be maintained through the balls of the feet and heels. The heels may lift slightly at the very end of the drive. This is only okay if the glutes stay activated in supporting good posture. Without the pressure on the foot plate, it is easy to fall back too far with the body, and to lose connection through the core. You will be forced to use the foot straps and your hip flexors to pull yourself back through the recovery. Instead, with adequate pressure thru the feet, squeeze the glutes to pivot your body forward to “float” back up the slide with little to no effort.
4. On the recovery, the weight should be on the seat with little to no pressure through the feet. Your muscles should be relaxed in preparation for the next drive. On the drive, about 50 percent of your body weight should be applied to the foot plate, while still maintaining solid contact with the seat for stability.

The post A Strong Row Starts With Your Feet appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Proper rowing technique takes less out of you and puts more into the rower. The result is you feel better, go faster, and are less prone to overuse injury. What’s not to love? So the next time you sit down, try these drills to make sure you’re getting the most from every pull.

The Legs-Only Drill

The legs-only drill sequence is one of the most important drills in rowing. It helps you to practice using your strongest muscles to move the handle, while maintaining a strong and relaxed posture.

The glutes and quads initiate the movement of the handle. The lats and core connect the movement of the seat to the handle. The angle of the body should remain forward as long as possible to allow the utilization of a strong hip swing at the end of the leg drive. If the upper body swings back too soon, the ability to utilize the hip swing is lost. Mastering this movement pattern can be difficult, but implementing this drill will only improve your rowing stroke.

The Pause Drill

The pause drill is a rowing drill used to practice good posture, handle and body preparation, and stillness into and out of the catch by slowing down the rowing stroke. On the water, these pauses can be used as gathering points for a crew as well. By emphasizing parts of the stroke that should be used as check points for proper body positioning, the pause drill will help to instill good habits and technique.

Shown in the video are the pauses at the finish and at body-over. Two other pauses often used are the pause at arms-away and at ¼ slide.

The post Two Drills to Polish Your Pulls on the Rower appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Every individual’s dietary needs are different, so this plan should be used as an example of a healthy diet and should not be used as a weight-loss plan. Additional workouts will require a properly timed pre-workout snack or meal (30 minutes-1 hour before) and an additional post-workout refueling meal consisting of both complex carbohydrates and lean proteins.

A person training fewer times per week will need to consume fewer calories and may need to skip one of the suggested snacks per day or consume less at each meal. Sugary sports drinks should be avoided unless a cardio session lasts more than 60 minutes. Instead, add an electrolyte powder to your water.

Monday

Breakfast (about 1 hour prior to workout):

• ½ c oats (cooked) topped with ¼ c raisins, ¼ c walnuts, ½ tsp brown sugar, ground cinnamon to taste
• 8 oz orange juice
• 8 oz water/coffee

60 minute rowing session: drink a total of 32 oz of water with added electrolytes (but not sugar) immediately before, during, and immediately after your workout

Snack (within 30 minutes of completing workout):

• 1 serving of plain ½-2% Greek yogurt topped with, 1tsp honey, 1 handful of blueberries, ¼ c granola
• 8 oz glass water

Lunch:

• 1 serving of whole grain/brown rice pasta topped with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, sautéed tomatoes and mixed greens, sea salt, and pepper to taste
• 8 oz water

30-60 minute weight-training session: drink 20 oz total whey or vegan pea protein (with added amino acid leucine) shake immediately before, during, and immediately after you work out

Snack (within 30 minutes of completing weight training):

• 1 banana
• 2 Tbsp almond butter
• 8 oz chocolate milk

Dinner:

• Mixed green salad topped with 6 oz chicken (cooked in coconut or grape seed oil), vegetables (sugar snap peas, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, red cabbage, etc.)
• ¼ c cooked couscous topped with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste
• 8 oz water

Snack (if dinner is more than 3 hours before bed):

• 1 serving pretzels
• 8-12 oz herbal tea (caffeine-free) at least one hour prior to bed

Tip: Keep a glass of water near your bed and take a drink if you wake up in the middle of the night. This will help keep your body hydrated throughout the night.

Tuesday

Breakfast (about 1 hour prior to workout):

• 1 serving whole grain cereal with ½ c milk and 1 sliced banana
• 8 oz apple juice
• 8 oz water/coffee

60 minute rowing session: drink 32 oz water with added electrolytes (but not sugar) immediately before, during, and immediately after workout

Snack (within 30 minutes of completing workout):

• 1 Kashi Go Lean Plant Protein bar
• 1 small orange
• 8 oz water

Lunch:

• “Breakfast” sandwich: ham (1 slice, nitrate free), egg (cooked in coconut or grape seed oil), cheese (1 serving), and baby spinach on a toasted whole grain english muffin
• 8 oz water

Dinner:

• 1 serving of lentil vegetable soup
• 8 oz water

Snack:

(Either between lunch and dinner if meals are 5 or more hours apart or after dinner if dinner is more than 3 hours before bed)

• 1 small apple
• 1 serving mixed nuts (can be salted but not candied)
• 8-12 oz herbal tea (caffeine-free)

Wednesday

Breakfast (about 1 hour prior to workout):

• ½ c coconut/chia seed “pudding” (pudding: soak ¼ c chia seeds in 12 oz coconut milk overnight in an airtight container in the refrigerator) top with ¼ c granola, 1 tsp honey, 1 handful raspberries, sea salt to taste
• 8 oz grapefruit juice
• 8 oz water/coffee

60 minute rowing session: drink 32 oz water with added electrolytes (but not sugar) immediately before, during, and immediately after workout

Snack (within 30 minutes of completing workout):

• 1 Lara Bar (or any fruit and nut bar with 5 or more grams of protein)
• 8 oz water

Lunch:

• ½ c cooked quinoa over mixed greens topped with ¼ avocado, 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste
• 8 oz water

Dinner:

• Chicken taco (6 oz chicken cooked in coconut or grape seed oil, seasoned, shredded) wrapped in a whole wheat flour tortilla topped with mixed greens, ¼ avocado, tomato, onion, a few crumbles of queso fresco, and salsa/hot sauce served with ½ c cooked brown rice topped with ¼ c black beans and 1-2 Tbsp salsa verde
• 8 oz water

Snack:

(Either between lunch and dinner if meals are 5 or more hours apart or after dinner if dinner is more than 3 hours before bed)

• Carrots with 2 Tbsp hummus
• 1 small bunch of grapes
• 8 oz water

Thursday

Breakfast (about 1 hour prior to workout):

• 2 scrambled eggs
• 1 slice of whole grain toast
• 2 pieces of turkey bacon
• 1 kiwi fruit
• 8 oz orange juice
• 8 oz water/coffee

60 minute rowing session: drink 32 oz of water with added electrolytes (but not sugar) immediately before, during, and immediately after workout

Snack (within 30 minutes of completing workout):

• 1 banana with 2 Tbsp almond butter
• 8 oz chocolate milk

Lunch:

• 1 serving of black bean pasta topped with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp mango salsa, ¼ avocado, 1 tsp chopped cilantro, sea salt, and pepper to taste
• 8 oz water

30-60 minute weight-training session: drink 20 oz whey or vegan pea protein (with added amino acid leucine) shake immediately before, during, and immediately after workout

Snack (within 30 minutes of completing weight-training):

• Clif bar
• 8 oz water

Dinner:

• 1 pita bread filled with hummus, tabouli, 6 oz greek seasoned chicken breast (cooked in grape seed or coconut oil) with side of 2-3 vegetarian stuffed grape leaves
• 8 oz water

Snack (if dinner is more than 3 hours before bed):

• 1 serving blue corn tortilla chips with ½ cup salsa
• 8-12 oz flavored seltzer water at least one hour prior to bed

Friday

Breakfast (about 1 hour prior to workout):

• 2 whole grain waffles topped with 3-4 sliced strawberries and ¼ c maple syrup
• 8 oz milk
• 8 oz water/coffee

60 minute rowing session: drink 32 oz water with added electrolytes (but not sugar) immediately before, during, and immediately after workout

Snack (within 30 minutes of completing workout):

• ¾ c muesli (dry mix of oats, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, wheat bran, wheat germ, oat bran) soaked overnight in almond milk and sweetened with 1tsp honey
• 8 oz water

Lunch:

• Egg salad sandwich on whole grain toast with vegetables and hummus
• 8 oz water

Dinner:

• Tofu/vegetable stir fry with sweet potato glass noodles
• 8 oz water

Snack:

(Either between lunch and dinner if meals are 5 or more hours apart or after dinner if dinner is more than 3 hours before bed)

• 1 serving of stovetop popcorn (coconut oil, sea salt)
• 8-12 oz herbal tea (caffeine-free)

Saturday

Breakfast (about 1 hour prior to workout):

• 2 medium size sweet potato pancakes with 2 small links of breakfast chicken sausage
• 8 oz apple juice
• 8 oz water/coffee

60 minute rowing session: drink 32 oz water with added electrolytes (but not sugar) immediately before, during, and immediately after workout

Snack (within 30 minutes of completing workout):

• 1 Kind bar
• 1 small grapefruit
• 8 oz water

Lunch:

• Tuna salad sandwich on whole grain bread topped with mixed greens and tomatoes
• 8 oz water

Dinner:

• 6 oz grilled chicken breast served with grilled purple potatoes and asparagus
• 8 oz water

Snack:

(Either between lunch and dinner if meals are 5 or more hours apart or after dinner if dinner is more than 3 hours before bed)

• 1 handful of blackberries
• 1 serving mixed nuts (can be salted but not candied)
• 8-12 oz herbal tea (caffeine-free)

Sunday

Breakfast (about 1 hour prior to workout):

• ½ c oats cooked with ¼ c pecans, ½ sliced peach, ½ tsp brown sugar
• 8 oz grapefruit juice
• 8 oz water/coffee

Snack:

• 1 serving of plain ½-2% Greek yogurt with 1 tsp honey, 1 handful of pomegranate seeds
• 8-12 oz herbal tea (caffeine-free)

Lunch:

• Tuna salad sandwich on whole grain bread topped with mixed greens and tomatoes
• 8 oz water

Dinner:

• 6 oz grilled chicken breast served with grilled purple potatoes and asparagus
• 8 oz water

Snack:

(Either between lunch and dinner if meals are 5 or more hours apart or after dinner if dinner is more than 3 hours before bed)

• 1 serving whole grain crackers topped with goat cheese, dried fig, arugula, and a drop of honey
• 8-12 oz flavored seltzer water

Tip: Although you have a day off from training, you still need to be hydrating and fueling. In the morning, fill a 32 oz bottle with water and drink it throughout the day, in addition to what you are drinking with meals and snacks. Also make sure to maintain a similar eating schedule. Stick to the five small meals per day instead of switching to 2-3 larger ones.

More balanced meal ideas:

Lean Fuel: Chicken Broccoli and Edamame Bowl with Avocado Dressing

The post The 1 Week Meal Plan for Rowers appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The intensity of the workouts will help you to maintain your overall strength and power, even though the level of perceived exertion will be kept within a safe range. The increase in the amount of rest within a workout will help you to recover for the next piece and will allow you to stand up and stretch or lay down to help maintain spine health.

The extra recovery day for cross-training, walking, stretching, or yoga ensures you stay active, but still are rested by the next training week, and helps you to fit rowing (and other important exercise) into your busy life.

Ready to get started?

Click Here to Download the Training Plan

The post A Dedicated Rowing Plan for 60 Year Old Masters appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

And then it happens: the burning in your legs, the cramping in your arms, the frantic breathing. You take the split back to where you should have started in the first place. Okay. Just hold this split and you will be fine. You might even pull a personal best. But the burning is just too much. You can’t even make it all the way up to full slide anymore. The split keeps getting higher and higher. You are in agony, made worse by the fact that you have just watched your average split tick further and further above your goal. The test is over. Not good.

If you want to avoid the scenario above, it is important to go into a 1km test with a plan. Look back to past workouts. What worked for you? What didn’t? What splits were you able to hold for the last few race-prep workouts? Determine a goal split and stick to it to the best of your ability.

Midway Adjustments

If you are past the halfway point in the test and still feel too good, your goal split might have been a little conservative. However, there is still plenty of time left in the test, and you should have enough energy left to go a bit faster than planned and to start the sprint early.

If your goal split was too aggressive, and you need to reassess at halfway, it would be prudent to hold your current split or pull one split slower until it is time to sprint. That way, you should be able to avoid a blowup (or ‘fly-and-die,’ as we like to call it).

Negative Splits

A good way to pace a 1km test or piece on the machine is to negative split from start to finish. This means your goal will be to get faster every 250m. For example, let’s say your goal split for a 1K test is 1:45 / 500m. The breakdown for each 250m split could be:

1. Goal split +2: 1:47
2. Goal split +1: 1:46
3. Goal split: 1:45
4. Goal split -3. 1:42

At the start of the test, make sure you are hitting the 1:47 by the end of 10 strokes. Don’t waste energy off the start trying to crank on it. You are just building up lactic acid, and will pay for it later.

Plan for Your Strengths

The more times you test, the better you will be at determining what your goal split should be, and how to maximize your strengths. If you are more of an endurance athlete (more aerobic than anaerobic power), you may end up with a more evenly paced piece (goal split +0.5, goal split, goal split, goal split -0.5). If you are more of a power-based athlete, you will be better off with a very conservative first 750m, saving your power to really drop the hammer in the last 250m.

Pacing on the Water

On the water, pacing is a different story. Other factors besides physiology are at play. At the start of a race, it is important to get off the line quickly, cleanly, and with the other crews. There is a definite psychological advantage to being in the lead during a race. If you are in the lead, you are able to see what your competitors are doing and make moves accordingly. It is also important not to get too far down on your competition, so that you are not impacted by their boat wake (or the wake from the official/media launch). It is hard to pull back into the lead if your boat is being tossed around by a wake.

A typical pacing strategy for racing on the water is to go out high and hard for the first 30-40 strokes to get your boat up and running, then lengthen out to your base pace. Hold that for the middle 500m of the race. With about 250m to go (or 350m if you are down on your competition) you would start to sprint, bringing the rate up and really increasing the speed of the boat. Again, depending on your physiological strengths, you might have a more even-paced race (and faster base pace) if you lack the power to get off the line quickly, or walk thru crews in the sprint but have a bigger aerobic capacity. Or you might rely more on your start or sprint to pull into the lead, if you have the power to do so.

These same pacing strategies can be applied not only to 1km tests, but to many different length pieces, tests, or races. Remember, planning is key. Pace yourself and have confidence in your plan. No more fly-and-dies. Attention…Row!

You’ve got the strategy, now it’s time to start training:

8 Weeks to a Faster 1k Row

The post How to Pace Your 1km Row appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Two common rowing injuries are bulging or herniated discs in the low back, and stress fractures in the rib area from overuse. Strained muscles are also very common, and though they sound less severe than a herniated disc or stress fracture, still require proper healing time.

The following 8-week training plan is a detailed workout regime for any rower returning from an injury. It slowly reintroduces the rowing stroke, 10 minutes at a time, 1 day at a time. It also includes suggested cross-training, along with specific days to work in your rehabilitation exercises (yoga, physical therapy, stretching).

• If you have a low body injury (broken leg, sprained ankle, strained muscle), the arm bike, swimming using only your arms, and upper body weight lifting are a few cross-training options.
• If you have a low back injury, swimming or using an elliptical are two low-impact exercises that you may be able to do without pain or discomfort.
• If you have an upper body injury (muscle strain, tendonitis, stress fracture), sitting upright on a stationary bike, walking on an incline treadmill, using an elliptical, or swimming holding a kick board are good ways to keep up your fitness while injured.

If you have not been cross training, don’t go crazy with it at first. It is not a good idea to immediately jump in and start biking for 70 minutes a day if you have not been biking at all, for example.

Easing into cross-training is just as important as easing back into rowing after an injury. You do not want to end up with an overuse injury from the bike and have to sit out from rowing even longer!

While you are trying to heal, it is imperative to stay out of pain. If at any point you start to experience pain from your injury, stop. If this is the case, take a few days off from training and then start where you left off.

However, if you experience pain again, take an additional 2-3 days off and start from the beginning of the plan. If you are still experiencing pain when returning to the erg or boat, you need more time to heal and recover.

You should consult a doctor or physical therapist and take even more to heal before you start back up with the training plan.

Good luck, get healthy, and stay heathy. Happy training!

New to the sport? Check out An 8-Week Training Plan for the Beginner Rower.

The post Rowers: An 8-Week Injury Comeback Plan appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This training plan is specifically designed for the adult rower. With a reduced volume of work, an increase in the amount of intensity workouts, a slight increase in the amount of rest within a workout, and an option for an extra recovery day, this training plan will fit into your busy adult life while keeping you fit, strong, and powerful.

Let’s cover some definitions. Try these rowing warm up (WU) and cool down (CD) routines as part of your routine. In the context of the programming, WU and CD refer to your build up and down in your stroke rate (SR). The SR is the number of times you pull in a minute, and is displayed on the erg. Your steady state (SS) performance means maintaining the same pace over a period of time or distance.

Ready to get started?

Click Here to Download the Training Plan

The post A Training Plan for Masters 40+ Rowers appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. Some exercise is better than no exercise. Do not forgo a workout because you cannot fit your full workout routine into your day. Even 10 minutes of cardio, stretching, or bodyweight exercises before you have to hit the road can help you stay on track.
2. Pack food to bring with you. Most of what you can find at the airport, gas station, or train station is very unhealthy or very expensive. Make sure you choose whole foods or foods with few ingredients. Apples, oranges, carrot and celery sticks, and nuts travel well, as do trail mix, and dried fruit. Breakfast bars can be good also, but look for 5+ grams of protein with less than 10 grams of sugar. A PB&J will fit nicely in a small container and will not get soggy if you spread peanut butter on both pieces of bread before you spread the jelly.
3. It is especially important to stay hydrated while flying. Bring a water bottle to fill at the drinking fountain after you have gone through airport security. You will save at least $4, and if you ask nicely, the flight attendants will refill it for you on the plane.
4. Many airports now have yoga rooms in the terminals. If you have a long layover, make the most of your time and do some stretching and yoga while you wait. You will feel much better, and much more mobile, if you do.
5. Wear your running or walking shoes to the airport (or at least bring them in your carry-on luggage). If your airport doesn’t have a yoga room, walking around the airport terminal is a great way to stay active while traveling. No one to watch your carry-on luggage? Bring it with you and think of it as weight training.
6. When you are traveling by airplane, especially if your flight is over an hour long, wear compression gear (socks or tights). Wearing them under your normal clothing will help keep the blood in your legs from pooling, and your legs will not feel as heavy and tired when you land.
7. Take advantage of the hotel gym. Sure, it might not have the squat rack and barbells you are used to, but you can still get in a killer lift with those dumbbells (think high-repetition; 3-4sets of 15).
8. If the hotel gym does not have a C2 for you to log your meters, believe it or not, you can get a great workout in on the elliptical. If you crank up the resistance above 10 and keep the strides/minute above 60, your heart rate will climb and you will get a great cardio workout. To maintain rowing fitness while cross-training, you will need to put in a few extra minutes. For reference, 1000m on the C2 equals 5 minutes of cross-training (so 10K on the C2 = 50 minutes XT).
9. Sleeping in a new or strange place can be difficult, especially if there are screaming children or a loud TV in the room next to you. But trying to maximize sleep quality is very important for recovery from both exercise and travel, especially if the quantity of sleep is low. Make sure you take advantage of those blackout curtains. You sleep better in total darkness. You can also download a white noise app on your phone. They have hundreds of sounds to choose from, so you are likely to be able to find a soothing sound that reminds you of home, the beach, or your favorite appliance.
10. Keep sleep sacred: no phones, computers, or TV in bed. That means in a hotel bed too. Most hotel rooms have a desk for you to set up your computer or a chair you can sit in to watch TV. When it is time for sleep, turn the TV off, put your phone away, and then get in bed. You will fall asleep quicker and sleep better because your body knows that crawling into bed means time for sleep, not movie time.

Hitting the road doesn’t have to mean hitting the ibuprofen:

Don’t Let Chronic Pain Ruin Your Vacation

The post 10 Tips for Healthier Travel appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The workouts in this plan can be done on the Concept 2 or on the water. There are sessions for power and sprinting, as well as longer workouts to improve your anaerobic threshold. These workouts will combine to optimize your fitness for the 1K, so that hopefully it only takes twice as long as your 500m!

Specific movements and protocols to warm up before you get on the rower can be found in this previous article.

I have also included a short weight training workout each day, to be performed 15-50 minutes after the rowing workout. The exercises included will help you mobilize, strengthen, and increase power in the main muscle groups used for rowing.

At the end of 8 weeks, there is a 1K test, so you can see how much you have improved! Ready to get started?

Click Here to Begin Your 8 Week Rowing Program

New to rowing? We have a plan for you, too:

An 8-Week Training Plan for the Beginner Rower

The post 8 Weeks to a Faster 1K Row appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

What do you buy for a rower for Christmas? Top to bottom, rowers put their bodies to the test during training and they need the foundations to recover well. Here are eight ideas that will make sure the rower on you list gets some holiday cheer.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 1. Seat Pad

To prevent a sore bum, especially during longer sessions, every rower should own a seat pad. The Sorenomore Sorbothane Seat Pad creates a cushion for your sit-bones, and at the same time sticks to the seat, so you don’t have to worry about it staying in place. They are around $40, but last for years.

If your rower is on the shorter side, or has really long legs and is looking for a little extra seat-height, the best and most comfortable butt pad would come from an easy DIY project. Buy 12” x 12” x ½” EVA Foam Exercise Mat and cut out the shape of a rowing seat. The foam comes in packs of 12 connecting mats, so you will have enough to make one for every rower at your boathouse or gym. Only $12-16 for the whole pack.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 2. Water Bottle

Staying hydrated is an important part of training. An excellent way to tell the rower in your life that you care about them and their training is to get them a water bottle for the holidays. My personal preference is a 32oz BPA-free Nalgene. It stores the perfect amount of water to keep you hydrated during your workout with only one trip to the drinking fountain. And the easy to carry loop attached to the lid makes it easy to cart to and from the boat or ergometer. Each Nalgene is about $10.99. A Powerade squeeze water bottle is $4.99 and is quick and easy to use. It is great for interval workouts on the erg where your rest is less than 30 seconds.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 3. Music

There is no better gift than the gift of music, especially for an athlete. All of the hours spent inside the gym on the machine or in the weight room go by so much quicker when listening to music (and it’s a lot more fun too!). An iTunes gift card or a subscription to Pandora ($4.99/month) or Spotify ($9.99/month) will supply the tunes and a new set of waterproof bluetooth headphones, like the Plantronics BackBeat FIT for $129.99, will keep your rower from lugging his phone around and dripping sweat all over it while training.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 4. Sweat Bands

A very important part of rowing and erging technique is the grip. If you are too sweaty to hold on to the handle properly, you are not going to be able to row properly either, and you might even get injured. Wearing sweat bands around your wrists is a great way to prevent this from happening, and they look cool, too. Cosmos Sweatbands come in a 12 pack for only $10 and make great stocking stuffers.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 5. Heart Rate Monitor/GPS

A heart rate monitor is a great fitness and training tool for rowing. By helping you to stay in the proper heart zone, a heart rate monitor can help prevent overtraining. A Polar A300 fitness watch and activity tracker with heart rate sensor is $139.99. If your rower is also a runner or needs to track speed and pace while on the water, a GPS watch with a heart rate monitor would be an awesome gift. A Garmin 235 is a great product and costs $329.99. Both of these devices allow you to connect with your computer to help your rower easily track her workouts. Another great product for use in the boat is a SpeedCoach GPS Model 2 with Heart Rate for $499.00. It is a stroke coach (gives your rower the stroke rate), GPS, and heart rate monitor all in one device.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 6. Anti-Chafe Stick

Nothing is worse than sitting down in the boat or on the erg to row and having to worry about irritated skin. Every rower experiences this at some point in their career. And once they do, they go out and buy an anti-chafe stick. My preference is 2Toms Butt Shield and Sport Shield. They make two different easy to use, no-mess roll-on sticks to prevent bacteria transfer, and each is a slightly different formula for different sensitivity of skin. The Butt Shield helps to prevent my shorts from irritating my skin and the Sport Shield protects me from my sports bra seams. They make great stocking stuffers and are only $13 each.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 7. Exercise Bands

Rowing is great exercise. It uses over 80% of your muscles. But how do you work the other 20%? Exercise bands are a great way to strengthen the smaller and opposing muscle groups that help to stabilize the bigger rowing muscles. Blue Mountain Products Stackable Resistance Band Set comes with five different resistance bands, and a booklet of suggested exercises (which you can also find on their website) for $32.99.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 8. Massage

Rowers work hard and at the end of a hard day or week their muscles are tired and sore. There is nothing like a good massage to help them to recover for the next workout. A gift card for a massage is a great present for your rower. Usually $80 will cover the full cost of a sport massage. If you are looking for something more expensive, a subscription to Massage Envy is about $60/month. If you are looking for something less expensive, three great self massage tools are a great choice: a lacrosse ball for digging into knots in your back or bum ($2.99), a RangeRoller massage stick for massaging your legs ($25-40 depending on the length), or a foam roller for a full body self-massage ($29.99).

More gift ideas for the athlete on your list:

Strong Gift Ideas for Strongwoman

The post What Every Rower Dreams of This Holiday appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Rowing is a full body workout, and can burn anywhere from 500-1000 calories per hour. Therefore, you need to adequately fuel your body in order to perform and execute your workouts properly. As a starting point, ensure you are getting three healthy and balanced meals per day. These should consist of lean protein, vegetables and fruit, and whole grain or other natural carbohydrate.

In addition, you should be eating both before and after a rowing workout to fuel and then refuel your body. 30-45 minutes before a workout, try to consume 100-200 calories of healthy carbohydrates like whole grain crackers, an apple, a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, whole grain cereal, or oatmeal. Stay away from added sugar, like that found in granola, granola bars, sports bars, or many cereals.

After a workout, you should consume an additional 300-500 calories within thirty minutes of completion. Your snack should contain a 3 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, with 15-20g of protein. Eat a banana with peanut butter, greek yogurt with berries and almonds, or an egg and cheese sandwich on a whole grain english muffin. Proper nutrition will help you to feel better during your workouts and to get ready for the next session.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

If you want to stay properly hydrated and have enough energy for your next rowing workout, carry a water bottle with you throughout the day. You should be drinking a total of 64 oz of liquid (water is best) over the course of the day, in addition to what you are drinking during your workout.

During your workout, you should consume an additional 24-32 oz of liquid. Again, water is best, unless your workout is longer than 60 minutes of total work. If that is the case, then you should use a liquid containing electrolytes with a low sugar content.

Buying a reusable water bottle and having it with you at all times will ensure that this easy, yet important, recovery technique is mastered.

Get Some Rest

Any rigorous exercise regime requires a good amount of rest. You should be getting at least eight hours of sleep per night. Your muscles will be tired and sore from the work, so the more rest you get, the better you will recover.

Also make sure you are taking days off of rowing in order to let your body heal and recover. That can mean switching to an exercise you are more used to for a day, like running or hiking, or even taking a day off to completely rest if you are especially fatigued.

Roll It Out

A foam roller is a rower’s best friend. The foam roller is used as a self-massage tool to increase flexibility in tight muscle groups. It is also used as an aid to muscle recovery. By foam rolling, you are increasing blood flow and helping to flush the lactic acid produced during a hard workout out of your muscles, which helps them to recover faster.

Five rolls (toward the heart) per muscle group should be performed one or two times per week after an intense workout. Tight or problem muscle groups can be rolled daily.

Below are some techniques to use when foam rolling the major muscle groups:

Quads

IT Band

Adductors

Glutes

Low back

Upper back

Lats

Chest opener: Lay full-length on the roller with arms spread out to both sides. Streches the pectoral muscles.

Thoracic mobilization: Lay perpendicular over the roller with arms stretched overhead.

Don’t neglect your accessory work:

The Comprehensive Rowing Warm Up and Cool Down

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