You Should Be Unloading Your Barbell Like This | EASY and FAST (plus BONUS tip)
/How do you unload your bar after deadlifting, cleaning, rowing, etc. in a fast and easy manner? Phil explains and demonstrates and also provides a bonus tip.
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Conditioning with the Rower
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Evan gets to work with some 1-minute intervals.
(This article is a Blast from the Past article originally posted on 04/23/21.)
The rower (AKA rowing machine, ergometer, or erg) is a great conditioning tool. It uses primarily concentric movement and thus doesn’t cause a lot of unnecessary soreness. As a result, you can get some effective conditioning from rowing, and if approached in an intelligent fashion, this conditioning should not get in the way of your strength training.
With this in mind, we’re going to take a look at a few sample rower workouts that you can implement in your training, and as you become better conditioned over time, you can modify these workouts to increase the stress.
Workout #1
5, 7, or 9 rounds of:
Row 1 minute
Rest 1 minute
For this workout, you’ll simply row for one minute, rest one minute, and then repeat this process until you’ve accumulated the desired number of rounds. You can use the rower’s timer (if it has one), you can use a continuously running stopwatch, or you can set a programmable timer to repeat one one minute intervals.
Over time, you can increase the conditioning stress by adding rounds (e.g., going from 5 rounds to 7 rounds) or increasing the distance rowed. You can record the distance for each individual round, or for ease of recording, you can simply record and score yourself on the shortest distance you rowed in any round.
Workout #2
6, 8, or 10 rounds of
Row 30 seconds
Rest 2 minutes
For this workout, row for thirty seconds, then rest two minutes, and then repeat until you’ve completed the prescribed number of rounds. The goal is to cover the maximum distance in each round, so as with Workout #1, you can record and score yourself on each round, or you can simply record and score yourself on your slowest round (i.e., the shortest distance rowed).
Likewise, over time, the goal would be to increase the number of rounds or the distance rowed. An approach that combines these goals would be to perform six rounds one week, eight rounds the next week, and then ten rounds the third week - all while holding approximately the same pace (i.e., covering the same distance) - and then resetting back down to six rounds the following week and starting the process again but covering more distance.
Workout #3
5, 10, 15, or 20 minute time trial
This one is simple - set a timer for five, ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes, and then row as far as possible within the specified time. Over time, your goal would be to increase the distance rowed for a given time.
Have fun with these conditioning workouts, and a word to the wise - start conservatively with the first few sessions. You don’t want your conditioning to interfere with your strength training, and you’ve got plenty of time to increase the conditioning stress in later sessions.
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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.
Conditioning with the Rower
/
Evan gets to work with some 1-minute intervals.
The rower (AKA rowing machine, ergometer, or erg) is a great conditioning tool. It uses primarily concentric movement and thus doesn’t cause a lot of unnecessary soreness. As a result, you can get some effective conditioning from rowing, and if approached in an intelligent fashion, this conditioning should not get in the way of your strength training.
With this in mind, we’re going to take a look at a few sample rower workouts that you can implement in your training, and as you become better conditioned over time, you can modify these workouts to increase the stress.
Workout #1
5, 7, or 9 rounds of:
Row 1 minute
Rest 1 minute
For this workout, you’ll simply row for one minute, rest one minute, and then repeat this process until you’ve accumulated the desired number of rounds. You can use the rower’s timer (if it has one), you can use a continuously running stopwatch, or you can set a programmable timer to repeat one one minute intervals.
Over time, you can increase the conditioning stress by adding rounds (e.g., going from 5 rounds to 7 rounds) or increasing the distance rowed. You can record the distance for each individual round, or for ease of recording, you can simply record and score yourself on the shortest distance you rowed in any round.
Workout #2
6, 8, or 10 rounds of
Row 30 seconds
Rest 2 minutes
For this workout, row for thirty seconds, then rest two minutes, and then repeat until you’ve completed the prescribed number of rounds. The goal is to cover the maximum distance in each round, so as with Workout #1, you can record and score yourself on each round, or you can simply record and score yourself on your slowest round (i.e., the shortest distance rowed).
Likewise, over time, the goal would be to increase the number of rounds or the distance rowed. An approach that combines these goals would be to perform six rounds one week, eight rounds the next week, and then ten rounds the third week - all while holding approximately the same pace (i.e., covering the same distance) - and then resetting back down to six rounds the following week and starting the process again but covering more distance.
Workout #3
5, 10, 15, or 20 minute time trial
This one is simple - set a timer for five, ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes, and then row as far as possible within the specified time. Over time, your goal would be to increase the distance rowed for a given time.
Have fun with these conditioning workouts, and a word to the wise - start conservatively with the first few sessions. You don’t want your conditioning to interfere with your strength training, and you’ve got plenty of time to increase the conditioning stress in later sessions.
Week 2018.11.19
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As a reminder, with Thanksgiving coming up, here are the hours for Wednesday - Saturday of this week:
Wednesday, 11/21/18: Regular hours
Thursday, 11/22/18: Closed
Friday, 11/23/18: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, 11/24/18: Regular hours
- 3rd annual Testify Christmas Classic Weightlifting Meet
- Date: Saturday, 12/01/18
- Location: Concordia High School (click here for map) - practice gym
- Registration: We are completely full for this meet, so registration is closed, but please come on out and support your fellow lifters!
- Other Information: If you’re interested in helping, please let Phil or Barb know – we would love to have the extra help! Also, not competing but still want to order a shirt? Click here if you’re a member of Testify Strength & Conditioning - the deadline to order is this Wednesday (11/14/18).
- 3rd annual Testify Christmas Party
- Date: Saturday, 12/01/18 (after the meet - roughly 6:30 p.m.)
- Location: Testify Strength & Conditioning
- Theme: Ugly Christmas Sweater, of course!
- Other Information: We'll provide plates, cutlery, napkins, and cups, and there is a sign-up sheet you can fill out by clicking here to bring either a main dish, side dish, or a dessert. Beyond that, it's BYOB, and we'll see you there!
This Week's Conditioning
Option 4
Row 10 x 100m
Rest 1 min between sprints. Your score is your slowest time.
Compare to 2018.09.17.
Week 2018.11.05
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The 2018 USSF Fall Classic is in the books, and it was a great day! Lots of PRs were set, and many congratulations go out to everyone who stepped onto the platform to compete this past Saturday. Also, thank you to those of you who helped out at the meet – setup, teardown, judging, spotting, loading, scoring, announcing – without you, this meet wouldn’t be possible. Finally, thank you to those who came out to support and cheer on the lifters – you all made it a fun day for the lifters on the platform. Join us in the spring for the 2019 Omaha Strengthlifting Challenge!
- 3rd annual Testify Christmas Classic Weightlifting Meet
- Date: Saturday, 12/01/18
- Location: Concordia High School (click here for map) - practice gym
- Registration: Click here (registration is online only).
- Registration Deadline: Regular registration ends this Saturday (11/10/18), and we've reached our registration cap the last few meets, so register soon to reserve your spot, save some dough, and get a shirt!
- Other Information: If you’re interested in helping, please let Phil or Barb know – we would love to have the extra help!
This Week's Conditioning
Option 3
8 rounds:
4 tire flips
50 yd sled push (25 yd down-back)
Rest 1 minute
Compare to 2018.09.24.
Option 4
5 rounds:
15 cal row
50 yd sled push, 100#/50#
Push sled slow for recovery. Score is slowest row. Compare to 2018.09.03.