Month: March 2018

Workout Wednesday – The End

Cori Casner2 Comments

Yesterday I hit the 66-day mark of this habit. Now to take a look back:

Action Plan Progress:

  • DONE – 8/5 different rowing workouts attempted
  • DONE – 5/5 instructional videos watched
  • DONE – Created a Pinterest inspiration board
  • DONE – Researched the benefits of rowing for improved cardio health
  • DONE – Watched a documentary about rowing
  • DONE – 2/2 books read about rowing
  • Attend an indoor rowing class

Grade: B

Incentive: I plan to book my 3 private rowing lessons on the water with iRow Fitness after I take an indoor rowing class.

Lessons Learned: I hit a lot of obstacles in the last few weeks of this habit. Schedule-wise, we moved again before I started my new job. I was not very focused on my healthy habits during this time, but it was nice to use rowing as a way to deal with all the stress.

Also in the last 2 weeks, my hands have been going numb while rowing and when I am sleeping. I was obviously concerned, but when I looked up my symptoms in relation to rowing I found that I might be holding my erg too tightly and that I might have a lot of lactic-acid built up in my arms and shoulders. The best thing for me will be some rest and a massage!

This is the least pumped I have been about finishing a habit. I feel proud that I pushed through to the end, but I know this isn’t something I can keep up indefinitely. I will try to row at least 3 times a week, but I don’t need to do the same workout every day to meet my fitness goals. Adding some variety back into my workout routines will be a very good thing.

Have you ever had any funky side effects from exercise? Please share your experiences in the comments so I don’t feel like such a weirdo.

Rowing Routines

Cori CasnerLeave a comment

Rowing can easily become tedious. I have been trying out a number of different rowing exercises to stay focused and find a rhythm that works for me. Below are my favorite exercises so far.

Rowing Sprints

My rowing machine isn’t fancy and does not track meters rowed, it only gives me a count of strokes. So I have to modify any exercises that track by meters rowed.

I liked this workout because it was one final push at the end to do 50, but didn’t make me feel like I was going to die like a row pyramid does. It also doesn’t skimp on the rest which I need as a beginner.

 

30/30 Rowing Workout

The original exercise plan had another round of squats at the end, but I changed that to sit-ups because I felt like it would be a better use of time. My push-ups we laughable, but I really liked this workout. It was nice to stop rowing and do something else during the break.

This will definitely fit into my normal routine. I might even experiment with different exercises during the 2 mint

 

30 Minute Rowing Body Blast

This exercise is great for building my endurance. I want to build up enough strength to row for 2 hours straight, and I think this exercise will really help me get there. It would probably expand well into a pyramid workout when I am ready to go for an hour.

30 Minute Rowing Sprint

30 minutes is a long sprint! This is a great workout and wonderful for building endurance. I found 75 seconds hard very challenging and I had to put in additional time between the 60 & 75.

I’m not a pro so I give myself leeway when I need to modify some exercises. I’m just ecstatic when I finish and know I will improve as I go along.

15 Minute Rowing Workout

This is an easy exercise to follow and I thought the breaks were well placed. By the third interval, I was feeling the burn. As I try to row for longer I will increase the reps on this workout.

The variety these exercises have added to my rowing routine has helped keep me engaged and motivated. I am sure that if I was rowing at the same pace every day this habit would have gotten old real quick.

Now all I need is more variety in my playlist. Please share your favorite workout song in the comments below. I’m always looking for something new!