#coachingblog

Focus on getting the most power out of each stroke…….

When it comes to rowing, especially in a group class WOD setting. I believe focussing on 2 numbers can help people move the needle to get more power out of each stroke and the best out of their WODs. These numbers are your split time, centre screen, see 1:53/500m. And strokes per minute, bottom left, see 29 s/m.

So, what do these numbers mean?

Split time - measures the time it is going to take you to row 500M when the rower is set to meters. And how many calories you will row in an hour for Cals/hr. This is displayed as 2:00/500m and for Cals/hr see 623 Cals/hr. The harder we are rowing we will see the split time go down when the rower is set to meters e.g from 2:00/500m to 1:55/500m. And Calories per/hr go up when the rower is set to Calories e.g 623 Cals/hr to 900 Cals/hr. And vice versa for both measurements when we slow down on the rowing machine.

Strokes per minute – projects the number of strokes you are doing per minute at your current pace on the rower. See 29 S/M

Now, how to use these two numubers....

Split time - for our split time, knowing your 2k pace and 500m pace or 50cals and 10 cals pace will be extremely helpful. This will give us a good indication of what M split or Cals per/hr we should look to build up to in a few pulls and know that we can maintain powerful strokes for the duration of the row while maintaining good form. This is specific to longer duration rows. 500M + at 1:54/500m or 80 cals at 1200 cals/hr, consistency is key. For Sprints 500M or less we will go hard straight out the gate and use the M or cals/hr split to keep us rowing hard for the full duration of the sprint. Eg I might start a 500M sprint at 1:40/500M then drop to 1:42/500M and try to finish on 1:43/500M knowing I pushed the pace and kept the intensity up for the full distance of the sprint.

Strokes per minute - For a longer row we want to be pulling somewhere close to 23-26 S/M or whatever is maintainable for the distance required and specific to the athlete where we can generate a powerful stroke throughout the entire row. If I start at 23 S/M I should finish the row still holding my 23 S/M. Your focus here should be maintaining long powerful strokes for the distance required compared to doing more strokes per minute to get them M or Cals into the rower. For a sprint 500M or less 30+ S/M with only a small drop off in strokes per minute so finishing on 30 S/m The focus here is to consistently get repeatable, powerful strokes but also a higher amount of S/M as it's only a short sprint you will be able to maintain a higher power output.

So, what if you don't know your numbers?

A great place to start is adopting the S/M mentioned above. Then to start paying close attention to your split numbers in meters and/or cals at about 75% of the way through your row in a longer rowing wod. This should be a pace you can row at consistently. Then next time you jump on the rower in your warmups and wods try to build to your known split time and hold it all the way through the row. At first this may seem a bit on the easier side. However, you are building the habit to develop consistent powerful strokes and we can gradually increase the pace by 2/3 sec split for M and 50cals/hr for Calories with more time spent on the rower. we can continue to gradually increase until we notice our splits start to drop off the pace as we are not able to maintain such powerful strokes from where we start and where we finish.

I hope this helps some of you keen rowers out there?!

GATE Biotechnology is one of the important examinations for students aspiring to pursue MTech programs, Ph.D. research, higher education opportunities, and careers in leading biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and research organizations. As the competition continues to increase every year, a well-planned and disciplined preparation strategy has become essential for achieving a high score.

Selection of books: The first step toward effective preparation is choosing the right GATE Biotechnology books. A good book serves as the foundation of your preparation and should cover the syllabus in a clear, systematic, and concept-oriented manner. The best GATE Biotechnology books not only explain fundamental concepts but also provide authentic information.

Practice of questions: Along with studying from reliable books, regular practice through section-wise tests and gate bt mock test is crucial for improving performance. Mock tests help students assess their preparation level, identify weak areas, and understand the pattern and difficulty level of the examination. They also play an important role in improving speed, accuracy, and time-management skills. By simulating the actual examination environment, mock tests help students gain confidence and reduce exam-day anxiety.

Coaching: Many students also join online or offline coaching programs to strengthen their preparation. Although coaching is not mandatory and several students successfully qualify through self-study, a structured coaching program can provide valuable guidance and direction. Experienced faculty members can simplify complex topics, clarify doubts, and help students focus on the most important areas of the syllabus. Gate Biotechnology Coaching programs also offer a systematic study plan, regular assessments, performance analysis, and continuous motivation, all of which can contribute to more effective preparation.

Final thoughts

To perform well in GATE Biotechnology, focus on building strong concepts using good and trusted books, practice tests regularly, and seek expert guidance if needed.

How captivating was the Paris 2024 Olympics!

I’d be very surprised if you haven’t seen any of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

I ask you, how excited where you by the performances of the athletes representing their country?

It’s exciting, inspiring, exhilarating, heartbreaking a whole mix of emotions we get watching the best in their country take to the competition floor.

I can only imagine the feelings and emotions they encounter from that level of competition.

And the feelings and memories they will have with them now for a lifetime.

Competing my self in different sports over the years, Thai boxing, Crossfit, Olympic Weightlifting.

I have been lucky enough to get a sense of the emotions and feelings that come along wth competition. And I can personally say its life changing!

The personal growth and confidence that comes from being vulnerable and competing is unmeasurable.

I share this to encourage you to think about taking the next step in your training and think about signing up for that competition you’ve been looking at for too long and haven’t committed to yet.

DON’T SKIP A STEP

Something I encounter on the regular is athletes asking or jumping to more intensity, with out spending time perfecting a lift/ movement or doing the reps/ volume required to build a solid foundation. To prepare them for the more technically advanced movements they desire.

Question:

Have you ever been to a seminar of an elete coach. I'm talking Olympic level coach.

What do they do?

They get everyone. Regardless of their size, strength, perceived current ability. And they cover foundational lifts, skills or movements. They then, spend time observing everyone. And ERYONE gets feedback and coaching on the foundational lift, skill or movement.

Why?

Because there is room for all of us to improve that foundational lift, skill or movement.

And by going back and learning to perfect the foundational movement everyone in attendance leaves that day having something actionable to work on to move the needle on their performance.

Why do I share.

Chances are there's something your working on and want to improve.

Pro tip, go back a step or two and see where you can find an area to improve. Spend the time there working on it. Then see in 6-8 weeks what happens.

Also think about getting a coach to really help you move the needle! 😉

DM or email if there’s something I can help you with :

I’d like to take a minute and celebrate each and every Raincity Athletes performance this past weekend.

The weekend was filled with intense workouts programmed by the GOAT Mat Fraser. Against some of the top athletes from the west coast and spread over 3 long days. Not only that, its a rain or shine event and they got a lot more rain than anyone expected.

However, fuelled by some elite competition I see each athlete and team shift in to that extra gear that is only possible in competition, It was pretty epic to see. Adrenaline is an amazing thing if you can harness it.

The weekend certainly wasn’t the smoothest for the athletes either. There was more than one judging error encountered by almost all of our athletes. A warm up area that had 50% of the equipment/weights they would face in the workouts. There was literally last minute changes to workouts only discovered in athlete briefing 10 mins before athletes took to the floor. And finally walking out on to the floor as its raining to try to perform at your best against your competitors was a whole new challenge.

Hear me when I say I’m not trying to shame the judges who gave up their weekend or the competition organizers. We appreciate you giving your time and your efforts to make the weekend possible, so a big thank you. I’m just trying to paint a picture.

In-spite of all the adversity everyone performed at there out and out best. I was very proud as a coach to witness how they all handled the weekend.

Finally, probably the biggest highlight for me was how the Canwest competion brought the Raincity Athletics community together. We had 18 athletes compete and even more made the trip out to Percy Perry stadium to cheer and support their fellow athletes. I know the athletes really felt the love and support of the spectators and that energy helped the athletes get through some pretty gruelling events and push into that extra gear with pretty beat up bodies.

A lot learnt from this weekend, and everyone who competed should feel proud of their efforts.

You all crushed it and I’m excited to see everyones progress come this time next year.

Prioritizing training when following multiple programs and having multiple hobbies

Received this question from a few athletes recently so thought I’d share my thoughts and help you get the most out of your training.

Following more than one program and or managing other hobbies out side the gym often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Which in turn leads to not achieving the goals you set out, and more often than not feeling tired a lot. Which leads to just getting through a work out, your program or you Monday night soccer match instead of attacking it and maximizing your results.

I get it, there’s a lot of things competing for our attention and energy. That evening functional fitness class with your buddy, that muscle up program that guarantees results, that mid week soccer match after 3 days of training, the 6am morning run with your partner 5 days a week and the Sunday coached olympic lifting session ;)

So what’s the answer??

Step 1 - Prioritirze

Take a minute and write down all your programs, activities and hobbies. And list them in order of priority.

Step 2 - Look at your schedule

Put pen to paper or make a spread sheet and note down your schedule across a 7 day period. Listing working hrs, training hrs, activities, coffee with friends etc everything your currently doing.

Step 3 - Reflect

This requires you be very honest with your self and your priorities.

Looking at your current busy schedule do a recap of the past 1-2 weeks and start to see how your currently turning up to each session/day. Write it down for reference.

From there see how many days your training, when and where your resting and how your feeling as a whole across the week.

For most people I’ve had this conversation with lately the answer is they are doing too much, not achieving their goals and feeling pretty tired when it gets to day x or session x.

Step 4 - Change

Now having your priority list, go through your week and carve out scheduled rest and recovery days/times so your turning up fueled and excited to attack your top goals and hobbies.

This may require you to say no to that Wednesday night session. Which is day 3 of training and has you feeling sluggish for that next day of olympic lifting programming which is at the top of your priority list. Or it may be the case that you really enjoy mountain biking on a Sunday with friends but it leaves your legs felling pretty fatigued for Mondays squats. Well If mountain biking is top of your priority list, Monday session should be a rest day and you either catch up on your squats the following day or you decide which days you can get to the gym with adequate rest and that becomes your squat day.

I agree this isn’t the easiest of tasks but having a planned schedule, with proper rest will set you up for success over haphazardly dragging your body through 8 days of training/ activities in a row.

If your struggling with this I highly recommend you speak to your coach who can objectively answer how many days you should be training/ resting tailored to you achieving your desired goals, crushing your hobbies and feeling great through out the week.

Step 5 - Try it

After stripping down that over saturated schedule, give it a few weeks to see how the body and mind responds.

Keeping a journal of how your feeling will be helpful here too to track the results.

“Raincity Weightlifting Classic”

The upcoming Raincity Barbell Club V3.0 lifting cycle we will continue to build pulling strength in the clean and the snatch with pulls and deadlift variations. We will also be looking at refining the technique and speed of the pulls in both lifts. Taking the lifts from different heights, hip, mid thigh and floor.

You’ll also see some complexes to keep it fun and for athletes to get stronger by being under load for increased time and having to control the bar between movements. Sunday will continue to be a day to go heavy and keep edging that top end strength up.

The second half of the cycle will be very focused on prepping athletes for the “Raincity Weightlifting Classic”.

Specifically spending time trying to increase the lifters clean, jerk and snatch by isolating the lifts and doing some comp prep on the last couple Sundays having athletes play with the 3 heavy attempts. Finishing off with a mini de-load before comp day Saturday December 4th.

So why not use the “Raincity Weightlifting Classic” as an excuse to dive in to improving your Olympic lifting skills and follow up the cycle testing yourself under competition conditions with your fellow athletes.

The “Raincity Weightlifting Classic” is open to all Raincity athletes plus friends!