Bench press 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 @ 80% 1RM
Followed by;
Row 2k for time
Post bench load and 2k time to comments.
Jake taking a breather during the Affiliate Cup tryouts on Saturday.
A 2k row eh? Anyone who's rowed one knows that this WOD should not be underestimated. A few things should be noted prior to tackling this beast. First, this isn't a 500m, it's a 2k, so treat it as such by pacing yourself. Think back to your last 500m effort – how did you feel afterwards? What was your time? Let's say you rowed a 1:30.00 500m and that left you laid out on the gym floor with your feet still in the heel stretchers. Obviously a 1:30.00 split pace for your 2k would be a bad idea. So what's an honorable split that can be maintained for the duration of the row? You do the math and stick to your plan when you're in the thick of it.
Next, let's review our rowing progression to ensure efficient technique:
The catch: begin by aligning your knees with your ankles, making your shins vertical. You'll have straight arms at this point, with your back set in extension and torso leaning slightly forward. This will be the beginning and end of every stroke.
Legs, back, hands: An efficient rowing stroke will begin from the catch with a strong leg drive. When you apply force against the heel stretchers, you are going to strongly extend the knees, while keeping your torso and hips in the same position. Next, begin opening the hip and bringing your torso 10 to 15 degrees back. At this point your arms are still straight. Lastly, reach the finish by pulling the handle to your abdomen with your hands.
The return: Once the handle is pulled into your belly, we're going to begin the journey back to the catch. With the handle pulled snugly to the abdomen, we are going to allow the chain to quickly retract by fully extending the arms ("swing") and bringing the torso to the forward position with your knees still extended. Lastly, you can rebend the knees and return to the catch ("in").
Putting the whole she-bang together, we should have something that looks like this: legs, back, hands, swing, and in. All of the power comes from the legs, back, hands portion of the pull, so don't waste your energy speeding through the return. Allow yourself a split second of recovery during the return and give the pull all your might
