The Olympics have their low points too

[billfred]

^^^ yeah i know.. but she didn't have to cry the whole time, wasn't the end of the world.. she still had a chance for the bronze

a tough break but happens all the time in sports.

my buddy brownbrown has the Mens BBALL game US vs. Tunisia and its a 55 point spread lol. you all olympic fans should go over to the bookie forum and take some of his karma.

it starts in the next couple hours on NBCSports network

Well when you are in the Olympics, we shall see how you behave in that situation.

 

[nefertiti]

One thing I kind of don't get is rowing. Granted, I'm watching women's rowing right now, but their stroke rate is around 35 per minute. My gym has a few rowing machines, and I used to do a 5 minute warm up on it on my deadlift/lat days. I could easily average high 40 strokes per minute, and could "sprint" into the 60's. Even the men only average high 30's/low 40's. Would I have been a world champion rower 2 years ago, or is there more to it? I understand the need to synchronize your rows, and you can't just go balls to the wall or you'd veer off course, but still. I guess the water creates more resistance than the machine did? I dunno.

lols

As a former competitive rower, I can tell you that if you are doing 40 strokes per minute, your form probably sucks and your split time (how long it takes you to row a hypothetical 500 meters) is probably meh.

When using correct form (here come the jokes about my perfect form), the thrust phase from the legs will generate far more power at a far lower stroke rate. I have been next to dudes going nearly twice as fast as me on the ergometer (rowing machine), but you see my split time averaging 1:55ish and theirs 2:20ish. Meaning they are pulling twice as fast, but I'm beating them in a hypothetical 500 meter race by 25 seconds. They also usually have the drag set at ten, whereas I keep mine set at 3/4 (which is closest to water like resistance level), so on top of them using more strokes, they are getting more fake resistance to aid their distance. And they are bigger. With longer legs. And stronger. So efficiency and form are everything.

I do HIIT on the ergometer and my routine is generally a "moderate" pace of 18-21 strokes per minute with a 2:05ish split time for a minute followed by 30 seconds of a ~30 strokes per minute "sprint" at a 1:45-1:50 split time depending on how overtrained or tired I am at the time. Damper setting between 3-4. 12 cycles.

Next time you get on the rower, set it to highlight split time, set the damper (the setting on the wheel) to 3/4 and see how well you're actually doing.

 

[uamaverick]

OK coolm thanks for the advice. I'm a huge piece of shit right now though, I need to get back into the gym.