Walton Rowing Club, fun, social and competitive fitness training for all the community. Everyone welcome. - Born free, but everywhere in training
This is a great piece on understanding what the different intensities are.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
How Physical Activity Can Aide in Cancer Treatment
How Physical Activity Can Aide in Cancer Treatment
The National Cancer Institute recently completed and published a study on the benefits and positive effects of physical activity for cancer patients. While many people assume that exercise can help with overall health, there are also additional advantages to engaging in physical activity before, during and after cancer treatment. Prevention Regular exercise has been shown to influence the occurrence of cancer in patients. Prostate and breast cancer rates decrease among individuals who regularly exercise. Also, uterine, colon cancer and mesothelioma rates are lower for people who are generally fit through exercise. Colon cancer is one of the most studied types of cancer. Researchers have discovered that patients who exercise regularly reduce their risk of developing colon cancer by as much as 40 percent, compared to individuals who do not exercise and are primarily sedentary. Improved Survival Rates Another benefit to physical activity for cancer patients is that it improves survival rates. In several studies it has been discovered that patients who engage in moderate exercise three to five hours per week live longer than patients who do not engage in any physical activity at all. In breast cancer in particular, it is thought that regular exercise helps with cancers that are hormone-responsive and helps the body’s natural immune response to cancer. Other findings included insulin and leptin level improvement. Also, women who engage in regular physical activity report that they have less fatigue, feel more balanced overall and feel they have a higher quality of life than individuals who do not get regular physical activity. Emotional Benefits One of the aspects of dealing with cancer that often is neglected by doctors and patients alike is the emotional effect cancer can have on an individual. Many cancer patients experience depression and problems with anxiety, along with sleep disturbances and changes in appetite and problems with concentration. Regular physical activity can not only elevate mood and alleviate anxiety symptoms, but it can lead to feeling better about your body and improved quality of life. Regular exercise has been recommended by therapists for a long time to help patients with mood disorders. Cancer patients often report that simply taking regular walks can help improve their mood. Physical Benefits Physical activity can also promote general physical benefits. For example, regular exercise can lower blood pressure and improve lung and cardiovascular capacity. Additionally, physical activity can reduce the risk for heart disease and help prevent early death as a result of stroke and heart attack. Individuals who exercise regularly also have fewer problems with obesity and weight issues. As a result, they have lower rates of diabetes. Regular exercise is an important part of overall health for everyone. For cancer patients it is extremely important because of the effect it has on survival rates and the ability to cope with the effects of cancer treatment and the illness itself. This goes for cancer patients trying to conquer cancers with low survival rates like pericardial mesothelioma and cancers that have traditionally higher survival rates like skin melanoma. No matter what journey the cancer patient is going through it is important to keep the motivation and positive thinking going and that is all possible with exercise.
Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.
The National Cancer Institute recently completed and published a study on the benefits and positive effects of physical activity for cancer patients. While many people assume that exercise can help with overall health, there are also additional advantages to engaging in physical activity before, during and after cancer treatment. Prevention Regular exercise has been shown to influence the occurrence of cancer in patients. Prostate and breast cancer rates decrease among individuals who regularly exercise. Also, uterine, colon cancer and mesothelioma rates are lower for people who are generally fit through exercise. Colon cancer is one of the most studied types of cancer. Researchers have discovered that patients who exercise regularly reduce their risk of developing colon cancer by as much as 40 percent, compared to individuals who do not exercise and are primarily sedentary. Improved Survival Rates Another benefit to physical activity for cancer patients is that it improves survival rates. In several studies it has been discovered that patients who engage in moderate exercise three to five hours per week live longer than patients who do not engage in any physical activity at all. In breast cancer in particular, it is thought that regular exercise helps with cancers that are hormone-responsive and helps the body’s natural immune response to cancer. Other findings included insulin and leptin level improvement. Also, women who engage in regular physical activity report that they have less fatigue, feel more balanced overall and feel they have a higher quality of life than individuals who do not get regular physical activity. Emotional Benefits One of the aspects of dealing with cancer that often is neglected by doctors and patients alike is the emotional effect cancer can have on an individual. Many cancer patients experience depression and problems with anxiety, along with sleep disturbances and changes in appetite and problems with concentration. Regular physical activity can not only elevate mood and alleviate anxiety symptoms, but it can lead to feeling better about your body and improved quality of life. Regular exercise has been recommended by therapists for a long time to help patients with mood disorders. Cancer patients often report that simply taking regular walks can help improve their mood. Physical Benefits Physical activity can also promote general physical benefits. For example, regular exercise can lower blood pressure and improve lung and cardiovascular capacity. Additionally, physical activity can reduce the risk for heart disease and help prevent early death as a result of stroke and heart attack. Individuals who exercise regularly also have fewer problems with obesity and weight issues. As a result, they have lower rates of diabetes. Regular exercise is an important part of overall health for everyone. For cancer patients it is extremely important because of the effect it has on survival rates and the ability to cope with the effects of cancer treatment and the illness itself. This goes for cancer patients trying to conquer cancers with low survival rates like pericardial mesothelioma and cancers that have traditionally higher survival rates like skin melanoma. No matter what journey the cancer patient is going through it is important to keep the motivation and positive thinking going and that is all possible with exercise.
Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Rowing for Tri-athletes is a great solution for training problems.
As tri-athletes, why bother cross training when the sport already includes three different disciplines?
I have competed at three Olympics. I won gold and silver in the men's single scull. Both medals were won with the same coach, Marty Aitken from Australia, a former semi pro cyclist from Melbourne. When Marty and I started working together he understood my training environment. As a Swiss Olympic team rower, I lived in Southern California, far away from any of my team mates. I trained by myself, not because I was an introvert, but because I wanted good weather to be able to train through the winter on the water. Training by yourself can become quite monotonous and we needed to avoid mental burn out at all cost. Since Marty took care of the Swiss team in Europe, I would only be visited ever five weeks for 10 days. To avoid mental burn out from spending too much time on the water and potentially getting some sort of chronicle booboo in the wrists or fingers from all the high torque strokes I took during my 120 minute sessions, Marty recommended that I get myself a road bike! This meant that I would spend close to half of my time riding for two hours, next to on the water rowing and circuit weigh lifting....
As a tri-athlete you may now say, "Xeno.... we use bikes, that is nothing new"! That is my point exactly. In my case rowing alone did not complete me. Cycling helped in more ways than one. For one, the constant movement of the legs spinning between 70-80 rpms at roughly 20 miles per hour, was a totally different conditioning to how the legs are used in rowing. In addition, seeing where you going had a therapeutic effect; in rowing one looks over the stern of the boat, rowing "backwards". The scenery change was also a wonderful escape from the endless figure eights around Balboa Island and Lido Island. Cycling also burned calories off of me in areas that rowing did not. Rowing, cycling, and circuit training, was a gold medal winning combination.
Here is why Tri-Athletes need rowing to last longer and go faster:
What you don't get from swimming, running, and cycling, is the rowing specific resistance-endurance. As one pushes the boat past the oars, to make it glide on the surface of the water as if it were a skate on an ice rink, almost 90% of the body's muscles are used. When on a rowing machine, the sense of acceleration is equal to the increasing sound of the fly or water wheel. Thus, rowing is a complete body workout, which makes building aerobic capacity extremely efficient, especially because the stroke rate at below the aerobic threshold varies between 18-22 per minute. This means that it takes up to 3 seconds of recovery time versus 1 second of acceleration for each stroke cycle. You build torque and get to take deep breaths throughout your workout. Muscularly, the legs enjoy a complete range of the knee, from compression to full extension. As the rower hinges at the hip joint to send the boat, the hamstrings, and glut muscles are highly utilized. The draw of the arms, comes from the contraction of the latessimus, which helps support the back.
Rowing helps building endurance in your secondary tri-muscles and that is key to competitive triathlon success. As we push our bodies hard in races we increase lactic acid in our blood. The higher the lactic acid the less we last. This is why a complete aerobically fit muscular system is key for a tri-athletes racing potential. As we push our body, we create endurance by burning oxygen which requires BURNING LACTIC ACID. The greater aerobic capacity and thus count of mitochondria in the muscle cells the more lactic acid is needed to burn oxygen and the longer we last by keeping the lactate concentration in our body low.
Rowing is great for Tri-joints:
Rowing is a zero impact exercise and is kind to the joints. Rowing is ideal to give tri- ankles, knees, hips and back a break from the pavement. It is also ideal to strengthen the leg in ways that cycling can't. Rowing helps strengthen rotator cuffs and upper body. Rowing can be practiced indoors during the winter and outdoors in different types of recreational and competitive shells.
For rowing beginners I provide online workouts that can be downloaded to different electronic devices. For tri-athletes who want to be ranked nationally and internationally in indoor rowing I provide a competitive training program and frame by frame video coaching.
www.row2go.com
I have competed at three Olympics. I won gold and silver in the men's single scull. Both medals were won with the same coach, Marty Aitken from Australia, a former semi pro cyclist from Melbourne. When Marty and I started working together he understood my training environment. As a Swiss Olympic team rower, I lived in Southern California, far away from any of my team mates. I trained by myself, not because I was an introvert, but because I wanted good weather to be able to train through the winter on the water. Training by yourself can become quite monotonous and we needed to avoid mental burn out at all cost. Since Marty took care of the Swiss team in Europe, I would only be visited ever five weeks for 10 days. To avoid mental burn out from spending too much time on the water and potentially getting some sort of chronicle booboo in the wrists or fingers from all the high torque strokes I took during my 120 minute sessions, Marty recommended that I get myself a road bike! This meant that I would spend close to half of my time riding for two hours, next to on the water rowing and circuit weigh lifting....
As a tri-athlete you may now say, "Xeno.... we use bikes, that is nothing new"! That is my point exactly. In my case rowing alone did not complete me. Cycling helped in more ways than one. For one, the constant movement of the legs spinning between 70-80 rpms at roughly 20 miles per hour, was a totally different conditioning to how the legs are used in rowing. In addition, seeing where you going had a therapeutic effect; in rowing one looks over the stern of the boat, rowing "backwards". The scenery change was also a wonderful escape from the endless figure eights around Balboa Island and Lido Island. Cycling also burned calories off of me in areas that rowing did not. Rowing, cycling, and circuit training, was a gold medal winning combination.
Here is why Tri-Athletes need rowing to last longer and go faster:
What you don't get from swimming, running, and cycling, is the rowing specific resistance-endurance. As one pushes the boat past the oars, to make it glide on the surface of the water as if it were a skate on an ice rink, almost 90% of the body's muscles are used. When on a rowing machine, the sense of acceleration is equal to the increasing sound of the fly or water wheel. Thus, rowing is a complete body workout, which makes building aerobic capacity extremely efficient, especially because the stroke rate at below the aerobic threshold varies between 18-22 per minute. This means that it takes up to 3 seconds of recovery time versus 1 second of acceleration for each stroke cycle. You build torque and get to take deep breaths throughout your workout. Muscularly, the legs enjoy a complete range of the knee, from compression to full extension. As the rower hinges at the hip joint to send the boat, the hamstrings, and glut muscles are highly utilized. The draw of the arms, comes from the contraction of the latessimus, which helps support the back.
Rowing helps building endurance in your secondary tri-muscles and that is key to competitive triathlon success. As we push our bodies hard in races we increase lactic acid in our blood. The higher the lactic acid the less we last. This is why a complete aerobically fit muscular system is key for a tri-athletes racing potential. As we push our body, we create endurance by burning oxygen which requires BURNING LACTIC ACID. The greater aerobic capacity and thus count of mitochondria in the muscle cells the more lactic acid is needed to burn oxygen and the longer we last by keeping the lactate concentration in our body low.
Rowing is great for Tri-joints:
Rowing is a zero impact exercise and is kind to the joints. Rowing is ideal to give tri- ankles, knees, hips and back a break from the pavement. It is also ideal to strengthen the leg in ways that cycling can't. Rowing helps strengthen rotator cuffs and upper body. Rowing can be practiced indoors during the winter and outdoors in different types of recreational and competitive shells.
For rowing beginners I provide online workouts that can be downloaded to different electronic devices. For tri-athletes who want to be ranked nationally and internationally in indoor rowing I provide a competitive training program and frame by frame video coaching.
www.row2go.com
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Getting wired in with a blog app!
Hello Rowers and Runners
Just got this app to transmit
problem solving rowing and running info.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Just got this app to transmit
problem solving rowing and running info.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
New Workout to follow especially for busy adults with children!
I uploaded a new workout entitled, Guerrilla style row. When you are married with children... who has time to workout? Good news I demonstrate it here with a few different visitors along the way....
https://www.row2go.us/index.ph
The number of people rowing on machines has surpassed the number of people who row on the water. This comes as no surprise. Now we need to make sure that the horde of Marathon runners start rowing for cross training purposes. Take care of your feet, ankles, knees and hips, gosh train your upper body and strengthen your core with rowing!!!!
Over and out.
Xeno
Monday, February 7, 2011
40 minute row tonight and it was great. Anyone can do it!
Hello Rowers,
Tonight I pushed a 40 minute workout. It is a miracle that I find time to row with the different family dynamics we have. I would not want it any other way. I broke a great sweat and recorded the workout for our www.Row2Go.com website. I am back on track to putting new workouts to our online library.
Now that I don't row as often as my neurosis would like me to, I notice what a positively awesome mental effect a sweaty row has on my brain. I can easily say that a row moves me from stressed to calm. After 10 to 20KM of rowing, I look at the world through a totally different scope AND I LIKE IT. It is an experience that motivates me to take time to row more.
I had different motivations when I trained for the world championships and the Olympics, let me tell you. There was a lot more going in my brain and it was not pretty. On the other hand, training now at age 38, is awesome, because it has such an amazingly strong mental and physical healing effect.
I enjoyed the row so much that I want to make sure that I shout it loud and clear so that others who need a notch of motivation get to experience such a row too, even if one needs to squeeze the workout into a busy schedule.
That is it for now,
row far, row smart, let the breathing dictate your stroke rate!
Xeno and the Row2go Team
PS: Rowing Through, I am extra in it. The movie is so bad that you almost must see it once. There is a stupid loves story in it which makes the move R rates, total waste of a younger audience. They could have so scrapped the S.X scene. Ok, I will be quiet now :-)
Tonight I pushed a 40 minute workout. It is a miracle that I find time to row with the different family dynamics we have. I would not want it any other way. I broke a great sweat and recorded the workout for our www.Row2Go.com website. I am back on track to putting new workouts to our online library.
Now that I don't row as often as my neurosis would like me to, I notice what a positively awesome mental effect a sweaty row has on my brain. I can easily say that a row moves me from stressed to calm. After 10 to 20KM of rowing, I look at the world through a totally different scope AND I LIKE IT. It is an experience that motivates me to take time to row more.
I had different motivations when I trained for the world championships and the Olympics, let me tell you. There was a lot more going in my brain and it was not pretty. On the other hand, training now at age 38, is awesome, because it has such an amazingly strong mental and physical healing effect.
I enjoyed the row so much that I want to make sure that I shout it loud and clear so that others who need a notch of motivation get to experience such a row too, even if one needs to squeeze the workout into a busy schedule.
That is it for now,
row far, row smart, let the breathing dictate your stroke rate!
Xeno and the Row2go Team
PS: Rowing Through, I am extra in it. The movie is so bad that you almost must see it once. There is a stupid loves story in it which makes the move R rates, total waste of a younger audience. They could have so scrapped the S.X scene. Ok, I will be quiet now :-)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
This is pretty unusual..... Indoor rowing
Hello Rowers,
I found this gem on youtube. I must say that the shed reminded me of a place the husband-rower would be sent into exile if he did not behave in the main house. The rower's hand were shaking from the hard piece. Thank you for sharing this piece you can find rowing machines pretty much anywhere in this world thanks to Peter and Dick Dreissigacker.
Over and out.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Calling a slow paced narration of rowing and coaching
Nice footage, nice talk about rowing, it is a little S-L-O-W paced but since we don't have too much rowing stuff, this is also worthwhile to watch.
Rowing a compilation that is really energetic and makes me want to row!
Ok this is a super cool compilation. More stuff like this will make the sport more popular.
Cool!
Oh my gosh what a heart warming story Hero of Harvard Crew (CSTV)
This a great story of a young student who found crew and overcoming her accidental disability. I am fan of her!
Massive Swiss Event at the Technical University of Zurich Fitness Event & Swiss Rowing Indoors
Have a look at all these people and rowing machines. This is cool place that I have visited BEFORE indoor rowing was so big. The fellow that is most engaged in this and leads those classes is a former teammate of mine from the Grasshopper Club. Go Switzerland!
Rowers are fit to win Empire State Building Run-Up: Race to the Top!
Rowers are fit to win sick race!
Monday, January 31, 2011
You don't have to be BIG in order to beat BIG people in rowing, trust me
Hello Rowers big and small,
At my prime I weighed 100KG/220LBS and measure (still) 190cm/6'3''. If I seem "BIG" to you, I want to tell you that I was shorter than the rest of my single scull competitors. Even worse, I was shorter AND weighed more, bad combo if you don't have your rowing technique ducks lined up.
The point I am making above is that you don't have to be built like big beast to row fast. Below are a couple examples of fast crews:
At my prime I weighed 100KG/220LBS and measure (still) 190cm/6'3''. If I seem "BIG" to you, I want to tell you that I was shorter than the rest of my single scull competitors. Even worse, I was shorter AND weighed more, bad combo if you don't have your rowing technique ducks lined up.
The point I am making above is that you don't have to be built like big beast to row fast. Below are a couple examples of fast crews:
- French Men's Pair Olympic Gold 2000.
- Australian Men's double Scull Olympic Gold 1992.
- Way back in 1972, Freddy Bachman and a Swiss beast in the Men's Pair 2-, won silver in Munich at the Olympics. This result is especially interesting because Freddy was a spare AND a lightweight. Freddy replaced the regular rower who had fallen ill. Because of Freddy's great technique and ability maximize his body for a highly effective stroke, that ODD Swiss couple walked away with a medal.
- Annelies Bredael won the Olympic silver medal between HUGE Women, Anne Marden USA, E. Lipa ROM, and S. Lauman.
- Katherine Rutchow Stomporofski
The key to rowing fast is to make sure that the larger muscles are used at the appropriate time during the rowing stroke. When a rower masters the power application sequence, he or she can go really fast no matter what size they are.
When I do private slow motion studies of rowers, obvious inefficiencies come to light. With the visual feedback, the rower can see the issues and hear my commentary, which makes improving technical deficiencies much easier. Without the visual feedback, a rower is reluctant to change because "change" does not feel "right".
I have had a lot of fun helping people on all continents with their rowing technique and training program. Currently I am advising the Mexican National Rowing Team. :-)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Dutch Eight Atlanta 1996 M8+ Final
Hello Rowers,
Here is an insight information on the Dutch crew that won the Olympic gold medal in the men's eight at the 1996 Olympics. All had masters from University. The stern pair won the Olympic gold medal in the men's double scull back in 1988. In addition to the Olympic gold medalists 4 other rowers had won the world championship gold medal in the men's quadruple scull. The Dutch "threw" this eight together with the goal of winning the Olympic gold medal. A small country with brain won the gold in the big boat. Not sure when this will happen again. I always enjoy rooting for the underdogs.
Ok that is it for tonight.
If you are interested in getting your rowing stroke analyzed by me check out my website www.xenorowingcoach.com.
Sleep well and for those who race 2k this weekend on the metal machine, I am sorry. :-)
Xeno
Xeno
Another awesome race Men's Pair - 2000 Olympics
Hello Rowers!
Here is a great race. You would have never thought that a burst somewhere in the middle of a 2K will bring a smashing Olympic gold medal.
Great!!!
Xeno
Thursday, January 27, 2011
When small men beat big men in rowing M2X Double Scull Athens Olympics
Hello Rowers,
This is another of my favorite races of the Olympics. This here is the perfect example of effective boat
moving technique done by thin small French men versus, two huge Italian beasts and a sloppy but fit Slovenian crew. When I say sloppy, their power application is not what I consider efficient... they are fast, but could have gone a bit faster if they had the Frenchmen's technique. This also means that the Italian could have destroyed the field if they had rowed like the Frenchmen.
moving technique done by thin small French men versus, two huge Italian beasts and a sloppy but fit Slovenian crew. When I say sloppy, their power application is not what I consider efficient... they are fast, but could have gone a bit faster if they had the Frenchmen's technique. This also means that the Italian could have destroyed the field if they had rowed like the Frenchmen.
Ok enough said enjoy this great race.
Xeno
Introducing Xeno Müller rowing coach and advisor
Hello Rowers,
Here is a piece I shot yesterday for rowers who are looking for general information on a mercenary coach like me.
:-)
I mean it with the last statement about improving erg scores.
Row on people and remember if you want to row with me on the rowing machines have a look at www.Row2go.com
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
A great book to have by Volker Nolte and my Olympic coach
This is an excellent book to own if you start becoming serious about becoming more competitive. The first four chapters are especially important because they debunk the need for excessive pain in order to improve your aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Here in the United States and a few other countries, rowers are trained too hard and individuals end up plateauing and worse, getting injured. Mental burn out from training too hard is another unwanted result. The book is put together by different coaches and physiologists.
My coach Marty Aitken writes about my training and lactate testing. The same process that was applied to me, I am now applying to the rowers I coach in person and online through video exchange.
It is important to understand that getting fit is a gradual process that goes faster when training is governed by using an individual sub-aerobic target heart rate. If you want more have a look at my website www.xenorowingcoach.com
All the best, Xeno
My coach Marty Aitken writes about my training and lactate testing. The same process that was applied to me, I am now applying to the rowers I coach in person and online through video exchange.
It is important to understand that getting fit is a gradual process that goes faster when training is governed by using an individual sub-aerobic target heart rate. If you want more have a look at my website www.xenorowingcoach.com
All the best, Xeno
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Hard rowing two gold medalists Cracknell versus Pinsent
It would be great to have this in high def, but you get the message even with the grainy stuff.
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