Aristotle once said in Metaphysica that, "the whole is more than the sum of its parts."
Gestalt psychology also follows the principle of totality, that "the conscious experience must be considered globally (by taking into account all the physical and mental aspects of the individual simultaneously) because the nature of the mind demands that each component be considered as part of a system of dynamic relationships."
At Susquehanna, we treat rowing in a very holistic manner. We stretch and lengthen our muscles through yoga and focus on our breathing, we tear apart and build up our muscles through lifting, we push our lungs to their capacity through cardio, we do interval training and sprints to condition our fast twitch muscles, we test our endurance in longer workouts to challenge our slow twitch muscles, we erg on slides to work on ratio and teamwork, and we erg individually to learn how to push ourselves to our personal limits. That's just the physical part.
Mentally, we have the blog to celebrate team accomplishments and disseminate information, we have long talks on bus rides and cafeteria meals, debriefing sessions after rowing, we watch videos of ourselves and others, we send each other reassuring messages through Facebook/campus mail/and on our doors, we psych ourselves up through music and good luck rituals, we make t-shirts that show the world our group identity, we have coaches and coxswains to point out our form and our work ethic, and we have each other.
We don't just do the same lifts every day, the same workouts, the same pep talks, and the same conversations... It is hard to tease a part what actually goes into our "training." The same thing goes with teasing a part the rowing stroke and movement of a boat. Many rowers mistakenly believe that there is some kind of magic automatic fix to issues in a boat.
There are a million tiny details (or dynamic relationships) that go into the physics of rowing a boat that can create the slightest offset or drag. There is often a desire to "call someone out," by pointing out a weakness or a troublesome part of the stroke. The trouble is, sometimes there are so many small things contributing to an overall problem that a lot of things (from a lot of people) need to be fixed to make a noticeable difference.
Most rowers that I see on the Susquehanna team have very predictable issues. No amount of calling attention in the past few months has addressed individual style or action. Here are some general tips about issues I regularly see:
Gestalt psychology also follows the principle of totality, that "the conscious experience must be considered globally (by taking into account all the physical and mental aspects of the individual simultaneously) because the nature of the mind demands that each component be considered as part of a system of dynamic relationships."
At Susquehanna, we treat rowing in a very holistic manner. We stretch and lengthen our muscles through yoga and focus on our breathing, we tear apart and build up our muscles through lifting, we push our lungs to their capacity through cardio, we do interval training and sprints to condition our fast twitch muscles, we test our endurance in longer workouts to challenge our slow twitch muscles, we erg on slides to work on ratio and teamwork, and we erg individually to learn how to push ourselves to our personal limits. That's just the physical part.
Mentally, we have the blog to celebrate team accomplishments and disseminate information, we have long talks on bus rides and cafeteria meals, debriefing sessions after rowing, we watch videos of ourselves and others, we send each other reassuring messages through Facebook/campus mail/and on our doors, we psych ourselves up through music and good luck rituals, we make t-shirts that show the world our group identity, we have coaches and coxswains to point out our form and our work ethic, and we have each other.
We don't just do the same lifts every day, the same workouts, the same pep talks, and the same conversations... It is hard to tease a part what actually goes into our "training." The same thing goes with teasing a part the rowing stroke and movement of a boat. Many rowers mistakenly believe that there is some kind of magic automatic fix to issues in a boat.
There are a million tiny details (or dynamic relationships) that go into the physics of rowing a boat that can create the slightest offset or drag. There is often a desire to "call someone out," by pointing out a weakness or a troublesome part of the stroke. The trouble is, sometimes there are so many small things contributing to an overall problem that a lot of things (from a lot of people) need to be fixed to make a noticeable difference.
Most rowers that I see on the Susquehanna team have very predictable issues. No amount of calling attention in the past few months has addressed individual style or action. Here are some general tips about issues I regularly see:
- Don't use a problem to fix a problem - Don't shorten the stroke to offset having trouble getting the blade cleanly out of the water. This will not help the boat operate at full efficiency - ultimately you are just slowing it down.
- Don't get mad - The tenser you are, the less fluid and dynamic your bladework will become. Use any frustration and channel it through the drive and your breath rather than letting it consume you.
- Give yourself permission to have a bad stroke/day/practice - The best of crews don't have perfect rows all of the time (sure their "less than perfect rows" may look differently than ours, but it still happens). We have to "do" to learn in crew and often that means making mistakes. As Coach Steve likes to say, "It's all about the miles," meaning the only way you are going to become a better rower is if you put in the water time -- miles and miles and miles.
- Stay FOCUSED - Keep your mental brain and physical head in the boat. You have to be physically and mentally present to be in top form as a rower. Also, "sightseeing" by turning your head around/staring at your oar/or other form of lallygagging is going to offset the boat. Need to get your head in the game? Close your eyes and concentrate on the feeling of the oar through the water and the rhythm of the boat or focus on listening to your breathing or the sounds of the boat/water. Rowing is more of a feeling than a physical product you can see.
- Coming up the slide is called the RECOVERY for a reason - Don't rush the slide and expect the boat to fly underneath of you. The minute you feel tension in the undersides of your knees is when you know you are pulling yourself up the slide instead of floating. The recovery (or return) is when the boat is moving underneath of you to gain the maximum amount of water per stroke. When you rush, you can actually send the boat sternward and giving up valuable water. EVERYONE in the boat can do something about rushing - e.g. not contributing to it. Don't get sucked into the rush.
- Don't drop the hands over the knees - Time and time again, I see blades skying (e.g. hanging way up high in the air) before the catch because rowers drop the hands once they get past their knees. Maintain even, steady hand levels on the return to ensure a clean and well-timed catch.
- Square up early - "Show your colors" by starting to square the blade over the ankles. Showing your colors means that spectators will know exactly who is coming down the course because of the length of time your blade design and colors are shown. The blade will continue to move backward as you square, eventually lining up perfectly for the catch. Quick hands, early square, clean and crisp catch. BOOM, then you are moving!
USA World Championships Team 2004For me, rowing comes down to attitude, tenacity, perseverance, willingness to learn (and fail), and FIRE! Take what you will from that.
