5 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR ROWING
To improve your rowing, I’ve always been taught a very special ritual: eat, sleep, erg, repeat. However, the more I row on the river, the more I realise that ergs do not float. Instead, it is the ‘small adjustments’ that make the boat go faster. This could be engaging the core and keeping your shoulders loose, but below are 5 supplements that I would recommend including in your sessions to improve your body, which will ultimately improve your rowing.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ROWING: WARM UP
When wanting to improve your rowing, it is essential that you warm up. An effective warm up should include elements of aerobic exercise and dynamic stretching. This will improve your rowing because your muscles will be ready to work harder.
To ensure your workout benefits from marginal gains, we recommend using a muscle rub – link to muscle rub- on your back and legs. Muscles rubs with natural ingredients, such as ginger, warm the skin, allowing your muscles to activate quicker, meaning you can put more power down on the water.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ROWING: BREATHE
As with any exercise, breathing is essential to ensure that oxygen is pumped round the body. To improve your rowing, there are a couple of breathing techniques that can help you physically and mentally.
I found it helps breathing during the recovery. It improves my rowing because it reminds my I need to sit up tall at the finish, but also allows me to collect myself. I also always try and breathe out at the finish with a little ‘cha’ sound. This won’t help your rowing physically but, if your whole crew does it, it sounds clean and professional, thus improving your rowing through mental strength. (I also like it because it intimidates other crews!)
To ensure that your airways are clear, making it easier to breathe, we recommend using a vapour balm (link to vapour balm). This is particularly useful during the winter when you are more likely to get colds and blocked noses.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ROWING: DRINK
Keeping hydrated will improve your rowing because it will keep you energised during your workout- allow you to maintain power. Although water is good, we recommend using an energy drink with natural ingredients – such as products produced by Active Root. These ginger-based products are designed to fuel your body, balance your stomach and hydrate you. This means you can train intensely for longer periods.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ROWING: PROTECT YOURSELF
As a rower myself, I understand that cold weather is something we all dread. It is surprising how badly it can interfere with your performance- not physically, but mentally. This is because dry, chapped skin can be painful meaning that you, as the rower, are more focused on the stinging in your cheeks, as opposed to making sure your glutes are firing.
To improve your rowing, we recommend using a protective moisturiser on any overly exposed areas of skin, for example, your face and ankles. Although this may seem like a very small thing to do, you will see a huge difference in a small period of time making it a very easy way to improve your rowing!
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ROWING – COOL DOWN
Just like with warming up, when trying to improve your rowing, it is vital that you also cool your body down. The purpose of this is to reduce the risk of injury and ensure that your muscles are fully recovered for your next work out.
Whilst more professional rowers may use an ice bath to cool their body down, we understand that these facilities are not available to everyone. As a result, we suggest that you improve your rowing by using a cooling body wash. Body washes with natural ingredients, such as mint, not only act as a cooling agent but also have anti-inflammatory properties. This means sore muscles recover much more quickly.
Using products that help your muscles recover will improve your rowing. This is because your muscles will be in a position where they are able to train just as hard as they did the session before. You will see marginal gains from your exercise with every workout.
So here are just a few supplements that you can use to help you improve your rowing. We personally recommend products from Bullet and Bone and Active Root products. Both these brands pride themselves on using natural ingredients that allow amateur athletes to reach their full potential through marginal gains.