Weight Training

[CoCanes]

What types of weight training benefit rowers the best. Outside the obvious squats, and lat pull downs. Any suggestion on reps, higher weight lower reps or lower weight higher reps?

[Tom Barrick]

What types of weight training benefit rowers the best. Outside the obvious squats, and lat pull downs. Any suggestion on reps, higher weight lower reps or lower weight higher reps?

In college, we did the dead lift (as heavy as possible without killing yourself) for 5 reps or so. And then the clean jerk with much lighter weights and higher reps.

[CoCanes]

So you would suggest more of the Olympic types of lifts....heavy on the legs, lighter and higher reps on the upper body?

[yehster]

Back in college, we'd do bench rows for upper body strength, which as you know isn't the most critical factor, but it definitely contributes. Lying on your belly, on a bench with your arms fully extended, pull a barbell from off the ground and smack the bench with it. Helps with developing and "explosive" finish. High reps, (like sets of 30-100 IIRC). With like 50lbs. Of course I was once a lightweight, and I think you're a heavy, so you're reps should probably be heavier

The benches we used were built specifically for use in the boathouse, as a normal bench press bench is way too low.

[Tom Barrick]

Back in college, we'd do bench rows for upper body strength, which as you know isn't the most critical factor, but it definitely contributes. Lying on your belly, on a bench with your arms fully extended, pull a barbell from off the ground and smack the bench with it. Helps with developing and "explosive" finish. High reps, (like sets of 30-100 IIRC). With like 50lbs. Of course I was once a lightweight, and I think you're a heavy, so you're reps should probably be heavier

The benches we used were built specifically for use in the boathouse, as a normal bench press bench is way too low.

Yes, now I remember these. Those were fun, until the jokes began from crewmates on not being able to attain a certain high number.

I had a female coach in my senior year of high school who got us the gold at Nationals for the straight-4 competition. She was an International Olympian who mustered a bronze in her day. Heavy as hell on the legs, with the weights, with low reps, and high reps and lower weights for upper body. Just as Cocanes asked a bit ago. The bench press, in and of itself, does absolutely nothing for rowing. Legs and lats. Legs and lats...