It’s not just about the boats!
When one thinks of training to be on a crew team, it’s not unusual to think of teammates unloading boats, grabbing oars, donning warm hats and getting in an invigorating row on the Oakland Estuary. But it’s much more than that! What if it’s pouring rain? Say the winds are whipping up waves higher than the gunwales of your boat? You don’t take the day off…..you just work out differently! Or, what if you want to keep working out over the holidays, when you have a couple of weeks off from practice? With the season fully underway, we investigated exactly what the Berkeley High crew team members do for fitness when not in their boats.
So, what are some of the non-rowing exercises of choice (or not by choice!) that the team uses to keep in shape??
Photo credit: Mike Gill
Novice Women on Wildcat Canyon Rd with Coach Dadd (December 26, 2009)
The coaches often mix up the workouts with running and weight workouts. The team has gotten to know Cal’s Memorial Stadium stairs and the local trails behind the campus, which gains altitude rather quickly! Tilden Park trails also offer some great running trails. Calisthenics help with “core” fitness work. These can often include pushups, situps, lunges, as well as perhaps one of the least favorite and not voluntarily chosen exercises called “jumpees”! As one rower described jumpees, “It is like sitting on a tack on a chair….you almost sit down, but then very quickly jump up. Problem is, you sometimes have to do it 700 times!” Apparently, this is the exercise of choice assigned by the coaches when practice or regatta cleanups don’t quite go as planned. They get you in shape and get your attention at the same time! While coaches will often join in some of the exercises, one team member expressed with conviction “coaches don’t do jumpees”.
Some of the athletes also enjoy soccer, rugby and cycling when they are not rowing. These kids are in shape! Over the holiday break, some of the kids got together for a bike ride up to and around Tilden Park. They rode 20+ miles and climbed almost 2,000 feet on the ride, either making up for a big Christmas meal or earning another one that evening!
Running, cycling, weights, the ergs, jumpees, pushups, wall exercises….they all get done when not rowing and are important to round out a rower’s fitness.
Photo credit: Mike Gill
BHS Crew team members at Inspiration Point (Tilden Park) (December 26, 2009)
Photo credit: Mike Gill
At the halfway point of cross training ride with Coach Dadd and parents (December 26, 2009)
