According to Wikipedia: Rowing is one of the few non-weight bearing sports that exercises all the major muscle groups, including quads, biceps, triceps, lats, glutes and abdominal muscles. Rowing improves cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. High-performance rowers tend to be tall and muscular: although extra weight does increase the drag on the boat, the larger athlete's increased power tends to be more significant. The increased power is achieved through increased length of leverage on the oar through longer limbs of the athlete.
Let's place special emphasis on the "HIGH PERFORMANCE ROWERS TEND TO BE TALL" aka not designed for athletes that are 5'3"!!!
Yesterday I tackled the 2000m row for time, my absolute most hated thing in the world. Rowing, yet alone for 2000meters. The thing about rowing is that no matter how hard you try, it never gets any easier. You may go farther or get there faster, but you're never any less exhausted or in any less pain. I always go into this wod with a bad mental attitude which kills my times. I end of rowing what feels like a sinking ship.
I do good for the first 500, maybe even first 1000 after that I want to cry, quite, give up, slam through it, finish strong, all at the same time. Needless to say I still have not mastered the long distance rows. I feel another 3000 pyramid in my future. A 3000 pyramid is a rowing pyramid that you do post wod. day 1=100m, day 2= 200m and so on til you get to 3000m and then you work your way back down. IT SUCKS! But that's what CrossFit is all about, working your weaknesses.
Wod
2000m row
9:22
Totally agree. I hate rowing as well. People tell me I should be "better" at it because I am tall, but frankly, that only makes me feel like more of a dud when I huff and puff through 2k. Excellent blog BTW. Keep it up.
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