How to Row: The Basics

I'm sure you've seen a rowing machine at the gym.

You know, it's that awkward , low-to-the-ground, horizontal medieval torture device stuck in the corner next to a stairmaster from the 1980s.

But this often-overlooked machine can offer as good of a cardiovascular workout as its brother the treadmill, and as good of a strength workout as a weight-training circuit.

To the left are six photos (from concept2.com) that take you through the proper rowing stroke as it should be performed on the ergometer ("erg"), or rowing machine.

Start at the catch, as in the first photo. Your shins should be perpendicular to the floor. Your upper body is bent at the hips at a
40-degree angle with the shoulders in front the hips.

Then, the drive. Here is where the work is done during the stroke. Drive down your legs, until your knees are flat. Don't move your upper body or lower back. This is important, as most rowers sustain injuries during this part of the stroke.

Next, body swing. Once your knees are flat, carry your momentum
through the stroke by swinging your body back through perpendicular until your upper body creates an obtuse angle with your legs.

Then, pull your arms in. It isn't necessary to yank the handle into your body. Just follow through with your arms until the handle brushes your chest, right below where a bra strap would sit.

Finally, finish the stroke when the handle is at your chest by
starting the sequence over again.

As shown in the last photo, slide the seat back up to the catch (the recovery portion of the stroke) and take another stroke.

A successful rowing workout is made up of taking thousands of continuous strokes. Unlike most cardiovascular exercises, rowing engages your arms, legs, back, chest and abs. Some athletes even tout the repetition of rowing as a mental workout.

So try the rowing machine next time you're at the gym. Set the monitor to show your average split (how long it takes you to pull 500 meters, on average, throughout the piece).

Then, pull away. Begin by pulling continuously for 20 minutes. Build your endurance until you can pull 10 kilometers without stopping. Concentrate on keep your stroke rating (how many strokes you take in a minute, shown in the top right corner of the display screen) consistently around 20.

Questions? Let me know! Check back for more dynamic erg workouts. Or, visit concept2.com
for sample workouts and further instruction.

Sex in sports

A few weeks ago, ESPN magazine released its first-ever “Body Issue.”

The regional cover for Florida featured a triathlete who had her leg amputated just below the hip. She is nude and posed to draw attention to her prosthetic leg.

The photo is shocking, but it also represents the theme of the magazine – the athlete’s body is beautiful. Even when scarred or broken, certain people are able to work their body so hard that he or she becomes among the best in the world at a given sport or athletic feat.

Of the five regional covers, three of them feature women. Morality notwithstanding, professional sports, and the coverage of it in the media, is all about money.

Sure there are purists who claim that love of sport should drive everything, but that is simply not realistic. In a sports world where television is king, you have to have something to make people watch.

I am in full support of women and girls of all ages pursuing any athletic endeavor that suits them. And on the amateur level I believe that women’s sports should have just as much support as men’s sports. But in professional sports (read "business"), things are different.

When it comes to attracting the casual fan, who, like it or not, is the backbone of professional sports, women cannot compete with their male counterparts. In virtually every sport, men are faster, stronger and more fluid in their action. Watch a men’s basketball game and then watch women play.

The difference is undeniable.

The casual fan would rarely choose to watch women play if there is no factor besides athletic ability. To give their gender and edge in attracting consumers, women need to bring something else to the table.

In the end, the decision to use sex appeal to attract followers is up to the individual. Women who are uncomfortable with the idea should never feel compelled to advertise in a way that feels inappropriate.

But professional women’s sports need something extra to create and maintain a following.

Without the added interest, it is likely that the few professional leagues that exist for women, such as the WNBA and the LPGA, will fall even farther behind their male equivalents.

Bang for your buck

The healthy life.

Organic produce, gym memberships, recreation equipment, supplements, vitamins, chiropractors, physical therapists, trainers.

It gets expensive. With an eye on my budget lately (it seems to be the thing to do), I've made an effort at cutting back.

And by "made an effort," I mean I tracked my spending for the last month, and made a pie chart to analyze where I spend my money. This is my way of procrastinating, but it did make me realize that my good health comes at a price.

Beyond tuition, rent and utilities, the largest portion of my budget goes to food -- and not for eating out, but for shopping at local stores, buying fresh produce and stocking up on muscle milk for after my workouts.

And after food came a nebulous category that I called "recreation." Here, I spent money to compete in regattas, enter triathlons, upkeep my bike and pay a chiropractor.

So while I'm not likely to quit crew any time soon, I thought I'd make an effort to trim my dietary spending.

Here are a few recipes I came up with at the grocery store this weekend. Cooking for four or more, as opposed to cooking for one, actually saves you money. Store the uneaten portions for meals during the week, or invite your friends over. They'll chip in, and probably wash the dishes, too!

Herb-Crusted Chicken Cutlets

• 1 pound chicken cutlets (about 4 cutlets) ($5.49/pound)
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs (33 cents)
• 4 sprigs each fresh rosemary and thyme (40 cents)
• 4 large eggs (46 cents)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (54 cents)
• Salt and pepper

Finely chop rosemary and thyme, and set aside. Crack eggs into a bowl and beat. Pour bread crumbs into a shallow dish and add herbs. Dip each cutlet into the eggs, then dredge in the flour and herb mixture, covering both sides. Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place cutlets in the skillet, cook three to four minutes on each side until chicken is done and crust is crispy.

Serves 4.

Total cost: $7.22

Cost per person: $1.81

Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salsa

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (54 cents)
• 1 large white onion ($1.29)
• 4 garlic cloves (3 cents)
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes ($1.50)
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained ($1.66)
• 4 ears fresh corn ($2.98)
• 2 avocados ($3.98)
• Salt and pepper

Fill microwaveable glass dish — with lid — with 1/2 cup water and corn. Place in microwave, and cook on high five minutes. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Chop onion, and add to skillet. Cook until tender. Mince garlic and add to skillet with onion. Add canned tomatoes, cook 10 minutes. Cut kernels of corn off cob, and add to skillet. Add black beans. Take skillet off heat, and add chopped avocado. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6 to 8. Good over protein, rice or as a side dish.

Total cost: $11.98

Cost per person: $1.50 to $1.99

Breakfast Smoothie

• 1 pound fresh strawberries ($2.50)
• 4 bananas ($1.15)
• 32 ounces orange juice ($1.50)
• Lots of ice

Hull and slice strawberries. Slice bananas. Add a quarter of the strawberries and bananas to blender with 8 ounces orange juice. Fill with ice. Blend until smooth. Repeat to make three more smoothies.

Serves 4.

Total cost: $5.15

Cost per person: $1.29

Training for a Half?

If not, consider that humans were born to run.

Or so says an article published Monday in the New York Times.

Humans evolved to run long distances in the heat, evidenced by a suite of characteristics -- our forward pointing big toe, our relative lack of body hair, springlike ligaments and tendons in our feet, a narrow midsection, a keen sense of balance and an extremely powerful gluteus maximus.

Contrary to wisdom that says running long distances is bad for our health and causes injuries, this article presents another view: Running is not only good for humans, but it is what we were made to do.

I asked Katie Valle, 21, about her training for the Women's Running Magazine Women's Half Marathon in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Nov. 22.

Q: Why did you begin training for a half marathon?
A: "I had been wanting to do it since freshman year, and it's taken me four years to finally buckle down and start doing it. Originally, I saw some seniors in my sorority who were doing it, and I thought it was bad ass -- but not something that I thought I could do. I wanted to challenge myself, and it turns out I'm capable of much more than I thought I was."

Q: What has this training taught you about yourself as an athlete?
A: "I'm typically one to work on something for two weeks and give up on it. By increasing my training a little bit week by week, I realized that I can be successful at something in the long term."

Q: So did you want to give up after two weeks?
A: "Yes. I knew that if I skipped a long run one week, I wouldn't be able to catch back up. Having the race deadline was a good motivator. Knowing that I have to do a long run at the end of every week motivates me to keep working out."

Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start training now that you've been doing this for a while?
A: "Find a training plan online, but know that if you can't follow it exactly, it's okay. You can alter it to fit your schedule. And find someone to do it with. Running partners help keep me accountable, and give me the motivation to get up and do the long runs."

Q: What are your goals for your first half marathon?
A: "They say you're not supposed to have a time goal -- but me being my competitive self, I want to get less than 2 hours and 30 minutes. But I get nervous saying that because I'm worried I can't do it. When I'm there, I know I'm going to be happy that I finish. I will be running across the finish line; I will not walk."

Q: What are your goals for after this race?
A: "I do want to run another one, but not until March. I want to not completely lose my running endurance. I'll probably still run at least 6 miles once a week. I also want to focus on eating right and muscle toning. You would think I would be losing weight, but I'm not doing anything else right -- besides running."

Q: What advice can you give about eating before, during and after a long run?
A: "It's been kind of trial and error: What should I eat beforehand? What should I eat after? Should I eat in the middle of a long run? I want to be ready for race day so I can know exactly what to eat. For breakfast on the day of my race, I'm going to have a peanut butter and banana sandwich. I've found that all the sports gels make me sick, so I'm going to use gummies during the race. They give me a quick burst of energy and they're easy to eat on the go."

Katie's 15-week training plan
Sunday: Long run (increase from 4 miles to 12 miles over 15 weeks)
Monday: Recovery day -- stretching and minimal strength training
Tuesday: Short run (increase from 3 miles to 5 miles over 15 weeks)
Wednesday: Cross-training (spinning, racket ball, elliptical)
Thursday: Short run (same as Tuesday)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Cross-training (increase from 30 minutes to 60 minutes over 15 weeks)

A Punishing Workout

At our last regatta in Jacksonville, our women's varsity 8+ beat out every other team in Florida, including our rival Nova Southeastern University, a true varsity crew.

Florida Crew has never come out this far on top of the state's rowing competition, and we owe it to our new coach and the discipline she has instilled in us this semester.

On the Thursday after our win, however, we didn't have enough rowers show up to practice to float two eights on the water.

Clearly, we needed to be punished (so our coach said).

Here's the workout we did. Needless to say, I don't think practice attendance will slip for the rest of the semester.

1. Timed 5-mile run. If we didn't beat our previous time, we were to do it again, and again until we did. Luckily, everyone made it on the first round.
2. 25-minute legs circuit. 5 exercises: 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off. Complete the circuit 5 times. Lunges, squat jumps, mountain-climbers, squats, burpees.
3. 25-minute upper body and core circuit. 5 exercises: 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off. Complete the circuit 5 times. Tricep dips, planks, pushups, sit-ups, reverse crunches.
4. Laps. 8 laps around the track (1/4 mile). Run the straight-aways and jog the curves.

Proper form for burpees.

Proper form for mountain climbers.

(Good) Temptations

Sometimes athletes go off the deep end.

They scrupulously keep track of their training, their weight, their eating, their sleep – it seems like nothing is unplanned for and everything is calculated.

But Men’s Health, in a recent article online, urges athletes to slow down -- and do something a little naughty.

Temptations they say are worth indulging include skipping your workout, ordering hot wings at dinner and smoking a fine cigar.

According to Eddie Carrington, a fitness director quoted in the article, athletes benefit from a break in their routine, especially if they’ve been working out three to four times a week for six to eight weeks.

Switching it up shocks your body, forcing it to develop in ways a routine just can’t compete with.
My favorite indulgences:

• Treating myself to a nice dinner after a hard week of work and exercise.
• Having a glass of wine with dinner at home.
• Revamping my favorite baked goods using healthy ingredients and substitutions.
• Skipping my workout and doing something spontaneous, like a bike ride or playing soccer, so my muscles are still engaged.
• Pressing snooze on my alarm clock on the weekends and staying in bed to read my favorite magazine.

What do you do to indulge?

Back to the lunchroom

Last week, the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, released new guidelines for school lunches in the U.S.

The standards, which many physicians and researchers are blaming for epidemic of childhood obesity in America, hadn't been revised since 1995.

They lack emphasis on fresh, whole foods, and are based on the functionality of outdated kitchen equipment and the knowledge of undertrained "lunch ladies."

In an article from ABC news, British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who has remade school lunches on T.V. in the U.K., said training lunch staff in how to cook freshly prepared meals, in addition to having better ways of storing fresh food and adding new kitchen facilities, is the best way for schools to improve breakfast and lunch menus.

Even though I am no longer subjected to eating rubber pizza and stale chocolate chip cookies, these new guidelines got me thinking about my lunch.

During long days on campus, my fellow students and I reach for offerings from fast food chains or dining halls to provide us the energy we need to learn.

Even though these options have improved over the years, they're still loaded with fat, sodium and preservatives that can influence a pretty unhealthy diet if eaten regularly.

So this semester, I've tried packing my lunch for the first time since middle school. I even got a new lunchbox as an incentive for me to spend 10 extra minutes in the morning preparing a healthy lunch and a couple snacks for throughout the day.

Adults can benefit from the same kind of well-rounded, nutritious lunch as kids can. Check out this article from MSNBC about how to pack a good lunch.

And here's what I'm packing for lunch this week. Taking the time to plan lunches over the weekend can reduce stress in the morning and make it more likely that you'll actually bring your lunch to school or work.

• Monday: 1/2 whole wheat flatbread cut in wedges, 2 tbsp. roasted pine nut hummus, 1/2 sliced cucumber, 1/4 sliced red pepper, 4 thin slices roasted chicken lunchmeat, 4 slices Colby Jack cheese. I pack all this in a Tupperware container and make mini sandwiches out of it. Bring 1/4 cup of almonds and an apple for snacks.
• Tuesday: 2 hard-boiled eggs, carrot and celery sticks, 2 tbsp. peanut butter. On Tuesdays, we have our hardest workout for crew. So I pack this lunch because it's high in protein and will give me sustained energy throughout the day. Bring a Power Bar for a snack.
• Thursday: Sanwich on whole wheat bread with basil pesto, 4 slices chicken lunchmeat, 1 slice fresh mozzarella cheese. I heat this sandwich in my George Foreman Grill before I pack it, so it's like a Panini. Bring grapes and a Clif bar for snacks.