Welcome to the Roworx legacy podcast hosted by Ironman and USA National Team Rower, Jack Nunn. A podcast that inspires and motivates individuals through personal stories from Olympians and athletes of all backgrounds in different sports. Each week we will deliver interviews about various athletes’ true backgrounds and what made them who they are today. This podcast will specifically focus on what identity these individuals have adopted and what they would like their legacy to be. We are going to offer some hard hitting inspiring stories of great athletes and what it takes to be the best.

ABOUT OUR HOST Jack Nunn is the head trainer and owner of Roworx. Jack is a former national team rower who has competed in more than 100 triathlons, including 16 Full Ironmans, Kona Ironman World Championships, 1 Ultraman, and the Norseman Extreme Ironman Distance Triathlon. He has created a system of rowing that prepares the whole body for both competition and fitness longevity.

 

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In times like these we can all use a little stress relief. In this article we will go over the top 5 stress relievers that can help restore calm and serenity to your chaotic life. You don’t have to invest a lot of time or thought into stress relievers. If your stress is getting out of control and you need quick relief, try one of these following 5 tips.

Meditate

If you are looking for a more standard mediation practice then you want to start by sitting straight with both feet on floor. Close your eyes and focus your attention on saying silently or out loud something positive such as: “I feel at peace” or “I am happy.” Place one hand on your stomach and breathe by repeating the positive things. Let any distracting thoughts float by like clouds. You can tell yourself: “Delete” or “Next” to any negative thoughts and or worries.

 

Get Moving

Exercise is actually a type of mediation that can be very effective to relieve stress. You don’t have to be an Olympian to understand how to get a good workout. All forms of exercise, including yoga, walking, swimming, cycling, and or dancing along with stretching can ease depression and anxiety by helping the brain release feel-good chemicals (endorphins) and by giving your body a chance to practice dealing with stress. You can go for a walk around the block, take the stairs up and down a few flights, and do some stretching exercises with you head, neck, back, and hamstrings.

 

Be Grateful

Start the day by being grateful and have a positive outlook in any situation that comes your way. Being grateful cancels out negative thoughts and worries. Write down what you are grateful for and have an “Attitude of gratitude” mindset while also thanking other for helping you along the way. Remember: “Treat others the way you would like to be treated.” It works! When you start feeling stressed, think about the positive things that really matter in life.

Crank Up The Music

Research shows that listening to soothing music can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety. If you have access to apple playlist, sound cloud, Pandora, and or even the radio you can create a playlist of your favorite music genres and or soothing sounds of nature (the ocean, rain, waterfalls, and or birds chirping in the wild). Let your mind focus on the different melodies, instruments, or singers in the song. Working out with music can really help rhythm and performance when you run, cycle, dance, and or row to the beats.

 

 

Laugh Out Loud

Laughing is perhaps one of the best ways to naturally relieve stress. A good “Laugh out loud” lowers cortisol (your bodies stress hormone) and boosts positive brain chemicals. Lighten up by tuning into your favorite sitcom, video, and or visiting your local comedy club. You can also read plenty of memes on the internet and or talk to someone who is naturally funny. Surround yourself around positive and funny people so that you might learn how to be positive on a daily basis.

 

 

 

 

 

Want some more motivation? Check out this 30 minute video … some great motivation and inspiring words in this following video created by Jordan Peterson

Most people are already familiar and intent with what ‘HIIT’ workouts have done form them and the years. But what if there was an alternative training system that had all the same benefits but without the impact? There is a new workout platform trend that is up and coming called ‘HILIT’ (High Intensity Low Impact Training). This high-intensity, low-impact training philosophy will burn more calories while giving you a total body low impact workout in less time. The specific differences between ‘HIIT’ and ‘HILIT’ is the impact on the joints, bones, and overall safety during workouts to reduce the risk of injury. Many traditional ‘HIIT’ classes have large volumes of people who are all about pushing yourself beyond your limits and working as quickly as possible without any attention to technique, alignment, or form. Without proper exercise techniques and or modifications to the workouts these people could be injured very easily.  

One of the best total body low impact workouts you can do is indoor rowing. Rowing utilizes approximately 86% of all the muscles in the entire body without compromising the joints and bones from impact. I have had 2 knee surgeries myself and I used indoor rowing class at Roworx Fitness in Long Beach, California as an integral part of my workout routine to rehabilitate from those injuries. Since my surgeries I have used indoor rowing workouts as my core platform system of training to get myself prepared for 16 full Ironman’s (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) and 1 Ultraman (6.2 mile swim, 270 mile bike, and a 52.4 mile run) triathlon I have completed over the past 12 years. Rowing provides a non-impact, whole-body workout that translates well to almost any endurance sport. Rowing builds strong legs and is great for building swimming, cycling, and running strength for triathlon competitions. The motion also creates an incredibly strong core which helps with all three of the triathlon disciplines. It is easy to get a challenging cardiovascular workout on the indoor rowing machine. If you want to go hard, rowing gets your heart rate up easily. 

Find out more workout tips described below on how to use the ‘HILIT’ training system to your advantage during any workout. 

First we must decipher the difference between exercise intensity vs. exercise impact

Exercise Intensity refers to how much energy is expended when exercising. Perceived exertion and intensity varies with each person. It has been found that intensity has an effect on what fuel the body uses and what kind of adaptations the body makes after exercise. Intensity is the amount of physical power (expressed as a percentage of the maximal oxygen consumption) that the body uses when performing an activity. When you begin a new workout routine you always need to remember to pace yourself with the workouts. The most common mistake I see in the fitness world is people coming in to a workout routine at full blast and doing way too much too soon. You will also have to remember that there has to be a ‘little pain for a little gain’ in strength gain when starting new workouts. Whatever type of exercise you prefer, increasing the intensity can improve longevity while utilizing high-intensity intervals with almost any exercise. The trick is to alternate short bursts of approximately 1-3 minutes of working very hard with short periods of recovery.

Exercise Impact refers to the downward forces on your joints and bones when your body has to bear its own weight against a surface, usually the floor. While high impact exercises offer plenty of benefits, keep in mind that they are not for everyone. Whether you’re looking to increase the intensity or impact of any exercise, the first step is talking to your doctor about what’s safe for you, especially if you have a chronic condition including osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, balance issues, and other injuries. On the other hand, it is prudent for beginners to build overall fitness first in order to handle high impact workouts without injuring themselves. If you consider yourself fairly active but only focus on low intensity or steady-state cardio, adding ‘HILIT’ workouts such as swimming,cycling, indoor rowing, and cross country skiing can help you boost your overall fitness and performance.

The Benefits Of HILIT

As their names suggest, the main difference between ‘HILIT’ and ‘HIIT’ is the impact of the workout. With ‘HILIT,’ you’ll limit jumping, landing, and other rapid movements. Using the ‘HILIT’ system should prevent many common injuries you tend to see when doing high-impact exercises. When done right, low-impact and total body workout such as indoor rowing can help you lose weight, tone up, and get stronger. For example, when you complete a rowing stroke you are pushing off the foot-boards and suspending your own body-weight connecting the legs through the core, back, latissimus dorsi, and shoulders. The Roworx Indoor Rowing program offers a group exercise that’s low-impact, high efficiency, and great for building strength and endurance. Roworx also utilizes the Concept2 Rowing Machine and light dumbbell weights. Our clients span all experience levels, ages and abilities. Anyone can row as you control your own pace and resistance while knowing you are working out with a common goal in a non competitive atmosphere. The ability to control your own resistance allows you to maintain rhythm with the group, while selecting your own difficulty level. At Roworx we embrace each person and where they are in their fitness journey as well as finding creative ways to get stronger together.

Maximize Your Fitness Results By Blending The ‘HILIT’ System Blend With The F.I.T.T. Principle 

How FREQUENT are you training? What INTENSITY are you training at? How much TIME are you putting into your training during each session? What TYPE of exercise are you doing to improve your fitness and strength? Work out early in the morning when the rest of the family and world is still asleep. Never assume you will get it done later as the day always catches up with you and the chances become less as you become tired from work etc. Early morning training is also invigorating and relaxing ahead of the day’s responsibilities. Be consistent in your training and make sure to try to get in at least 30 minutes of training every day with a 90 minute or 2-hour session every third day. Time and consistency are some of the most important aspects of not only fitness training but the keys to being successful in life in anything you put your mind to. Work out with a friend, trainer, or in a fitness class. Who has the time to work out, train, and be disciplined on fitness on their own? Studies show that we are motivated to work harder, show up more often, and push further past our perceived limits when training in a group. The results of one study suggest that endorphin release is significantly greater in group training than in individual training; this seems to be the case even when the individual’s power output, or physical exertion, is the same. Not only is it more fun to exercise with others, but it is safer and more efficient to exercise under the leadership of a good coach. Finally, be realistic about your life and your ability. Work out exactly how much training you can comfortably do in one week and build on that as you consider your job and commitment to friends.

F – Frequency of your workouts. How often is your training and how many days do you take off to rest between training days. It is important to keep a frequent exercise regiment during the week and not skip over 2-3 days in between workouts.

I- Intensity of your workouts. How much intensity are you pushing through your workouts. What hear rate zone 1-5 are you training at as zones 2-4 are most important for general fitness and endurance training. Indoor rowing can be one of the best low impact total body workouts you can possibly do in the realm of fitness training. Roworx also utilizes the Concept2 Rowing Machine and light dumbbell weights. Our clients span all experience levels, ages and abilities. Anyone can row – you control your own pace and resistance. The ability to control your own resistance allows you to maintain rhythm with the group, while selecting your own difficulty level.

T – Time spent during your workout. This is the #1 important aspect of fitness training and one we all try to take shortcuts on.

T – Type of workout. The Roworx Indoor Rowing program offers a group exercise that’s low-impact, high efficiency, and great for building strength and endurance. Roworx also utilizes the Concept2 Rowing Machine and light dumbbell weights. Our clients span all experience levels, ages and abilities. Anyone can row – you control your own pace and resistance. The ability to control your own resistance allows you to maintain rhythm with the group, while selecting your own difficulty level.

Whether it is a ‘HIIT’ or ‘HILIT’ program, the choice is yours to make progress and see results. If you’re not seeing results with your daily workout routine, it may be time to change things up and try something new with an indoor rowing class at Roworx. What are the benefits of rowing and what will this equipment do for you in terms of muscle conditioning and cardiovascular fitness? Whether you already row or are considering adding rowing to your overall physical activity program, want to lose weight, cross-train for another sport, compete on the water, or rehabilitate from injury or surgery, rowing is a complete exercise. Rowing machine benefits include strengthening and conditioning most major muscle groups in the upper and lower body and rowing is virtually impact-free. Beyond choosing a smart exercise regimen in which one that challenges you to continually push yourself while having the right nutrition, sleep, hydration, and recovery are crucial to improving your fitness. Once you identify ‘WHY?’ your routine isn’t working, you can start taking steps toward improving it. While being involved with Roworx Fitness, the health industry, and involved with a lifetime of playing sports I have come to the conclusion that the number one reason why people fall short of their fitness and nutrition goals is the lack of self-discipline and/or willpower. Some people think it is easy for me to preach fitness because it is my job as a fitness owner and instructor, however, nearly 50% of the workouts I do don’t come easy. That is to say if I had the option to NOT workout about half the time I would take that option. Something that my coaches have taught me over the years in college and on the US National Team was the ability to understand hard work and put in the miles day in and day out. The ability to train and ‘grind’ through the daily workouts no matter how bad the fitness sessions were. My coaches taught me the need to work strenuously through challenges and maintain a high level of effort over a long period of time despite failure and other things getting in the way of progress. Knowing how to deal with the highs and lows of the daily workout ‘grind’ is how you will succeed in accomplishing your fitness and nutrition goals. Helping people understand that the daily ‘grind’ to achieve greatness in maintaining a healthy lifestyle habits is the core of the work you need in order to overcome adversity and instill willpower. One of the best and worst quotes I have heard from my father, John Nunn, was that when things got tough for me during US National Team training sessions he would often say: ‘Anyone can train on a good day…It’s when you train hard on the bad days that will get you the results.’ 

 

By  Jo Murray
On The Water Columnist Jan 3, 2020

The 11th Annual Aquatic Capital of America (ACOA) Awards Banquet will be from from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, at the Keesal, Young & Logan law offices, 400 Oceangate #1400. Awards will be presented in seven categories.

Here is a list of awards and 2019 winners:

• Athlete of the Year — Jack Nunn, This year has been the highest and most diversified he has ever been able to achieve in the same year. In 2019 he celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Roworx Fitness Indoor Rowing Gym located in Long Beach. He was a 2019 Ultraman Florida Finisher: 6.2-mile swim + 270-mile bike + 52.4-mile run and was featured in 2019 Triathlete Magazine for using rowing as a major part of cross training for the Ultraman Competition. Jack also qualified, competed, and finished the 2019 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. He won the 2019 US Rowing Indoor World Championships Team Event at the Pyramid in Long Beach as well as winning numerous rowing races on the water during the Long Beach Southwest Regionals and Christmas Regatta competitions. He placed 3rd in his age group at the USA Triathlon Legacy Sprint Triathlon Sanctioned event in Long Beach (Future site of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games Triathlon Venue). He also coached athletes from his Roworx Fitness Center to complete their first Full and Half Ironman competitions through cross training with indoor rowing at his facility overlooking marine stadium. Jack rounded out the 2019 calendar year by competing and finishing Ironman Arizona in Tempe, Arizona as well as Iroman 70.3 St. George, Utah and Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, San Diego.

Read more here for the list of winners and more on this incredible honor… 

 

USA Triathlon Magazine Winter Issue January 2020

Written By: Dustin Renwick

Olympic reminders surround Jack Nunn, all the way down to his weekly workload. “Every day when I teach a indoor rowing class at Roworx Fitness I’m looking out on the water in Long Beach Marine Stadium,” Nunn says. “That’s where my Alma mater won the gold.” But Nunn isn’t talking about swimming. He jokes that he was cut from the junior high water polo team, a team that didn’t have mandatory roster trimming. Instead, Nunn comes to the multi-sport world from crew, and the waves of Alamitos Bay, near Los Angeles, reflect his family’s past and present.

John Nunn, Jack’s father, moved to southern California in the mid 1960’s to train for the Olympics at a world-class facility, the famed Long Beach Marine Stadium, which was built for the 1932 Games. John earned an Olympic Bronze medal in 1968 in Mexico City, and he subsequently raised his family in the Los Angeles area. Jack picked up the oars in the same bay where his father practiced.

“That changed my whole life,” he says.”That’s my identity. I started rowing in 1996 for the junior national team right there in Marine Stadium. I would go to Long Beach every day in high school and throughout my college career to train.” He won multiple Pac-10 Conference championships at the University of California Berkeley. The Bears represented Team USA on their home water in 1932 and edged Italy by .2 of a second to secure Olympic gold. Nunn, 40, teaches classes at Roworx, the indoor rowing center he owns situated next to the rectangular block of water that constitutes Marine Stadium.

“If you’re a strong rower, you can turn it into being a strong cyclist with the legs and lungs,” he says. Nunn estimates that 70 percent of the multi-sport training comes from his rowing workouts at Roworx Fitness in Long Beach. Part of that philosophy originates from the practical realities of operating a gym. His job, like most age-groupers, requires a significant portion of his time. In his case, the longer hours of a small business owner mean more opportunities for fitness.

“My dad told me growing up, ‘if you want to get better at something, you have to do that thing,’ Nunn said. “The argument is yes, you will improve if you do the actual sport, but with rowing you can get close.” Nunn has raced more than 100 triathlons since diving into his first race, a 2008 Ironman event in Nice, France known for it’s difficult cycling course that features a segment of the Tour de France route. Even as he progressed down the distance ladder to shorter events in recent years, Nunn focuses on rowing as the main component of his training. “I’m a bigger guy. The longer [a race] goes, the worse I get,” he says with a laugh. “My favorite distance is the sprint.” He registered for the inaugural Legacy Triathlon as part of the 2019 schedule. USA Triathlon launched the new event in Long Beach and will continue it each year leading into the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in LA. Nunn earned the bronze medal for his age group in the sprint distance. “It’s cool to race in your hometown at a big USA Triathlon event,” Nunn says. “There was no doubt I was going to do it. I like to compete on that formal level, but it’s an individual sport, which I love. It’s you against you.”

Nunn says he understands skeptics who push for more discipline-specific swim, bike, run workouts, but he also sees plenty of people who dismiss rowing too easily or only use a rowing machine as a warm-up for something else. Five minutes here. Ten minutes there. Nunn points to those early exists as missed opportunities. “Try rowing for an hour,” he says. “Try to get some intervals going for 30 minutes. Everyone 

wants the greatest full body low impact workout – rowing will give it  to you.”

 

 

 

 

A High-Wattage Workout

January 7th, 2020

Written By Jen Murphy

A study from the English Institute of Sport in Manchester, England, found that the rowing machine, when used correctly, engages 86% of the muscles in the body.

Jack Nunn, a former member of the U.S. National Rowing Team and founder of Roworx Fitness in Long Beach, Calif., says rowing, like swimming, is a full-body, low-impact cardio workout that requires mastering certain techniques to be done effectively.

He says about 60% of the rowing stroke is powered by the leg drive. “Take time to adjust the foot strap snugly over the balls of the feet,” he says. At the catch, or the front of the stroke, the hands should be well past the feet and shoulders in front of the hips, he says. “The seat should never hit your heels,” he says. “You want to be in a position similar to the start of a dead lift so you can really activate the leg muscles.”

On the drive back, keep the chin level and bring the handle in a straight line from machine to chest.

Beginners should focus on watts, a measure of how much power they are generating rather than their speed, he says. “A good goal is to try to hit your body weight in pounds in watts and sustain those watts with each stroke,” he says.

Click here for more on this story and link about this article in the Wall Street Journal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 3rd, 2019

By: Kirstin Farmer

Jack Nunn has competed in extreme events all over the world including 14 Full Ironman events which include a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and full marathon run.

When Jack Nunn returned home from Orlando, Fla. in February of this year, the Manhattan Beach resident was exhausted.

And understandably so.

He had just competed in the Ultraman Florida triathlon, a grueling, long-distance race where he had to swim, bike and run 321.6 miles. He was looking forward to recuperating. 

That was until he got an email inviting him to embark on yet another physical challenge: the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

“I was very excited but I was like this is going to be really tough,” Nunn explained, adding the turnaround time between the races was particularly challenging. “Doing this on top of Ultraman…this has been a big year. The biggest.” 

The race, set for Oct. 12, will combine three of the toughest endurance races in Hawaii, bringing together more than 2,000 of the world’s best athletes to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. 

But, Nunn—son of Olympic bronze medalist sculler John Nunn who was raised in Palos Verdes—isn’t nervous. He said he’s been training for this his whole life.

“I’m trying to hold it, like control it before race day,” Nunn mused. “It’s been a lifelong dream to go and compete…if you ask anybody that’s doing marathons or triathlons, the ultimate is to go to Kona.” 

The 6 foot 3 inch tall bronzed adonis, who just turned 40 earlier this summer, has traveled the world, venturing to four continents to compete in 14 Ironman triathlons.

He also raced in the Isklar Norseman Xtreme Triathlon in Norway.

“I’ve swam with sharks in Australia, jellyfish in Mexico like actually stinging you during the race, big jellyfish in Sweden that come like a wall…dealt with alligators in Florida to crocodiles in Australia swimming in the ocean with you. In Norway, I swam in a fjord that was 40 degrees, 17,000 feet of mountain climbs, ridiculously hard train,” Nunn recollected. “You just think hey if I can do that, I can get through this.”

His preparation for all of these extreme endurance races, including his upcoming journey around Kailua-Kona?

A sport Nunn credits with allowing him to create his own path in life: rowing.

“It’s a whole-body workout so it’s really efficient and low-impact,” Nunn explained, adding he attended his alma mater Cal Berkeley on a full-scholarship for the sport. Nunn owns an indoor rowing gym in Long Beach, Roworx. “I feel like I owe it back something.”

But, more importantly than physical preparation, he clarified, is mental strength.

“You have to have the mental to turn on the physical,” Nunn said. “I always say if your body quits before your mind, that’s a good problem to have.” 

To prepare for the hours-long endurance challenges, Nunn draws from past experiences, as well as the support of friends and family to help him push through. 

He also gets into what he calls ‘the zone,’ where Nunn says he squashes self doubt and tries to enjoy the experience. 

“I think just being present and focusing on sort of a meditation almost,” he added. “You’re almost at peace sort of.” 

To track Nunn during the Ironman World Championship, download the IRONMAN Tracker app and follow No. 364.

For more information on Roworx, visit roworx.com