By Jen Murphy | Photographs by Michal Czerwonka for The Wall Street JournalJuly 31, 2021 6:00 am ET
Strong, powerful legs and glutes are the secret weapons of elite rowers. “A rowing workout is most closely related to a squat jump or dead lift,” says Jack Nunn, a former member of the USRowing national team and founder of Roworx Fitness in Long Beach, Calif. “Nearly 70% of the power coming from the rowing stroke is driven through the legs and back,” says Mr. Nunn, whose father, John Nunn, competed in and coached rowing in the Olympics.
The lower-body movement in the rowing stroke helps strengthen the quadriceps and hamstrings, key muscles that protect the knee joint, Mr. Nunn says. If you don’t have access to a boat or a rowing machine, he says, mimicking the lower body rowing motion on land is as simple as adding squats into your routine. “When I underwent two knee surgeries, both doctors told me to start doing standard standing squats to regain strength,” he says.
Core strength and balance also help rowers excel on the water. “We need to be able to balance a 26-foot-long boat that’s only about a foot wide while rowing backward in a straight line,” he says. His coach at the University of California, Berkeley, where Mr. Nunn rowed for four years, said rowing requires the stamina of a runner, the balance of a gymnast and the power of a Greco-Roman wrestler, all rolled into one.
To that end, Mr. Nunn likes to enhance standard exercises like the squat or lunge with resistance bands, Bosu balls and other twists, like a pillow, that challenge balance and coordination. The following exercises focus on building strength around the knee joints while also helping train balance and core stability. He suggests performing three to five sets of each with one minute of rest in between.
The Workout
Dynamic Wall Sit
Why: “Wall sits are an invaluable exercise to build overall leg strength and stability,” says Mr. Nunn. “They are a staple of sports that require leg endurance such as skiing, football, ice hockey and cycling.”
We had the good fortune of connecting with Jack Nunn and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jack, what was your thought process behind starting your own business? Over the past 30 years I’ve been extremely lucky and grateful to have known and been coached some of the best rowing coaches in the world. I’ve taken that knowledge and applied it to my business model of teaching indoor rowing classes with an incredible view overlooking Marine Stadium in Long Beach, the rowing venue of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The idea is simple: teach the general public how to use the indoor rowing machine correctly and effectively to get the most amount of calories burned per hour (all while looking out over the water and sunsets that we have in Long Beach.) Rowing is probably one of the best total body workouts possible because it engages nearly 80-percent of all the muscles in the body during each and every stroke. It’s the most effective cardiovascular workout without the impact.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more? Roworx offers indoor rowing classes taught by experienced US National Team coaches and rowers. We use the Concept 2 rowing machine (used by Olympians and elite rowers) giving our clients a full hour of heart-pumping workouts while taking in amazing views overlooking the water. We are located at a registered California historical landmark (where the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games rowing events took place.) The LA Coliseum and Marine Stadium are the only two venues left from the LA 1932 Olympic Summer Games.
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 interval training with plyometrics, various mat work, stretching, and light dumbbell weights. Our clients span all experience levels, ages and abilities. Anyone can row, but it’s about controlling individual pace and resistance. The ability to control your own resistance allows you to maintain rhythm with the group, while selecting your own difficulty level. I’m most proud of how I’ve been able to stay in business since 2008 while offering our clients new and create ways to train on the indoor rowing machine. Indoor rowing has becoming more popular over the past 10 years as it is a low impact exercise. It can be used as the perfect cross training tool for any recreation or competition sport. My goal is to teach people the best technique possible on the rowing machine while burning the most calories during each one-hour class. I’ve had many challenges over the years as a fitness business owner, but I would say the best thing I did was take things one day and one task at a time. Over the past 10 years I’ve completed 16 full Ironman competitions and one Ultraman triathlon. Doing these events is a constant reminder of how you can accomplish and finish long events and struggles in your everyday life by focusing on priorities, being patient, having a plan, and being very consistent. I would like the world to know that we offer the best indoor rowing class workout experience.
I’ve also had the best coach possible: my father, who won a bronze medal in Rowing in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He was also the 1976 Olympic Men’s Rowing coach in Montreal. I was also coached by Mike Teti on the USA National rowing team from 2001-2004. Mike coached the USA rowing team to a gold medal finish at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. When you take a Roworx indoor rowing class, you are in a sense getting Olympic caliber coaching from all the experience I’ve had over the past 30 years in the sport.
Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout? Los Angeles is a massive as many people know, but it doesn’t have to feel that way. As a native, I like to take visiting friends to some of my personal favorites and city highlights. Here’s a sample itinerary:
Monday Tour of Hollywood; Hike Runyon Canyon, or hike to the Hollywood sign; venture to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame; drive through Beverly Hills and Sunset Boulevard; take a drive up the coast and have lunch at Paradise Cove just north of Malibu; and end the day with desert at Duke’s in Malibu.
Tuesday Take a drive to Palos Verdes and head to Albalone Cove and hike down to the beach to explore nature and tide pools. Don’t miss Wayfarers Chapel (also known as “The “Glass Church.”) It was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, Lloyd Wright, and is one of the most beautiful spots on the Peninsula. Next, have a leisurely lunch at Catalina Kitchen or Nelson’s at Terranea Resort.
Wednesday Grab a beach cruiser and ride along The Strand from Redondo Beach through Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. Stop for lunch along the way and finish in Venice for people-watching. Make your way to the Santa Monica Pier for a carousel ride, arcade games, and dinner.
Thursday Explore Long Beach Take a Roworx indoor rowing class followed by lunch at The Boathouse along the bay in Long Beach. Next, rent a duffy, an electric boat, and explore the canals in Naples. After, take a tour of the Queen Mary or Aquarium of the Pacific.
Friday Explore Laguna Beach Have lunch at The Deck in Laguna. After, rent a stand-up paddleboard or walk around the town and peruse local art galleries.
Saturday Drive to San Diego and explore La Jolla cove to see the sea lions up-close or devote the day to Sea World. At night, check out Fiesta Island. (You might be lucky enough to catch a fireworks display from nearby Sea World.)
Sunday Downtown Los Angeles. Grab a coffee and explore Row DTLA. For sweeping views of the city and amazing art exhibits, head to the Getty Museum. Make sure to plan ahead and get tickets to a local sporting event at The Staples Center or Dodgers Stadium.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? I would like to dedicate this shout out to my both my parents. They parents are the people I look up to most in life. Throughout my life they have embodied the perfect balance between studies, hard work, ethics, and sports and instilled these values in me. I’m so proud of my father, an Olympian and Olympic rowing coach, and my mother, a former high school teacher, philanthropist, and drug and alcohol counselor. Between raising five children (I’m the youngest), they had their hands full. Throughout my life my parents have inspired me with messages and encouraging stories of what it takes to accomplish goals, and that hard work and persistence pays off every time.
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, nominated by John Nunn who wrote in the application, “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.”
When you are having a strong running season, it is hard to think about slowing down. In 2015, Ray Marquette ran 16 races, including three marathons. He set a personal record of 3:42:28 in Chicago and three weeks later ran the New York City Marathon. Shortly after, Achilles tendinitis flared up and has plagued him on and off ever since.
“I probably wasn’t fully recovered [from Chicago],” admits Mr. Marquette, who works at a global financial-services company in New York City. “You hear stories about chronic overuse but don’t pay attention until you can’t run.”
A member of the New York Harriers road running club, Mr. Marquette, 40, says training and racing are important parts of his social life. Reluctant to stop running completely, he learned to manage his pain, he says. He scaled back from 65 to 25 miles a week and started to go to physical therapy. “I was never as fast and my body never felt great after running,” he says.
He tried cross-training with swimming, spinning, yoga and strength training but couldn’t get excited about any of it. Last summer, after a year of pain-free running, he was struck by a bout of plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the bottom of the foot often caused by a tight Achilles tendon. An MRI revealed a partial tear in the ligament.
Searching for a new endorphin fix, he discovered Rowgatta, an indoor rowing boot camp. “It doesn’t replace a two-hour run, but it’s low-impact, gets my heart rate up and works muscles I neglect when running,” he says. Mr. Marquette hopes a winter of rowing and physical therapy will get him healthy enough to complete a half-marathon this fall.
Ultraman Florida finisher Jack Nunn shares how and why he did 80 percent of his preparation for the endurance event on his rower.
On February 15, I took on the biggest race of my life: my first Ultraman in Orlando, Florida. So, what exactly is an Ultraman? It’s a three-day athletic event (more than a double Ironman) consisting of a 6.2-mile swim and a 92-mile bike ride the first day; a 171-mile bike ride the second day; and a 52-mile run on the final day. Spoiler alert: I was the largest (6’3” and 220 pounds) to finish—crossing the line after a grueling weekend in 33:24:36. Am I crazy? Maybe. But, for me, it’s all the culmination of the past 10 years of hard work. I’ve completed 14 full Ironman distance events on four continents. Next, it’s all about the challenge of completing the ultimate dream: competing in the 2019 Ironman World Championship as part of the legacy program. For me, the challenge of completing the Ultraman was to honor the 50th anniversary of my father’s Olympic bronze medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.
My Rowing Background
Rowing has always been a part of my fitness regime. I rowed for the UC Berkeley Division I varsity team and won three national titles and four Pacific 10 Titles. Ten years ago, I created a fitness studio, Roworx Fitness, that specializes in endurance training on indoor rowing machines. These workouts are all delivered with my “no regrets” philosophy. Nearly 80 percent of all my fitness training for the Ultraman was done using the rowing machine. My dream is to spread the word of rowing and promote the incredible benefits it can bring to every type of endurance sport (including swim, bike, and run).
Why Use the Rower?
How you use your legs, core, and arms are all key components to becoming a powerful rower. The amount of maximal oxygen uptake that a rower can consume per minute of exercise is among the highest ever tested in any endurance event. Rowers need to contract nearly every muscle in each stroke—76 percent of all the muscles in the body are contracted and that means the heart needs to pump against a high resistance. When the muscles work hard in the body then the heart and the internal wall of the heart gets bigger. As a result of this workload, the volume of blood that the heart must pump throughout the body also gets bigger. The heart and body adapt to the specific workload of a rowing stroke and more blood gets pumped throughout the body more efficiently in a rower than anyone else.
Rowing for Triathletes
I attribute my swimming stamina and strength to my hours spent on the rowing machine. The latissimus muscles engaged from rowing allowed me to swim without feeling exhausted. (The lung capacities of rowers are near or at the very top of the spectrum of all endurance athletes.)
The rowing machine allows runners to do a non-impact form of endurance training. I did only a few brick (bike/run) workouts and only a handful swimming sessions. Nearly 70 percent of all power from the rowing stroke is derived from the legs, making it the perfect cross-training workout for cyclists and triathletes. I turn in top bike splits at every race I enter and I credit this to my row training. For the past few years I have been doing shorter-distance high-intensity interval training workouts on the rowing machine to improve cardiovascular, strength, and muscle endurance. The rower is also a great way to stay mentally fresh! The entire rowing process is completely different from anything you’ll experience in your swim, bike, and run training.
Try My Favorite Rowing Workout
500 meters on 1 min rest x 5-10 intervals
This workout is used to build strength, increase cardiovascular efficiency, and train you to be mentally strong. Start with five repetitions and as you become stronger throughout the month add on a few more intervals until you get to 10 throughout the month.
Tips
Foot Placement The key here is to tie in so that the foot straps come across the widest front part of the shoe near the bend of your foot.
Goal Wattage The rowing machine does not create the resistance when you are rowing, you do. The harder and faster the knees come down as you jump off the footboards from the front of the stroke, the faster you will go. Try to hit your body weight in watts on the machines computer screen and maintain that number throughout the 500-meter workout.
Proper Hand Placement The hands are usually placed on a wide stance setting with the pinkie finger almost near the edge of the handle. The thumbs are supposed to hang underneath the handle to promote a relaxed pull through the latissimus muscles.
Nailing the Form
1. The rowing stroke is commonly compared to a weight lifting clean and or squat. The rowing stroke starts from the finish as the body, shoulders, and hands swing forward and come up past the feet near the front the flywheel. 2. At the front of the stroke the hands are well past the front of the feet with the shins vertical and the shoulders relaxed extending forward with the chin level looking right into the monitor. 3. The heels at this point can come up if the shins are vertical. The heels are designed to come up as the rowing machine manufacturer notes that not everyone is perfectly flexible. 4. Remember that the shoulders need to be in front of the hips as you lean forward to the front of the stroke at the catch position so that you have a nice solid platform to push from. 5. Being long and strong during the stroke is an essential part of the rowing stroke.
Jack, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today? My whole life revolves around fitness. My father, John Nunn, won an Olympic Bronze Medal in rowing in 1968 at the Mexico City Olympic Games, and he was the Olympic Men’s rowing coach in 1976 at the Montreal Summer Olympic Games. I always grew up playing sports and ended up rowing in 1996 for Long Beach Juniors and the next year where I qualified for the 1997 Junior National Team Selection Rowing Camp.
From there, I went on to star for four years at UC Berkeley with a full scholarship, winning four Pac ten championships and three IRA National Championships. I was a member of the US National Rowing Team from 2001-2006 winning a silver medal at the World Championships Eight Rowing event in Linz, Austria in 2001. When I’m not rowing or teaching on average 15 hours of classes per week, I love to compete in triathlons, marathons, cycling, and Ironman events. So far, I’ve completed fourteen full Ironman competitions and seven half Ironman’s. My motto is: “fight to the finish and do the best you can. What’s possible is what you think is possible.”
In 2017, I completed the most grueling Ironman in the World in Norway called the Norseman Extreme Ironman distance triathlon. The Isklar Norseman Xtreme Triathlon is probably one of the craziest things an individual can put themselves through. This race bills itself as, ‘simply the ultimate triathlon on planet Earth’ and they are right. It’s a total of 226km spread over a freezing cold swim, a brutal ride and a seemingly impossible marathon footrace up a mountain. This is not your everyday ocean swim. You’ll find yourself taken by boat to the middle of a Glacier near the town of Eidfjord, Norway. You are then required to jump into chilly waters off the back of a car ferry and then swim against the current over 2 miles back to shore. The bike ride consists of 10-percent grades uphill with five different mountain peaks and a total of 15,000 feet of climbing over 112 miles. The 26.2-mile marathon at the end of the competition consists of the ascent of Mount Gaustatoppen which is 6,000 feet high. This is where the make or break really happens. By now you’re exhausted, cold, and probably wondering why on earth you thought this was a good idea. This is undoubtedly one of the world’s toughest races. The combination of extreme conditions and unenviable ascents make sure to deter only the most severe or craziest of competitors. This year, I’m taking my challenge to a whole new level and currently training for the Ultraman Extreme endurance race Feb. 15-17, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. I’m doing this race to honor my father’s Olympic Bronze medal that he won at the Mexico City Summer Olympic Games just over 50 years ago. Ultraman Florida in Orlando is a three-day athletic endeavor guaranteed to test an athlete’s physical and mental limits. The race covers a total distance of 322 miles, around central Florida and it is more than a double ironman. It requires that each participant completes a 6.2-mile swim plus a 92-mile bike ride the first day, a 171-mile bike ride the second, and a 52-mile run on the final day. This will be my most difficult challenge yet, and I’m now training 25 plus hours a week for the past several months in order to prepare for this strenuous competition.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you? Not a smooth road. Since I started rowing, I immediately stepped into my father’s shadow and was constantly measured by his success in rowing throughout college and on the national team. My father graduated from Cornell University where he won two national championships and went on to be an Olympic legend in rowing here in the United States. He has been inducted into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame and the Long Beach Aquatic Capital of America Hall of Fame. All my coaches knew my father, and there would be added pressure on me to do more every single day. The pressure was intense especially when my father would come to rowing competitions and/or practice sessions. One day I told my father I didn’t want to see him at all and wanted him to hide behind a wall so I could not see he was there. It wasn’t until 2008 when I started doing triathlons and training for them, that I started to create my own path away from rowing. It was something that I loved doing in the world of endurance competition. I always deep down loved when my dad came to see my row, and he’s come to many of my Ironman races (including Mallorca and Norway) to cheer me on. He’s my biggest inspiration and I wouldn’t be the athlete and the person I am without him. My family was worried about me in the beginning, and they were concerned about injuries. There were concerns that I wasn’t a strong enough swimmer for high-level Ironman distance competition. Another major obstacle was learning how to swim long distances and in open oceans with mass wave starts off the beach as 3,000 people would start all at the same time in Ironman triathlons. In junior high, I was on a water polo team whose policy “were no cuts to the roster.” I was an exceptionally bad swimmer and was ultimately cut from the team and had to overcome that adversity by learning how to overcome my fears and insecurities while swimming. Once I finished my first Ironman, I immediately gained confidence and never looked back.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Roworx Fitness – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others? Ten years ago, I created a one-of-a-kind fitness studio called Roworx Fitness, www.roworx.com, that specializes in endurance training on indoor rowing machines. I incorporate nearly 80-percent of all his fitness training using this method and teaches others in the technique. I attribute my swimming, cycling, and running strength and stamina to my hours of training on the Concept 2 rowing machines. I’m most proud and grateful for having the opportunity to work in an industry that I absolutely love and have so much passion in the sport of rowing. I really want to see people succeed, learn to love the sport of rowing (with proper technique and form) and have fun. My classes are for all ages and fitness levels and are taught at the Long Beach Rowing Center. My students enjoy some of my unique motivational stories served with physically challenging workouts all delivered with my “no regrets” philosophy.
So, what’s next? Any big plans? My plans are to always make the Roworx Fitness center a better training experience for everyone that takes a class. I’m looking forward to integrating more technology into the rowing classes along with enhancing the view that we have overlooking the water in Marine Stadium in Long Beach.Marine stadium in Long Beach was the site of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games rowing venue. UC Berkeley (my alma mater) won the Olympic gold medal in the main rowing event. The LA memorial coliseum and marine stadium in Long Beach are the only 2 venues left from the 1932 Los Angels Olympic Games.
My personal athletic plans are to compete in the 2020 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in which I have already qualified and earned a spot through the Legacy program last year by completing 12 full Ironman’s.
I also plan on completing the Ultraman Florida next month and inspire and motivate others to achieve their fitness goals through public speaking, fitness class, and more.
Pricing:
Unlimited Rowing Classes Month To Month $130 (With One Time $99 Initiation Fee)
21 – Class Punchcard $370
10 – Class Punchcard $200
5 – Class Punchcard $110
Single Class – $25
Triathlon Training Monthly Training Month To Month $150
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
Jack Nunn is the son of John Nunn, who won the bronze Olympic medal in 1968 with his partner Bill Maher in the double sculls rowing event. I sat down with Jack this week to ask him if he felt like he grew up in his dad’s shadow.
Jack, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today? My whole life revolves around fitness. My father, John Nunn, won an Olympic Bronze Medal in rowing in 1968 at the Mexico City Olympic Games, and he was the Olympic Men’s rowing coach in 1976 at the Montreal Summer Olympic Games. I always grew up playing sports and ended up rowing in 1996 for Long Beach Juniors and the next year where I qualified for the 1997 Junior National Team Selection Rowing Camp.
From there, I went on to star for four years at UC Berkeley with a full scholarship, winning four Pac ten championships and three IRA National Championships. I was a member of the US National Rowing Team from 2001-2006 winning a silver medal at the World Championships Eight Rowing event in Linz, Austria in 2001. When I’m not rowing or teaching on average 15 hours of classes per week, I love to compete in triathlons, marathons, cycling, and Ironman events. So far, I’ve completed fourteen full Ironman competitions and seven half Ironman’s. My motto is: “fight to the finish and do the best you can. What’s possible is what you think is possible.”
In 2017, I completed the most grueling Ironman in the World in Norway called the Norseman Extreme Ironman distance triathlon. The Isklar Norseman Xtreme Triathlon is probably one of the craziest things an individual can put themselves through. This race bills itself as, ‘simply the ultimate triathlon on planet Earth’ and they are right. It’s a total of 226km spread over a freezing cold swim, a brutal ride and a seemingly impossible marathon footrace up a mountain. This is not your everyday ocean swim. You’ll find yourself taken by boat to the middle of a Glacier near the town of Eidfjord, Norway. You are then required to jump into chilly waters off the back of a car ferry and then swim against the current over 2 miles back to shore. The bike ride consists of 10-percent grades uphill with five different mountain peaks and a total of 15,000 feet of climbing over 112 miles. The 26.2-mile marathon at the end of the competition consists of the ascent of Mount Gaustatoppen which is 6,000 feet high. This is where the make or break really happens. By now you’re exhausted, cold, and probably wondering why on earth you thought this was a good idea. This is undoubtedly one of the world’s toughest races. The combination of extreme conditions and unenviable ascents make sure to deter only the most severe or craziest of competitors. This year, I’m taking my challenge to a whole new level and currently training for the Ultraman Extreme endurance race Feb. 15-17, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. I’m doing this race to honor my father’s Olympic Bronze medal that he won at the Mexico City Summer Olympic Games just over 50 years ago. Ultraman Florida in Orlando is a three-day athletic endeavor guaranteed to test an athlete’s physical and mental limits. The race covers a total distance of 322 miles, around central Florida and it is more than a double ironman. It requires that each participant completes a 6.2-mile swim plus a 92-mile bike ride the first day, a 171-mile bike ride the second, and a 52-mile run on the final day. This will be my most difficult challenge yet, and I’m now training 25 plus hours a week for the past several months in order to prepare for this strenuous competition.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. My father, John Nunn, is an Olympian who won the bronze medal in Rowing in 1968, at the Mexico City Olympic Games, and he was the U.S. Olympic Men’s team rowing coach in 1976, Montreal Olympic Games. He got us all interested in sports growing up. I have four older sisters, and he coached all of our teams: soccer, baseball, softball and ice hockey. Both of my grandfathers played professional football and my great-grandfather was a rower at Columbia University in the early 1900s. I guess you could say it’s in my genetic makeup to be destined to be an athlete and or rower. Since I can remember I have always wanted to either make the Olympic team and or compete and finish a full Ironman.
About 10 year ago, I started Roworx Fitness in Long Beach as I was burned out of training on my own with the US National Rowing Team and decided to create an Indoor Rowing program for the masses in which everyone can learn and get in the best shape of their lives with Indoor Rowing Classes. The rest is history….
In 2008, one of my best friends suggested that we train for our first Ironman together. I immediately said yes and signed up for my first Ironman in Nice, France. I would later find out that it was– and still is–one of the most grueling Ironman courses in the world. The bike portion of that particular Ironman travels 112 miles through the Pyrenees Mountains, which was insanely hard, especially since it was 95 degrees on race day. Upon completing Ironman France, I was hungry for more and knew that it was just the start of another chapter of fitness in my life. Since 2008 I have gone on to finish 9 full Ironman’s, 6 half Ironman’s, and over 100 various triathlons around the world. Along with managing and teaching classes at Roworx I have created a Triathlon coaching program called Triworx in 2016 in which I offer personalized training and coaching plans for any endurance and or triathlon event. I am also a sponsored triathlete led by Red Ace Organics Beets, Rudy Project, and MG Sport Magnesium.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome? Like any fitness business owner it’s always up to you to keep the classes going and the energy up so that everyone can get the best possible experience. Over the past 15 years of being involved in the fitness industry, I would have to say the most important aspects are consistency, time, patience, and determination. Hiring a great staff and keeping your fellow instructors happy is a must. You have to hold yourself accountable and take responsibility when it’s your own business and learn to put your ego aside while putting the customer first.
Please tell us about Roworx Fitness. At Roworx Fitness we specialize in leading 1 hour indoor rowing classes with spectacular views of the water and sunsets while overlooking Marine Stadium in Long Beach. Marine Stadium is a California historical landmark in which it was the site of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games Rowing venue. Rowing classes are on fire at exercise studios around the country as it is a full-body workout, low impact workout that burns up to 800 calories per hour. Central to the Roworx philosophy is our focus on teaching an efficient, safe, and effective rowing stroke. Anyone can get a workout by moving back and forth on a rowing machine but the difference us at Roworx you will learn to use the machines the way Olympic rowers do. You will maximize your efficiency, protect your back from injury, create more power, burn more calories, and see results sooner. Each class, from beginner to advanced, begins with a warm-up, interval H.I.I.T. training segments, consistent rowing segments, specific rowing drills, squats, pushups, weights, and some short intense 500 meter pieces to conclude the class as well as proper stretching. Anyone can do try rowing as it works 86% of the total muscles throughout the body and instructors will make sure that you are consistently maintaining good technique. We also offer some foundation classes for new rowers who would like some extra focus on the basics of the rowing stroke.
I’m most proud that Roworx Fitness has been in business for over 10 years and I get to do what I love every single day. Our camaraderie is probably the best aspect of Roworx Fitness as everyone is there to help and support each other and we really have the best members in any fitness center I’ve ever seen. When I coached the Loyola Marymount Men’s Varsity Rowing Team last year one of my proudest moments was having the team captain come up to me and tell me I was the best coach he has every had and that he believed I have a calling for the sport of coaching rowing at any University.
What sets Roworx apart from other fitness centers is the ‘Multi-Million Dollar View.’ We have a panoramic view of the water in Marine Stadium so you really never get bored or find yourself looking at the clock during class as it flies by while getting the best heart pumping workout of your life. All of our instructors have past rowing experience in college and are passionate about rowing and making sure every student is getting the most out of each workout. I have personally been coached by some of the best rowing coaches in the country if not the world. My father, John Nunn, is one of only a handful of American Olympians to have won an Olympic medal in rowing (1968 Mexico Olympic Games Rowing Athlete Medalist) as well as being an Olympic Coach (1976 Montreal Olympic Games Rowing Coach). My collegiate coach at Berkeley, Steve Gladstone, just won his 13th record breaking National Championship with Yale this past month. My US National Team coach, Mike Teti, won a silver medal as an athlete and a gold medal as the coach of the 2004 Men’s Olympic Rowing Eight in Athens. I have had many more famous rowing coaches over my 20-year rowing span and I apply all of this knowledge during each and every one of my Roworx Indoor Rowing Classes in Long Beach.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood? I would have to say it has to be when I was 15 years old and came home to tell my father I was no longer going to play and was going to quit both baseball and soccer varsity teams. My father was sitting down in the kitchen and he told me that I would have to get a part time job or find something else to do. I immediately replied and said what about joining the junior rowing team in Long Beach. My father immediately leaped out of the chair and ran upstairs to call the high school rowing coach and the rest is history. My father was ecstatic and in that moment the sport of rowing would change my life forever and make me the person I am today. Since then I was recruited to Cal Berkeley with a full scholarship while winning 3 National Championships and 4 PAC-10 Championships. Since graduating college, I have traveled to England, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Canada, and all over the U.S. for various rowing events. My proudest achievement would have to be winning the silver medal at the world championship with the US National Team in 2001. I worked incredibly hard for six straight years of rowing and won my first international medal continuing down the road to one step closer to making it to the Olympics. The feeling of being one of the best athletes in the world in my sport was amazing while having my father watching the race.
Pricing:
Unlimited Monthly Indoor Rowing Classes For $110 A Month (Plus A One Time $99 Initiation Fee) Month To Month
Doing a single Ironman competition is tough. Doing several in a single year is tougher. But what if you did 3 in 28 days? Find out what it takes.
The Ironman circuit has offered Jack Nunn many opportunities to travel over the last eight years. Since 2008, Jack has competed and completed 8 international Full Ironman races and the Inaugural Ironman Vineman race this year in Sonoma, California. In 2013, he began racing shorter sprint triathlons, winning his age group in almost every single event racking up his total race count to over 100 events around the world.
He has also moved up in the ranks from a Bronze AWA medalist in 2014 this past year to a Silver AWA medalist in 2015 earning a little more respect along the way. Jack is also the 2015 Clydesdale 220lb+ National Champion and still holds the fastest time in the Olympic Distance Triathlon event in Grand Rapids Michigan.
The reason why Jack decided to attempt 3 Ironman’s in one calendar month was so that he could try and get to his goal of becoming an Ironman Legacy qualifier.
Jack is training for that elusive legacy spot in Kona, Hawaii as the Ironman Lottery was banned last year and the only way to get into the race is to either qualify with time or become an Ironman Legacy. You must complete 12 Full Ironman branded distance events and then you have a chance to be selected for a spot.
Jack also wants to educate people about the benefits of cross training, especially using the indoor rowing machines he utilizes at his business Roworx in Long Beach, California. Jack educates athletes during the year and encourages people to train during recovery blocks throughout the season.
His goal is to help swimmers, cyclists, and runners stay injury free and mentally fresh.
The key benefits of rowing for triathletes consists of maintaining a low impact and total body workout while enduring the pain and high caloric burn of rowing.
Ironman #1- Vineman, Sonoma
The original creator of the Vineman had always dreamed of having the full Ironman distance event with over 2,000 participants. There were 2,100 at this event, turning his dream into a reality after 28 years. Jack completed in 12:02:07, placing 60th in the M35-39 division and 397th overall.
Ironman #2- Kalmar, Sweden
Ironman Sweden, now in its fifth year, is a role model of how every major Ironman race should be modeled. Jack described it as a fun, historical, flat, and beautiful course.
The fan base consisted of thousands of spectators and a supporting community that offered incredibly positive energy towards all of the participating athletes along the course. Jack completed in 11:51:53, placing 196th in the AK M35-39 division and 1,132nd overall.
Ironman #3- Vichy, France
Ironman Vichy, France is now in its 2nd year of operation and offers a unique blend of history and beauty with a very professional and technical course. The Vichy Ironman and 70.3 are held on the same weekend but alternate days as they sold this race to the absolute max with more than 5,000 competitors.
Jack chose to participate in the Vichy Ironman mainly because of his very aggressive plan to complete 2 full Ironman’s in Europe that were only 8 days apart.
Coming off the Kalmar, Sweden Ironman he decided he would try and get his 9th overall Ironman checked off the list as he was very determined to get qualified for the elusive Ironman Legacy spot requiring 12 Full Ironman finishes.
This decision turned out to be the hardest series of race events that he had ever done in his life. Jack felt good mentally after the Kalmar Ironman but his body was broken and he found myself with barely a week to recover between races. Jack completed in 13:18:20 with an overall rank of 1,261.
Jack completed all three full Ironman’s in one month and had an average finish time of 12 hours flat. It was the hardest athletic challenge he had ever done in his entire life and does not recommend anyone try it unless they are in tremendous physical and mental health. It pushed Jack to the edge of injury and nearly broke him but he survived to tell the story to inspire others to use cross training with rowing and other unconventional training methods.
Jack created Roworx after winning numerous medals in various events on the international rowing stage. Jack started rowing in 1996 for Long Beach Juniors and made the 1997 Junior National Team Selection Camp. He went on to star for four years at UC Berkeley, winning four Pac-10 championships and three IRA National Championships. Jack was a member of the first ever undefeated Pac-10 and IRA National Champion Freshman 8 in 1998 and repeated the feat by going unbeaten in 1999. Jack helped his varsity 8 place second at the Henley Royal Regatta in 1999 in the Ladies Plate Challenge Cup in London, England. As a member of the US Rowing National Team from 2001-2004 he placed second at the 2003 Pan American Trials in double sculls and had an outstanding 2002 that saw him claim a gold medal in Senior 8 and a silver medal in the Elite Double at the US Nationals. LEARN MORE: WEBSITE
If you’re tired of the treadmill, step off that beaten belt and try a more stimulating endurance challenge: rowing workouts.
“If you take the time to learn rowing technique, it’s one of the best exercises you can do for cardio,” says Jack Nunn, former member of the U.S. Under 23 National Team, U.S. Rowing Masters 2013 Athlete of the Year and owner of Roworx, an indoor rowing training facility in Long Beach, CA. The low-to-the-ground, long machine engages your legs, back, core and arms, delivering an intense full-body cardio experience. Best of all? Rowing won’t put as much stress on your knee and hip joints as running does, meaning that this type of training is ideal for people of all ages, sizes and walks of life.
Whether you’re ready to vary your gym routine or to row with more confidence during your next CrossFit WOD, we’ve got expert tips on how to maximize your rowing potential, plus three workouts that can torch up to 700 calories each, says Nunn.
Rowing: The Basics
While most people think rowing requires mostly upper-body strength, it’s actually all about the legs, says Nunn. Like a golf swing, the legs and hips do most of the work for creating power during a rowing stroke. In fact, the movement is similar to an explosive power clean in weightlifting that uses your entire body. You begin driving with your legs, engage the muscles in your back and core, and then follow through with your arms, explains Nunn.
Just like any piece of gym equipment, it’s best to get acquainted with how the rowing machine functions before you go full speed ahead into a workout. Nunn recommends that beginners do three things when they sit down on a Concept 2 rowing machine.
Adjust the foot straps. “Make sure the strap goes across the ball of your foot,” says Nunn. If your feet are placed too high, your legs will also be placed too high, meaning you won’t be taking full strokes. The improper leg position will set you up for an awkward and inefficient stroke. Adjust the foot stretcher where you rest your feet either up or down a few pegs if the fabric strap isn’t lying in the correct spot.
Check the damper setting. Located on the right side of the circular flywheel on a Concept 2 machine, the damper setting is a plastic lever that controls how much air is in the flywheel. Setting the damper to 10 will feel like rowing a heavy boat and will require the most “work” per stroke, while setting it to zero will feel like rowing a sleek, light boat and will require less energy per stroke. You can also think about damper setting like gears on a bike, explains Nunn. “For beginners, you want to make sure the damper setting is anywhere from four to six,” he recommends.
Understand the monitor. The square display is a powerful tool that will give instantaneous feedback during your workout. But with so many possible metrics to use, it’s important for beginners to limit themselves to just the essentials. Two numbers Nunn suggests focusing on are stroke rate (strokes per minute, located in the upper right of the screen) and watts (a measure of workout intensity). A good first goal: Consistently hit your bodyweight (in pounds) in watts, says Nunn.
The Warm-Up
To get your body warmed up and ready to row, Nunn suggests a 10-minute “Pick Drill.” To pick the stroke apart and wake up the muscles, you’ll begin with simple, partial movements and then work up to the full rowing motion.
Start with your legs straight, body in an upright position, elbows bent so the handle is pulled fully into your chest. Keeping your back and legs straight, extend your arms away from your body, reaching towards your feet, then bring them back to the original position. Shoulders should remain relaxed. Repeat for two minutes.
Next, engage your back. After you extend your arms forward, hinge forward slightly at the hips. Then, keeping your spine neutral, reverse the motion by leaning back from the hips once your body is fully upright, as you pull your arms and the handle into your chest. Repeat for two minutes.
Warming up your legs comes next. After you extend your arms and hinge forward from the hips, bend your knees slightly so your seat rolls halfway towards the flywheel, and your arms extend forward past your feet, grasping the handle. Reverse the motion by pushing with your legs first, then leaning back and finally pulling your arms into your chest. Repeat for two minutes.
Time to take a complete stroke! You may now bend your knees fully so your shins are perpendicular to the ground and your heels lift up slightly. Repeat for four minutes.
The Workouts
Ready to row? Try one of these three conditioning sessions suggested by Nunn. And we’ve got some good news: You don’t even need to time your own intervals. You’ll find all three of these workouts pre-programmed in the monitor of the Concept 2 rower. Read the tips below, do the 10-minute Pick Drill above, then cue up your routine by choosing “Select Workout” from the main menu, then tapping “Custom List” on the rowing monitor, and picking your poison.
Rowing Workout 1: HIIT Sprints (30/30r in Concept 2 menu)
If you’re short on time, these high-intensity intervals will give you a quick sweat fix. Improve your strength and explosive power in just 20 minutes (not including warm-up or cool down). You’ll burn roughly 300 calories in total, says Nunn. Keep your stroke rate between 26 and 32 and always be in control of how fast your legs are moving.
Rowing Workout 2: Pyramid Power (v1:00/1:00r in Concept 2 menu)
Try this intermediate challenge to improve endurance and consistency with your rowing. For each interval, aim to keep the same workout intensity, or pace. You can check this by looking at watts or by changing your units to “time per 500 meters” on the display. Be warned: Just because you’re rowing and resting for the same amount of time doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy! Your hard work will burn roughly 450 calories.
Rowing Workout 3: Lean Leapfrog (v1:00/1:00r in Concept 2 menu)
Compete against yourself during these aggressive bursts. While most rowing workouts are aerobic, this one is anaerobic. Similar to a weight lifting session, you’ll exert your muscles enough to produce lactate, which leaves you with that burns-so-good feeling. Ultimately, an anaerobic rowing machine session will help you increase your power output and endurance because it forces you to tap into the strength of your legs. While paying strict attention to your stroke rate, try to maintain or increase your meters rowed during each “on” minute. This challenging row is 40 minutes and will burn roughly 700 calories, says Nunn.
