This camp was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to meet the best of the best in the sport of rowing, especially in the singles event. The singles event is known in the world of rowing to be the toughest of all rowing events and respected by other sports as being one of the hardest things to master. To be the best in the world in the single is like being Superman in my eyes. There are 8 Parts to this Blog simply because each one of these athletes has had such a tremendous impact on the world of rowing and beyond. I want to share my experience with each of these great rowers. Part 2
Rob Waddell
Robert (“Rob”) Norman Waddell, ONZM, (born January 7, 1975 in Te Kuiti) is a New Zealand rower, yachtsman and rugby union player. Waddell has one of the highest VO2 MAX (oxygen lung capacity intake) levels of any athlete ever tested…even higher than Lance Armstrong! Standing almost 7 feet tall he holds the fastest 2000 meter indoor rowing machine time in the world, clocking a time of 5mins 36.6secs (5:36.6). For those of you who use Watts as a measure of power in class… imagine trying to hold over 700 Watts for almost 6mins. And if you are using Split times..imagine holding a 1:24 Split time to get a score like Waddell’s. Last year Waddell also broke the record for the 5,000 meter test clocking a ridiculous time of 14:48 becoming the first person ever to break the 15min mark for 5,000 meters. Imagine trying to hold close to 600 Watts for 15min straight or a 1:29 Split time in order to break the record.
2000 meters are universally considered the grueling standard for indoor races. To further grasp the magnitude of Waddell’s accomplished visit theConcept2 website and take a look at some of the world wide fastest 2000 meters times achieved on the Concept2. You’ll notice these times are listed by gender and age.
U.S. Marines, Extreme Athletes…. Even Astronauts Use The Concept 2!!!
CONCEPT2 IS BUILT MARINE TOUGH…
Before I write about my 2nd segment on my 8-Part series. I wanted to discuss how great the Concept 2 Rowing machine really is considering that the second person I will be writing about has the current World Record for a 2000 meter race on the Concept 2. Rob Waddell (2000 Olympic Gold medalist in the single sculls and current Overall World Champion Record Holder for having the FASTEST time EVER for a 2,000 meter race on a Concept 2 Rowing Machine… 5:36). No matter what anyone says, the fact is every single Olympic/National Rowing Team around the World uses the Concept 2 rowing machine for endurance training and physical testing. It is by far the best and most reliable rowing machine on the market. Here are a few other programs and organizations besides the rowing world that use the Concept 2.
US Marines Utilize Indoor Rower as Part of “Combat Conditioning” Program
Burlington, VT ―
The Marine Corps War Fighting Laboratory (MCWL) has partnered with Concept2 to put its Marines to the ultimate fitness test. Captain Justin Jordan from MCWL is currently working with Marines from Camp Lejeune, NC, to test a new form of fitness training called “Combat Conditioning.” To help determine which fitness program is the most effective training tool, the Marines are using the Concept2 Indoor Rower.
“Performance on the Concept2 Indoor Rower will give a strong indication of a Marine’s physical preparedness,” said Captain Jordan. “By comparing scores on the rower before and after a Marine goes through our conditioning programs, we can test the effectiveness of each regimen.” Traditionally, athletic testing is assessed by a regimen of running, sit-ups, and pull-ups.
I am holding a rowing camp in November (2004). Thomas Lange from Germany, Gold 88′ and 92′ and Bronze 96′, men’s single scull; Marnie McBean from Canada 4 Olympic Medals; myself (Zeno Mueller from Switzerland …Gold 96′ and Silver 00′) and Rob Waddell from New Zealand, former Indoor World Record Holder with a 5:36 2000m race, and 2000 Gold medal men’s single scull. We will all run the four-day camp together.
The following blog was inspired by this article that was featured In The July 2010 Issue of Rowing News Magazine … ‘Top 12 US Rowing Coaches Of All-Time’
With any piece of workout equipment, proper setup and use provides the most efficient way to guarantee optimum results and less opportunity for injury. The Concept2 Rowing machines that we use at Roworx are no exception. The below 2 minute video provides some insight into the proper setup of your erg to help assist you in taking full advantage of the benefits our workouts have to offer.
by Elaine McMillion
For the Daily Mail
Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va.–Helen Lee firmly grips the handles of the rowing machine with both hands as she wiggles her small, white Easy Spirit sneakers onto the feet stirrups.
She takes a deep breath and pulls her elbows back by her sides, her hands to her midsection.
On February 19, 2010, Ron Long attempted to establish a new world record for number of Meters Rowed in a twenty-four hour period. This video is the 2nd part of the interview that I conducted with Ron on that day. On the first video, Ron Long Attempts to Set World Record for Meters Rowed in 24 Hour Period, Ron discusses the rules of the challenge and his passion for rowing.
In this video Ron tells us of the importance of nutrition, how he fuels his body for his daily wellness and the challenges of competition.
On the early morning hours of February 19, 2010, Ron Long settled into a comfortable position on a Concept2 Erg at the Roworx warehouse location in Long Beach, California. He strapped his feet in place, reached forward and grabbed the handle, positioned himself at the catch, and certainly had a million thoughts on his mind. The one that I imagine was firmly planted in the forefront of those thoughts was; twenty-four hours from now I will have completed quite a feat and possibly hold a world record.
Attempting a challenge that combines body numbing endurance, as well as having to set a pace designed to break the existing record must have been daunting.
I stopped by to see and interview Ron about five hours into his quest. As I watched him rowing strong, I remembered that I had once driven cross-country for twenty-one hours straight. Stopping only to gas up, grab a bite and a quick pit stop. I can hardly imagine the stress Ron was going to be putting on his body as he attempted to break, what I was soon to discover, were two world records for number of Meters Rowed in a twenty-four hour period. He was attempting to break both the record for his age category of 280,000+ meters, and the overall world record of 300,000+ meters.
As you can see in this short video Ron has a passion for rowing and a passion for life. Although he came up a little short in his attempt to break the world records, his accomplishment was nothing short of remarkable. Ron completed his twenty-four hour journey racking up 252,119 meters. THAT’S OVER A QUARTER MILLION METERS!!!
This video follows Coach Stephen Gladstone and his University of California crew team in their quest to rebuild the once dominant rowing program. Gladstone was widely regarded as one of the most influential coaches in rowing, and had a reputation for building champions. In 1976, he led California to their first championship together, and later at Brown University his crews amassed five more IRA varsity titles. In his second stint at Cal, the team experienced heartbreaking defeats and unexpected challenges, but Gladstone and his squad never lost sight of their ambitious desire to bring the national trophy back to the Ebright Boathouse. In 1999 all of the elements came together when the Varsity eight set the course record, and ultimately delivered four consecutive IRA varsity titles.
In this clip at :36 to :42 seconds you can see Jack rowing and training on the rowing machine as Steve Gladstone talks about what it takes to be a great rower/athlete.
US Marines Utilize Indoor Rower as Part of “Combat Conditioning” Program
September 9th, 2004, 2:10 pm
by Elaine McMillion
