Recently there has been more and more discussion on the importance of eating well and getting the right food in your system. The U.S. government has realized that it is an issue that can no longer be ignored.
Now that we are approaching the spring season I thought this would be a great time to discuss the difference between Roworx and the “other gyms” that people have to choose from. I had received an email a few days ago from a few Roworx & Gold’s Gym Members about the impact that our specialized rowing instructors had made on their lives.
 Three-time Olympic rower, Miroslav Vrastil of the Czech Republic has taken his love of competing to a new level. Vrastil, 58, plans to break a world record by completing 22 Ironman triathlons in one year and the father of five has already begun. Vrastil started rowing when he was 12 years old in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia. For 18 years he competed in rowing while representing his country up to the age of 35. After competing at three Olympic Games (1972, 1976 and 1980), Vrastil was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his leg.“I was not sure if the doctor was telling me or somebody else,” says Vrastil. “I could not believe it and my hands started shaking. I was only 30. Their final diagnosis was a necessary amputation of my right leg. I made my decision of not having my leg amputated even if that meant living for three months only or less.”Vrastil received no cancer treatment, opting just for surgery to remove the tumour. He estimates he stepped back from training for just six months.” I was not doing sport actively during this six-month period – my knee was out of function and I was trying hard to make it move with the help of my father no matter how painful it was. It went very slowly but it went. The tumour  was still growing but it stopped after three months from the operation. I started to train again slowly in a rowing swimming pool with the help of my colleague Pavel Konvicka in the spring of 1982.” That year Vrastil rowed at the world championships finishing fourth in the men’s four. After retiring from competitive rowing, Vrastil remained involved in the sport as a professional coach. He continued this for five years but with the political change and his country becoming the Czech Republic, Vrastil stopped coaching to become a school teacher. Even when two of his children started to row, Vrastil did not come back to the sport. Then triathlon entered Vrastil’s life. After a 10-year period of doing very little physically, Vrastil was persuaded to try triathlon. His first race, a duathlon, is memorable in his finish.”The result was horrible for me, in fact I was nearly the last out of 130 competitors of all age groups. It was there (in 1988) that I decided to change it and go for it with all that it takes,” says Vrastil.”My rowing experience and sports experience in general have helped me in life. To strive, to compete, and not to give up, and that reflects in triathlons too,”says Vastil.Then along came the idea to beat the world record of doing 20 Ironman races in a year. Vrastil has set a target of 22 races and his list includes races around the globe. An Ironman consists of a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and a 42.2km run and to reach the target of 22 Vrastil will be doing two, sometimes three, in a month. |
Guess What?? We are going to be unique this year and offer class at 9:30AM at the Warehouse (1347 Loma Ave, L.B.) on Thanksgiving Day in order to kick off the 2010 Holiday Challenge. Jack Nunn will be leading class and making sure that can maximize your Thanksgiving Day.
Be sure to join in the fun on the Holiday Challenge and log your meters online at www.Concept2.com under team affiliation Powerhouse Fitness . It’s FREE..It’s FUN.. It’s VERY MOTIVATING and..It’s for CHARITY!!!
As in the past two years, we have selected several charities to choose from for those who wish to allocate their meters to a good cause. This year, the theme is water—protection of this resource for both health and conservation.
Photo by nate archer
How you will continue to lose weight this holiday season!
Growl, the holidays are here and we all know what that means! Parties, alcohol, food, sweets, treats and everything that makes us merry!
This year I encourage members seeking weight loss to keep their goal in mind. We will not eliminate the joyful items above we will simply remember that to much of any of them will deter us from our goal!
In this newsletter you will find some great new additions to Roworx like Personal Training, you will find some great weight loss tips for the season and some awesome NEW email options!
Click here to sign up for the Holiday Concept 2 Challenge November 25th!
Our goal is 50+ members for this challenge!
Regarding the Fall Challenge
Jack returns to Swoop’s World Radio Wednesday night for another interview with Swoop and Peter. Jack returns to the long Beach studios this time to join his good friend U.S. Olympics Gold Medalist & 9/11 Ground Zero responder Jason Read.
Jason and Jack will join Swoop’s World Radio to give lowdown on their friendship, the sport of rowing and Jason’s experiences on 9/11.
Of course conversation will cover the long and difficult road Jason travels as he trains for a third Olympics in what some have referred to as one of the toughest most competitive sports in the world.
Rob Waddell
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 the Concept2 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.
Happy October Roworx Members!
I have some fun and exciting news for the month of October! Great new tools have been added to the fitness program to ensure maximum results on your body toning!
Read on for customized class descriptions, news and the new tools!
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.
The benefits of rowing are pretty amazing. Whether you row on the water with the wind in your hair or at our indoor rowing gym with it’s incomparable view of Marine Stadium, you’ll notice the difference in just a few sessions.