Rowing Through the World Cup: The Soccer Fan’s Workout

The World Cup is here!  So many hours of game time, SO many hours waiting for something to happen.  Why not set up your rowing machine in front of the TV  so you can cheer your team on while still getting in a great workout?

Sure, you could row steady-state through the whole thing, but a typical game runs around 100 minutes with stoppage time, and no commercials to break it up! Give the game a little variety by following these rules for the UCanRow2 Soccer Fan’s Workout:

Set up your rowing machine with a straight view of the TV so you don’t have to crank your neck upwards or to the side.  After the national anthem, start off with easy rowing for 6-10 minutes at 20-24 SPM.  Once you’re in your zone, hold a steady pace at 22-24 SPM or lower, but make sure you keep it controlled and don’t get too sidetracked by the TV in front of you.  Remember, hold good technique!

Up Your Game: Once the action begins, a yellow card, goal, injury, etc., add in the following for a little variety.

Yellow Card – Bad boy! 20-stroke sprint at race pace.

Corner Kick – Drop your stroke rating to 20 strokes per minute or lower for the duration of the play. Remember to s-l-o-w your slide on the recovery to help you row low.

Substitution – Water break!

Injury – Wish them luck to get back in the game with 10 hard strokes, 20 if the player is taken off the field on a stretcher.

Goal – Celebrate really loud with a big “GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!” and then put the handle in the hook and do 10 jumping jacks or burpees.  Get back on the erg and grab a sip of water.

Penalty Kicks – Place handle in the hook and do 5 bodyweight squats during each kick.  In between kicks, get back on the erg but don’t strap in (This is a good opportunity to practice rowing with your feet out of the straps).

Half time – If you need a break, put the handle in the hook and record your meters.  That’s the number you want to try to beat in the second half of the game.  Bathroom break if you need it, or grab a healthy snack like a banana or an energy bar.  Make sure to stretch and get back on the erg for the start of the second half.  If you don’t need a break, just keep rowing! Do 6 x 1 minute of effort, 1 minute paddle then easy paddle. Remember to get fluids before the start of the second half.

Game Over – At the end of the game, record your meters in your online logbook and try to meet or exceed your meters for the next game.

Great job, soccer fan! Hopefully your team took the WIN!  Got suggestions for other ways to spice up the World Cup row?  Pop down to the comments and share!