Silver Lake Rowing Club

Elementary School Indoor Rowing Program

Manual

WHYROW?It’sELEMENTARY!

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The Silver Lake Rowing Club was founded in 1999 by a group of volunteers with the support of local service groups, business, government and individuals. We offer competitive rowing programs at the high school and inter-city levels to provide youth from across Norfolk and Haldimand with the opportunity to achieve their personal best in our sport. We also offer recreational rowing programs that provide an enjoyable fitness alternative for youth entering Grades 7, 8 and 9 as well as adults of all ages.

The Silver Lake Rowing Club’s Elementary School Indoor Rowing

Program began in January 2008 and has been flourishing ever since. In 2010 over 40 local elementary school rowers participated at the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships and more than 60 participated at our local indoor rowing competition.

In this manual, you will find:

About Our Indoor Rowing Program ……………………………………..Page 3 Why Row?................................................................................................Page 4 How to Row on Ergometers..………………………………………..……..Page 5 How to Take Care of Ergometers / Parts of the Ergometer….………Page 7 Some Workout Ideas.……..............................……………………….…...Page 8 A Promotional Flyer for students and teachers…………………………Page 10 Ergometer Loan Agreement Form……………………………..……........Page 11 Contacts / Links of Interest…..................................................................Page 12

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ABOUT OUR INDOOR ROWING PROGRAM

The Elementary School Indoor Rowing Program targets students in Grade 3 and above. The program is designed to introduce rowing as a fun physical fitness alternative that is based in their school. Throughout the year, specific months are set aside for schools to borrow rowing machines from the Silver Lake Rowing Club.

The program generally begins in the fall. From early September to

just before Christmas break and again between early January and late June, the Silver Lake Rowing Club will make a total of nine rowing machines (also known as “ergometers”) available to elementary schools taking part in the program. Generally, four ergometers are assigned to each school for up to four weeks at a time.

Silver Lake Rowing Club high school coaches and club athletes will

conduct a demonstration for teachers and students. This demonstration can be done as part of a school assembly or by going from room to room in the school. Our club athletes will demonstrate rowing technique and talk about their experiences with rowing. They serve as excellent role models for elementary school students.

If at least one class in your school decides to participate in the

program, teachers and students will be instructed on general rowing technique and how to care for the ergometers (see pages 4 and 5) by coaches and athletes of the Silver Lake Rowing Club. Students then have several weeks to practice on, and enjoy, the machines under the supervision of their teachers and with the occasional visit of Silver Lake Rowing Club athletes.

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In January, a “Winter Training Clinic” will be held for anyone wanting some extra instruction on proper technique. Training is led by Silver Lake coaches and athletes. This clinic is an ideal way for those students entered in the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships to further prepare for their race. The clinic will be held at the Silver Lake Rowing Club training room located at the Farmers’ Market building in Port Dover and will run for a few hours in the late morning. It’s free for all teachers and elementary school students participating in the program! The Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships are being held on February 6th at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga. Last year, approximately forty elementary school students from across Norfolk County attended. For more information, visit: www.cdnindoorrowing.org On March 26th, the Silver Lake Rowing Club coaches and rowers will host the “Silver Lake Rowing Club Elementary School Ergatta”. This is a fun-filled event where students from across the County who have participated in the program can take part in individual races and team relays.

All ergometers must be returned to the Silver Lake Rowing Club by late June.

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WHY ROW?

Rowing exercises all of your major muscle groups: legs, arms, back,

abdomen, and buttocks. Rowing exercises muscles through a wider range of motion than

most other exercises. This means that your muscles stretch and your joints move to a greater extent, thereby promoting flexibility and mobility.

Rowing provides aerobic and anaerobic conditioning as well as strength conditioning.

Rowing is a great calorie burner. Recent research shows that rowing burns calories faster than biking at the same perceived level of exertion

Rowing is a lifelong sport that can be performed and enjoyed by all ages.

Rowing is a smooth motion, rhythmic, and impact free. Rowing offers diverse opportunities: inside, outside, on water, on

land, competitively, or for self-satisfaction. Rowing is a time-efficient workout. It doesn’t take long to get a

great workout. Rowing is a complete exercise. Rowing does not discriminate against age or gender.

On an individual level, rowing may offer these additional benefits:

To reduce stress and anxiety. To keep in shape for other sports, or as a great warm up for activities

such as running or weight lifting. Weight loss, blood pressure reduction. For relaxation and meditation, to clear one’s mind, to help one

sleep. For exercise when injured, rehabilitation. The movement is inherently satisfying. Promotes mental well-being and self-esteem. For the challenge of improving, and competing against oneself. For camaraderie, to meet nice people. For the FUN of it!

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HOW TO ROW ON ERGOMETERS

To start, use a damper setting of 1-3 (to the right side of the monitor and wheel). This may feel light at first, but once you get used to the mo-tion and get the wheel spinning faster, the resistance will rise

Have someone watch the rower to help them match their body

positions to those shown below. These positions should be blended together to make a smooth and continuous stroke with no stopping at any point in the stroke.

Aim for a stroke rate of between 24 and 30 strokes per minute as displayed on the Performance Monitor. Grip should be loose and comfortable; wrists should be level. There are four segments to a full rowing stroke: the catch, the drive, the release, and the recovery. These segments are consecutive and repeated. Catch: The catch is the beginning of the rowing stroke. For a “full slide” stroke, the rower should have their knees bent and be sitting up near the monitor. Arms are out straight and the upper body is pressed against the rower’s thighs in order to get as much reach as possible.

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Drive: The drive is the “pulling” portion of the stroke, which begins with the rower pushing down on their foot-holders, using their leg muscles to begin the motion to the back of the slide. After the initial ‘push off’ with the legs, the rower pivots their upper body backward, and brings their arms into the stroke by bending their elbows and pulling their handle into their stomach. At this time the rower is simultaneously straightening their legs. The handle should just lightly touch their stomach before the next portion of the stroke.

Release: The release begins when the rower has their knees/legs flat and their arms bent, with the handle lightly touching their stomach. Their upper body is angled slightly back behind their hips with (hopefully) good posture. Shoulders are relaxed and elbows hang down. Immediately after getting to this position, the rower leaves it and goes into the Recovery by shooting their arms out straight and following with their upper body pivoting forward. After this, the knees can bend up again.

Recovery: The recovery begins where the release left off, as the rower is bending their knees and leaning forward, sliding the seat towards the monitor to return to the “catch” position to begin the next stroke.

• For a comprehensive video demonstration of proper rowing

technique, visit this web-page:

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http://www.concept2.com/us/training/technique.asp

• Just like any other physical activity, those participating should lightly stretch every muscle group before (very lightly for 3-5 seconds each muscle), and after (for 10 seconds each muscle).

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF ERGOMETERS

Silver Lake Rowing Club will perform specific maintenance, such as cleaning the chains, repairing monitors, etc.

However, when the ergometers are being borrowed by the schools,

these schools are expected to clean the handles, seats and the rail that the seat slides on. You can do this using any glass cleaner and a cloth and simply wipe with care. At the end of each day, please have the handles returned to the monitor stand, so as not to put excess strain on the chain.

Silver Lake Rowing Club will send the ergometers to the schools with

new batteries in them. However, if the ergometer runs out of battery while in the care of the school, to replace them, use two Alkaline D batteries.

PARTS OF THE ERGOMETER

Monitor

↓

Flywheel ↓ Seat Slide

Handle ↓ ↓ ↓ ↑

Chain ↑ Foot-holders (or “foot-stops”)

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SOME WORKOUT IDEAS

There are numerous ways to use the rowing machines. Some ideas for fun “workouts” are:

• Distance/Time Pieces:

The rowers set the monitor for a distance (e.g. of 100m, 250m, 500m, 1000m) and try to complete it in as little time as possible.OR: the rowers set the monitor for a certain amount of time (e.g. 5 minutes) and see how many meters they can complete in that time.

• Pyramids:

You don’t have to be in Egypt to discover the wonders of a Pyramid! Set the workout for 11 minutes. Row the first 3 minutes at a “rowing stroke rate” (“spm”) of 18, Row the next 2 minutes at 20 spm (strokes per minute), and the next 1 minute at 22 spm. Then row 2 minutes at 20spm and the last 3 at 18 spm again. (The “pyramid” name comes from the decreasing then increasing time segments and increasing then decreasing stroke rates) 22 (1)

20 20 (2) (2)

18 18 (3) (3)

• Travel to Wonderland:

As a class, have each student mark down the number of kilometres they do in a week. See how long it takes you, as a class to row the distance to and from Wonderland (300 km total). Print out a map to make it more realistic for the kids and highlight the amount you’ve done together, in total, each week.

• Staircase :

At every minute mark, increase the speed of your rowing (stroke rate) by 2 spm, until you get to around 35 spm (vary depending on ability and how long you feel like rowing that day).

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• Contact Dave Wilson for more ideas such as The Fish Game and team rowing:

davewilson@silverlakerowingclub.com

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WhyRow?It’sElementary!

TheSilverLakeRowingClub

offers you the opportunity to experience the sport of rowing

WHAT?:We’re introducing the amazing sport of rowing to our area’s elementary school students !

WHEN?:Schools can borrow rowing machines in the early fall and late spring as well take part in various events in January, February and April! For more details contact Dave Wilson at: davewilson@silverlakerowingclub.com.

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ERGOMETER LOAN AGREEMENT

BETWEEN SILVER LAKE ROWING CLUB AND THE GRAND ERIE

SCHOOL BOARD SCHOOL

Loan of ________(#) ergometers

For the time period from_____________to _____________2010. The Silver Lake Rowing club (SLRC) agrees to loan the above mentioned school the above mentioned number of ergometers (indoor rowing machines) for the above mentioned time frame.These ergometers are for use under adult supervision and guidance in physical education classes or extra curricular activity. Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB) approves of the in-school ergometer program and the schools being loaned the ergometers shall make every attempt to avoid damage to them. They will store and use the ergometers in a secure place and provide proper supervision when ergs are in use and will accept all liability should an ergometer user become injured while using the equipment at the school. SLRC will be responsible for the maintenance of these ergometers. Schools will encourage the participation of students at a fun indoor rowing machine event, called an ergatta, held and run by SLRC and the high school rowing athletes. This ergatta will be held in early spring and a small fee will be charged for those students attending. This fee is understood to go towards the initial cost of the machines as well as to their maintenance.

___________________________ Date: _____________2010

(School Signature)

_______________________________ (please print name and position) ___________________________ Date: _____________2010 (SLRC President)

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CONTACTS / LINKS OF INTEREST:

• Dave Wilson is Coordinator of the Elementary School Indoor Rowing program and can be contacted at: davewilson@silverlakerowingclub.com or 519-426-7013

• Concept 2 is the company that makes the ergometers. For more information about indoor rowers, technique and workout alternatives, visit: www.concept2.com

• To find out more about the Silver Lake Rowing Club visit: www.silverlakerowingclub.com or call Jim Dover at 519-426-5677

• Information about the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships can be found at: www.cdnindoorrowing.org

• Information about the sport of rowing can be found at:

Rowing Canada: www.rowingcanda.org

ROWONTARIO: www.rowontario.ca

The Silver Lake Rowing Club would like to thank Rowing Canada for their financial support which made it possible for the Silver Lake Rowing Club to purchase four indoor rowing machines for use in the Elementary School Indoor Rowing Program.