[Dane]

I’m about to start a new training block after spending the summer workout out my beer arm and have been thinking about ways to approach recovery workouts better. I know swimming seems to be the go to but that’s kind of a non-starter for me. The last few training cycles I went through I would just go on walks around my neighborhood for recovery but I want to find something that gets me off my feet because I keep having mild tendonitis flare ups in my ankles. I was looking at getting either a row or bike erg and was wondering if there’s a consensus as far as one being better than the other. I’m mostly training for mountain running but I do have at least one non-technical mountaineering goal next summer and I’m trying to include upper body stuff in my strength workouts because I figure why not.

Topic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on October 13, 2020 at 10:34 am #45945

I think you answered your question. If it were run only, I would say bike. But if you want something whole-body, then rowing makes sense.

The key to any of them is to remember that the intent is not increased fitness in these workouts, so keep it really easy. The goal is just to move and recover.

[Dane]

Dane on October 13, 2020 at 4:12 pm #45957

Thanks for the reply Scott. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t some reason to avoid rowing in favor of something else since I don’t feel like I see it mentioned much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on October 14, 2020 at 10:47 am #45970

With the exception of technical climbing, most of the sports we coach are very leg-dominant, and rowing is quite a power exercise for the upper body.

Skimo and XC skiing are quadripedal and benefit from upper body work, but there are more specific means to train those two (with poles).

[Dane]

Dane on October 14, 2020 at 12:17 pm #45973

That makes sense. I haven’t been on a rower in a long time but my memory of it was always my legs/hips being the first thing to feel gassed. That was also back when I was doing crossfit and they loved to pair rowing up with other leg stuff so maybe it was just that my upper body wasn’t as taxed. Or my memory isn’t accurate.

Just out of curiosity, if I do end up going with a bike erg is there any sort of upper body/core recovery work you guys use? I was thinking maybe inclined pushups, pull ups with enough of a band to take a lot of the weight off, that kind of thing. I just know that my shoulders and back always feel like they suffer as I progress with upper body strength work and no amount of rolling seems to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on October 15, 2020 at 4:58 am #45981

I just know that my shoulders and back always feel like they suffer as I progress with upper body strength work and no amount of rolling seems to help.

Do you mean for strength or mobility?

For strength, our basic core routine is a good one. For mobility, I really like Starrett’s Supple Leopard book.

[Dane]

Dane on October 15, 2020 at 9:57 am #45994

Sorry I meant recovery from strength work. I feel like even adding a walk or two in during the week when I’m training helps my legs feel like they come back to life a little but upper body strength work just progressively wears me down over the months to the point where I want to stop doing it by the end of a training cycle. I’ve been doing what I remember from following Starrett’s stuff but nothing seems to give my upper back and shoulders that feeling of coming back to life like recovery sessions for my legs do. I’m just always on the lookout for something new to try to recover. I never got around to getting Supple Leopard though so maybe it’s time to check it out.

As I’m typing this out it’s occurring to me I might be doing too much too soon with the upper body strength workouts too. I’m about to start a new training cycle next month and I’m trying to figure out things I can do better this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on October 16, 2020 at 4:49 am #46014

As I’m typing this out it’s occurring to me I might be doing too much too soon with the upper body strength workouts too.

That was my thought too after reading your last post.

If you’re looking for something similar to the walks, maybe it’s worth changing swimming from a “no go”. (Put a flutter board under your abdomen, etc.)

[Dane]

Dane on October 16, 2020 at 6:11 pm #46028

If you’re looking for something similar to the walks, maybe it’s worth changing swimming from a “no go”. (Put a flutter board under your abdomen, etc.)

To be completely honest it’s not so much a skill thing with swimming that keeps me away from it than the feeling of going back to being the fat kid in gym class. It’s a hard thing to get over for whatever reason but maybe this is the thing I need to use to help me get over that.