Question

Scenario:

River Rosewell is a professional rower who has just been accepted into the USA athlete in residence program at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He has been team rowing since the age of 11. He attended Harvard University on a rowing scholarship is now 21 years old. He has spent the last year after graduation (graduated with a BS degree in Business) pursuing his dream of making it on to the USA rowing team for the single skulls event (heavyweight).
The typical length of a single skulls race is 2 kilometers. He rowed a practice event at the same course he is going to open the season at and had an average (average of two race runs) of 7.01 minutes. This placed him 12th out a field of 30 international qualifiers. This was good enough to qualify him for the actual rowing event event held 12 weeks later.
Assume that the “actual” race will be carried out under very similar weather conditions.
He has worked with a personal trainer for the last year, working on improving his basic strength, strength endurance, power and mobility, and is ready for more “sport specific training” as he approaches skulling circuit.   

Listed below are some of his current anthropometric and performance based characteristics

Physical Characteristics
Height 6”2
Weight 195lb
% Body Fat 11%
1RM Back Squat 330lb
1RM Power clean 260lb
1RM Bench press 280lb
Deadlift 450lb
CMVJ height (hands on hips) 27.0 inches
Can perform 20 bodyweight pull ups
Rowing ergometer, based incremental Vo2max 59ml.kg.min

1. Highlight the key physiological (and some anthropometric) characteristics which would seem important if you wanted to be an elite rower. Please provide rationales for your choices.

2. Design the first 4 weeks (1-4) of his preparation for the rowing event concentrating upon his; Strength and Conditioning, sport specific balance and mobility. Please spell out; exercises used and why, sets, reps, rest periods and relative loads used and why. Pay close attention to the exercises you prescribe and their physiological suitability for the sport of rowing.

Answer 1

Anthrometry is a science that deals with the measurement of size,weight and propotions of the human body.

It is empirical in nature and has developed quantitative methods to measure various dimensions.

Athletes have a constant drive to go faster,jump higher and be stronger and only using a well designed integrated strength program can this be done. The days of building muscle size and thinking this will make you better are over, sport and life are 3 dimensional. When playing sport we do not isolate muscle in order to move them, therefore they should not train them that way. Athletes must always be preparing to meet the demands of their sport. Sport situations require the ability to read and react in an environment of random events. Sport is unpredictable,demanding quick decisions,the ability to move explosively in any direction usually within short distances and you need your body to be able to think on the spot instinctively with automatically precise movements. this is the purpose of sports specific strength and conditioning. Doing bench press, deadlifts and squats will not improve abilities in lateral movement,balance or co-ordination which are essential for sports like football,basketball and tennis.

In sport and life,movement,balance and strength work in perfect harmony to produce skillful performance. Only an integrated training approach that develops all of these skills simultaneously to maximize your potential.