Just got back from orientation the other day and met with a crew captain and it seems kinda cool to try it out. Anyone know any first hand experiance regarding it? I know it requires a ton of endurance and strong legs, what else? Getting up at the crack of dawn isn't too appealing however.
Question on Crew (rowing)
- Thread starter aolsuxs
- Start date
this is not first hand but i have friends that tried and from my observations at my college the crew team is a bunch of queers(figuratively and literally). They are generally very cocky and stik to themselves. My friends hated it cuz it interfered with them going out partying and scoring with chicks. So i dunno if you like rediculous physcial labor for no purpose, some a-hole screaming at you, being up at the time ppl are coming home from the bar and living a rediculous lifestyle then go for it. crew is a lifestyle make no mistake about that.
my rambling is over please disregtard all parts you dont like.
my rambling is over please disregtard all parts you dont like.
I had two roommates do it freshman year. They woke up at 5 to go to practice. They both quit it. Said it sucks.
EvilYoda
Lifer
- Apr 1, 2001
- 21,198
- 9
- 81
I'd imagine that it's something that it's something that you have to REALLY love, since it takes so much away from your life. And it's enormously taxing as well. I guess it kind of depends on what kind of school you go to, as at UM, it's pretty developed and the history's rich..........my friend tried out, (didn't make it, but was one off of the acceptance list, good for a 5'8" freshman) and he went through all sorts of sh*t to make it to practices and events.
And as for what it requires in the body, it's everything, endurance, strong legs, STRONG back.......and how tall are you? Most of the people at UM on the crew team are all over 6".......the shorter ones are SHORT, as they pack a lot of punch into every stroke.
And as for what it requires in the body, it's everything, endurance, strong legs, STRONG back.......and how tall are you? Most of the people at UM on the crew team are all over 6".......the shorter ones are SHORT, as they pack a lot of punch into every stroke.
silverpig
Lifer
- Jul 29, 2001
- 27,703
- 12
- 81
Here's a response from a rower.
I rowed at UBC for one year. It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of pain. It also kinda fscked up my school work pretty badly.
Here's a typical week:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Row on the water from 5:30 to 7:30 am. Go to class all day. Row in the gym from 5:30 to 6:30, do a 10 km run, 30 minute ab workout, get home at ~8:00.
(note: after the rowing workout, expect to throw up about 20% of the time)
Wednesdays: Same as above, just no scheduled team row in the afternoon. We were expedted to do something ourselves though.
Saturdays: Row on the water from 8 am until noon.
Sundays: No team practice, but we were expected to do something physical like running, biking etc.
Your hands will blister up REALLY badly. As one of my coaches said: "You'll eventually get rough, blistered, calloused hands. Girls love it when you rub them on their breasts."
Also, I was doing a combined honours physics/astro degree... my marks went down the tube. There was one engineer, one bio guy, and all the rest were human kinetics (read: university gym) students.
As for what it requires, cardio is huge. I mean HUGE. That was the main place where I lacked (although it builds up VERY quickly...). Despite the fact that I could do a 10 km run in about 40 minutes while laughing and talking (and singing hehe), my cardio was still pretty weak. My low rate power erg scores were best on the novice team (and were decent by the JV standards), but once we got into the intense high rate stuff, my scores became average.
Strong legs are big too, as are strong shoulders/back. (you don't have to be the Hulk when you start of course... they'll work on it with you).
Also, it's VERY frustrating your first few weeks out as it's very difficult to get the stroke just right. There are varsity guys who have rowed for 4 years and are in the national training program here that still have to work on it. Getting your crew to row in time takes time.
But, if you can deal with all of this, it's definitely very rewarding. You'll be in the best shape of your life, have a ripped body the girls will love, and then there's the experience. We rowed some late fall mornings here in Vancouver in the waters just beside downtown. We started before all the boat traffic was out on water that looked like glass. The sun was just about to come up, and we really got going right at sunrise. I tell you there's nothing like practicing a racing start at sunrise while rowing bow seat (me hehe).
The coach calls out ready. Everyone sits up half slide, all tensed and ready to go. You can see 8 puffs of breath in the morning cold just ahead of you. Then the coach yells out ROW! You slam your heels down and pull like crazy. Everything stands still for what seems like 5 seconds, but is really only half a second. All 8 oars then let out a loud snap and jiggle as they pop out of the water, the slides rush back, the oars click into place, and it happens again... After the first 24 strokes, the boat is just flying along, and all you hear is chunk, woooshhhhhh.... chunk, whoooosshhhh... You feel it burn for the full 2000 metres, then puke your guts out the side of the boat... It's the best
I rowed at UBC for one year. It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of pain. It also kinda fscked up my school work pretty badly.
Here's a typical week:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Row on the water from 5:30 to 7:30 am. Go to class all day. Row in the gym from 5:30 to 6:30, do a 10 km run, 30 minute ab workout, get home at ~8:00.
(note: after the rowing workout, expect to throw up about 20% of the time)
Wednesdays: Same as above, just no scheduled team row in the afternoon. We were expedted to do something ourselves though.
Saturdays: Row on the water from 8 am until noon.
Sundays: No team practice, but we were expected to do something physical like running, biking etc.
Your hands will blister up REALLY badly. As one of my coaches said: "You'll eventually get rough, blistered, calloused hands. Girls love it when you rub them on their breasts."
Also, I was doing a combined honours physics/astro degree... my marks went down the tube. There was one engineer, one bio guy, and all the rest were human kinetics (read: university gym) students.
As for what it requires, cardio is huge. I mean HUGE. That was the main place where I lacked (although it builds up VERY quickly...). Despite the fact that I could do a 10 km run in about 40 minutes while laughing and talking (and singing hehe), my cardio was still pretty weak. My low rate power erg scores were best on the novice team (and were decent by the JV standards), but once we got into the intense high rate stuff, my scores became average.
Strong legs are big too, as are strong shoulders/back. (you don't have to be the Hulk when you start of course... they'll work on it with you).
Also, it's VERY frustrating your first few weeks out as it's very difficult to get the stroke just right. There are varsity guys who have rowed for 4 years and are in the national training program here that still have to work on it. Getting your crew to row in time takes time.
But, if you can deal with all of this, it's definitely very rewarding. You'll be in the best shape of your life, have a ripped body the girls will love, and then there's the experience. We rowed some late fall mornings here in Vancouver in the waters just beside downtown. We started before all the boat traffic was out on water that looked like glass. The sun was just about to come up, and we really got going right at sunrise. I tell you there's nothing like practicing a racing start at sunrise while rowing bow seat (me hehe).
The coach calls out ready. Everyone sits up half slide, all tensed and ready to go. You can see 8 puffs of breath in the morning cold just ahead of you. Then the coach yells out ROW! You slam your heels down and pull like crazy. Everything stands still for what seems like 5 seconds, but is really only half a second. All 8 oars then let out a loud snap and jiggle as they pop out of the water, the slides rush back, the oars click into place, and it happens again... After the first 24 strokes, the boat is just flying along, and all you hear is chunk, woooshhhhhh.... chunk, whoooosshhhh... You feel it burn for the full 2000 metres, then puke your guts out the side of the boat... It's the best
Wow thanks for all the replies. Hmm so far sounds sooo coool yet so crappy. It will be my first year in college and hopefully I am will stop slacking and work my ass off as I plan to go to grad chool afterwards so all this about killing my grade isn't to positive. Along with the fact the 5 am workouts are not great to hear either. Is this a year round thing? If not I think I can manage. Looking for things to do in college ot make some friends and have fun and this seems interesting but again some draw backs. I think I will go try it out a few weeks and see how it goes. Thanks again for all the feedback
Roommate of mine rowed at UCB freshman year also. Had to get up at somethin like 430 in the morning. Just when I was going to bed, hehe
silverpig
Lifer
- Jul 29, 2001
- 27,703
- 12
- 81
<<Is this a year round thing?>>
If your school is anywhere near half serious about rowing, then yeah. What school are you going to? I know that UCB and Washington are the two top schools in the states for rowing, so if you're going to one of them, then yeah, it's year round.
If you don't want to join the crew, but still want to row, see if they have a rec rowing program. (what you should do to get good is join the crew for a month or two to get good, then quit and join rec... kinda crappy, but you'll be a decent rower at least.)
If your school is anywhere near half serious about rowing, then yeah. What school are you going to? I know that UCB and Washington are the two top schools in the states for rowing, so if you're going to one of them, then yeah, it's year round.
If you don't want to join the crew, but still want to row, see if they have a rec rowing program. (what you should do to get good is join the crew for a month or two to get good, then quit and join rec... kinda crappy, but you'll be a decent rower at least.)
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