Move of the Month: The Great Indoor Migration
Kneeling Pallof press, band in and band out. More in our “Core Rotation and Anti-Rotation Move."
by GRP rower Sophie Calabrese
As the weather turns and outdoor training becomes less appealing, many of us migrate indoors. Rowers return to the erg, cyclists hop on the trainer, runners take to the treadmill, and suddenly the gym is more present in our lives than before. While the equipment and movement might look similar, indoor training isn't quite the same thing as being outside.
On the water, a rowing shell moves beneath you. On the bike, you make constant adjustments to maintain your balance and position. Running outdoors exposes you to changing terrain and irregular footing. Moving indoors and onto different equipment removes many of these dynamic variables, usually placing you in a more fixed or static position. This can be great for being able to continue your training, but it also means you need to be mindful of how your body adapts to having less stimulus.
That's where the weight room can help out. With a lack of dynamic stimuli in your cardio, the weight room can make up for that by building strength for the demands of your sport. For running and cycling, target single-leg strength, hip stability, calf strength, and trunk control. For rowing, target posterior-chain strength, hip mobility, and trunk endurance. Strength training won't perfectly replicate the demands of being outdoors and doing your sport, but it can help prepare you to tolerate training loads and handle the demands your sport places on your body. Read below for specific exercises to help each sport:
Running
Bulgarian split squats
Single-leg Romanian deadlifts
Standing calf raises
Bent-knee calf raises
Lateral step-downs
Pogo jumps
Single-leg hops
Cycling
Bulgarian split squats
Single-leg Romanian deadlifts
Step-ups
Standing calf raises
Side plank
Rowing
Front squats
Barbell or dumbbell rows
Pull-ups or lat pulldowns
Back extensions
Split squats
There are some machines that allow for slightly more stimulating training even in a different environment, like the dynamic rowing machine, but they aren't very common. Make use of them if you can, but don't be afraid to lean into the movements listed above to build your body's capacity for your return to sport in the spring!