Faster with Bill Chambers: Recent Episodes
Bill Chambers
Long form in depth interviews with the best guests from the rowing world, coaches, sports scientists and athletes and everything in between, sharing ideas and inspiration to go Faster.
Online www.whchambers.com Instagram @alpineaussie Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bill.chambers.334
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Join me in my conversation with Michael Naughton, Chief Operations Officer Nielsen Kellerman.
- How Michael got started in rowing
- Origins of Nielsen Kellerman (NK)
- Development of the Cox Box and Stroke Coach through to today
- How the fallout between NK & Concept2 over the C2 rowing machine display enabled NK to grow
- Future innovations NK are working on
Michael holds a Master of Science, in Naval Architecture/Ocean Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Miami.
Join me as I discuss with Pete King and Dick Smith, from Oxford England, why and how they power meters in rowing. We discuss the brand they use. How they use the data to determine seating in the coxless four. How they use the data to understand strengths and areas for improvement.
Pete and Dick are two members of the Wallingford coxed four that won the masters title at the Head of The Charles regatta in 2017 and set a new course record in 2018. They are part of the highly successful Wallingford crew that have won multiple National and International masters rowing titles.
For more information and to subscribe to my newsletter, go to www.whchambers.com and subscribe.
Join me as I speak exclusively with Vincent Galliard, Executive Director of World Rowing, about the future direction of Rowing. In this episode, Vincent shares World Rowing's 15 year plan to transform the reach, the image and revenues of the sport. We discuss the expansion into coastal rowing, indoor rowing, plans to drive awareness and boost audience engagement. Vincent also talks about what we can expect after the 1,500m racing format at the LA Games. World Rowing's new partnership with Concept2 and the future of rowing in e-sports Games.
Join Greg and I, as we discuss how Greg uses power meters set the boat up, understand the effectiveness of the stroke and programme training with the power meter to help him go faster.
Greg Benning, started rowing at the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and has been engaged in the sport ever since. Greg won the Head of The Charles regatta over 20 times and the Silver Skiff International Time Trial 9 times.
For more information and to subscribe to my newsletter, go to www.whchambers.com and subscribe.
Join me as I speak with Matt Draper about his experience in rowing over the last 30-years that has taken Matt from High Performance Manager with Australian Rowing to organising Olympic and World Rowing Championship events.
Join me as I talk with highly experienced applied Sports Biomechanist Dr Conny Draper PhD about how what we can learn from how National Teams analyse the rowing stroke to go faster. Conny has a vast expertise in Rowing, Canoe Kayak (Sprint and Slalom), Para Sport, and a range of other sports including Diving, Swimming, Athletics.
Conny was the Senior Sports Biomechanist for Rowing at the Australian Institute of Sport and now Consulting in Applied Sports Biomechanics, to National Rowing Teams, Universities and Masters Rowers interested in taking analysis and applied understanding of how to move the boat to the next level.
Connect with Conny via LinkedIn
Connect via email
Multiple masters champion Greg Benning & I discuss how we look back on our last season and training to plan forward for the next season. Lessons learnt and tips from Greg and I to share and hopefully inspire you in your training and racing.
Dr Tony Rice is a legend in sports science and has been involved in sports science with Rowing Australia for more than two decades. Tony is the Head of Performance Support at Rowing Australia. Tony and I cover many topics, yet I was really curious to understand more about the Endurance Training Score (ETS) system that he developed, to quantify the specific training loads in rowing.
Tony covers in detail his thinking on how to breath in rowing for optimal performance. His experiments with the best race week taper, dynamic warm-ups and how to best activate the body to be ready to race.
Some fantastic insights into how the world's very best prepare to race, and what we can learn and adapt from these insights.
Nick Lloyd is the woman's coach at the Swiss Rowing Federation, and the assistant coach to Ian Wright. Growing up in Sydney Australia, Nick has been involved in and led the coaching of some of the most successful school crews in Australia and New Zealand. Now assisting Head Coach Ian Wright in the Swiss programme, Nick shares his thoughts on what it takes to bring a crew together as one to go fast, and his approach to technique.
Books mentioned in the interview.
- True Blue
- Last of the amatuers
- Boys in the boat
Video mentioned in the interview.
- ‘The Crew’ Rowing Documentary - Nudgee College
Marty Aiken is known world wide as one of best coaches around. Marty started coaching in the 1980's and has a track record of success at World Championships, Henley Royal Regatta and the Olympics having coached Xeno Muller to a Gold in 1996 and Silver in 2000, and the Gier brothers to Gold in 1996.
Marty has held positions with Rowing Australia, the Victorian Institute of Sport, GB Rowing, Scottish Institute of Sport and Swiss Rowing and was recognised as Coach of the year by the International Rowing Federation.
Marty is a great story teller with plenty of stories to share with us about his time working with Jürgen Gröbler, Harry Mahon, Paul Thompson and Chris O'Brian. Marty shares what it was like to coach Xeno Muller and the Gier brothers to Gold in the 1996 Olympics, along with his thoughts on how to move the boat fast.
Live interview with Iztok Cop, at the European Junior Championships, where Itzok explains the Filippi small boat range.
If you want to know what single scull is best suited to you, take some time to hear Itztok explain all the differences between the Filippi small boat range. Refreshingly open and fun conversation with one of the legends of our sport.
In this episode, I talk with Prof Samuele Marcora about how the brain regulates performance, and what we can do about this to go Faster.
Prof Marcora is well known in the world of sports science and considered an expert in this subject.
He has a Bachelor in Physical Education from the Higher Institute of Physical Education of Lombardy (Italy). A MSc in Human Performance at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (USA), and a PhD in Exercise Physiology at the University of Wales-Bangor (UK). He has taught at the Bangor University (UK) and the University of Kent (UK) , where he was made an honorary Professor.
Prof Marcora's research integrates exercise physiology with motivation psychology and cognitive neuroscience to better understand fatigue, endurance performance and physical activity behaviour. He is the author of Sport and the Brain: The science of preparing, enduring and winning, and has over 185 scientific articles, being cited over 10,000 times. He has been a consultant for many organisations including British Ministry of Defence, Juventus, MAPEI Sport and ASICS, and in 2018 he began his post at the University of Bologna, where he teaches applied physiology and training methodology.
What we cover in depth
- How the brain regulates performance
- What is the difference between pain and fatigue
- How his model differs from the classic understanding of fatigue, e.g central governor theory
- What’s going on ‘inside’ when we are racing at the limit and we ‘hear’ the voice inside saying counter productive messages
- Recommendations for masters rowers to prepare to do their best in a maximum test/race
- Interventions to maintain/increase performance when feeling fatigued
- How would you incorporate the application and training plan design
- How to integrate brain endurance training with traditional training sessions
- Advice to masters rowers looking to integrate this... a lot of science
- How brain endurance ties into recovery strategy, role of sleep and the role of meditation
- The most effective primers to ward off fatigue
- Recommended visual and audible cues
- Fatigue mediation/mitigation strategies, any good stories from power/endurance sports?
Samuele recommends the following books
- Endure by Alex Hutchinson
- Sport and the Brain: The science of preparing, enduring and winning
In this episode I cover the metrics that I track during a rowing season, to monitor and manage performance. This episode ought to be useful for anyone seeking to understand what training metrics and devices are best to improve their performance in rowing. To subscribe to my newsletter go to www.whchambers.com to sign up.
Join my conversation with Dr Charlie Simpson about nutrition for rowers.
- How to fuel for different training sessions
- What to eat and when after exercising or strength training
- Supplements (BCAA, Beta Alanine, Protein etc...)
- Are all calories the same
- What to watch out for in diets
- Options for vegetarians
Go to the episode webpage to download free material. www.whchambers.com
Dr Charlie Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at Oxford Brookes University
B.S. Kinesiology (University of Texas at Austin), MapplSci Applied Exercise and Sport Science (University of Sydney), PGCert Academic Practice (University of Reading), PhD Biomedical Sciences-Human Physiology (University of Aberdeen)
Links
My Fitness Pal https://www.myfitnesspal.com
EXR Rowing game https://exrgame.com
Hydrow indoor rowing https://hydrow.com
Books
- Advanced rowing. International Perspectives On High Performance.
- The Complete Guide To Indoor Rowing.
Excited to share this interview with Adrian Cassidy. Adrian has so much experience to share from rowing and high performance. Adrian rowed for Team GB winning world Championships from junior through to elite, before an accident that ended his rowing career. Adrian shares his come back story from a broken neck to a career as an international rowing coach. His experiences and insights from coaching at Cambridge University Boat Club, then British Rowing, and Rowing Ireland where he was chief coach.
Adrian shares some wonderful stories and insights into rowing and how his passion for excellence and helping others to achieve their potential led to the creation of Ludum, specialised performance management software to make life easier for rowers and rowing coaches. As well as setting up the Rowers Conference, to help advance rowing coaches skill and coaching expertise.
Excited to share with you my latest podcast episode, where I interview the dual Olympian and 776BC co-founder Cameron McKenzie-McHarg.
Cameron has a great story to tell. From growing up in a small country town, to discovering rowing at school. The attraction of other sports like Australian Football and being so good he was recruited by the Western Bulldogs in 1999. Cameron returned to rowing in 2001 with the goal of representing Australia at the Olympic Games, and rowed for Victoria and Australia for over 12 years, winning multiple World Cup and World Championships medals. Cameron has also represented Australia at two Olympic Games; Beijing 2008 and London 2012, with his career highlight claiming Silver in the Men’s Four at the Beijing Olympics. Now an entrepreneur and co-founder 776BC Cameron shares some great insights and lessons learnt from high performance sport that translate to business and life.
Career Highlights * 2012 London Olympic Games: 6th Men’s Eight * 2010 World Championships: Bronze Medal Men’s Eight * 2009 World Championships: Silver Medal Men’s Four * 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Silver Medal Men’s Four * 2008 Lucerne World Cup: Gold Medal Men’s Four * 2006 Poznan World Cup: Gold Medal Men’s Eight
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/776bc/?hl=en Tag @776bc #776BC #RealAthletes
Cameron Mckenzie-Mcharg (@cammcmc)
Join Greg and I, as we discuss Greg's preparations for this years Head of The Charles Regatta. How he adapted his training through Covid-19 and what he has been experimenting with.
Greg Benning, who started rowing at the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and has been engaged in the sport ever since. Greg is the Vice-Chair of US Rowing and a multiple winner of the Head of The Charles regatta.
This episode is a recording of the exclusive Live event for the Masters Rowing Group and my newsletter subscribers. For more information and to subscribe to my newsletter, go to www.whchambers.com and subscribe.
Listen to my conversation with Istvan Nemeth, Managing Director of Bont Shoes and Bont Rowing, as we discuss the importance of having the right fit and connection through the feet, from the drive and through the recovery. Istvan will cover some of the key points you need to pay attention to when choosing your shoe along with the latest developments from Bont Rowing.
Istvan and the team at Bont have a long history in creating shoes for cycling and rowing. With top World Tour Cycling, Olympic cycling and National Rowing crews using Bont shoes.
You can find out more on Bont Rowing.
This episode is a recording of the exclusive Live event for the Masters Rowing Group and my newsletter subscribers. For more information and to subscribe to my newsletter, go to www.whchambers.com and subscribe.
In this episode I chat with the amazing masters crew that set the masters record at the Head of The Charles Regatta (HOCR). The Wallingford crew of Mike Edge, Pete King, Steve Pearson and stroke, Richard Smith – coxed by Sara Ball, won the 2016 regatta by 30-seconds, with a new course record of 17mins 5 secs.
The crew share how they trained and prepared for the race. Everything from engaging a new coach, and partnering with an amazingly talented cox. How they used YouTube to get used to the bends and bridges, to mapping the race distance and course on their local stretch of water in Wallingford, Oxford.
You can discover more about the HOCR by clicking here.
Boat used was a Filippi coxed four out of Boston University.
If you are a Masters Rowers, and interested in training for the Head of The Charles Regatta, I have prepared training plans especially for you. Whether you are planning to race in Boston, or compete virtually, these plans will help you to be at your best. The plans are designed by the most successful Masters Rowers, specifically for the Head of The Charles, and for Masters with 6 hours a week all the way to 12 hours of training a week. Click on the link to check out the programs. HOCR Training Plan
My guest today is James Goodwin, Head of physical performance and science for the Swiss Rowing Federation.
This episode is an extract from the Live Strength & Conditioning Masterclass, where James is presenting strategies and approaches to strength training for Masters Rowers.
Join my free newsletter, and receive exclusive access to tools, tips and resources directly from Bill. Click here to sign up so you don't miss out.
My guest today, is Wendy Miller, from Mosman Rowing Club in Sydney Australia. Wendy competed in the 2019 Head of The Charles regatta, and gained 3rd place in her first attempt in the single sculls event. I first met Wendy in 2019, as she was travelling through Europe on holidays on her way to Boston. She gave me a call to ask if she could drop by Switzerland, (as you do:-) to do a spot of training with me, before heading over to race in the US. Wendy has a great story to share, with her journey through Europe, training on a yacht whilst sailing down the Italian coast, her ingenuity to source boats, blades and boathouses to use, staying with wonderful hosts in different cities, and finding races to sharpen up before the big event. Nothing stopped Wendy on her way to racing in the 2019 Head of The Charles regatta and having a great adventure along the way. I hope you enjoy listening to her journey as much as I did.
Head of The Charles Training Plans If you are a Masters Rowers, and interested in training for the Head of The Charles Regatta, I have prepared training plans especially for Masters Rowers. Whether you are planning to race in Boston, or compete virtually, these plans will help you to be at your best. The plans are designed by the most successful Masters Rowers, specifically for the Head of The Charles, and for Masters with 6 hours a week all the way to 12 hours of training a week. Click on the link to check out the programs. HOCR Training Plan
Excited to share my conversation with Tom Bishop, former Olympian (1976) and multiple winner of the Head of The Charles Regatta (2017, 18, 19). Tom shares some amazing stories about his persistence in being selected in the quad, and the challenges he overcame to represent his country. Being coached by Mike Spracklin, and what it takes to prepare for and win the Head of The Charles in the 70+ age group. Tom has an amazing track record of success, when ever he puts his hands on a boat, no matter what boat class. Tom has paired up with some amazing rowers over the last 15 years to win in all boat classes, from doubles, quad, four and eights that are unstoppable;Tom Potts, Colin Cusack, Sean Morris and Charles Parry. I hope you enjoy listening to Tom and hearing his approach to preparing to win and have fun along the way. Head of The Charles Training Plans If you are a Masters Rowers, and interested in training for the Head of The Charles Regatta, I have prepared training plans especially for Masters Rowers. Whether you are planning to race in Boston, or compete virtually, these plans will help you to be at your best. The plans are designed by the most successful Masters Rowers, specifically for the Head of The Charles, and for Masters with 6 hours a week all the way to 12 hours of training a week. Click on the link to check out the programs. HOCR Training Plan
Since its inception in 1965, The Head Of The Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR, is a rowing head race held in October each year on the Charles River, which separates Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. I thought it would be interesting to find out from the organisers, and rowers, what makes the HOCR so special, and what attracted them to fly half way around the world to race on the Charles River. Over the next weeks, I will be releasing episodes where I chat with crews from around the world, to share insights into what makes this regatta so special, and today I'm speaking with Blair Crawford, Chair of the HOCR Board of Directors. If you are a Masters Rowers, and interested in training for the Head of The Charles Regatta, I have prepared training plans especially for Masters Rowers. Whether you are planning to race in Boston, or compete virtually, these plans will help you to be at your best. The plans are designed by the most successful Masters Rowers, specifically for the Head of The Charles, and for Masters with 6 hours a week all the way to 12 hours of training a week. Click on the link to check out the programs. HOCR Training Plan
Charlie is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at Oxford Brookes University and well known for his publications on Rowing. The Complete Guide to Indoor Rowing and Advanced Rowing.
This Master Class, will present attendees with interesting information about the relationship between common rowing training practices and their effects on performance measures (e.g. aerobic function; lean body mass). Any discussion of training responses is incomplete without consideration of the dietary intake of an athlete, but rather than review generic aspects of a healthy diet, the presentation will provide evidence about the potential diet changes known to contribute to health and performance (particularly rowing performance). The Master Class will use pre-planned interactive opportunities to provide you with opportunity to actively engage with the session content, while also reflecting upon your approaches to training and diet. This approach makes it possible for willing attendees to share their views and practices as active session participants. After completing this session, attendees should be able to make informed decisions about the value of making specific changes to training approaches and diet.
- 17 April 2021 @ 20:00 Zürich 15:00 Boston
- 90-minutes Live on Zoom
- Interactive presentation
- Q&A time with Charlie
- Session recorded for playback after Master Class
Reserve your place and purchase your ticket, by clicking here.
Dr Valery Kleshnev, is a best selling author, 'Biomechanics of Rowing: A Unique Insight Into the Technical and Tactical Aspects of Elite Rowing', and considered an expert in Rowing Biomechanics, helping some of the world's best rowing teams to prepare.
In this brief chat with Valery, he talks about what you can expect to learn from attending his Master Class. How different technique and different boat set-up can help you to be faster and more efficient. Valery is going to share his 30-years of insights and observations of what is is that the world's best do to go fast, and practicle applications for you to apply to your own rowing. Including demystifying some of most common rowing myths: “boat check & do not stop the boat”, as well as “blade inefficiency at the catch”. Valery will also cover, boat velocity efficiency, blade propulsive efficiency, inertial efficiency, and rower’s efficiency and effectiveness.
You can purchase your ticket to attend the Master Class with Dr Valery Kleshnev by clicking here.
Excited to share my latest episode of the Faster Podcast, this time with Dr Charlie Simpson.
Charlie is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at Oxford Brookes University and well known for his publications. The Complete Guide to Indoor Rowing and Advanced Rowing.
In this episode, Charlie and I talk about how masters can train with intensity to improve their 1k sprint and head distance racing. Why strength training is important and how to go about it. Supplements and nutrition, what works and what doesn't. And a lot more... It's a long episode, and perfect for a long indoor endurance session.
- Defining training intensity
- The holy trinity in training intensity; heart rate, RPE and power
- Key training zones to pay attention to
- Lactate testing
- How to set up your season and week for training
- Nutrition and hydration strategies
- The Big 5 supplements that can make a real impact on performance
Thank you to our Faster podcast supporters: Precision Hydration, Bont Rowing, Filippi Boats and Citius Remex seat pads. These companies want to support Masters Rowers to go Faster and offer exclusive benefits to my newsletter subscriber. To gain access to exclusive bonus offers, ensure you subscribe to my newsletter.
If you'd like to connect with Charlie, you can join a Masterclass on Training & Nutrition, live via Zoom. Go to www.whchambers.com for more information.
My guest today is well known in the world of sports science and considered an expert in this subject. Originally born in Harare, Zimbabwe, he grew up in South Africa, studying Medicine and Exercise Science.
He is the author of several books on exercise and nutrition, including the Lore of Running and Challenging Beliefs and has over 750 scientific articles, being cited over 19,000 times.
In 2008, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (UK), and in 2015, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in recognition of his involvement in the field of Sports and Exercise Medicine. My guest has run over 70 marathons and has enjoyed rowing, whilst at university in South Africa.
My guest today is Prof Tim Noakes.
Books recommended by Prof Noakes
- The Big Fat Surprise, by Nina Teicholz
- Boat race: The Oxford revival, by Daniel Topolski
- The White Spider, written by Heinrich Harrer
YouTube Links
- Josh Dunkley Smith 2k Ergo
- TedX talk
The Noakes Foundation
- Link to website
Peter (Pete) Hardcastle, is well known in Australian and World Rowing. Pete represented Australia at the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympic Games in different boat classes. After the olympics, Pete moved to the UK in 2008, where he coached at Dulwich College, Emanuel School and London Rowing Club, and coached the men's four at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in 2014. In 2017, Pete joined Imperial College as the Head of Rowing and in his first season at Imperial, he coached the crew that won the Prince Albert Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta.
Pete is an amazing athlete, and still continues to amaze mere mortals, with his Ironman Triathlon exploits, and marathon running. In this episode, Pete and I explore what got him into rowing, and how he progressed to the U23 World Championships and then the Elite team under 4-years. We talk about personal motivation, and challenging others to explore what is possible. We review what is really going on with some of the rapid crews we are watching today, and he shares his tips on how to get yourself ready to race as well as preparing your race mindset.
This podcast is supported by, Precision Hydration, Bont Rowing, Filippi Boats and Citius Remex seat pads. For more information about our supporters, please ensure you subscribe to my newsletter (www.whchambers.com) to gain access to exclusive bonus offers.
My guest today is James Goodwin, Head of physical performance and science for the Swiss Rowing Federation. In this episode, James and I will be answering questions related to strength training for Masters Rowers.
- Best exercises for Masters Rowers
- Benefits of strength weights vs. light circuit style training
- How to best recover after weights training
This episode is supported by Precision Hydration. You can take Precision Hydration's free online sweat test at www.precisionhydration.com and save 10% on purchases when you use the code FASTER10 at check-out.
Anne-Marie Howald is well know in the rowing world, having represented Switzerland at the 1987 & 88 World Championships as a lightweight, and now as the Head Coach of the U23 and Junior Squad.
In 2018, Anne-Marie was awarded the “Swiss Olympic Coach Award” for the impressive achievements of the junior national team at the European Championships in Krefeld and the World Championships in Trakai.
Anne-Marie leads the talent identification of young rowers in Switzerland, with the 'Future Rowers' programme that takes promising young athletes through to the Elite level. In this episode, Anne-Marie covered how she first started in rowing and how that love for rowing, and high performance, has taken her on her own journey to coaching and inspiring others. Plenty of inspiration for the listener, some ideas and tips on how to move the boat faster, along with some nice insights into her time training with the legendary coach, Harry Mahon.
This podcast is supported by, Precision Hydration, Bont Rowing, Filippi Boats and Citius Remex seat pads. For more information about our supporters, please ensure you subscribe to my newsletter (whchambers.com) to gain access to exclusive bonus offers.
You can connect with Anne-Marie via email: anne-marie.howald@swissrowing.ch
Former FISA Secretary General, Director of Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and CEO of the Australian Sports Tribunal shares his thoughts on what rowing needs to do to stay relevant and thrive vs. survive.
John Boultbee AM, is well known in Australian as a lawyer and leading Australian sport administrator, particularly in relation to rowing and football. In 1990, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to rowing as an administrator. Between 1989 and 1995, John was Secretary General of the International Rowing Federation (FISA). John was a board member of the International Rowing Federation, Rowing Australia and Steward of the Henley Royal Regatta.
In part 2 of our 2 part interview, John shares his ...
- What John would do now to ensure rowing stays relevant
- How the exclusion of lightweight rowing is hurting the sport
- Why changing the format is not the answer to attract more people to rowing
- What rowing can learn from other sports
- What led to the Australian Olympic team's success in 2000
- Vision of the National Sports Tribunal
Connect with Bill to find out more about how to transform your business from those that have transformed businesses and teams at the highest level. www.whchambers.com
Former FISA Secretary General, Director of Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and CEO of the Australian Sports Tribunal shares his thoughts on what rowing needs to do to stay relevant.
John Boultbee AM, is well known in Australian as a lawyer and leading Australian sport administrator, particularly in relation to rowing and football. In 1990, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to rowing as an administrator. Between 1989 and 1995, John was Secretary General of the International Rowing Federation (FISA). John was a board member of the International Rowing Federation, Rowing Australia and Steward of the Henley Royal Regatta.
In part 1 of our 2 part interview, John shares his passion for rowing, as well as his perspective, on what rowing needs to do to stay relevant and exciting now and in the future.
- What FISA needs to do to make rowing relevant and exciting for the current and future generations.
- How rowing figures in future Olympic Games.
- Why we don't need create novel new events and why we need to capture the excitement of traditional rowing through well televised and an improved spectacle for the majority of people watching rowing.
- How better access through second screens and streaming, will help rowing to stay relevant.
- What we can learn from Henley Royal Regatta's approach.
- The importance of live data and animation.
- The excitement of Coastal Rowing and the role Coastal Rowing has to play in the future of our sport.
Connect with Bill to find out more about how to transform your business from those that have transformed businesses and teams at the highest level. www.whchambers.com
In this episode I connect with Istvan (Steven) Nemeth of Bont Rowing. Istvan, is a masters rower and cyclist, Director at Bont Cycling & Bont Rowing, workaholic, designer of Bont Cycling and Bont Rowing shoes. Bont Rowing is committed to producing the world’s best rowing shoes. Built around innovation, research and passion for the sport of rowing. Bont rowing shoes are used by World Champions at the elite and masters level, as well as many National and University crews.
- Importance of shoe fit
- Why anatomic shape of the shoe is so important in power transfer
- Correct foot stretcher angle
- The importance of materials for high-performance
- Why I personally use and recommend Bont Rowing shoes
Exclusive offer to my newsletter subscribers from Bont Rowing. You will get 20% off all Bont Rowing shoes purchases when you use the discount code at checkout. To find the discount code, either subscribe to my newsletter at www.whchambers.com or join the Masters Rowing Group on Facebook.
In this episode, Andy and I cover the topics related to hydration for masters rowing, and answer questions from the Facebook Masters Rowing Group. Click here to join the Masters Rowing Group on Facebook.
- How does hydration affect cramping
- What to drink, how much and when
- What to drink for training
- How does hydration affect blood volume and performance
- How do I know how much I sweat and how much salt I need
- How caffeine affects performance and dehydration
Andy has a few top 10 Ironman and 70.3 finishes and an Xterra World Age Group title to his name. He founded Precision Hydration to help athletes solve their hydration issues. He has a degree in Sport and Exercise Science and was once the Team Sports Scientist for Benetton and Renault F1 teams.
Exclusive for Faster Podcast listeners, you will get 10% off your order of electrolytes that match how you sweat, at precisionhydration.com. All you need to do is enter the code FASTER10 at the checkout to get 10% off your order.
Exclusive for Faster Podcast listeners, you can book in for a 20-minute call with one of the PH team to discuss your hydration strategy and to ask any questions you might have by clicking here.
Noel Donaldson is widely acknowledged as one of the world's most successful rowing coaches, building and leading teams to win multiple world championships and olympic gold medals over 3 decades in two different countries. In this episode, Noel and I explore his approach to building and leading world beating teams in a sport where money is not the reward, and what business leaders can learn from the.
Importance of momentum Connecting with the people in the team Co-creation of the plan Defining goals and holding people accountable Paying attention to what can't be measured Managing through a decentralised matrix system vs. a centralised system Managing stakeholders and keeping dispersed groups focussed on the same goal
Connect with Bill to find out more about how to transform your business from those that have transformed businesses and teams at the highest level. www.whchambers.com Click to connect with Bill on LinkedIn Click to join the Masters Rowing Group on Facebook
Lead up to Tokyo with Edouard Blanc, Head Coach, Swiss Rowing Federation. I am excited to reconnect with Edouard today, and to hear what he has been up to since we last spoke in April this year. I've been looking forward to this for some time. It's not often, one has an opportunity to gain insights, into a world class team, and in this episode, Edouard share with us, how the Swiss Rowing Team has adapted to the changes in the World Rowing and Olympic schedule. In this episode, I catch up with Edouard on three things: What has he been focussing on with the Swiss Team, since we last spoke? His plans for Tokyo His thoughts on technique and coaching technique This episode is brought to you by, Faster with Bill Chambers. To find out more, about high performance coaching in business and sport, go to www.whchambers.com
- Rhythm Range Relaxation video mentioned can be found on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BrRIZFk7O4
- edouard.blanc@swissrowing.ch
Really excited to share with you, my conversation with Noel Donaldson. Noel is widely recognised, as one of the world's most successful rowing coaches. He has held posts as the head coach at the Victorian Institute of sport winning countless King’s Cup races, Elite Development, Head Coach and high-performance director at Rowing Australia, as well as the head coach for Australia and then New Zealand Rowing.
Perhaps best known as the coach of the “Oarsome Foursome” from Australia winning gold medals at both the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and coach of the outstanding 'Kiwi Pair' to three consecutive Gold medals, including a double gold in 2014 in the M2- and M2+.
With so much experience and building winning teams, and crews over the years, I thought it would be nice to have a conversation with Noel and get his insights into how rowing has evolved over the years, across some different themes.
- Technique
- Approach to training and preparation
- Equipment
Join Noel and I, as we talk about how rowing has evolved over the decades. Like and subscribe, so you never miss an episode.
This episode is brought to you by, Faster with Bill Chambers. To find out more, about high performance coaching in business and sport, go to www.whchambers.com
Really excited to release my follow up interview with Greg Benning. With 19 wins at HOCR, 4 course records, and 7 wins at SilverSkiff, I just had to get him back on the podcast, to share with us his approach to training and preparing for an event.
Anyone that wants to get insights and inspiration, into how a multiple champion athlete, prepares and trains to win, you will not want to miss this episode.
Highlights from my conversation with Greg
- How Greg plan's his season to key races
- How Greg measures and manages his training volume, intensity and recovery
- Rigging, catch angles and how to approach power application
- Key workouts and strength program
- What Greg has learnt from other sports and how these insights can be applied to rowing
- Coffee or tea? Coffee
- Racing or training? Training
- Crew or Single? Crew
- Favourite race? Head of the Charles Regatta & Heineken Roeivierkamp
Links to Greg's mentions
- NK Empower oarlock
- Linz, World Masters Regatta, 2021
This podcast is brought to you by High Performance Coaching in business and sport with Bill Chambers. Find out more by clicking here. www.whchambers.com
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My guest today is well known in both World Rowing, US Rowing and business. He is a competitive master-level rower, with 19 wins at HOCR, 4 course records. 7 wins at SilverSkiff. Half dozen FISA Veteran or US Masters Nationals with 6+ wins/regatta. He is the Vice Chair of US Rowing, captained the 1984 crew at the University of Pennsylvania, former President of Cambridge Boat Club and co-founder of the Boston rowing Federation. He is a highly successful Boston-based investment banker and an avid saltwater fly fisherman. My guest today, is Greg Benning.
Greg's mentions
- OXO Cold Brew Coffee Maker
- The Cyclist's Training Bible, Joe Friel
- Fast After Fifty, Joe Friel
- Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, editor, Mark Twain
- Fitbit Versus 2 for tracking resting heart rate
- SuperOp blood pressure cuff
- Back Bay Life Science Advisors
- US Rowing
- Boston Rowing Federation
- Heineken Roeivierkamp
This podcast is brought to you by High Performance Coaching in business and sport with Bill Chambers. Find out more by clicking here. www.whchambers.com
My guest today is well known in Australian rowing and surf lifesaving, competing and winning over the last 40+ years in both still water and surf boats. He has served as the President of Mosman Rowing Club in Sydney. Along with his wife, and Olympic athlete Gillian, awarded coach of the year. He is a highly successful entrepreneur, owning the original RowPerfect Indoor Sculler and a highly successful vet practice on Sydney’s northern beaches. My guest today, is Dr Mark Campbell.
Links to Mark's mentions:
- Rowperfect Indoor Sculler https://www.rowperfect.com.au/indoor-sculler-2/
- Mosman Rowing Club, Sydney Australia http://mosmanrowing.com.au
- South Curl Curl Surf Lifesaving Club https://southcurlcurlslsc.org
- Harbord Veterinary Hospital https://www.localvet.com.au/Harbord/
- The Greek Way, Edith Hamilton
- They're a Weird Mob is a 1966 Australian film based on the novel of the same name by John O'Grady under the pen name "Nino Culotta".
This podcast is brought to you by High Performance Coaching in business and sport with Bill Chambers. Find out more by clicking here. www.whchambers.com
My guest today is Mick Miller. “I believe in challenging people so that they can grow and evolve, and change the world for the better.” Mick has seen it all. He's worked with elite athletes chasing Olympic glory, world champions, professional Rugby League teams, America's Cup campaigns, and up-and-coming youth champions. He's seen athletes through good times and bad, through victory and meltdown, through triumphant euphoria and heart-breaking despair. He's brought athletes back from career-threatening injury, rebuilt teams that were crumbling under pressure, and mentored his junior athletes through the challenges of growing up. Then in 2013, at age 49, he discovered a lump in his neck that turned out to be cancer. He then discovered more about himself that he could ever have imagined. Mick’s cancer survival journey started in a bed at the Oncology ward at Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney, then took him on a journey of recovery and discovery around and to the heart of Australia in a ‘68 VW Beetle. Only then was he able to listen to his own heart, let go of everything he was preconditioned to be, and discovered who he really was.
High Performance Mindset Zoom Call Join Mick and I on Zoom where we will be sharing with you the way champions build a high performance mindset. When: Aug 15, 2020 10:00 PM Zurich & Afternoon in the USA Click here to register in advance for this meeting When: Aug 22, 2020 11:00 AM Zurich Click here to register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Some notes from the conversation with Mick
Mosman Rowing Club, Sydney Australia RowPerfect Indoor Sculler Favourite piece of exercise equipment? Yoga Matt Link to The Right Path Short Film
This podcast is brought to you today by High Performance Coaching with Bill Chambers. Find out more by clicking here. www.whchambers.com
After hearing Drew Ginn OAM, talk about the GB 8+ approach to performance, and the simple rule that they created "Will it make the boat go faster", I was curious to speak with the man that brought the crew and the team together to win in 2000 and to uncover some of the insights and approaches that led to the crews success.
Martin McElroy is probably best known for guiding the British Olympic Team’s men’s rowing eight to gold at the Sydney Olympic games in 2000 and is credited with creating a simple yet insightful phrase that has become ubiquitous in sport and business “Will it Make the Boat Go Faster”, a simple question that focuses on what makes a difference. He has always been fascinated by the ability of people and teams to come together in the pursuit of extraordinary outcomes. He’s led sport and business teams on a daily basis, and supported other business leaders, teams and organisations as they’ve worked towards their goals.
Martin works with sports and business organisations supporting their efforts to improve personal, professional and organisational purpose, still finding time to coach young athletes in his home town of Victoria in British Columbia. His lifelong interest in the topic of people and performance, experience of failures and successes, and a continuous desire to reflect on what he’s learned over the years leads to a fascinating conversation in this podcast.
Books and resources Martin mentioned in the podcast:
- Podcasts. Don't tell me the score, BBC
- Books, The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge
- Power Breath
- RP3 ergometre
- The 'black boat' was a Vespoli 8+
Connect with Martin
- Martin on Twitter @McElroy_MJP
- Martin on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/martin-mcelroy-484161
Learn from the world's best rowers and coaches, how to create your own training plan. The Masters Training Courses, are the most comprehensive guides that I’ve ever put together to help Masters Rowers go really fast. 'How to create your Training Plan' will enable you to build your own training plan and know what you need to do, to train smarter and so that you can go faster. Click here to find out more.
This podcast is brought to you by FASTER with Bill Chambers. To find out how you can transform your personal, business and rowing performance, visit www.whchambers.com
Aram is an innovator and high-performance rowing coach, continually in pursuit of best practice in all aspects of rowing. Aram is best known for his online video analysis and the founder of the world's leading 'high-spec' indoor rowing machine, the 'Biorower. In this the second of our conversations, Aram and I talk about the Biorower in more detail. Find more about the Biorower at www.biorower.com Find out more about Bill and High Performance coaching for business and sport at www.whchambers.com Access online master classes from Faster with Bill Chambers
Aram is an innovator and high-performance rowing coach, continually in pursuit of best practice in all aspects of rowing. Aram is best known for his online video analysis and the founder of the world's leading 'high-spec' indoor rowing machine, the 'Biorower. This is the first of a two part interview with Aram. In the second interview, Aram and I talk about the Biorower in more detail. You can find Aram at: https://www.aramtraining.com &https://www.biorower.com This course is brought to you by FASTER with Bill Chambers. I'm proud to release the latest online course from FASTER. The Ultimate Race Week Plan, is the distillation of knowledge and experience, gathered from the world's best sports scientists and trainers, on what needs to be done in the week leading up to race day for Ultimate Performance on the day. You will learn tried, tested and proven processes, that will have you ready to be at your best on race day.
Understand why the taper is so important, what to do, when and how. Learn how to plan your workouts day by day, leading up to race day. Know what to do the day before, so that you are fresh and ready to race. How to warm up and prime your energy systems. How and when to fuel for your best performance. Know what you need to do after the race to recover, and be ready race again.
You can find out more and purchase the course by clicking on the following link: https://row-fast-masters-rowing-school.teachable.com/p/pre-post-race-preparation/?preview=logged_out You can find more about Bill at http://whchambers.com
Ian is an educator, artist and inventor who has rowed since the age of 10. Ian has represented his state (NSW) in the lightweight sculls, and a member of the University of New South Wales winning 8+. For the past 10-years Ian has been competing and winning as a Masters rower, whilst at the same time being busy inventing things to help us all go faster. www.randallfoils.com. For more information on FASTER with Bill Chambers, please visit www.whchambers.com
Thomas is a 5 times world champion and Olympic champion in the men’s lightweight four for Denmark. Thomas’s crew was amazingly fast, setting the incredible time of 5’ 45” for 2,000m. In our conversation, Thomas and I talk about coffee 😆, what it takes to go really fast, and how he and his athletes are adapting and taking advantage of the delay in the Olympic Games. Thomas on Instagram: thomas_pulsen
Interview with Dr Valery Kleshnev, one of the world's leading experts in rowing biomechanics and advisor to Olympic rowing teams. In this interview Valery chats with me about his life growing up in the former USSR, what first attracted him to rowing, and his journey to becoming the head of Biomechanics for the Australian and Great Britain Rowing teams. Valery covers some fascinating insights into his past as an international rower, including how he won the championship single scull for the USSR at the age of 18 and insights into the what some of the top crews focus on measuring and improving to make the boat go faster. This is a long form conversational interview with Valery and we will do a follow up on his thoughts on the key aspects on how to set up the boat and athlete to go fast. You can connect with Valery at www.biorow.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valery.kleshnev
Conversation with Edouard about his approach to rowing and training. We talk about Edouard’s coaching in the UK and with Cambridge University, through to the present day with the Swiss heavyweight men. Ideas, tips and inspiration on what’s really important and what’s not. Why we are seeing higher stroke rates to fixing car windscreen wipers. Thanks to Edouard for being a good sport and going first 👍🏼