RipRow™ workout: Building Base #1

Hi everyone, 

This workout builds pedaling base fitness and shred strength with a combination of 3-minute Sweet Spot intervals and 2-minute RipRow intervals. Each block is only 5 minutes long: Perfect for you hyper spazzes.

A few blocks are a killer warmup for motocross, MTB downhill, MTB enduro and other forms of shredding. 

Sweet Spot intervals

Sweet Spot is 90-100% of your threshold power. 

If you do a 20-minute power test, threshold is your average wattage for the 20 minutes.

If you don't have a power meter: When you can speak only in short statements (“I’m OK. [gasp] I’m fine, really.”) that’s about right. If you can say more, go harder. If you can barely get out “I’m fine,” back off a bit. 

Sweet Spot is sweet because it’s been scientifically proven to deliver the highest amount of fitness improvement with the least amount of time and physical punishment. Smart riders train in the Sweet Spot. 

Each Sweet Spot interval will be three minutes long. You should be pedaling hard but not so hard you can’t say “I can’t wait [gasp] to RipRow!”

RipRow intervals

For this workout, let’s do the Fours movement, which combines a hip hinge and drive with a pull and push. You can learn about Fours here. 

Each RipRow interval will be two minutes long. Work at a moderate pace with light resistance. While your cardiovascular system gets a rest, the rest of you gets worked. 

Beginners: Do the Fours in a motocross stance with both arms. This opens up your hip hinge, builds pulling and pushing strength, and gets your core ready for the real work ahead. 

Intermediates: Do the fours in a bike stance with both arms. One foot should be forward for one minute, then switch feet. You’ll feel more challenge in your hips and core. Keep your hips square. 

Experts: Do the Fours with one arm at a time, one minute with each arm, in a bike stance. When you’re RipRowing with your right arm, put your right foot in front. After a minute, switch to the other side. This builds even more hinge and row/anti-row strength, plus it develops the stabilizers in your hips, core and shoulders. This workout builds badasses. Expect to feel it for a couple days.

How to do the workout

1. Set your bike trainer near your RipRow.
2. Use flat pedals and regular shoes, so you can switch quickly between pedaling and RipRowing. 
3. Make sure the space is ventilated. Fans are good.
4. Put a water bottle on the bike. With water in it. 
5. Before you dive into this, do your normal warmup and physical therapy.

Once you’re set up, this workout is simple:

1. Pedal at Sweet Spot for three minutes.
2. Get on the RipRow as fast as you can.
3. RipRow for two minutes.
4. Get on the bike as fast as you can.
5. Repeat. 

Each set is about 5 minutes long. Start with four sets. Work your way up to eight sets.  

Make it more challenging

Here are some ideas for when you reach eight sets, of if you want to make a short workout harder. By the way, long workouts can be easy. Short workouts should be freakin' hard! 

Pedal harder. Dial your effort all the way to threshold. Mix up your pedaling style with hard gears at low cadence, easy gears at high cadence and medium gears at medium cadence. What gear and cadence works best for you? Keep that in mind for real riding. 

Pedal standing. This is hard to do on a trainer, but it’s a great skill for MTB and BMX.

RipRow harder. When you start doing this workout, use resistance level #1. As you gain skill and strength, gradually work your way up to harder resistance levels. When you can RipRow at #12 with one arm, congratulations! And send us a video!

Have fun. Get strong. 

Lee