Month: May 2008

The basic rowing action is a coordinated muscle action that requires application of force in a repetitive, maximal and smooth manner. Every large muscle group will contribute to this action. The muscle requirements have been analyzed by Dr. Thomas Mazzone1. The rowing action has been divided into the following sequence:
1) the catch
2) the drive -> leg emphasis -> body swing emphasis -> arm pull through emphasis
3) the finish
4) the recovery

The Catch
The erector spinae muscles of the back are relaxed to allow for trunk flexion, which is provided by the abdominals. The psoas major and minor and the iliacus flex the pelvis and hips. The sartorius muscle rotates the thighs which allows the body to flex between the thighs to obtain maximum reach. The hamstrings and gastrocnemius are contracting while the knees are in flexion. The quadriceps are elongated and stretched, yet the rectus femoris is contributing to hip flexion. The ankles are dorsiflexed by the tibialis anterior. The elbows are extended by the triceps brachii. The grip on the handle is accomplished by the flexor muscles of the fingers and thumb.
The Drive : Legs Emphasis
The initial portion of the drive demands maximal power from the legs. The quadriceps extend the knee, and the feet are plantar flexed by the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. A number of stabilizing muscles aid in supporting the lower back. All the muscles of the shoulder are contracting. These include the supra and infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres major and minor, and the biceps brachii. The scapula is stabilized by the serratus anterior and trapezius muscles

Body Swing Emphasis
As the knees are finishing their extension, the hip is also extending by the contraction of the gluteus and hamstring muscles. Back extension is occurring by contraction of the erector spinae.
In the upper body, elbow flexion is occurring via the biceps, brachialis, and the brachioradialis muscles.

Arm Pull Through Emphasis
The knees are maximally extended, and the ankles are plantar flexed. In addition, hip and back extension are being completed. The upper body musculature is contracting with high force to finish the drive. The elbow flexors are dominant. The flexor and extensor carpi ulnaris muscles of the forearm contract to stabilize and adduct the wrist. The shoulder is extended and adducted. The upper arm is internally rotated by the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major. The teres minor, posterior deltoid, and long head of the biceps are acting on the shoulder joint. The scapula is rotated downward by the pectoralis minor and then drawn backward by the trapezius and rhomboid muscles.

The Finish
The knees and ankles remain constant as the hips complete a full extension. The back extensors are continually contracting, and the upper arms are internally rotated by the contracting latissimus dorsi. The triceps are extending the elbows slightly.

The Recovery
The arms are pushed forward and away from the body by the triceps until the elbows reach full extension. The anterior deltoids contract along with the coracobrachialis and biceps, and the upper arms raise slightly as they pass over the extended knees. The abdominals flex the torso, and once the hands have cleared the extended knees, the slide begins its forward motion through ankle dorsiflexion and hip and knee flexion.

1Kinesiology of the rowing stroke, NSCA Journal, Volume 10, Number 2, 1988, Thomas Mazzone, M.D. Wyoming County Community Hospital, Warsaw, New York

Al Pacino – Any Given Sunday

all comes down to today.
We are in hell right now, gentlemen
believe me
we can fight our way
back into the light.
We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
On this team, we fight for that inch
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone else around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.
Cause we know
when we add up all those inches
that’s going to make the fucking difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.
Now I can’t make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy
who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.
That’s a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
Now, whattaya gonna do?

~ TEAMWORK~

VENUE: WATER SPORT COMPLEX PUTRAJAYA MALAYSIA
13 – 17 MAY 2008

Sebanyak 18 universiti seluruh Malaysia mengambil bahagian yang menyaksikan acara-acara rowing dan kayak dipertandingkan bagi kedua-dua kategori lelaki dan wanita. Pertandingan kali ini memihak kepada Universiti Teknologi Malaysia dengan menjuarai piala pusingan kategori lelaki dan wanita bg acara rowing. Manakala sukan kayak pula UTHM menggondol piala pusingan berdasarkan kutipan pingat yang paling banyak bagi acara lelaki & Kayak Wanita dimenangi oleh Universiti Malaya.

Acara kali ini juga memperlihatkan komitmen daripada sesetengah universiti yang mengambil inisiatif menghantar peserta-peserta ke kem-kem latihan seawal 2 minggu sebelum pertandingan. Bagi Universiti yang berada di sekitar Lembah Klang, latihan hujung minggu diadakan di 2 lokasi utama iaitu Kelab Tasik Putrajaya dan The Boathouse, Empangan Batu, Ulu Yam, Selangor.

Tidak ketinggalan juga pujian yang harus diberikan kepada UNIMAS atas kesungguhan pihak pentadbir membangunkan sukan rowing dengan pembelian bot-bot rowing kategori 4- (coxless four). Dengan kemudahan tersebut, saya meramalkan UNIMAS akan bangkit sebagai salah satu pencabar yang kuat dalam masa terdekat. Asalkan, perancangan latihan mengikut fasa-fasa tertentu dapat dibentuk oleh jurulatihnya.

Hasilnya, pertandingan kali ini memperlihatkan kemajuan di mana kelebihan dan kekuatan pasukan tidak dimonopoli oleh sesetengah universiti sahaja. Sejak bermulanya aktiviti rowing, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTMKL khasnya) mengungguli acara rowing saban tahun dengan dicabar musuh tradisi Universiti Malaya sebagai saingan terdekat. Malahan, pengambilan atlit untuk mewakili negara kebanyakkannya diserap dari universiti berkenaan. Selain faktor lokasi & kemudahan yang disediakan berdekatan dengan lokasi kampus, presiden PERDAMA ketika itu adalah pegawai Belia & Sukan di UTMKL. Oleh sebab itu, perancangan & pembangunan atlit lebih tersusun. Melalui Tech’s Rowing Club, rantaian atlit-atlit pelapis yang dibentuk tidak pernah terputus. Individu yang dimaksudkan sebagai Presiden PERDAMA ialah Encik Malek Abd Ghani bersama organisasi yang dibentuk atas dasar sukarelawan yang setia mendokong pembangunan sukan ROWING di tanah air.

Tahun ini, kebangkitan UTHM, USM dan UNIMAS memeriahkan persaingan sukan mendayung di kalangan mahasiswa & mahasiswi. Ini juga bagaikan petanda lebih banyak atlit-atlit berkualiti akan dilahirkan. Kemarau pingat sukan mendayung di persada antarabangsa mungkin berakhir tidak lama lagi.

Saya yang hadir sebagai pegawai teknikal dapat merasai bahang perubahan akan berlaku. Lebih-lebih lagi pertandingan UNITEN Rowing Invitation akan datang dijangka Ogos ini bakal mempamerkan lebih ramai jaguh-jaguh rowing di seluruh negara.

Harapannya adalah semoga gelombang semangat yang ditiup ke jiwa anak-anak muda ini akan terus dijana sehingga momentumnya memberi warna-warna baru pada wacana sukan di Malaysia. Dengan izin tuhan, usaha-usaha pembangunan tanpa jemu sukarelawan yang setia bernaung di bawah NGO ini akan dibalas dengan kejayaan mengharumkan nama Malaysia di pentas dunia.