IROW Fitness Studio

Before the lesson begins.

Learn how to properly use a rowing machine and get a nice beginner friendly workout as well in our next Intro to Indoor Rowing class, Saturday, July 29 at 10:45am. 2 spots available! PM for details.

We are thrilled to welcome coach Eden Cooper-Squires to our coaching team for this summer. Eden is varsity coxswain for the USC Women's Rowing team and coxes for junior and U23 National team boats.

Eden is available to teach lessons on the water and at the studio and you are welcome to use our 50% off "New Coach Discount" until July 15, 2023 for lessons with her.

Greetings from Plovdiv, Bulgaria where despite my better judgement/lack of preparation I reunited with my best friend and rowing partner from my junior rowing years to participate in the Nationals Rowing Championships in the Open Category.

Other than a few members of the National Team, most of the rowers who participated were actual junior rowers, so I knew we most likely would finish last, but the opportunity to row on this beautiful canal, and reunite with my coach Tsoniu Grigorov, who made me the rower that I am, in addition to some of my former teammates was too good to miss. Finally, I knew that our participation would earn some points for my rowing club , which can improve team standing, and if I'm not mistaken possibly funding...

Speaking of funding, I will be putting together a fundraising campaign in the next month or so, to help my rowing club Lokomotiv Ruse with the purchase of at least two new rowing shells and a motorboat. The boats we rowed are between 25 and 45 years old, most are wooden, heavy boats, making it difficult to be competitive and discouraging for the young rowers on the team. The club doesn't have a single motorboat, which is not only essential for safety but also for for the quality of the rowing practice. In short, stay tuned because I am hoping to get some support here for the club which is still so near and dear to my heart some 25 years after I had left it And my country.

But back to the racing, we raced in 2-, 4- and 4x, and on average the rest of the rowers were 20+ years younger than us. "These are the rowers from the old times.." some young kid said, 😂

We somehow managed to get 3rd in the 2- and 4- and finished 5th in the 4x. This is all out of 6, it was finals only. A great time was had despite the hot weather and some equipment issues.

Next stop is my rowing tour in Austria starting early July, where I have a group of 11 American and Australian rowers joining me for a different type of rowing adventure. Stay tuned for more!

- Iva,
A rower from the old times

We are looking for summer coaches of the human kind. Bella here only managed to look pretty today, I had to do all the coaching ;) PM for details.

Qualities of rowing for leisure:

To do something meaningful

To feel at peace

To continue learning

To be at ease and unburdened

To experience beauty

..add your own...

FREE Intro to Indoor Rowing Class for the Culver City/Los Angeles community -

Choose any Monday at 7:15pm in February or March.

The class is perfect for complete beginners, relative beginners and those who have been away from rowing for a while and would like a refresher.

Limit 1 class per person per month.

Max capacity 4 participants per class. Ages 18+

Coach: Iva Boteva

Comment or PM to register.

Rainy Day Special tomorrow Wed Jan 4: Join us for a small group class at 6am, 7:15am or 8:30am. Great workout + helpful technical pointers. $25 per class (reg. $50). Max capacity 5 rowers. All levels welcome. Coach Iva Boteva
RSVP by 5pm today.

Our next Intro to Indoor Rowing class starts on Saturday Jan 7, 2023.

Sign up soon to reserve your spot.

Learn to row with some of the best rowing coaches in beautiful Marina Del Rey, CA.

No experience necessary (although we do recommend you take 1 indoor rowing lesson before going on the water).

Have any questions about getting started? We offer 15min phone consultation free of charge. PM to schedule or if you have any questions.

Next Sunday Dec 11 join us for an Open Studio and Holiday Sale event.

If you are curious about taking rowing lessons at the studio or on the water, or joining one of our rowing tours, this is the perfect opportunity to connect with us and ask any questions you may have.

If you'd like to do a little shopping, why not get a gift certificate for lessons or classes for the rower (to be) in your life, or get a colorful gift from our collection of goodies we've collected from our rowing tours abroad with .

Hope to see you then!

-Iva

Moments on the water.

A Beginner’s Guide to the Rowing Machine Fitness companies have caught on to the fact that these devices deliver an intense full-body workout.

This Sunday Nov 6, join us from 8am-10:30am at Burton Chase Park to watch some rowing races (The Head of the Marina) and to catch up. We'll bring the coffee and some other goodies 😊

Looking forward to seeing you!

Every day is a good day when it starts with rowing.

Intro to Indoor Rowing small group classes take place on Saturdays at 10:45am.

Registration is now open for November. $150 per month or $50 per class.

We have only 4 spots available, sign up soon to secure your spot!

Small group indoor rowing classes are coming back in October for a limited time only with a fresh new schedule!!!

 Mondays - 6pm Technique and 7:15pm Workout
 Tuesdays - 12pm Zoom
 Wednesdays - 10am Workout and 7:15pm Workout
 Thursdays - 12pm Zoom
 Fridays - 1pm Workout
 Saturdays - 9:30am Workout and 10:45am Intro to Indoor Rowing.

Max number of rowers: 5

Coach: Iva Boteva

Cost: $150 per month for 1 class per week.

Sign up by September 25 for October classes!

Classes are available for a limited time from October 2022 to March 2023. Don't miss this chance to work with LA's favorite rowing coach!

PM for more information and additional pricing options.

The Best Rowing Machines According To A Former Competitive Rower Rowing machines offer a superb total body workout. Here are the 6 best home rowing machines as selected by a former pro.

"Everyone sees the glory moments, but they don't see what happens behind the scenes."
-Allyson Felix

Keep up the good work, Idalis!!!

I row, I coach and I know things ;)

I work with the best people! Thank you for your effortless ease :)

6am Marina morning.

We are bringing back a couple of small group classes in August!

Thursdays at 6pm - Intro to Indoor Rowing

Thursday at 7:15pm - Intermediate

Saturdays at - 11am - intermediate/advanced

The Intro is meant for complete beginners!

Cost is $30 per class.

Space is limited so sign up soon!

iROW Fitness Studio is the top choice in Los Angeles for junior rowers to train and improve their skills during summer break.

Don't wait too long to come for a lesson and make a plan for summer training!

Finally, stay tuned for info about our small group classes in August which we help you start the Fall Season in great shape!

Do a 2k erg test when you feel like you are in no shape to do an erg test. I did one today for no reason other than to challenge myself a bit.

My time is nothing to write home about (close to zero training does it) but I'm happy with the negative splitting and that I felt in control of it. It was challenging but doable.

To get a better time from here (if that was my goal), I would need to inrease frequency/duration/intensity of training.

My goal would be to keep the feel ing of working hard but being in control, while getting a little better splits for the same amount of effort.

I like frequent testing. If you only test when you feel like you are your peak shape and a lot depends on how you do, that's a lot of pressure resting on one piece. How many times has the pressure of testing interfered with your performance?

Your heart rate will go high enough from rowing at race pace, you don't want it to go even higher because of feeling nervous and uncertain.

Any anxiety that you feel about 2k tests will gradually decline if you just test yourself more frequently and know where you are at different points of the year. This allows for more accurate goal setting when the 2k really counts.

Finally, Good Luck to all my rowing friends who are working hard on the erg so they can make a varsity boat, get recruited to row college or make the National Team.

May your hard work pay off!

-IB

Foggy with a chance of sunshine.

It is a true honor to be included in the "UCLA & USC 50 YEARS OF WOMEN'S COLLEGE SPORTS" written by Michael Sondheimer.

The book is a collection of NCAA stories of USC and UCLA athletes, celebrating the 50 Year Anniversary of Title IX.

For collegiate sports Title IX meant that the number of athletic scholarships available for men should be equal to the number of scholarships available to women.

It is Title IX that made it possible for USC Women's Rowing Team to offer athletic scholarships and I was the fortunate recipient of one such scholarship.

The opportunity to come study and row for USC changed the trajectory of my life in many wonderful and unimaginable ways. I am forever grateful.

The book is available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/UCLA-Years-Womens-College-Sports/dp/1796404470/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1ORZEZVXADHCN&keywords=michael+sondheimer+books&qid=1646868315&sprefix=%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-6

"I always felt like I was fighting the water...it wasn't until I started rowing with you that I understood I should be one with the water..."

What a nice thing to hear, it made my day :) Thank you, Kate and Happy Birthday!!!

With my assistant coach Bella today ;)

Happy to share that we can now use a single and double Whitehall rowing boats for lessons. These boats are super stable and fun to row in, great for beginners and experienced rowers alike.

Bad news is the motorboat broke today. Good news is I got to refresh my paddling skills.

The sky this morning...

U.S. Postal Service reveals new stamps for 2022:

"These stamps celebrate women’s rowing, a graceful but demanding sport in which American women have excelled, including in the Olympics. The artwork, which covers the entire pane, is a stylized illustration of five eight-person rowing teams competing or practicing. Four stamp designs are featured in a pane of 20 stamps arranged as five staggered rows of four. Nancy Stahl designed and illustrated the stamps and pane. Ethel Kessler was the art director."

Tranquility on the water today.