Enjoy what he has to say about the training he is doing for his up and coming competitions
 |
| Joel Cassells |
My training for GB has been markedly different over the past three years. I moved over from Ireland in 2012 to start University at Oxford Brookes, and trialled on a whim that November. I hadn’t really expected to get selected to the next stage or anything. Coming out from rowing at junior level in Ireland, I was unsure, unfit and a bit unmotivated in whether to continue on trailing or just enjoy University rowing.
My coach entered me more for the experience than anything else. So I was pretty surprised when I was asked back and selected as an athlete for the 2013 Austrian Youth Olympic Games. It was an incredible experience and certainly inspired me to push on as an athlete to see where it could take me.
My years in the U23 was different to being a full-time senior athlete. As I was studying full time I trained pretty much full time down at Oxford Brookes. Brookes have their program specifically to let athletes train without affecting their study. The program is ultra competitive, intensive, fast-paced training, with no let up. I loved every second I was there and I’d highly recommend it to anyone, the program is a springboard to the GB team. And you can also have a go at winning a coveted Henley Royal Regatta event along the way. Winning the Temple Challenge cup in 2014 was one of the best wins of my rowing career. In terms of U23 selection, it is done post Henley Royal Regatta, as most university programs are in their summer break after this.
 |
| Joel with the Temple Challenge Cup |
The trialling athletes are then invited to Caversham, which is the GB Rowing Team’s training base, to do some assessments. The usually involve some seat racing, where athletes are switched into different boats to see which combination is the fastest. Its normally very brutal and sometimes the margins are very close between two athletes. Long story short; if the selectors find a combination that is of the right standard to medal, they will be selected for the U23 World Championships. For me, I was selected in the lightweight men’s four.
One of these seat racing was done at the Prince of Wales Final in 2015 (video linked): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIGZ_TQisjE
Therefore, for the 2013 U23 World Championships I had a good bit to learn as a first-timer. It was my first time competing as a lightweight rower. The lightweight category restricts you to a certain weight which you must be two hours before the race. For us, that mean our boat as a crew we must be an average of 70kgs. The key in lightweight rowing is to maintain as much strength as you can at this weight restriction, which means being as lean as you can be. This type of event means that no one crew can have a massive strength advantage over another crew, which makes for very close racing. In our final we finished 2nd, just missing out to a skillful Italian crew on the line. The following two years of U23s I managed to earn another 2 silver medals in the lightweight four and quad.
I trained at Oxford Brookes through until September 2014, when I was invited to train full-time as a senior with the GB team. I was thrilled, but also pretty nervous to try and impress from the start. I had a lot to learn to train as a senior squad rower. The responsibility of managing the training program, weights, recovery, goals, time keeping and keeping on top of your weight is all expected of you from day one. I like to think I coped well, but I do not think I could have managed at all without Peter Chambers, who mentored me through it all, and still does in many respects.
 |
| Joel with Peter Chambers |
The training aspect of it is a full high performance set up. The difference between a typical university program and a high performance one is pretty big. I struggled for most of the season with my endurance, keeping up with the high mileage aspect of the program. I realized quickly that I would have to change certain aspects of my lifestyle in order to be selected into a crew for the summer.
First aspect I dealt with was recovery, it is so crucial. Any athlete should get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, if not 9-10. I now try average about 9-9 ½ hours sleep, and feel far better for it. Studies have shown athletes who sleep more than 8 hours have a far less chance of getting ill or injured.
As a lightweight, nutrition is also important. Its very easy to get it wrong when you’re trying to lose weight. It would be great of you could just cut the calories in meals and continued to eat the nice stuff (chocolate, pringles etc.), unfortunately if you do that you’ll suffer eventually. The body needs plenty of nutrition through fruits, vegetables and minimizing junk food. Its not simply a calorie in, calories out, its all about the quality of what you put in.
In terms of the difference between pre-season, tapering into a competition and post season there are a few differences. When in season, a lightweight athlete’s diets is governed by the amount of mileage done that day; if it’s a pretty big day, you’ll eat more focusing on carbohydrate intake. If its less, you eat less, and so on. Tapering into a competition becomes a different issue because your weight is going to become the most important aspect, so adjusting your diet to keep yourself light is important. Off-season of course you tend to go a bit mad, as you have three weeks to enjoy everything you had to sacrifice before its back to the diet!
After having done one year as a senior rower and now into my second, I still have a good bit to learn. I may not get all the aspects right all the time but I try my best to nail it so I can nail the training and get the best out of myself. Hopefully what I can learn and get right will help me earn a seat for Rio 2016. Even if for whatever reason I don’t achieve this, I know I’ll be better prepared for the next four years than I was last time round.
Thanks Joel
To follow more of Joel's success see the folllowing below
Twitter: @JoelCassells
Instagram: joel_cassells
In terms of training for Henley see the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OseujqXiaYs
Andrew Richardson, Founder of Strength is Never a Weakness Blog
I have a BSc (Hons) in Applied Sport Science and a Merit in my MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and I passed my PGCE at Teesside University.
Now I will be commencing my PhD into "Investigating Sedentary Lifestyles of the Tees Valley" this October 2019.
I am employed by Teesside University Sport and WellBeing Department as a PT/Fitness Instructor.
My long term goal is to become a Sport Science and/or Sport and Exercise Lecturer. I am also keen to contribute to academia via continued research in a quest for new knowledge.
My most recent publications:
My passion is for Sport Science which has led to additional interests incorporating Sports Psychology, Body Dysmorphia, AAS, Doping and Strength and Conditioning.
Within these respective fields, I have a passion for Strength Training, Fitness Testing, Periodisation and Tapering.
I write for numerous websites across the UK and Ireland including my own blog Strength is Never a Weakness.
I had my own business for providing training plans for teams and athletes.
I was one of the Irish National Coaches for Powerlifting, and have attained two 3rd places at the first World University Championships,
in Belarus in July 2016.Feel free to email me or call me as I am always looking for the next challenge.
Contact details below;
Facebook: Andrew Richardson (search for)
Facebook Page: @StrengthisNeveraWeakness
Twitter: @arichie17
Instagram: @arichiepowerlifting
Snapchat: @andypowerlifter
Email: a.s.richardson@tees.ac.uk
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-richardson-b0039278
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew_Richardson7
