Meet Robin Coleman, AKA Hellga from NBC's American Gladiators. Robin has a highly diverse athletic background consisting of professional strongwoman, body building, boxing, and mixed martial arts. She is also an avid rower. In between destroying contenders in the Gauntlet, she takes strokes with the LMU Masters Lions club in Los Angeles, CA. row2k sat down with Robin for a very powerful 10 questions.

row2k: You were an accomplished athlete prior to getting in to rowing. How did you get from throwing trucks around to pulling on an oar?
Robin Coleman: That's funny! My first interaction with the rowing world was while I was training for the World's Strongest Woman, actually! I was in front of Gold's Venice rowing a Ford F-350 to me on a rope tied to it's axle when some rowing coaches from UCLA saw me and asked if I were interested - at the time I thought rowing was kayaking! My focus in the gym didn't allow me to explore any other sports.

Fast forward to 2004 - I was a bit burned out on the fluctuation between strength events and dieting for bodybuilding / figure shows, and a friend I had lunch with put rowing into my head. He was someone I'd actually taught in terms of fitness and nutrition, and he had discovered rowing on the east coast as a follow up to his newfound fitness and knew that a tall strong girl was perfect for the sport. I immediately searched online and found the LMU Masters Lions program and squeaked into a learn to row class. My first day in an eight I was hooked!

row2k: What interested you in the sport initially?
Robin Coleman: Except for playing basketball badly at the University of Houston, I've been in solo sports for 12 years, primarily body building and strong woman competitions. When I was beginning to row, the teamwork and camaraderie of the sport got my attention. The precision and focus of each rower is astonishing! I don't think any other sport can possibly compare. Being in nature was also truly great after years of being locked up in a gym. Then there was the difficulty factor! To the naked eye it can be hard to see just how much technique and training it requires to be able to function in the boat! Rowing became my biggest challenge - I loved it.

row2k: What is your favorite aspect of rowing? What draws you down to the boathouse?
Robin Coleman: The feeling of freedom as my single glides on the water, the power of an eight at full force. Also, the nature factor is a big deal - in Marina del Rey we have many types of birds, dolphins and sea lions to share the channel with (not to mention boat traffic - I've often likened it to playing the video game 'Frogger'). Getting an amazing workout while being outside is fabulous.

row2k: With such a busy schedule, how much are you able to row these days?
Robin Coleman: Thankfully I have a Hudson 1x, so I can row at 12 noon if I desire. My schedule has been crazy though. I took several months away and just got back to it in the past month! Getting back out on the water was a revelation. I'm striving to be out there at least 2 days per week right now as we get to row all year here in Southern California. And yes, the erg beckons... I'm getting back into those workouts as well.

row2k: How about your racing schedule, do you get to race as much as you like? Any big regattas on your calendar like the Head Of The Charles?
Robin Coleman: I'm sorry to say I haven't raced yet. I was close in 2006 to the HOTC with Lions, but decided instead to diet down and train for a figure competition, which requires almost NO carbs. I got to the point where I felt I was a hinderance to my team, and took a hiatus. That being said, I do hope to do some sprints next year - my speciality - and to race in a quad with some east coast friends at the HOTC '09.

However, one thing that rowing has brought to me is the ability to relax and just enjoy - I will enjoy rowing for the rest of my life, without the extreme need for competition I've felt in my other sports endeavors. Maybe it's getting a little older, or having less to prove. But I enjoy rowing purely for myself, and that's a big deal.

row2k: Rowers consider themselves pretty tough. How does rowing compare to other workouts you've done? What are your thoughts on the erg as a workout?
Robin Coleman: Well, I've puked while squatting heavy weights, and I've puked during 6ks on the erg. They're both tough! But the hardest thing for me has been to transition from an athlete who's main output lasts for 90 seconds or less to one that can hang for 30 minutes at a high level of power output. Overall, I'd say that rowing is the hardest sport I've experienced. Strength, endurance, focus, technique, and balance all come into concert in our sport.

row2k: What are your thoughts on the erg as a workout?
Robin Coleman: Erg workouts are by far the most challenging machine cardio workouts one can face. I think more can be accomplished on an erg in 20 minutes than can be achieved on all other machines put together for an hour. I can stop using an elliptical and in a few days I'm back to where I left off - if you don't erg it seems to take far longer to get back "in shape"!

Also I'd like to add that when I came to rowing I had some leftover back problems as the result of so many years of heavy lifting. Through sculling and rowing both port and starboard, I was able to strengthen my back incredibly! I literally reversed years of crazy death defying lifting in a year of crew.

row2k: Any favorite workouts or memorable races?
Robin Coleman: My goal right now is to get back to three times around the marina, which is about 12k per outing. I've had so much great coaching; from the Lions staff, the Florida Rowing Center, and the Terrabla Rowing Center in Tuscany! I've learned quite a bit, and actually enjoy drills. Since I don't have any racing stories yet, I'll share a few of my favorite moments from my journey through our sport: