Advice Needed

[[old] rower17]

Hi all,<br /><br />I'm taking part in this charity indoor rowing extravaganza... row the english channel! Basically rowing 36 kilometers in 2 km portions which amounts to 18 training passes. I am planning on rowing all in all 4 km per week<br /><br />I am new to this and would like some advice on performing better. I did my first 2 kilometers a few days ago and that took me 8.23 minutes. The resistance (or whatever that is called) was set to 5 and I was doing approximately 37-39 SPM if my memory serves me correctly. As I am somewhat competitive I'd like to see if I could perform better. What would your tips be in terms of e.g. resistance, target SPM, posture etc.? The guys keep telling me a super athlete can do this in 7 minutes so I'd like to be aiming for that. <br /><br />For the record, I've got a pretty consistent and long history of cardio training so this itself is no issue to, it's just a matter of getting a routine set down for rowing.<br /><br />Many thanks!<br /><br />

[[old] Citroen]

<!--QuoteBegin-rower17+Oct 25 2005, 05:05 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(rower17 @ Oct 25 2005, 05:05 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi all,<br /><br />I'm taking part in this charity indoor rowing extravaganza... row the english channel! Basically rowing 36 kilometers in 2 km portions which amounts to 18 training passes. I am planning on rowing all in all 4 km per week<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />I wouldn't stick to 2Ks that will get horribly boring. You'll get frustrated when your times don't change or when your times get worse.<br /><br />Aim for a 20minute session (my wife rows nearly 4K in twenty minutes, I can do over 5.3K). When the twenty minute sessions seem to get easier move up to a 30 min session. Get used to the long steady row and hone your technique by doing that. <br /><br />Save the 2K for racing or intervals. <br /><br />BTW, The English Channel (in French, La Manche) is 34Km at the narrowest point from Dover to Cap Gris-Nez. Between the two terminals at Folkestone and Coquelles, near Calais, the Channel Tunnel(s) are 51 Km in length, of which 37.5 Km is undersea.<br /><br /><!--QuoteBegin-rower17+Oct 25 2005, 05:05 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(rower17 @ Oct 25 2005, 05:05 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I am new to this and would like some advice on performing better. I did my first 2 kilometers a few days ago and that took me 8.23 minutes. The resistance (or whatever that is called) was set to 5 and I was doing approximately 37-39 SPM if my memory serves me correctly. As I am somewhat competitive I'd like to see if I could perform better. What would your tips be in terms of e.g. resistance, target SPM, posture etc.? The guys keep telling me a super athlete can do this in 7 minutes so I'd like to be aiming for that. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />At 37-39 SPM you're rushing the recovery. Slow down. Row strapless (don't tie your feet down) and aim for rowing at 20SPM. It will be hard to get that slow, but you'll enjoy working towards it. I started like you rowing at incredibly high rates. Rating at 20SPM means you have to improve your technique and pull harder to get the same split time. Then when you go fast for a 2K race it will feel easier to pull at 34/35 SPM.<br /><br />At this stage you shouldn't worry about pace (split times) or rate (strokes per minute). Base all your workouts on time.<br /><br />Also don't rely on the damper lever setting as that may not be consistent between machines. The PM2/PM2+ and PM3 can show you the drag factor. If the drag factor is equal then the machine will feel the same. (The model C I use in the gym gets a DF of 109 at damper setting just between three and four.) The damper lever does NOT control resistance, it only controls how much air flows through the fan and therefore how fast or slowly the fan accelerates or decelerates.<br /><br />I've been rowing and logging metres online for 19 months. In that time, I've dropped from 13st 7lb (189lb) to 11st 10lb (164lb). But my 2K time has only come down from 7:44 to 7:14. In my last set of 4*2K intervals I did a 7:18. <br /><br />I've only been training seriously since 10th Sept. I'm currently rowing about 70K a week in six sessions of around an hour. Two interval sessions, three long steady rows (8K to 15K) and one hard session.<br /><br />A super athlete like Graham Benton can do the 2K in 5:51.4.

[[old] lowwall]

<!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I was doing approximately 37-39 SPM </td></tr></table><br /><br />This suggests you weren't using your legs sufficiently. You want to push off hard with the legs and sustain the pull with your arms to get the best times. With a little practice, you'll be able to beat your 2k time at something like 22 spm. At this point, speeding up the stroke rate while maintaining power will drive your times much lower.<br /><br />If you are working on a Model D, change to the Force Curve display, you want something approaching a rectangle, or at least a gumdrop. Take a look <a href='http://home.hia.no/~stephens/ppstroke.htm' target='_blank'>at this page</a> for an in-depth discussion.<br /><br />BTW, there is a definite familiarity aspect to this sport as well, putting in some meters will be of real benefit to your times. For example, I don't train for speed - I've never done an interval in 10 million+ meters of rowing - but just by rowing large amounts at relatively slow speeds, I've managed to get my 2k PB down to 6:57.7.

[[old] ljwagner]

Your hyperlink page is great. The Fat Middle really is it. <br /><br />The rower can push to his maximum limits to find where he hits a lactate threshold, but back off slightly(1% ? 2% ? 3 % ?) in a race. That lactate needs extra O2 to be dissipated. You can try breathing deeper both ways, inhale and exhale, or breath the same and back off slightly.<br /><br /> In training, stay just over the edge, to push your personal envelope. When it gets to be too much, back off a little, until you recover, then keep at it.<br /><br />If one wants to measure his strength for increased power, you can use weights. But maximum strength does not apply when you are doing hundreds of repetitions. Its strength with endurance, and strength with speed (power) .