Cross Training

[Raging Waters]

Hi,

I'm a relatively new oarsmen having just completed my novice year at my university. Like you I'm hooked on rowing and I want to get faster. My last 2k (4/19/10) was a 1:48.9 split @31spm and my 5k was 1:56.9 @ 26spm. My goal is to get my 2k split below 1:40 by mid season next year and @ 1:35 this time next year.

Some background info on me - I'm 6'0 162lbs >8% bf. This season has been my first time being on a competitive team. I've made a lot of progress this year and I want this to continue. In my research on getting faster I've come across a book titled, "Rowing Faster" by Volker Nolte. In the book I found a training routine which I've adopted. This routine involves 3 workouts per day. The first consisting of rowing work usually 100min duration/ UT2 intensity @ 18spm. The second workout involves weight training and the last workout is a 2-3 hour bike ride. These exercises are repeated each day throughout the week with some variation.

From what I understand, the goal of this training routine is to strengthen the aerobic base of the athlete. Based on my current erg times, I'd like to know what kind of results I can expect at the end of the 2 week cycle.

I plan on retesting my 2k at the end of May and I'm shooting for 7' / 1:45 split. My last 2k was the first time I didn't 'fly and die' and I felt like I still had gas in the tank after that test. So I think that my new goal is within my reach if I stick to my race plan and complete these training routines.

*Questions*

Does anyone actually train like this?

Is this training ideal for me in light of my experience and goals?

What can I expect in terms of improved performance on my 2k?

[chgoss]

Three workouts a day,
1. rowing work usually 100min duration/ UT2 intensity @ 18spm.
2. weight training
3. 2-3 hour bike ride. These exercises are repeated each day throughout the week with some variation.

minimum time working out per day ~4.5 hours

Sounds like an Olympic level training plan? That's a whole lot of training...

Good luck with your rowing/erging!

[Cyclist2]

Can you say, "burn out"? I'd find some more reasonable workout plan that includes rest (or very easy pace) days. There are rowing plans (Pete, Wolverine, UK C2), or general plans (Chris Carmichael has great workout plans, for example).

Have fun! (or you'll burn out even quicker )

[sheehc]

I would not recommend any novice read Nolte's book. Nolte's book is a reference that really should come with the proviso "Warning: do not read unless you are already experienced with writing training plans". It is not well integrated from chapter to chapter and presents training cycles like the one mentioned, that are not intended for year round use by the normal joe. Instead it provides chapters that touch on specific types of training separately and demonstrates how an elite level athlete may target something in a given cycle. If you are new to training, look for something else. I would recommend "SERIOUS Training for Endurance Athletes". It's aimed at triathletes but does a decent job of explaining the fundamentals of year long planning and actually carries over pretty well to rowing. If you want something more oriented to rowing, go to the RowingCanada website or the FISA website and download their coaching manuals. They are quite accessible to newer athletes, cover all the basics, and the FISA site offers sample year long training plans. If you still want more opinions on training a good google search will bring up Martindale's old plans from, I believe, Alberta's provincial team.

[jamesg]

There seem to be so many shapes and sizes of training plans that I wonder if it really makes any difference what we do, so long as we do it. We see the 5-hour slow plan described here; and also the 300-600 stroke plan in flat out bursts of ten strokes each. Life is probably not long enough to find out which is "better", nor maybe even what "better" means.

So I'd say back to square 1: A. Learn to row; B. Train the stroke, not ourselves, that'll come anyway; C. Never pull a bad stroke; D. Use our fitness in everyday life, after deciding what we want to get fit to do.

If we do want to race, remember sculling is like snooker: one bad shot and you lose.