Fitness Tests

[gregsmith01748]

Nice work Greg, I would like to ad one thing. To keep your fast fiber muscle you have to use them, if you train most the year trying to improve your aerobic fitness you do not train your fast muscle fiber. To train those you don,t have to do very much and also don,t have to train the lactic system, keep it short enough so only use the alactic system. That way you keep your fast fibers alive without interfering much with your aerobic training.

Other point, you are not a real heavyweight, you lack height, you could be very close to lightweight. The real heavies are seldom below 1.90 and often closer to 2.00m. So at best you are a middleweight for comparison reasons.

Thanks for the feedback, Henry. A couple of questions about your comments.
1. I think it's a good idea to add some "fast twitch training", what do you think is the right type of session and how often? Maybe do (10 x 10s / 1' rest) twice a week at the end of an endurance session?

2. I know that I don't have the body type to be a top age class rower. I'm too short, and I also have short legs relative to my height. So, I care a lot more about how I do relative to my past performances, and relative to the other rowers who are close to my age and ability. In other words, I train to see improvement. I am also insanely competitive when it comes to trying to beat the guy who finished one place ahead of me in a previous race. So when it comes to test results, I care more about things like ratios of performance between tests and comparing results of the same tests over time.

[hjs]

Thanks for the feedback, Henry. A couple of questions about your comments.
1. I think it's a good idea to add some "fast twitch training", what do you think is the right type of session and how often? Maybe do (10 x 10s / 1' rest) twice a week at the end of an endurance session?

2. I know that I don't have the body type to be a top age class rower. I'm too short, and I also have short legs relative to my height. So, I care a lot more about how I do relative to my past performances, and relative to the other rowers who are close to my age and ability. In other words, I train to see improvement. I am also insanely competitive when it comes to trying to beat the guy who finished one place ahead of me in a previous race. So when it comes to test results, I care more about things like ratios of performance between tests and comparing results of the same tests over time.

Cheers Greg,

1 could be, think you even lower the volume, and you also don,t have to keep the rest very strict. Its mostly using them without getting much beyond the alactic border. You can also do some frogjumps instead of rowing. Weights are also good. Shorter sets, without getting at failier.
And don,t keep stuff doing to long, change it up.

As long as you get enough intenstity in you will use the fast fibers.

2 I thought you where a bit harsh on yourself, thats why I gave this comment. Most top lightweight guys are taller than you, let alone the heavies. Being 186 myself I seldom come across guys not taller at races.

You should at yourself yes, but you where looking at the tables. Not that much point really, you can have a look, but don,t focus to much on it.

[Galeere]

As always tons of helpful Information in your posts, Greg. One question though: How do you measure lactate levels on your own?

[gregsmith01748]

As always tons of helpful Information in your posts, Greg. One question though: How do you measure lactate levels on your own?

I sprung for a meter. Bought from http://lactate.com. The meter isn't that expensive, but it's like an ink jet printer, the test strips cost way too much money.

It takes a little practice, but I have gotten good at stabbing myself and delicately touching a drop of blood to the tip of a precious test strip while I'm gasping for breath.

[steveroedde]

So, what do you do to figure out how fit you are? I decided that I was going to get more organized about measuring where I am and what I need to work on. My thought is to do do testing 2 or three times a year. Once at the end of the OTW season (November) and once before the start of the OTW season (March). It might be a good idea to do testing in the middle of the summer as well when I switch gears from sprints to head races.

I decided to do a series of 4 tests.
1. 2-speed lactate test
2. 1 minute peak power test
3. 2K test
4. 6K test


What do you think? What testing do you do? How often do you do it?

Very interesting Greg. Also a bloody solid baseline. As we have discussed in the past, I think there are different ways to get at similar information. I follow a somewhat different approach to get at the same stuff. For the cyclists who row it will be pretty straightforward. I follow a power-based training/assessment plan. Using my Garmin watch, I pair with my PM4 and am thus able to record (essentially) instantaneous power (and HR) for any and every workout. I plot my workouts on WKO (see "Training Peaks"). I am then able to use the program to plot and follow my power curve across any selected time-frame. I can also use it to plot my Training Stress Score and the Acute/chronic training loads. The power curve is based on all of the rowing I have done...over time it will give a smooth curve. My curve from the last 4 weeks of rowing (essentially all I have done this season) can be seen here: http://s583.photobucket.com/user/xcskie ... sort=1&o=0 [img]http://s583.photobucket.com/user/xcskie ... sort=1&o=0[/img]

It is a bit unclear, but (hopefully) you can see a fairly straight line at 800 W till the 12 second mark then a sharp drop to 600W at a minute, then another big drop to ~ 370 W at 3:15 and so on to the longest row of the season at 2:56ish. As I row more the data points become more certain. I can use the program to pick any time-frame and compare across the season. I can compare curves within a season...or across seasons.

It is pretty clear that I possess a sprinters physiology. One can also determine fairly easily that I drop off very fast after the 12 second mark....not a gradual curve at all (this bit from today's 100m effort). I am still uncertain what additional information the lactates give that the PM4 does not (beyond the <2mmol intensity that was so well discussed by M.Chase elsewhere.

The only "testing" I do is a monthly 1h to reset my functional threshold power. All of my interval targets come from that.The tt's take care of the rest.
p.s. sorry but I cant seem to get the photo to load without going to the URL.
Cheers, steve

[Galeere]

As mentioned elsewhere, I did the 4-day test from the book "Rowing Faster" which stated:
Day 1: 10 sec-Test and 6k-Test (did the 10-sec-test as a 100m-test, as the erg does not provide a 10-sec-piece)
Day2: 2k - Test
Day 3: 60 sec-Test
Day 4: 60min-Test

I compared test results with previous results from August 2015. On some I had to do estimates as I did not do all of those Ergs in August.

...........prev. {W}...........Percentage....Actual {W}....Percentage...Golden curve (Jensen)
100m......684.....................217%............612..........192%..............173%
1min.......576.....................183%...........528...........166%..............153%
2k..........315.....................100%...........319...........100%..............100%
6k..........249......................79%............261............82%...............85%
60min.....217.......................69%...........231............72%...............76%

The table is a Little biased as actual results come from a consecutive 4-day-test while the ones from August (6k and 60 min are derived/estimates from June and October- TTs) were done with some tapering.
What this shows is pretty much the result from what I have been doing from Sept-Dec. 2015 (minus some injury/illness-induced times off the rig, totalling around 5-6 weeks): Lots of aerobic/long range work (including around 20 HM and 2 FM), very little sprint training.
As a result aerobic engine improved significantly at the cost of the speed engine. Closed to the golden curve from two sides. I like one side and dislike the other. But as the above figures also provide 3 PBs on the bottom line it was the right path.
Any comments welcome.

[bisqeet]

Some great info here.