Beginner seeking advice

[jamesg]

7,000m at 2.07 r19,
6x500 at 1.52 r23 and I think this is the highest rate I've ever done!

127s (170W) @ 19 is close to ratio 10, so you have a good stroke.
112s (250W) @ 23 is even heftier (11), so no worry there.

Keep at it. The more you use that stroke, the more it'll be smooth, sequenced and relaxed and the easier to get the rate up if and when you need. With a very fast and relaxed pull (using low drag) all you have to do is speed up the recovery but holding the sequence: hands away, swing, slide.

Afloat the boat is decoupled from the earth, and we see large heavy oarsmen racing at ratings over 40. This is not so easily done on the erg, which is tied to the ground so forces us to pull ourselves forward fast if we want a very high rating. This inertial work is all wasted.

[Neorticros]

Another newbie here!Sorry that I jump here. I am in a very similar situation. I seem to do everything at the same rate R19. I have problems increasing rate over 25.

I'll tell you what happened to me (I've been only rowing for 7 months or so), maybe it can help. I'm one of those that feels comfortable at 24 spm, I'm fully aware that I should do some training at 20 spm in order to make my legs stronger but I dont feel very comfortable about it and try to skip it. This is quite the opposite as your case (I'm not high, just 5'10 btw). However when I tried to sprint I tried to push over 30 spm and I just couldn't. I watched videos and even saw a guy rowing next to to me at nearly 40 spm and I was like... I won't EVER be able to reach that.

As of late I'm training 200m sprints and finally I'm able to reach 38-39 spm and the other day I saw a 1:29/500 on the monitor for a second !! By watching videos, practicing and reading people here on the forum I found out something I was doing wrong (I'm trying to avoid it but it's hard to overcome after a few months of rowing differently).

What I was doing was touching my heels with my seat at the catch. I was lifting them a lot (in a wrong way) and was getting to close there. I started trying to avoid it and now I feel stronger at the catch and since my seat travels a shorter distance I can have more SPM when I need to sprint. Maybe this is your case.

If this is your case, check this video (helped me a lot with that) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6oYDu3EO6M

Thought it might be the case. Maybe not.

[MassiF]

The ratio depends on age, size and sex as well as technique, so can't be criticized as such.

However the loss of ratio (= Work) at higher ratings suggests you need to develop technique. First develop a good stroke, then use it; not the other way round.

Note the sequence and combination of hands, swing and legs, and the posture at the catch:

http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/t ... que-videos

Thanks for your reply James. You're right I've missed a lot of info: male, 41 yo, 178cm x 65kg
I'm watching those videos over and over, I feel my technique has two problems:
1) at the catch, my back is not straight (leaning forward), but curved. Should the belly get in contact with the knees? If I don't I feel I have no strength in the legs/core to push the drive. I'm also quite stiff in the ankles so I can't get my shin to be vertical, I have to stop before, and that's why I lean too forward trying to increase the stroke length.
2) in the recovery I don't feel the correct sequence, legs, arms and back seem to move forward all at the same time

[jamesg]

in the recovery I don't feel the correct sequence, legs, arms and back seem to move forward all at the same time

This is a typical erg problem, often shown up by lifting the handle over the knees. The causes on the erg are that there is no water that the blades must clear and there is no front stop. The erg needs a rope tied round the rail at 40-50 cm from the stretcher.

Try the backstop drill: with a straight back, start rowing with arms only, then add swing, then some knee lift after the swing. If you watch rating and Watts you'll see how work per stroke (= Watts/Rating) increases, as the stroke lengthens and the rating drops. Don't be afraid to do this mechanically to start with, the action will soon become smooth and relaxed, and it's a good way to warm up.

Factors that can help a fast catch and a long stroke are low feet and low drag.

Often the first stroke from half slide is the best of all. The seat will be well away from your heels, so that the knee angle is about 45°, with shoulders forward, back straight and weight on the feet. This is the strong catch posture we need to reach. There will still be some heel lift, but this is not a problem. All oarsmen wore out their socks when boats had clogs only.

[MassiF]

Thanks again for your reply James.
I think the key is in fact trying to be mechanical to start, or until the technique does not feel natural. I’ve tried to do so in thr recovery phase and I noticed definitely something different, a more controlled movement that does not lead to a ‘bouncing’ back at the catch. Need to work more but I’m liking it a lot