Fast 500m row time -1.40minute HELP

[Bikos]

Hello!

Im a beginner rower, length: 1.76m , 65kg.
For my exam I need to row 500m in 1 minute and 40 seconds.

My record is 1 minute and 44 seconds for the 500m.

I am looking for a good schedule to improve the rowing time, can anyone help me with this?
All tips are welcome!

Thanks!

[mitchel674]

Hello!

Im a beginner rower, length: 1.76m , 65kg.
For my exam I need to row 500m in 1 minute and 40 seconds.

My record is 1 minute and 44 seconds for the 500m.

I am looking for a good schedule to improve the rowing time, can anyone help me with this?
All tips are welcome!

Thanks!

What kind of exam requires this pace?

At least you're close. What was your stroke rate? Perhaps a bit of fine tuning on your first few power strokes alone will gain you the 4 seconds you need.

[MartinSH4321]

Hello!

Im a beginner rower, length: 1.76m , 65kg.
For my exam I need to row 500m in 1 minute and 40 seconds.

My record is 1 minute and 44 seconds for the 500m.

I am looking for a good schedule to improve the rowing time, can anyone help me with this?
All tips are welcome!

Thanks!

It would be useful to know how this exam takes place (and when):
- can you use any drag factor you want (there are tests where drag is predetermined)? If not you should work with the drag you have to use at this exam.
- can you put weights on the front of the erg (or can someone stand on it) to prevent it from slipping around? This can make a huge difference, but propably more for heavy and very strong rower)

If you don't know this you should ask.

My recommendations:

- Try to put the feet higher than normal. My feet are 2 holes higher than for longer distances
- If you can choose your own drag factor, try some and use the one that fits you best
- For a fast 500m you normally have to rate pretty high (around 40, some up to 50+). If you haven't done this so far work on it, breathing is different at different rating.
- To be as fast as you can your race tactic should be a "controlled fly and die", which means you should start a good bit faster than average pace, at the end (20-30'' before finish) you won't be able to hold pace and have to slow down, that's very uncomfortable, at the end it hurts a lot and vomiting isn't uncommon. You have to learn to stand the pain, so it's necessary to do some fast 500m as practise.

Atm I'm working on sub 1:20 and started a focused training plan 2 weeks ago, I posted the sessions in the "what training have you done"-thread, maybe you can find some inspiration there

Good luck!

[Bikos]

Hello!

Im a beginner rower, length: 1.76m , 65kg.
For my exam I need to row 500m in 1 minute and 40 seconds.

My record is 1 minute and 44 seconds for the 500m.

I am looking for a good schedule to improve the rowing time, can anyone help me with this?
All tips are welcome!

Thanks!

What kind of exam requires this pace?

At least you're close. What was your stroke rate? Perhaps a bit of fine tuning on your first few power strokes alone will gain you the 4 seconds you need.

Police academy. Not sure what my stroke rate was..

[Bikos]

Hello!

Im a beginner rower, length: 1.76m , 65kg.
For my exam I need to row 500m in 1 minute and 40 seconds.

My record is 1 minute and 44 seconds for the 500m.

I am looking for a good schedule to improve the rowing time, can anyone help me with this?
All tips are welcome!

Thanks!

It would be useful to know how this exam takes place (and when):
- can you use any drag factor you want (there are tests where drag is predetermined)? If not you should work with the drag you have to use at this exam.
- can you put weights on the front of the erg (or can someone stand on it) to prevent it from slipping around? This can make a huge difference, but propably more for heavy and very strong rower)

If you don't know this you should ask.

My recommendations:

- Try to put the feet higher than normal. My feet are 2 holes higher than for longer distances
- If you can choose your own drag factor, try some and use the one that fits you best
- For a fast 500m you normally have to rate pretty high (around 40, some up to 50+). If you haven't done this so far work on it, breathing is different at different rating.
- To be as fast as you can your race tactic should be a "controlled fly and die", which means you should start a good bit faster than average pace, at the end (20-30'' before finish) you won't be able to hold pace and have to slow down, that's very uncomfortable, at the end it hurts a lot and vomiting isn't uncommon. You have to learn to stand the pain, so it's necessary to do some fast 500m as practise.

Atm I'm working on sub 1:20 and started a focused training plan 2 weeks ago, I posted the sessions in the "what training have you done"-thread, maybe you can find some inspiration there

Good luck!

The drag factor must be between 6-10.
Not sure if I can use weights on the front.

Thanks for the tips!
So to get better, i just need to race 500m every time.. and that will improve my time?

Ah good luck with the time!

[max_ratcliffe]

This was shared a few weeks ago (originally in quite an old thread). I was going to give it a crack, but a minor injury has stopped me doing flat out stuff for now. Will be interested in your results if you give it a go. I assume the two speed workouts are in addition to steady state stuff, rather than meaning you only do these two per week. Obviously you would substitute the 1:40 instead of the 1:20 in the example.



First, keep in mind that you can do 500m training only for about five weeks; after that there will be miniscule gains, if any.
During that time, squeeze the target from above and below with just two speed workouts per week.
For example, suppose your target is 1:20, then on Speed Day #1 do 300|250|200 @1:20 with as much rest as you want without getting cold.
On Speed Day #2, do 600|550|500 @ target+10 (in this case, 1:30), but with only 2:30 rest (i.e., go again when the flywheel stops).
Speed Day #3 = 325|275|225 @1:20.
Speed Day #4 = 600|550|500 @1:29
Each week add 25m to the @1:20 workout and subtract 1s/500m from the other.
If you can't complete the third rep on pace, drop back to two for the rest of the 5 weeks, i.e., don't risk over-training.
Concentrate on steady pacing, blank your mind and row through the tape every interval.
Also, breathe twice each stroke from the start; the 500m is too short for your heart rate to reach and sustain maximum for any appreciable time, so you need a head start on oxygenation.
Other tips: start with a drag factor of 160-170 to begin; adjust to fit. Shorten the stroke to just beyond 3/4. Try different starting stroke lengths to find the sequence that gets you the highest watts on the sixth stroke (not the fifth, not the seventh).

[MartinSH4321]

Hello!

Im a beginner rower, length: 1.76m , 65kg.
For my exam I need to row 500m in 1 minute and 40 seconds.

My record is 1 minute and 44 seconds for the 500m.

I am looking for a good schedule to improve the rowing time, can anyone help me with this?
All tips are welcome!

Thanks!

It would be useful to know how this exam takes place (and when):
- can you use any drag factor you want (there are tests where drag is predetermined)? If not you should work with the drag you have to use at this exam.
- can you put weights on the front of the erg (or can someone stand on it) to prevent it from slipping around? This can make a huge difference, but propably more for heavy and very strong rower)

If you don't know this you should ask.

My recommendations:

- Try to put the feet higher than normal. My feet are 2 holes higher than for longer distances
- If you can choose your own drag factor, try some and use the one that fits you best
- For a fast 500m you normally have to rate pretty high (around 40, some up to 50+). If you haven't done this so far work on it, breathing is different at different rating.
- To be as fast as you can your race tactic should be a "controlled fly and die", which means you should start a good bit faster than average pace, at the end (20-30'' before finish) you won't be able to hold pace and have to slow down, that's very uncomfortable, at the end it hurts a lot and vomiting isn't uncommon. You have to learn to stand the pain, so it's necessary to do some fast 500m as practise.

Atm I'm working on sub 1:20 and started a focused training plan 2 weeks ago, I posted the sessions in the "what training have you done"-thread, maybe you can find some inspiration there

Good luck!

The drag factor must be between 6-10.
Not sure if I can use weights on the front.

Thanks for the tips!
So to get better, i just need to race 500m every time.. and that will improve my time?

Ah good luck with the time!

No, too many all out efforts will overstress you. When is your exam? Depending on when it is and what else you train I won't do more than 1-2 per month at 100%, but you can do 90% efforts pretty often, they are also hard and help you in many ways, esp. getting mentally adapted to the distance and discomfort.
I would also do fast intervals like 4x 250m with 3-4' rest or 10x100m with 1' rest. If you have a lot of time till the exam you can also work on strength, like deadlifts and squats, but as your current PB is already pretty close to 1:40 I guess the intervals and 500s are sufficient.

Thanks

[lindsayh]

The drag factor must be between 6-10.
Not sure if I can use weights on the front.
Thanks for the tips!
So to get better, i just need to race 500m every time.. and that will improve my time?

No you shouldn't just do 500m - in fact don't need to do many of them.

It depends on how long you have to prepare but the 500 needs fitness as well as power - it is not just a sprint but a "middle distance" event so do some steady state cardio stuff
Learn to use drag factor rather than damper setting and aim for around 150 but find your sweet spot (I wouldn't look much above 160 at the most). Check the DF on the machine you do the test on before you start - it varies a lot from one to another.
Do some low rate low DF pieces concentrating on form and power.
Do intervals of 200/250/300/350 with longish rests say 1-4'R and go harder than 1:40 pace and practice getting stroke rates up into the 40s. Do say 4-8 intervals. Go very hard for each one. Shorten the stroke a bit
When you do 500m you have to get fast quickly and below target but don't go too far under and stay there as long as you can and be prepared for the inevitable fade in the last 150
Put your feet up a peg or two
Look at YouTube vids - the WRIC Paris 2020 LWT open 500 is a good one for you rather than the monster men who just overpower the machine.
There are some good threads here too.
there are 2 old threads called "Sprints and Stuff"
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=189861&p=497465&hil ... gs#p497465

[Bikos]

This was shared a few weeks ago (originally in quite an old thread). I was going to give it a crack, but a minor injury has stopped me doing flat out stuff for now. Will be interested in your results if you give it a go. I assume the two speed workouts are in addition to steady state stuff, rather than meaning you only do these two per week. Obviously you would substitute the 1:40 instead of the 1:20 in the example.



First, keep in mind that you can do 500m training only for about five weeks; after that there will be miniscule gains, if any.
During that time, squeeze the target from above and below with just two speed workouts per week.
For example, suppose your target is 1:20, then on Speed Day #1 do 300|250|200 @1:20 with as much rest as you want without getting cold.
On Speed Day #2, do 600|550|500 @ target+10 (in this case, 1:30), but with only 2:30 rest (i.e., go again when the flywheel stops).
Speed Day #3 = 325|275|225 @1:20.
Speed Day #4 = 600|550|500 @1:29
Each week add 25m to the @1:20 workout and subtract 1s/500m from the other.
If you can't complete the third rep on pace, drop back to two for the rest of the 5 weeks, i.e., don't risk over-training.
Concentrate on steady pacing, blank your mind and row through the tape every interval.
Also, breathe twice each stroke from the start; the 500m is too short for your heart rate to reach and sustain maximum for any appreciable time, so you need a head start on oxygenation.
Other tips: start with a drag factor of 160-170 to begin; adjust to fit. Shorten the stroke to just beyond 3/4. Try different starting stroke lengths to find the sequence that gets you the highest watts on the sixth stroke (not the fifth, not the seventh).

Thanks! Do you mean with the example @1:20 (1:40) for me, the amount of pace needed to get 1:40? but then for 300m.
How do I find my drag factor?

[Bikos]

It would be useful to know how this exam takes place (and when):
- can you use any drag factor you want (there are tests where drag is predetermined)? If not you should work with the drag you have to use at this exam.
- can you put weights on the front of the erg (or can someone stand on it) to prevent it from slipping around? This can make a huge difference, but propably more for heavy and very strong rower)

If you don't know this you should ask.

My recommendations:

- Try to put the feet higher than normal. My feet are 2 holes higher than for longer distances
- If you can choose your own drag factor, try some and use the one that fits you best
- For a fast 500m you normally have to rate pretty high (around 40, some up to 50+). If you haven't done this so far work on it, breathing is different at different rating.
- To be as fast as you can your race tactic should be a "controlled fly and die", which means you should start a good bit faster than average pace, at the end (20-30'' before finish) you won't be able to hold pace and have to slow down, that's very uncomfortable, at the end it hurts a lot and vomiting isn't uncommon. You have to learn to stand the pain, so it's necessary to do some fast 500m as practise.

Atm I'm working on sub 1:20 and started a focused training plan 2 weeks ago, I posted the sessions in the "what training have you done"-thread, maybe you can find some inspiration there

Good luck!

The drag factor must be between 6-10.
Not sure if I can use weights on the front.

Thanks for the tips!
So to get better, i just need to race 500m every time.. and that will improve my time?

Ah good luck with the time!

No, too many all out efforts will overstress you. When is your exam? Depending on when it is and what else you train I won't do more than 1-2 per month at 100%, but you can do 90% efforts pretty often, they are also hard and help you in many ways, esp. getting mentally adapted to the distance and discomfort.
I would also do fast intervals like 4x 250m with 3-4' rest or 10x100m with 1' rest. If you have a lot of time till the exam you can also work on strength, like deadlifts and squats, but as your current PB is already pretty close to 1:40 I guess the intervals and 500s are sufficient.

Thanks

My exam is at the least the end of the year, and I even can choose when. I can do it next year Februari if I want to. So I'm probly starting too soon.
And at what pace for the fast intervals?
Thanks! will be helpfull for the squats, because I feel that the Hamstrings are getting pumped fast.

[Bikos]

The drag factor must be between 6-10.
Not sure if I can use weights on the front.
Thanks for the tips!
So to get better, i just need to race 500m every time.. and that will improve my time?

No you shouldn't just do 500m - in fact don't need to do many of them.

It depends on how long you have to prepare but the 500 needs fitness as well as power - it is not just a sprint but a "middle distance" event so do some steady state cardio stuff
Learn to use drag factor rather than damper setting and aim for around 150 but find your sweet spot (I wouldn't look much above 160 at the most). Check the DF on the machine you do the test on before you start - it varies a lot from one to another.
Do some low rate low DF pieces concentrating on form and power.
Do intervals of 200/250/300/350 with longish rests say 1-4'R and go harder than 1:40 pace and practice getting stroke rates up into the 40s. Do say 4-8 intervals. Go very hard for each one. Shorten the stroke a bit
When you do 500m you have to get fast quickly and below target but don't go too far under and stay there as long as you can and be prepared for the inevitable fade in the last 150
Put your feet up a peg or two
Look at YouTube vids - the WRIC Paris 2020 LWT open 500 is a good one for you rather than the monster men who just overpower the machine.
There are some good threads here too.
there are 2 old threads called "Sprints and Stuff"
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=189861&p=497465&hil ... gs#p497465

Thanks for the tips! Do you mean with 1-4'R the minutes of rest?.
Very helpfull, I will watch the video's, and write the intervals down.

[MartinSH4321]

The drag factor must be between 6-10.
Not sure if I can use weights on the front.

Thanks for the tips!
So to get better, i just need to race 500m every time.. and that will improve my time?

Ah good luck with the time!

No, too many all out efforts will overstress you. When is your exam? Depending on when it is and what else you train I won't do more than 1-2 per month at 100%, but you can do 90% efforts pretty often, they are also hard and help you in many ways, esp. getting mentally adapted to the distance and discomfort.
I would also do fast intervals like 4x 250m with 3-4' rest or 10x100m with 1' rest. If you have a lot of time till the exam you can also work on strength, like deadlifts and squats, but as your current PB is already pretty close to 1:40 I guess the intervals and 500s are sufficient.

Thanks

My exam is at the least the end of the year, and I even can choose when. I can do it next year Februari if I want to. So I'm probly starting too soon.
And at what pace for the fast intervals?
Thanks! will be helpfull for the squats, because I feel that the Hamstrings are getting pumped fast.

Both can be done around 500m PB pace.
That's a lot of time, you won't have problems reaching sub 1:40.

[Bikos]

No, too many all out efforts will overstress you. When is your exam? Depending on when it is and what else you train I won't do more than 1-2 per month at 100%, but you can do 90% efforts pretty often, they are also hard and help you in many ways, esp. getting mentally adapted to the distance and discomfort.
I would also do fast intervals like 4x 250m with 3-4' rest or 10x100m with 1' rest. If you have a lot of time till the exam you can also work on strength, like deadlifts and squats, but as your current PB is already pretty close to 1:40 I guess the intervals and 500s are sufficient.

Thanks

My exam is at the least the end of the year, and I even can choose when. I can do it next year Februari if I want to. So I'm probly starting too soon.
And at what pace for the fast intervals?
Thanks! will be helpfull for the squats, because I feel that the Hamstrings are getting pumped fast.

Both can be done around 500m PB pace.
That's a lot of time, you won't have problems reaching sub 1:40.

Thanks for the quick response Martin, I will keep you posted:)

[Allan Olesen]

Police academy.

So you are quite young, but past your teen years, I assume. Male?

If so, I will claim that you don't need any specific 500 meter training at all. You will easily reach your target with a little amount of general fitness rowing with focus on getting enough energy in each stroke.

Actually, if you are a typical beginner, you could probably reach your target right now, just with someone helping you with your technique. Improving your pace by 4% is easily within normal beginner gains.

For comparison, I started rowing at 50 years old, in April 2018. I was not exactly a potato couch, but certainly not fit either. I only did long, slow sessions, combined with some Wolverine L4 sessions (can be googled), and a few 2k tests. In February 2019 I tried a 500 meter for the very first time, resulting in a time of 1:38.1.

If I can do that at my age, it should be very easy for you.

[MoonPlanet]

You've got plenty of time, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to try to gain a few kgs of muscle. You can definitely do it without but it might be a bit easier if you're heavier. For training I echo what everyone else said - do short hard sprint intervals such as 30s off 1-2 minutes rest and perhaps longer ones such as 1 minute, again off 1-2 minutes rest. Perhaps do a 500m at 95% effort every couple of weeks to get used to it.

When it comes to the day, pacing is everything - take the first few strokes as hard as possible and then settle somewhere around 1:36. Try to hang on to that for as long as possible - you will slowly begin to fade after 300m and by the time you cross the finish line you'll probably be on 1:44s. This is totally contrary to what you should do for longer races, but a 500m is different because you simply won't be working as efficiently towards the end and because the flywheel has momentum, the last few strokes have a smaller impact on your time than the rest (and the first few have a huge impact). If you look at an elite 500m erg race or indeed similar events such as the 400 and 800m runs or the 1km track cycle.