Rowing kills me ever time

[samcamps]

Hi all,

Maybe strange question but for some reason rowing naturally gives me urge to push harder and go faster. Even if I go for a steady state training or decide to go really easy I still always end up being totally exhausted. I train in only my underpants because I’m always completely soaked in sweat . Any else experiences this?

[Dutch]

Ss should be done, as I understand it, 20 to 22 or even 25 secs slower than you 2k best time average. So if it is say 1.55 then you should train ss at 2.15 to 2.20.
I had exactly the same problem as you, but I am in shorts as well, not just pants!! I wear sweat bands on wrists, head band etc I look like some 1970s tennis player. My ego was dictating pace, even if you feel great, stick to your agreed pace, that will put your ego into place and you will feel really good that you did. You will be fresh and look forward to the next row. I was always going at about 12 secs above my best 2k average and was drained alot afterwards.
The whole process is about learning all the little bits and keeping discipline and making it fun. I also use a fan on me now as well.
Plenty of the more experienced guys on here will tell you so as well, I am really just repeating what they have told me time and time again and one day it does click lol

[Carl Watts]

I trained like that for years with the rower in a small room, its not ideal. Your body overheats and you get puddles of sweat in the summer.

These days the rower is in the garage so the double garage door can go up and I also have a massive 750mm diameter industrial floor fan on the floor. Moving air has 5 times the cooling effect of static air and it only needs to be on the lowest speed setting. The fan is pointed to the front of me directing in fresh air constantly from outside. The difference it makes is huge, especially as the temperature goes over 30 Degrees C in the summer.

[mict450]

I had the same problem years ago when I was involved with road biking. Every ride had to be a PB. Never could break myself of the habit. Very easy way to burn yourself out physically and mentally. It was my ego taking charge & flogging my body to respond. I don't have that problem with the erg, though.

For the sweating problem, a headband to keep the sweat out of your eyes, and a large fan blowing directly on you. I'm on a dynamic, so it makes it easier to aim the fan at myself. I use a Polar OH1+ HRM. It's on my forearm and not exposed to the level of wetness as my chest strap. I only need to launder it very rarely.

[ampire]

I think there are two things to consider:
1) Excessive SPM rating, if you are newer to rowing you might think that the way to achieve a faster split or more watts or more calories (crossfit metric) would be to just do more strokes and faster strokes and whip back and forth up and down the rail instead of doing less strokes but pulling harder. Try artificially limiting your SPM rating to somewhere in the range of 20 to 24 SPM but maintain the same pace and see if you find you don't blow up as hard, or you may find you were taking weak strokes before and you should use a slower pace.
2) Airflow, consider getting a powerful fan and aiming it at you for the full workout.

[samcamps]

Great comments and the fan is actually a really good idea!
Will set that up. For the actual trainings, when doing some random WOD I do keep myself to the training schedule and indicated spm. Just feels really hard to keep the intensity moderate or low. Maybe training on heart-rate would be helpful…

[jamesg]

Any else experiences this?

This is typical if you've never been afloat. in rowing it's the boat that goes fast, not us.

When rowing we let the boat go at least ten meters each stroke, and only then take the next one. The boat does not stop, so there's no need to rush to the next stroke. The C2 flywheel is designed to give the same effect, if we keep the drag low.

Rating 18-23 is enough for training, with this method.

[pagomichaelh]

Great comments and the fan is actually a really good idea!
Will set that up. For the actual trainings, when doing some random WOD I do keep myself to the training schedule and indicated spm. Just feels really hard to keep the intensity moderate or low. Maybe training on heart-rate would be helpful…

+1 on the fan. The 'comfort index' here is usually low to mid-40s by 9 am. Before I got my own erg, I was working the the gym without a fan.

After a small 'gift', the attendents allowed me to bring in my own extension lead and fan, and I saw a significant improvement.

[jamesg]

Just feels really hard to keep the intensity moderate or low.

The intensity is always high, it's only the rating that can be low. Do you think this bloke was taking it easy?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20rSoTo8fQA

[OregonERG]

I know what the OP is getting at. The rower doesn't really have an "easy" setting for me.

I can sit on a bike (especially a trainer) and just watch movies, spinning along at 120 bpm and not even getting a real workout. I have, on occasion, taken a good cup of coffee with me and used the bike as a relaxing morning spin avec Cafe! Biking is just sitting and rolling, if you want it to be. Coasting is real.

The erg doesn't really coast more than about 9m. Then the pace slips and you are working to get back under 2:00 pace. As it is, if I am not "trying" then I find myself unable to maintain good form. If I just "take it easy" on the erg, my whole stoke breaks down. But that is just me, I am a bad rower, so what do I know.

And full disclosure, when I am feeling exhausted I'd rather go on a run than sit on the erg. The erg is always hard for me for some reason.

[iain]

I have learned to row at very low ratings to reduce the effort level (sometimes do long rows at 15SPM), but I really struggle to maintain a decent stroke when the work per stroke drops to less than 85% of full racing. As a result, even at 15SPM I can only maintain <75% HRmax for an hour or so at the moment, so never really easy. I have assumed that risking ingraining technique fauls is worse than doing slow rows a bit faster than recommended, but would be interested if anyone disagrees with this or has a method of ensuring the technique says good at lower work per stroke that doesn't involve continuously assessing every aspect of the stroke continuously (this requires more concentration than I can readily maintain for 90+ mins at low intensity, and even then I find the work per stroke creeps up with every refinement).

[Dangerscouse]

I have learned to row at very low ratings to reduce the effort level (sometimes do long rows at 15SPM), but I really struggle to maintain a decent stroke when the work per stroke drops to less than 85% of full racing. As a result, even at 15SPM I can only maintain <75% HRmax for an hour or so at the moment, so never really easy. I have assumed that risking ingraining technique fauls is worse than doing slow rows a bit faster than recommended, but would be interested if anyone disagrees with this or has a method of ensuring the technique says good at lower work per stroke that doesn't involve continuously assessing every aspect of the stroke continuously (this requires more concentration than I can readily maintain for 90+ mins at low intensity, and even then I find the work per stroke creeps up with every refinement).

I'm not such a big advocate of constantly assessing technique, and slavishly trying to create the perfect stroke. There are always nuances that work, and can even be detrimental if you try and change them.

Broadly speaking all you're trying to do with good technique is not leak power and avoid injury. I have seen some very fast rowers with terrible technique, so it's not always essential.

Imo, if you're struggling after trying something for a good amount of time it's time to give it up and try something different. Not everything you assume will be better is compatible, so it's more important to find what works for you, and to enjoy the process.

[iain]

I'm not such a big advocate of constantly assessing technique, and slavishly trying to create the perfect stroke. There are always nuances that work, and can even be detrimental if you try and change them.

Broadly speaking all you're trying to do with good technique is not leak power and avoid injury. I have seen some very fast rowers with terrible technique, so it's not always essential.

Imo, if you're struggling after trying something for a good amount of time it's time to give it up and try something different. Not everything you assume will be better is compatible, so it's more important to find what works for you, and to enjoy the process.

Thanks for the thoughts Stu.

I have come to accept my poor stroke, the difficulty is that it gets worse at low pressure when I start rowing with bent arms, hands drop at catch to mention just the 2 worst faults. these do both reduce efficiency and the former leads to sore arms. Hence I accept a slightly higher HR and lower than ideal rating as an acceptable compromise on longer rows!

[samcamps]

Just feels really hard to keep the intensity moderate or low.

The intensity is always high, it's only the rating that can be low. Do you think this bloke was taking it easy?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20rSoTo8fQA

no