Tips for Improving 10,000m Workouts

[Ombrax]

What methods do you use to accurately measure UT2 for C2 RowErg, using heart rate?

Can the PM be used in any way to accurately gauge / show UT1 and UT2 levels during a RowErg workout?

The easy one: A few mornings in a row, right after waking up, or after taking care of whatever "has" to be done then going back to bed and resting for a while, measure your resting HR. That should be a few BPM below the lowest you'll ever see during the day, even if you've just been sitting for a while. The simplest way to get your HR while in bed is to use a pulse oximeter. They're available on Amazon for around $20 and the decent ones are quite accurate.

The hard one: Figure out your max HR while rowing. (For this use a chest-strap measuring device.) There are lots of different ways to do this, with varying degrees of pain, but the bottom line is that you need a good warm-up, go hard for a long enough period that you really get your HR going, go really, really hard for a bit longer, to just about max out, then if you really want the max, go insanely hard for, say, 500m more. The closer you want to get to your "real" max the harder it is. There are a few protocols out there, including on this forum of good ways to do it.

Then, based on your max HR, calculate your HR zones. (UT1, UT2, etc are defined as % ranges of that. See link below for more details.

https://www.freespiritsrowing.com/forum ... calculator

The PM won't tell you what zone you're in, but will tell you your real-time HR, if you have a compatible chest-strap sensor. (see C2 web site for more info on that).

[jamesg]

What methods do you use to accurately measure UT2 for C2 RowErg, using heart rate?

Either 60-70% of max HR, or of HR Range. The latter will work you harder, so it's your choice.

NB HR does not teach us to row; for this we have to look at what we are doing, not just our reactions. In general, if you can get into UT2 band within ten minutes at ratings 18-20, you're ok.

[fragandclear]

What's that old training saying? (can't remember if it's from cycling or rowing, probably both, and running too)

"Go slow to go fast."

I keep saying it but on this forum someone told me "you should be working hard, or hardly working".

Definitely helped me pack my ego in and approach training in a more progressive manner.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

Hi, I rowed a great deal in the season before last.

I think I improved my technique most by rowing with minimal drag.

With minimal drag, I found myself with a better force curve and a really improved leg drive. When the muscle memory gets stored you can then transfer it to higher drags.

When I started with higher drag - I found I was a bit uniform in effort across the stroke.

Lower drags for me allowed me to learn loading the leg drive up.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

Thanks for all those replies.

I will check out the PM3 later today and confirm / communicate the correct SPM, I apologize for communicating the incorrect SPM.

I am aiming for PB's every time I row these 10km workouts, even if it is just by a few secs each time.


Romper

I would not focus so much on a PB each 10km as it can be counter productive to progression. As others have said, doing more endurance workouts in the UT2 effort level and just focus on staying in this effort band for extended periods of time (30min +). The workouts will almost feel "too easy" but pay dividends as you can do them at a higher frequency than a PB effort each time.

I agree, I rowed 20km for 400 days in a row and was able to dramatically improve endurance so that I knocked off 30s in my " I'm not trying I'm watching YouTube" effort level.

[Romper]

Hi, I rowed a great deal in the season before last.

I think I improved my technique most by rowing with minimal drag.

With minimal drag, I found myself with a better force curve and a really improved leg drive. When the muscle memory gets stored you can then transfer it to higher drags.

When I started with higher drag - I found I was a bit uniform in effort across the stroke.

Lower drags for me allowed me to learn loading the leg drive up.

Will a lower drag contribute to reduced time to achieve a set distance (with all other metrics same)?

[Romper]

What methods do you use to accurately measure UT2 for C2 RowErg, using heart rate?

Can the PM be used in any way to accurately gauge / show UT1 and UT2 levels during a RowErg workout?

The easy one: A few mornings in a row, right after waking up, or after taking care of whatever "has" to be done then going back to bed and resting for a while, measure your resting HR. That should be a few BPM below the lowest you'll ever see during the day, even if you've just been sitting for a while. The simplest way to get your HR while in bed is to use a pulse oximeter. They're available on Amazon for around $20 and the decent ones are quite accurate.

The hard one: Figure out your max HR while rowing. (For this use a chest-strap measuring device.) There are lots of different ways to do this, with varying degrees of pain, but the bottom line is that you need a good warm-up, go hard for a long enough period that you really get your HR going, go really, really hard for a bit longer, to just about max out, then if you really want the max, go insanely hard for, say, 500m more. The closer you want to get to your "real" max the harder it is. There are a few protocols out there, including on this forum of good ways to do it.

Then, based on your max HR, calculate your HR zones. (UT1, UT2, etc are defined as % ranges of that. See link below for more details.

https://www.freespiritsrowing.com/forum ... calculator

The PM won't tell you what zone you're in, but will tell you your real-time HR, if you have a compatible chest-strap sensor. (see C2 web site for more info on that).

Magic! Thanks

[Dangerscouse]

Will a lower drag contribute to reduced time to achieve a set distance (with all other metrics same)?

Not necessarily. Drag is a means to an end, and a lower, or higher drag, may suit you so there is no magic number.

A reduced time will come from better fitness and mental fortitude. Everything else is very secondary.

[aussie nick]

Thanks for all those replies.

I will check out the PM3 later today and confirm / communicate the correct SPM, I apologize for communicating the incorrect SPM.

I am aiming for PB's every time I row these 10km workouts, even if it is just by a few secs each time.


Romper

I would not focus so much on a PB each 10km as it can be counter productive to progression. As others have said, doing more endurance workouts in the UT2 effort level and just focus on staying in this effort band for extended periods of time (30min +). The workouts will almost feel "too easy" but pay dividends as you can do them at a higher frequency than a PB effort each time.

I agree, I rowed 20km for 400 days in a row and was able to dramatically improve endurance so that I knocked off 30s in my " I'm not trying I'm watching YouTube" effort level.

my goodness!