Loss of Strength

[dblinden]

Back to rowing after 8-9 year intermission. Previously rowed almost daily for 1 hour at a 2:10 -2:12 pace. Currently, rowing 45' every other day and can barely manage 2:27 steady pace and watts only about 100 (can do a little more with effort). Current pace unchanged since starting back. Even when I first started rowing years ago, I never had this slow of a pace or low watts. Weight and health unchanged; exercise regularly.

What might I try to do to regain strength as each stroke just feels like it must be too weak?

[Dutch]

What drag are you using ? Maybe you have it too high and 9 yrs off rowing means you are prob gonna have to build technique again. Doing 45 min sessions is quite along time to go for after a lot of time off and to be honest 2.27 is prob about right for just starting back.
Try a 20 min session and see how that goes, if its a bit quicker maybe build it up to 45 mins from 20 over a 6 week period to try and build it slowly and let the body adapt.

[MPx]

Blimey, 8-9 year intermission and you only dropped 15s or so on pace. Sounds to me like you weren't trying hard enough 8 or 9 years ago! I dropped 15s in a 3.5 year lay off 2013-16. Took me best part of a year to make headway back to decent scores, but I've never gotten close to my 2011/12 PBs in all the important distances.

Agree with Dutch's points about finding the "best" DF for you...and shorter sessions.

The classic way to train a strong stroke is to slow the rate to around 20 and concentrate on each stroke making it count. Only keep going as long as you can keep pulling the same strong stroke. Then do it again the next session ...and the next. Following week add another minute or two...or another 500m. Will take time, but you'll gradually get back with a strong stroke. No point in sawing away for hours engraining a weak stroke. (And IMO worth mixing up with other types of session that you enjoy more to make sure you keep coming back!) Best of luck...

[dblinden]

So, thanks for the input. Didn't want to make my initial post too long. Have always used a drag setting between 3-4. Stroke rate approx 20-23. Stressing form, that is legs. Started back at just 15' sessions. Gradually added 5' at a time after several sessions. Goal has been steady state, Zone 2, PRE, etc for the entire session. Don't want to do intervals in order to avoid risk of injury. Just don't understand why my power now is so much less than when I first started using the rower way back when.

[Sakly]

9 years are a long time to lose strength, but if you say you exercise regularly, you would have noticed. So I think it must be related to technique and stamina. Or you really lost strength, but that should also show effects in your other exercise regimen.

[KevinJGK]

How old are you? If you look at a typical strength chart over time its amazing just how much strength you can lose in 9 years. Just like you I am starting back after a long layoff. I did a sub 7 at BIRC in 2009 aged 51 and now I am doing 4 x 2,000/5r S10PS around 2:20 & 10,000 S10PS around 2:27 which is already a big improvement from 30 days ago

Also regarding drag factor - I wouldn't take much notice of the damper position. I like a drag force of about 130 which is between setting 3 and 4 on a clean machine, but in the gym the drag force was only 75 at setting 10 before I asked them to clean it so I would check that out.

[jamesg]

What might I try to do to regain strength as each stroke just feels like it must be too weak?

Work on the stroke itself: millions pulled at high force and length but low rate.

I just spent a week on my back in hospital. Docs told me I'll have lost a pound of muscle a day. So now I'm working at 80-90W and glad to be back.

NB Cholesterol/Calcium buildup stops blood circulating. All fuel and oxygen is supplied to muscle, including the heart itself, by blood, which is moved by the heart: so be careful what you eat.

[dblinden]

Good luck James. Believe you resided near me in Atlanta when I was first rowing. I'm 73 (unfortunately), 5'6", and 150 lbs. Had a longer history of cycling and then running before rowing. Have to maximize my form since I am short of height, but I feel like my technique is the same as in the past. Hard to accept changes in functional status. Stopped rowing when I did because I had started doing those online boat challenges every couple weeks. One was 30" sprint intervals and I tore a rib muscle. Trying so hard that I was coming off the seat. Stupid.

Question - Is strength likely to improve just by sustained HR controlled sessions over time?

[Tsnor]

Question - Is strength likely to improve just by sustained HR controlled sessions over time?

The research avail says that doing only long/slow steady state is not as effective as a mix of hard and long/slow. Supplement with one or two interval workouts a week. (I am huge believer in long/slow but it's not enough by itself).

There is also a ton of research showing benefits of strength training (weights or body weight) on health after age 50. Highly recommended for everyone over 50. Strength training will also help you get back some of the per-stroke strength you lose as you lose muscle fibers. Best practice is to do your lifting on same day as your hard rowing workout.

If you like more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC5_0qOJhDk Sustainable Training for Masters Athletes This was a lecture at USRowing 2022 Masters Conference which mainly targets coaches.

Barring injury no question you can eclipse your previous 2:10 -2:12 hourly pace.

[dblinden]

The lecture by Seiler is really excellent. Very good communicator. Reframes a lot of common myths about training and reinforces common sense approaches as well. Good recommendation.

My overriding goal at present is to have a routine that I can maintain indefinitely without injury setbacks and have enough recovery time between workouts. Hence, on rower every other day. Have done weights and a relationship with lots of pushups every other day for years now. Weights are lower lbs and 20 reps/set. Just very apprehensive about high intensity efforts like I used to do.

[Tsnor]

My overriding goal at present is to have a routine that I can maintain indefinitely without injury setbacks and have enough recovery time between workouts. Hence, on rower every other day. Have done weights and a relationship with lots of pushups every other day for years now. Weights are lower lbs and 20 reps/set. Just very apprehensive about high intensity efforts like I used to do.

The joy of long/slow is that you can fill in some of the "every other day" gaps without impacting your recovery and gain aerobic capacity that you would not otherwise gain.

If you can get the time, and if you can enjoy the time (through music, audiobooks, video, etc) then adding long/slow over a year or two has really large impact. But it it's not fun for you don't add it.

Note: if you alternating hard rowing on one day and weights on the next suggest you rearrange this. Do hard row and weights on the same day. Then do something that is not hard on the next day like long/slow or a rest day. Target 1 or 2 hard rowing/weight days a week, 1 or 2 rest days and use long/slow rowing or cycling on the remaining days.