Thoughts on a Workout (Warning long Post)

General discussion on Training. How to get better on your erg, how to use your erg to get better at another sport, or anything else about improving your abilities.
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RowtheRockies
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Thoughts on a Workout (Warning long Post)

Post by RowtheRockies » January 31st, 2007, 1:53 pm

Now that I am finished with my one rowing comp for the year, I am going to transition back into running to start getting ready for the Pikes Peak Ascent in August. For the next few months, I will alternate running and erging 6 days a week. For now, my runs will be 1 hr aerobic runs. For my rows, I was thinking of doing one 10K a week and two quality rows. I have done Bill Phillip's Body for life High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) before on the treadmill. It is an a$$ kicking workout in only 23 minutes time.

I am hoping to get some comment from some of the more knowledgeable ExPhys folks on the forum on the value of the HIIT workouts:

1) will doing these two times a week allow me to continue to progress my 2K time? I have only rowed 1.5 million meters and don't think I am yet near potential

2) Will just doing one 10K row a week be enough aerobic work to support the two HIIT workouts taking into consideration, I will be doing an additional 3 hours of aerobic running during the week?

This is some explination on the HIIT protocal. Each level that the author refers to lasts one minute, no rest between levels:

Bill's "20-minute aerobics solution" is a type of "High Intensity Interval Training" (HIIT). Bill's solution is very effective. You start with two minutes of warmup at a level 5, then move to level 6 for a minute, then 7. This portion of your workout is aerobic. You should be able to carry on a broken conversation, breathing deeply but not out of breath. Your level 8 should have more bounce and push to it, taking you slightly out of your comfort range. Your level 9 effort is a "high point" and should be somewhat anaerobic. The goal is not extreme exertion. If you aren't getting somewhat winded and you don't feel a modest burn in your muscles near the end, it's probably too easy, but no gasping as if you've been held underwater.

After your level 9, you drop back down to a level 6 (that's a level 6, not a 2 or 3). As noted on my main fitness page, you're shooting for "active recovery", or what physiologists sometimes call "recovery under stress."

The fourth time through this cycle, you add a "high point" - a level 10, after your 9. No gasping allowed, but you should be getting winded. Though you are taking in a lot of oxygen at this point, the energy demands are still greater than can be produced aerobically, so you are challenging your lactate system. After your 10, you'll get the most benefit from your 10 if you get your breath back to a fully conversational level before stopping. That may take an extra few minutes, but "Twenty-three-and-a-half minute aerobics solution" just doesn't have the same ring to it.


The link to the protocal is below. All comments are appreciated.

http://www.bodyforlife.com/exercise/cardiotraining.asp

Thanks and sorry for the long post!

Rich
40 YO 6'1" 180 lbs. Rowing at 7,000 Ft.
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TomR
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Post by TomR » February 1st, 2007, 9:49 am

Rich--

I'm not expert, but three days running and a 10k on the erg should keep your cardiovascular system humming along.

What's the particular benefit of HIIT over more traditional intervals?

Tom

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Post by RowtheRockies » February 1st, 2007, 11:26 am

Tom,

I'm not sure what the physiological benefits of the HIIT intervals are over traditional. For me, It is a lot more fun. The time really flies because you are changing intensity every minute and it is very time efficient. It is very painful I assure you so if "That which does not Kill you Makes you Stronger" holds true, this should definitely make you stronger. I would not use this in the couple months leading up to a comp but for maintenance mode I think it is good. I am going to do my first one today and see how it goes. The protocal I will use is below:

Minute Level Watts SPM
1 5 130 20
2 5 130 20
3 5 130 20
4 6 165 20
5 7 200 22
6 8 235 26
7 9 270 30
8 6 165 20
9 7 200 22
10 8 235 26
11 9 270 30
12 6 165 20
13 7 200 22
14 8 235 26
15 9 270 30
16 6 165 20
17 7 200 22
18 8 235 26
19 9 270 30
20 10 305 34
21 5 130 20
22 4 130 20
23 3 130 20
40 YO 6'1" 180 lbs. Rowing at 7,000 Ft.
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Post by RowtheRockies » February 1st, 2007, 4:24 pm

Completed my first HIIT workout today but it did not go exactly as planned. I reset each of the levels to what the actual averages of the levels I was able to hit in the workout. Each of the levels had to come down slightly. On my very last repeat (Level 10) I had nothing left and handled down. I really enjoyed this workout and it kicked my a$$. Have nothing better do do for the next few months so I think I'll implement it and see what kind of results I can get.

Rich
40 YO 6'1" 180 lbs. Rowing at 7,000 Ft.
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Post by trailrunner » February 1st, 2007, 9:20 pm

A few comments. I ran my first marathon 2 yrs ago at 46 years in 3:15. My friends used the traditional formula for marathon build up, which can be drag unless you are really motivated. I only ran 3 days per week; 1 long run (12-18m) at around MP, 1 10 k trail run on hilly terrain and 1 30 to 50 min road run at easy to threshold pace. Add in two core stability workouts, two rowing sessions (5 to 10k) which tended to be recovery type work and 2 mtn bike sessions. I stayed injury free and never burnt out.

My guess is you can at least maintain or perhaps drop your 2k time a little if the rowing that you maintain is quality stuff. Forget about racking up lots of meters in the log book.

Right now my running is a little less than 10 m/week. The focus is on the erg till beginning of March, then I gotta start ramping up for a tough little 12 mile trail race in Mid april.

Good luck, Pikes peak sounds like a gut buster of a race!
M 48 5'6" 65 kg ** 2k/7:11 ** 5k/tbd ** 10k/38:29 ** HM/tbd

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Post by RowtheRockies » February 2nd, 2007, 12:25 pm

Trail Runner,
Good luck, Pikes peak sounds like a gut buster of a race!
It is a gut buster but It is my favorite trail race because it only has one hill in it. You can see it in my Avatar :wink:

Will be interesting to see how I do this year. My legs have gotten a lot stronger from erging, surely it will make the uphill running easier.

Rich
40 YO 6'1" 180 lbs. Rowing at 7,000 Ft.
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Post by trailrunner » February 2nd, 2007, 12:30 pm

Actually I would think the erg would help dowhill running even more because it develops the quads, but does not do much for the the Hamsters. Hill bounding, now thats the ticket.
M 48 5'6" 65 kg ** 2k/7:11 ** 5k/tbd ** 10k/38:29 ** HM/tbd

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Post by Nosmo » February 2nd, 2007, 1:14 pm

trailrunner wrote:Actually I would think the erg would help dowhill running even more because it develops the quads, but does not do much for the the Hamsters. Hill bounding, now thats the ticket.
The Quad motion on the Erg is very close to what it is when running uphill-- not on the downhill. I think the terms are Excentric vs concentric motion: i.e. effort when extending vs flexing.

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Post by trailrunner » February 2nd, 2007, 2:31 pm

You are correct.

And going dowhill is always tough on the legs.
M 48 5'6" 65 kg ** 2k/7:11 ** 5k/tbd ** 10k/38:29 ** HM/tbd

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Post by RowtheRockies » February 2nd, 2007, 4:26 pm

trailrunner wrote:You are correct.

And going dowhill is always tough on the legs.
And that is exactly why I have run the Ascent (bottom to top) 4 times and the Pikes Peak Marathon only once. Never again, it is for serious masochist only.

Rich
40 YO 6'1" 180 lbs. Rowing at 7,000 Ft.
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Post by Pavel » February 18th, 2007, 10:47 am

Appologies for my incompetence (and my english too, my very first comment here), I have two questions to the chart. I understand that the level grades subjective perceiving of effort or intensity. If that is so, how do I change the level with keeping the same Watts? Second question - am I right that the value of watts corresponds to your individual level of fitness and someone less fit should just keep the proportions but the numbers would be different? Very interessting training, thanks. Pavel

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Post by RowtheRockies » February 19th, 2007, 11:38 am

Pavel wrote:Appologies for my incompetence (and my english too, my very first comment here), I have two questions to the chart. I understand that the level grades subjective perceiving of effort or intensity. If that is so, how do I change the level with keeping the same Watts? Second question - am I right that the value of watts corresponds to your individual level of fitness and someone less fit should just keep the proportions but the numbers would be different? Very interessting training, thanks. Pavel
Pavel,

Yes the levels are subjective for the most part. What I did was decide on the low and high values (Level 6 and level 10 and then set 7,8,9 by spreading the difference between level 6 and 10 evenly across them.

The workout will really kick your butt in a short amount of time. I originally planned to do these twice a week but I think once is enough. I would say the pain level and intensity is about on line with a 5K PB attempt

Rich
40 YO 6'1" 180 lbs. Rowing at 7,000 Ft.
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[img]http://www.c2ctc.com/sigs/img1213378765.png[/img]

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