Dragging out the 16-week plan

[Citroen]

The Wolverine plan comes right out of the OTW rowing world, the author of the plan being a college-level rowing coach. I don't doubt that it may be of benefit to ergers, not interested in OTW water rowing, but, nontheless, the plan seems inordinately difficult, especially the entire L4 part of it with its emphais on precise rates. In addition, the plan prescribes a huge volume of work. One wonders if what is suitable for the 18-21 rowing team crowd is really best for the older, recreational athlete.

That's precisely why Pete Marston simplified the Wolverine into the easier to comprehend and easier to use eponymous "Pete Plan".

[Bob S.]

The Wolverine plan comes right out of the OTW rowing world, the author of the plan being a college-level rowing coach. I don't doubt that it may be of benefit to ergers, not interested in OTW water rowing, but, nontheless, the plan seems inordinately difficult, especially the entire L4 part of it with its emphais on precise rates. In addition, the plan prescribes a huge volume of work. One wonders if what is suitable for the 18-21 rowing team crowd is really best for the older, recreational athlete.

You are quite right that the plan was designed for college OTW rowing, specifically women's crew at U. of Michigan where it was very successful. However I have read that the coach, Mike Caviston used it for his own training for erg competition and had excellent results as an older, recreational rower.

Initially it is indeed complicated and I am too impatient and lazy to dig into it myself, but I am certain that I would have been better off to have pursued it. Those who have stuck with it have benefitted from it.

As Dougie mentioned, the popular Pete Plan is derived from it, in a much simplified form. However, that plan dropped the L4 work which is the core of the WP, so the discipline is not there. It is that discipline that gives a rower the training needed to have control over rate and pace.

Bob S.

[SlickC2]

I redid my wayward L4 session yesterday but this time trying to stick to a pyramid 2' spm plan of 20:22:24:22:20 for the 10' interval stretch. I didn't think I could get down to 18spm as that seemed quite low. I even had difficulty getting down to 20spm. I tried slowing everything down but the pace seemed slow and not taxing in any way. I hardly broke a sweat for the first interval. In the second interval, I tried pulling harder and then taking my time to recover. This quickened the pace a bit but I managed to keep the overall pace and distance about the same for all 4 intervals (about 30m difference max). At the end it was hard to keep everything (spm, pace, total distance) in check but I think I managed some consistency.

What I'm finding is that the slow spm allows me to try and practice my technique, especially with such a long recovery.

Many thanks for all the coaching everyone. I'm on the straight and narrow I think. Onto the next Levels! If those turn out to be too "hard", I might turn to the Pete Plan.

Cheers

[jamesg]

What 2k pace did you use as basis for the L4 paces?

L4 is very effective if you follow both pace and ratings as in the Wolverine tables, and if you have done a 2k test first to find the basis. The idea is to develop our ability to go faster as we increase the rating, by using the same solid stroke at all ratings: so a faster pace at 22 than at 18.

Try 18-20-18-20-18 first, (or your 22-24-22 etc, which will suit you better if you're not tall) each piece for 2 minutes, using your full stroke length but without pulling very hard, and at low drag. If that goes well, try a higher rating in the middle 2 minutes; and so on.


If you haven't done a 2k test, you can use the "constant work" idea (the basis of L4 tables) directly. Choose a lowish rating that you find comfortable, and at low drag see what power you can produce (in Watt) in a steady state reasonably easy effort, but with sweat, of 20-30 minutes. Then divide your Power by the Rating. The number you get is the work in your stroke. Then use it at the L4 prescribed ratings. If the number is 5, make sure that at say 22 you are pulling 110 W. If your number is 10, then the power is 220 W at rate 22.

There is a catch to all this of course: next time you do a 2k test, you'll probably find that your stroke has improved. So all future work will have to be that much faster. Have fun.

[icomefrombirmingham]

Hi,
I too have just started doing Wolverine Plan Level 4 rows.
Do I have this wrong? I thought L4...even 4x10' L4 rows...were done using the prescribed sequences. So, one might use e.g. a 176/180/176/180 sequence for the 4 pieces. Then the rating and pace changes would follow from that. But they certainly wouldn't be done at constant paces.
Also, when doing a L4 row in "interval mode" the intensity level should be higher than in continuous 40' mode. (But I don't think the Wolverine Plan documentation suggests the increase in intensity).
Brent

[hjs]

Hi,
I too have just started doing Wolverine Plan Level 4 rows.
Do I have this wrong? I thought L4...even 4x10' L4 rows...were done using the prescribed sequences. So, one might use e.g. a 176/180/176/180 sequence for the 4 pieces. Then the rating and pace changes would follow from that. But they certainly wouldn't be done at constant paces.
Also, when doing a L4 row in "interval mode" the intensity level should be higher than in continuous 40' mode. (But I don't think the Wolverine Plan documentation suggests the increase in intensity).
Brent

Indeed, l4 work is ver precise discribed, based on ones actual 2k, its the backbone of the W. plan. Intensity is fixed, if it becomes to easy, the rating should be a bit higher, average ratings above 20 for l4 work is not possible for a a serious rower, if so you need to do a new 2k test and use the outcome to recalibrate the l4 levels.

Its a top down plan, which starts with a 2k 100% effort.

[icomefrombirmingham]

Thanks hjs,
Perhaps you can help with another question:
I have always been relatively faster over longer distances than over 2k. My best HM pace is 1:59.7...much faster according to "Paul's Law" than my best 2k pace of 1:49.0
In fact, I find that WP L4 row sequences become challenging for me only if I use a 2K pace of 1:40-1:42
Should I be slowing down my L4 rows and using my actual 1:49.0 pace as the guide?

(I think that if I did a 2k TT now, I might manage 1:47.0...I am scheduled to find out in about 4 weeks...still much slower than the 1:40.0 pace I use to set my L4 sequences).

Any thoughts/advice welcome?
Brent

[icomefrombirmingham]

p.s. I'd better update my little boxes with more current times!

[hjs]

Thanks hjs,
Perhaps you can help with another question:
I have always been relatively faster over longer distances than over 2k. My best HM pace is 1:59.7...much faster according to "Paul's Law" than my best 2k pace of 1:49.0
In fact, I find that WP L4 row sequences become challenging for me only if I use a 2K pace of 1:40-1:42
Should I be slowing down my L4 rows and using my actual 1:49.0 pace as the guide?

(I think that if I did a 2k TT now, I might manage 1:47.0...I am scheduled to find out in about 4 weeks...still much slower than the 1:40.0 pace I use to set my L4 sequences).

Any thoughts/advice welcome?
Brent

I so, your focus should be on the l1 and l2 sessions. And proberly also on your rating during those.

Are you following the complete plan? The l4 should be challinging but not overly hard, if you want to improve your 2k. Think at the moment you main focus should be on l1 and l2, l4 should be supplementary.

Thst said, you will proberly always be better at the longer work

[jamesg]

The L4 pace/rating tables seem to imply a 2k rating of about 32. If your 2k rating differs substantially from this, you may have to adjust the paces accordingly, or simply move the ratings up/down a step or two. Converting to Watts shows why.

32 was probably the 2k rating used by the crews that MC worked with (W8+).

This guessing that the L4 logic is: in training use a stroke that's quite close to the stroke used in racing, as to work content, or maybe a bit tougher. Using Watts makes the math very simple.

[icomefrombirmingham]

Thanks hjs,
But I thought L1 was only supposed to be 3-5% of volume and L2 8-10% or so. Crikey, I don't think I could do too many L1 sessions per week. I'm doing one L1 and one L2 at the moment. 2 or 3 L3s and about three hours of L4. About 90km per week.

[Cyclingman1]

The Wolverine plan comes right out of the OTW rowing world, the author of the plan being a college-level rowing coach. I don't doubt that it may be of benefit to ergers, not interested in OTW water rowing, but, nontheless, the plan seems inordinately difficult, especially the entire L4 part of it with its emphais on precise rates. In addition, the plan prescribes a huge volume of work. One wonders if what is suitable for the 18-21 rowing team crowd is really best for the older, recreational athlete.

That's precisely why Pete Marston simplified the Wolverine into the easier to comprehend and easier to use eponymous "Pete Plan".

There was a reason for these two posts. Users of WP stand by for much confusion and the real possiblity of misinterpreting the plan such that your training is not productive. Sorry, I can't help with WP. I gave up on it without ever doing it. Those who use it with success - congratulations.

[Mike Caviston]

Thanks! And the principles of the WP have led to success in several other endurance sports since I stopped focusing on rowing.

For those willing to do the legwork required to understand it, the WP produces results. All my original posts from 2005 are still in the archives. If simple is what you want, there are other ways to go. But if improving your performance is a goal, the plan makes a difference. Just look at Pete for proof.

icomefrombirmingham, the cardinal rule of L4 is to use your 2K as a reference pace, not 2K-9! If you do a faster legitimate 2K then adjust accordingly, but otherwise stick to what you have done. The L4 will pay off if you are willing to invest the time to improve slowly. If you’re looking for a quick fix, try something else.

[hjs]

Thanks hjs,
But I thought L1 was only supposed to be 3-5% of volume and L2 8-10% or so. Crikey, I don't think I could do too many L1 sessions per week. I'm doing one L1 and one L2 at the moment. 2 or 3 L3s and about three hours of L4. About 90km per week.

Like Mike himself says said use the plan.

I ment focus on those more, not doing them more, but if you them with full intension. If don,t right you certainly won,t need more speed sessions. Its the intensity of those sessions thats needs to go up.