Concept2 Forum

Hey guys.
Title says it all - I need to get from 7:20 (as of today) to 6:40 in exactly (or there abouts) 1 year from now. For the next 6 months I will be rowing OTW probs about 3 - 4x per week, 1 erg sesh per week and 1 gym sesh per week. However, the next 6 months after that I will not be in our rowing season and will not have access to ergs where I plan to run 45 min+ sessions 4-5x a week. First of all, will this be enough to drop 40 seconds off of my erg time?

If not: could someone provide me a basic 12 month schedule to get me as close to 6:40 as possible?

Height = 5'7" - 172cm
Weight = 130lbs - 58kg
Current 2km = 7:22.3
Goal 2km = 6:40
Time = 12 months

Thanks Guys!!!

How well trained are you? In the last year what's your training looked like?

Gammmmo wrote:How well trained are you? In the last year what's your training looked like?

Last year has been absolute horrible. Haven't done any rowing specific training except for around about 6 weeks ago, where we started sculling and erging for first 3 weeks and then next 3 weeks were in M8+ boats and erg session 1x a week. Recently pulled the 7:20ish at our trial 2 days ago. So yeh, haven't done any aerobic/cardio based training in the last 6 months up until 6 weeks ago - had just been doing Gym 3x a week.

6:40 2k at 58kg's body weight would be pretty awesome. Are you young and growing? A year of growth might help you out here.

What is your 7 stroke peak power? This would need to be 700+ Watts to be looking at 6:40 2k.

without access to a achine, it might be a little difficult.
that and your size/weight working against you - looks like you will have your work cut out for you.

if you're times in your signature are upto date, it looks like you're aerobic base needs a fair bit of work too (as well as building up your power)

running can improve your aerobic base, 6 months is a good timeframe to make some improvement to this, but without developing the power for your stroke - I can't see you making a 40sec improvement on aerobic improvement alone.

any improvement made on the OTW season will be lost if running is going to be your only method of training for 6 months.

bisqeet wrote:without access to a achine, it might be a little difficult.
that and your size/weight working against you - looks like you will have your work cut out for you.

if you're times in your signature are upto date, it looks like you're aerobic base needs a fair bit of work too (as well as building up your power)

running can improve your aerobic base, 6 months is a good timeframe to make some improvement to this, but without developing the power for your stroke - I can't see you making a 40sec improvement on aerobic improvement alone.

any improvement made on the OTW season will be lost if running is going to be your only method of training for 6 months.

What Dean says. From experience over a similar time frame, the difference between 7-20 and 6-59 is vast. Then to go to 6-40 from there.... And all of that without much erg access-- it's a very tall order but I suppose doable. The key, as Dean says, is getting that stroke power up, while also having the aerobic base to endure less than seven minutes of nastiness.

Have you considered renting an erg during that time? Waterrowers (I've heard they are not great compared to Concept2s at all) rent for like $40 per month. I'd much rather get a used C2 than rent a waterrower but if nothing else that might be a cheap way to continue to get meters. You're not buying it, you're renting it. Besides lots and lots of meters and building strength, not a lot else you can do.

Matt, you post this same post every few months. Not sure what you're looking for. The reality is pretty simple, you will not make progress with-out time in the boat or on the erg. It's really that simple. Getting to 6:40 would represent a phenomenal improvement and require a near perfect training regimen. Not trying to discourage you, but at your size going sub 7min would be a more realistic target. Trying to get there with-out rowing is like saying I want to swim at a competitive college level but I don't have access to a pool.

Find an erg. Old, new doesn't matter. Paul Buchannon (a world class erger) did most of his training on an old model "B". Get creative.Find a local crossfit box (they're everywhere) and offer to clean up, sweep the floors, wipe down the kettlebells in exchange for erg time. Find a gym that has ergs, again offer to work part time for erg time.If you're enthusiastic, honest, and willing to work something will come together for you.

Runners gotta run, swimmers gotta swim, and rowers gotta row.

Edward4492 wrote:Matt, you post this same post every few months. Not sure what you're looking for. The reality is pretty simple, you will not make progress with-out time in the boat or on the erg. It's really that simple. Getting to 6:40 would represent a phenomenal improvement and require a near perfect training regimen. Not trying to discourage you, but at your size going sub 7min would be a more realistic target. Trying to get there with-out rowing is like saying I want to swim at a competitive college level but I don't have access to a pool.

Find an erg. Old, new doesn't matter. Paul Buchannon (a world class erger) did most of his training on an old model "B". Get creative.Find a local crossfit box (they're everywhere) and offer to clean up, sweep the floors, wipe down the kettlebells in exchange for erg time. Find a gym that has ergs, again offer to work part time for erg time.If you're enthusiastic, honest, and willing to work something will come together for you.

Runners gotta run, swimmers gotta swim, and rowers gotta row.

Seconded. Running is totally different from rowing. Even in my best times as an erger (top 20% on all distances in my age group) I simply sucked at running (finished something like in the last 30 or 40% on a measly 4-mile-run).

Galeere wrote:

Edward4492 wrote:Matt, you post this same post every few months. Not sure what you're looking for. The reality is pretty simple, you will not make progress with-out time in the boat or on the erg. It's really that simple. Getting to 6:40 would represent a phenomenal improvement and require a near perfect training regimen. Not trying to discourage you, but at your size going sub 7min would be a more realistic target. Trying to get there with-out rowing is like saying I want to swim at a competitive college level but I don't have access to a pool.

Find an erg. Old, new doesn't matter. Paul Buchannon (a world class erger) did most of his training on an old model "B". Get creative.Find a local crossfit box (they're everywhere) and offer to clean up, sweep the floors, wipe down the kettlebells in exchange for erg time. Find a gym that has ergs, again offer to work part time for erg time.If you're enthusiastic, honest, and willing to work something will come together for you.

Runners gotta run, swimmers gotta swim, and rowers gotta row.

Seconded. Running is totally different from rowing. Even in my best times as an erger (top 20% on all distances in my age group) I simply sucked at running (finished something like in the last 30 or 40% on a measly 4-mile-run).

^^^ ditto. Only I'm sure I'd be worse than you !

Let's see if I have this right. You do 2:01 for 5K, 1:50.5 for 2K, and 1:42 for 500m. And you are an erratic trainer/rower. And you are small.

Basically, you don't have a chance of doing 6:40 @1:40 for 2K. Prove me wrong and write it up. JDG.

Edward4492 wrote:Matt, you post this same post every few months. Not sure what you're looking for. The reality is pretty simple, you will not make progress with-out time in the boat or on the erg. It's really that simple. Getting to 6:40 would represent a phenomenal improvement and require a near perfect training regimen. Not trying to discourage you, but at your size going sub 7min would be a more realistic target. Trying to get there with-out rowing is like saying I want to swim at a competitive college level but I don't have access to a pool.Runners gotta run, swimmers gotta swim, and rowers gotta row.

Matt we have been around this several times for you!!
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=124229&p=348833#p348833
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=113844&p=336108#p336108
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=143159&p=370314#p370314

(and there are others - the thread will only take 3 urls at a time!
go back and have a read of them all Matt - all the info you need is there

6:40 is 100s per 500, so 5m/s and 350 W.

Guessing, you'd rate 35, so need a 10W stroke. So what's the problem? Just train for long periods at between 20/200W and say 24/240W.

Suggest you try it today, at least to develop that stroke, there's no point in waiting 12 months.

mattflint49 wrote:Hey guys.
Title says it all - I need to get from 7:20 (as of today) to 6:40 in exactly (or there abouts) 1 year from now. For the next 6 months I will be rowing OTW probs about 3 - 4x per week, 1 erg sesh per week and 1 gym sesh per week. However, the next 6 months after that I will not be in our rowing season and will not have access to ergs where I plan to run 45 min+ sessions 4-5x a week. First of all, will this be enough to drop 40 seconds off of my erg time?

If not: could someone provide me a basic 12 month schedule to get me as close to 6:40 as possible?

Height = 5'7" - 172cm
Weight = 130lbs - 58kg
Current 2km = 7:22.3
Goal 2km = 6:40
Time = 12 months

Thanks Guys!!!

Look at it this way. You are 58 kg, thats 17 below the lightweight max for erging. Thats roughly 25%. If you would pull 6.40 at this weight, relative speaking per kg, you would be pulling, now 350 plus that rough 25% gives a 440 watts or 6.10 2k. Converted to 75kg.

Wr lightweight is 5.56 so if have a lot of talent and start training rowing its not impossible. But you need an erg and lots and lots of meters.

On running only you will not gain but very likely get slower, although maybe your age saves you.

Do competitive running instead...seems like you're built for that