Staying anchored when sprinting

[uk gearmuncher]

I've made a shift this week to some very high intensity short distance sets for the first time. I'm talking 10-30 second pieces. The problem I'm finding is that it feels like my backside is about to shoot off the rear of the seat and that I don't feel that planted. I guess I could adjust the footplates to be a different way but when doing repeats today, I feel like I'm either wasting energy or not going as hard as I could because I'm having to constantly check to ensure I'm staying on the rower.

Does anyone have any advice on how to improve the set up when doing maximal effort sprints ?

[Cyclist2]

Raise the flexfeet up a hole. You want to eliminate the vertical component of the push as much as possible. On high intensity, high stroke pieces you won't likely be coming to full compression on the catch, so the foot position that you'd use in regular rowing is likely too low. Also, make sure you're not opening up before the leg drive is finished, again to eliminate the vertical motion. Keep it horizontal.

[Dangerscouse]

Make sure that you're not pulling the chain slightly upwards, as well as changing your foot plates.

You need your centre of gravity to be kept as low as possible so put small pieces of tape either side of the monitor stanchion that shows a straight line when you're in the catch, and always keep it lower or on the same line.

It will help but it may not solve all of your problems.

[MartinSH4321]

I've made a shift this week to some very high intensity short distance sets for the first time. I'm talking 10-30 second pieces. The problem I'm finding is that it feels like my backside is about to shoot off the rear of the seat and that I don't feel that planted. I guess I could adjust the footplates to be a different way but when doing repeats today, I feel like I'm either wasting energy or not going as hard as I could because I'm having to constantly check to ensure I'm staying on the rower.

Does anyone have any advice on how to improve the set up when doing maximal effort sprints ?

My typical setup is:
- feet as high as possible
- drag as high as possible
- weights on the front of the rower
- short that have good grip on the seat

It's also a matter of experience, it gets better

[jamesg]

You're on the wrong machine: rowing is discontinuous and too much power is lost to inertia, so you'll never see high intensity on the monitor, due not least to the rating limitation (about 47). Higher numbers could be delivered and seen with the erg on slides, which allow ratings up to 60 due to the short recovery time.

Have you tried climbing single flights of stairs fast? This can be very hard work but has the advantage that inertial losses are incurred only once per set. Power delivered is soon calculated: W=mgh/t. Also, there are no technical doubts about drag, rating, length, posture: it all comes from the legs.

[MartinSH4321]

You're on the wrong machine: rowing is discontinuous and too much power is lost to inertia, so you'll never see high intensity on the monitor, due not least to the rating limitation (about 47). Higher numbers could be delivered and seen with the erg on slides, which allow ratings up to 60 due to the short recovery time.

Have you tried climbing single flights of stairs fast? This can be very hard work but has the advantage that inertial losses are incurred only once per set. Power delivered is soon calculated: W=mgh/t. Also, there are no technical doubts about drag, rating, length, posture: it all comes from the legs.

That's simply not true, my 100m sprints on a static erg are with rating 55-60 and there are much faster sprinters for sure, Phil Clapp did his 500m WR at R49 and he is a giant.

[hjs]

You're on the wrong machine: rowing is discontinuous and too much power is lost to inertia, so you'll never see high intensity on the monitor, due not least to the rating limitation (about 47). Higher numbers could be delivered and seen with the erg on slides, which allow ratings up to 60 due to the short recovery time.

Have you tried climbing single flights of stairs fast? This can be very hard work but has the advantage that inertial losses are incurred only once per set. Power delivered is soon calculated: W=mgh/t. Also, there are no technical doubts about drag, rating, length, posture: it all comes from the legs.

That's simply not true, my 100m sprints on a static erg are with rating 55-60 and there are much faster sprinters for sure, Phil Clapp did his 500m WR at R49 and he is a giant.

Indeed, I have seen guys reach 70 spm on a static erg. Clapp is 2.06, very fast people have a fast drive, this helps the rating a good bit. Pulling 1.10 or 1.40 per 500 gives a big difference in drivetime.

Re control on the seat, thats sprinting, much more difficult than longer rowing. A good short and fixing your technique will be key. Everything should work in sink...

[Carl Watts]

My max rating is like 46spm. You have to be up front in that a modified stroke is used at anything much higher that simply wouldn't work on anything other than the erg. Your no longer doing a full stroke its a modified stroke that doesnt work for anything other than short sprints.

No problem staying in the seat and the erg is not moving so that must be due to my technique not being to bad.

[uk gearmuncher]

My max rating is like 46spm. You have to be up front in that a modified stroke is used at anything much higher that simply wouldn't work on anything other than the erg. Your no longer doing a full stroke its a modified stroke that doesnt work for anything other than short sprints.

No problem staying in the seat and the erg is not moving so that must be due to my technique not being to bad.

Yesterday was my first time trying it. You can tell I'm either fatigued (possible as my total training load is high), lack power (possible as I'm mainly a cyclist) or just massively aerobically orientated at the moment (equally likely) as I did ten lots of 100m on a 2 minute active recovery with no drop off in the splits at all (16.4 throughout) but I could not up the rate (44-47) nor the power output for love nor money. Still, it was my first attempt.

[max_ratcliffe]

My max rating is like 46spm. You have to be up front in that a modified stroke is used at anything much higher that simply wouldn't work on anything other than the erg. Your no longer doing a full stroke its a modified stroke that doesnt work for anything other than short sprints.

No problem staying in the seat and the erg is not moving so that must be due to my technique not being to bad.

Yesterday was my first time trying it. You can tell I'm either fatigued (possible as my total training load is high), lack power (possible as I'm mainly a cyclist) or just massively aerobically orientated at the moment (equally likely) as I did ten lots of 100m on a 2 minute active recovery with no drop off in the splits at all (16.4 throughout) but I could not up the rate (44-47) nor the power output for love nor money. Still, it was my first attempt.

I think the super high rates are a matter of practice as much as anything. I still feel that I'm thrashing about like a landed fish at anything above about 36, but I used to feel that about 30rpm. No fitter or faster, but I can rate more!

[uk gearmuncher]

My max rating is like 46spm. You have to be up front in that a modified stroke is used at anything much higher that simply wouldn't work on anything other than the erg. Your no longer doing a full stroke its a modified stroke that doesnt work for anything other than short sprints.

No problem staying in the seat and the erg is not moving so that must be due to my technique not being to bad.

Yesterday was my first time trying it. You can tell I'm either fatigued (possible as my total training load is high), lack power (possible as I'm mainly a cyclist) or just massively aerobically orientated at the moment (equally likely) as I did ten lots of 100m on a 2 minute active recovery with no drop off in the splits at all (16.4 throughout) but I could not up the rate (44-47) nor the power output for love nor money. Still, it was my first attempt.

I think the super high rates are a matter of practice as much as anything. I still feel that I'm thrashing about like a landed fish at anything above about 36, but I used to feel that about 30rpm. No fitter or faster, but I can rate more!

Surely though the technique must see a lack of the usual leg extension range you'd use for, say, a 2k to rate that high ? I'm 6ft 3 but I can easily shorten my stroke by focusing more on revving things along than worrying about the back part of my stroke. How do people typically modify their techniques for pieces in the 100-500m range ?

[max_ratcliffe]

Yesterday was my first time trying it. You can tell I'm either fatigued (possible as my total training load is high), lack power (possible as I'm mainly a cyclist) or just massively aerobically orientated at the moment (equally likely) as I did ten lots of 100m on a 2 minute active recovery with no drop off in the splits at all (16.4 throughout) but I could not up the rate (44-47) nor the power output for love nor money. Still, it was my first attempt.

I think the super high rates are a matter of practice as much as anything. I still feel that I'm thrashing about like a landed fish at anything above about 36, but I used to feel that about 30rpm. No fitter or faster, but I can rate more!

Surely though the technique must see a lack of the usual leg extension range you'd use for, say, a 2k to rate that high ? I'm 6ft 3 but I can easily shorten my stroke by focusing more on revving things along than worrying about the back part of my stroke. How do people typically modify their techniques for pieces in the 100-500m range ?

Yeah, that's kind of my point. The shorter stroke feels like I'm not doing it properly.
Martin, Keith or John will have a much better idea than I on the best way to go.

If you search the forum for Shawn Baker you might find some good pointers.