Concept2 Forum

Now that we're getting some nicer days, I'm spending less time on the erg, and more time outside running. As the weather improves, my fitness activities tend to move outdoors. Biking and kayaking will soon be on the agenda, plus I just signed up for a yoga class. I'm not a big fan of indoor exercise on machines, though I like the rower more than any other machine.

Realistically, in warm weather months, I think it is unlikely I could commit to more than two, possibly three sessions on the rower a week. If you were only going to do 2-3 rowing sessions a week until next Fall, what would be the most effective way to minimize rowing fitness loss? Only long slow distance, interval training only, or at least one session of each? I thought about possibly trying to keep to a Pete Plan, but only doing the three interval sessions a week, and dropping the steady state rows.

If I had the money and time right now, I'd probably build a wherry or other rowing boat, and install a sliding seat. But that's a "down the road" project. I don't live close enough to any boathouses to make learning on the water sculling an option.

To maintain fitness on the erg is is probably best to do long pieces or to do one long piece and one more shorter but fairly intense steady state. However it really depends on what else you are doing and you should fit your erging into whatever else you do. As long as you maintain some specificity you will do well. IF you are doing a lot of say long distance cycling I would do emphasis shorter intense workouts say 20-30' hard (+ warm ups) and something like L2 intervals (4x2000 r7' to 9' or 5x1500 r7') or say L3 intervals (10 to 15 x 3' hard 1' easy)on the other. However if you do more weightlifting and some other shorter intense sport then emphasis endurance a bit more.

Really I would just do as much as I fell good about and not worry too much until the fall.