Has anyone ever followed the C2 UK site's 2000m Training Programme? I really want to give it a shot, but I thought I'd ask before I made such a big commitment. If anyone has followed the programme, did you get faster? Also, how much faster did you get? I noticed the programme doesn't have weight lifting worked into the regiment. Has anyone found this to be a problem?
Thanks for you time.
2000m C2 Training Programme
I used it when in my early sixties. I'd done about a year's long slow work, then the last 16-18 weeks of an Interactive before racing. It got me medals in UK, Paris and Rome. My 2k times dropped from around 7:40 to 7:10.
What you should do now depends on what stage you are at already.
Today and if you're a beginner, I'd say don't rely on training programmes alone. They assume you can row and tell you what to do today, but not how. So first, learn to row well if you've not rowed before, and learn all about racing, physiology, tactics, pacing, endurance, even a bit of basic engineering. It's called Technique and it's just as tough as training, if not more so.
The part of technique that actually regards your stroke is very good at getting you fit because good technique makes you work harder - long strokes with a quick strong catch and steady effort all the way to release. You should never pull a stroke that is not perfect.
Weights: depends on you. I think it's safest to consider lifting as a stand-alone discipline that needs a lot of knowledge, not as a help to do something else. On the extremist side, I don't think weight lifting will make me any better at playing the minute waltz or a game of chess, so why think it'll make me better at rowing? In any case I'm pretty sure I'd injure myself and that stops everything.
When I raced in Rome most of the others in my race were weightlifters 20 years younger than me. They were all well ahead of me at 1000m, but had no endurance or technique so of course they all lost. All I had to do was keep going at my slow pace. If you want to race (which is what the Interactive is for) concentrate on doing the entire distance at a fast pace with some spare blood and oxygen for your brain.
Rowing uses a lot of muscle, so the heaviest load is on the CV system which has to supply the juice. I think that unless your CV system has enormous capacity, you won't be able to use any more strength than what rowing well needs and gives you anyway.
This ties into technique: the stroke that moves boats fastest is not a short massive heave, but one that's long and even. Today as you'll have seen at the Olympics, canoeists and oarsmen use very high ratings with full length strokes, rather than rely on high forces. A fast 4- pulls at around 480W, rating 40, which means 12 Watt-minutes per stroke. Even I can pull a stroke like that, or two, but not for six minutes at rating 40.
What you should do now depends on what stage you are at already.
Today and if you're a beginner, I'd say don't rely on training programmes alone. They assume you can row and tell you what to do today, but not how. So first, learn to row well if you've not rowed before, and learn all about racing, physiology, tactics, pacing, endurance, even a bit of basic engineering. It's called Technique and it's just as tough as training, if not more so.
The part of technique that actually regards your stroke is very good at getting you fit because good technique makes you work harder - long strokes with a quick strong catch and steady effort all the way to release. You should never pull a stroke that is not perfect.
Weights: depends on you. I think it's safest to consider lifting as a stand-alone discipline that needs a lot of knowledge, not as a help to do something else. On the extremist side, I don't think weight lifting will make me any better at playing the minute waltz or a game of chess, so why think it'll make me better at rowing? In any case I'm pretty sure I'd injure myself and that stops everything.
When I raced in Rome most of the others in my race were weightlifters 20 years younger than me. They were all well ahead of me at 1000m, but had no endurance or technique so of course they all lost. All I had to do was keep going at my slow pace. If you want to race (which is what the Interactive is for) concentrate on doing the entire distance at a fast pace with some spare blood and oxygen for your brain.
Rowing uses a lot of muscle, so the heaviest load is on the CV system which has to supply the juice. I think that unless your CV system has enormous capacity, you won't be able to use any more strength than what rowing well needs and gives you anyway.
This ties into technique: the stroke that moves boats fastest is not a short massive heave, but one that's long and even. Today as you'll have seen at the Olympics, canoeists and oarsmen use very high ratings with full length strokes, rather than rely on high forces. A fast 4- pulls at around 480W, rating 40, which means 12 Watt-minutes per stroke. Even I can pull a stroke like that, or two, but not for six minutes at rating 40.
08-1940, 179cm, 83kg.