Beginner needing advice

[CA.]

Hello,

I'm a Canadian graduate student hoping to join my university's novice rowing team this September. I am just learning about erging and have found this message board helpful. I am 5"2 and 123lbs. I am an awful size for rowing, I know this, but I really what to do it for fun and for a great intense workout. I have read a bit about erg scores and how people are comparing them. My score is really high, although I'm just learning how to erg correctly. My question is, is my very high score something I should worry about? (I've only done 2k once but my avg 500m was 2:38). My worry is that with my score being so awful, and being very short for the sport, how much can I really improve?

Again, I'm not looking to become a competitive national athlete, just a fun sport that I can improve on and be competitive among other novice rowers.
Any advice for a beginner at erging (technique, training exercises etc.) would be so helpful.

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

Are you male or female?

[CA.]

Female and I am 22

[gregsmith01748]

Don't let beginning erg scores have any effect on deciding what you do.

As you adapt to the exercise, your times will improve quite a bit, and frankly, unless you are competing for a place on a team, it just doesn't much matter. The best part is getting out on the water and doing the actual rowing. I belong to a sculling club, and we have members of all shapes and sizes, mainly focused on recreational rowing. We have a couple of members who cox'ed in school but enjoy rowing as exercise. We also have latecomers (like me) to the sport who are absolutely clueless.

My advice, for what it's worth is go find a club that offers a learn to row program and sign up. If you can find one focused on sculling versus sweeps, that's probably better, since sculling boats do a bit better with rowers of different sizes and "power levels". Once you get some experience, you can get into a lightweight single, and then the fun really begins.

Do it today. Do it now. NOW.

Sorry: I preach with the zeal of the converted.

Have you signed up yet?

[rowingrookie]

Again, I'm not looking to become a competitive national athlete, just a fun sport that I can improve on and be competitive among other novice rowers.
Any advice for a beginner at erging (technique, training exercises etc.) would be so helpful.

I am new to erging/rowing myself and have also found this board helpful. While I'm obviously probably not the best person to give advice on rowing technique, I do know a lot about exercise physiology. I see that no one's really responded about training exercises and such.

It can't hurt to start with a good strength, power, and conditioning base. Weightlifting exercises such as deadlifts, squats, and leg press for the lower body and pullups, seated rows, and bent-over rows for the upper body are great exercises that correlate well to rowing muscles. Power cleans are also great, but require more advanced technique, so unless you're familiar with them, might want to avoid to start. Just ask if you want more info on repetitions selection, recovery, rest periods, weight, etc etc

For conditioning, running, biking, swimming are all great. Mix it up with some longer steady-state pieces, and some interval workouts.

Anyways that would be my advice to get into good shape for rowing and better prepare your body for it. At least until you get some technique training on an erg or on the water.

rowingrookie

[hjs]

Hello,

I'm a Canadian graduate student hoping to join my university's novice rowing team this September. I am just learning about erging and have found this message board helpful. I am 5"2 and 123lbs. I am an awful size for rowing, I know this, but I really what to do it for fun and for a great intense workout. I have read a bit about erg scores and how people are comparing them. My score is really high, although I'm just learning how to erg correctly. My question is, is my very high score something I should worry about? (I've only done 2k once but my avg 500m was 2:38). My worry is that with my score being so awful, and being very short for the sport, how much can I really improve?

Again, I'm not looking to become a competitive national athlete, just a fun sport that I can improve on and be competitive among other novice rowers.
Any advice for a beginner at erging (technique, training exercises etc.) would be so helpful.

You obviously do not have a good build for rowing, you simply are to small. That does not mean you cannot enjoy it though and you certainly can and will improve.
Erg scores are relative, being light in a boat means not needing to drag must wet surface throught te water. That would be in a single, in a bigger boat you still have your teammates who proberly will be larger and thus havier.

[Nosmo]

I know a women who was about 5'2" or so and a lightweight. She was told she was too small to row in the 8+ as a college freshman but they let her row a single. She was not particularly talented, but worked really hard and put a lot of focus on technique. She was the only one in her school to medal at the nationals that year. 30 or so years later, she has many master's national championship medals as well as a gold masters world championship medal, and a long and very successful rowing and coaching career.

There are a number of similar stories of people who were told they were too short to row and went on to make various national teams or win big races. The Light weight limit for women is 130 lbs so while short you are not too light.

If you really want an olympic gold medal you'd be better off choosing another sport. Otherwise there is no reason not to row if you want to.

Get a lot of help from someone who knows how to row. Get it often. Habits developed now will take a long time to change. You would be best off finding a club and learning to row a single if that is an option.

[CA.]

Thanks for all the comments! Already I have improved my overall time by 30 seconds now that I understand the technique better and have gotten into a workout routine. No, I'm not looking for a medal at the Olympics, but who wants work hard at a sport that they are in a physical disadvantage at. Maybe there should be another rowing category... for 5"5 and under??? or extra light weight? I kid but In a sense it doesn't seem exactly fair... Its nice to hear there are some short rowers who have been extremely successful, I'm determined to just keep working!

[Bob S.]

Maybe there should be another rowing category... for 5"5 and under??? or extra light weight? I kid but In a sense it doesn't seem exactly fair... Its nice to hear there are some short rowers who have been extremely successful, I'm determined to just keep working!

There is, in a sense. In some official erg competitions, there are men's and women's coxswain categories. I believe that they are just for the collegiate teams. OTW is a different matter. At least I have never heard of any rowing events for coxswains. In general, rowing is just not popular enough to have the numbers of competitors to justify a lot of different categories like there are in sports such as boxing and weight-lifting. Even in those, the divisions are for weight only, not for height.

Bob S.