10km improvement tips ?

[wrezanini]

Hi guys and gals, i started training rowing again after about 10 years layoff. And progress has been steady but i do know that i lack in technique quite a lot probably.

My progress has been starting around 40 minutes for 10km and now i am down to 36.45 in around 1,5 months of training.

What i have noticed being the biggest difference between me and other rowers here on the forum is that you guys mostly hold a much slower spm than me, im usually upwards 30-31 spm. Is that too high for 10km row ?

I train about 6-7 days a week with 3x 1h rows and 3x 10km rows and if I do not row I do the bike or elliptical machine.

Im 31 years old 195 cm and 124kg from Sweden. And yea im trying to lose weight doing this as well hehehe.

[markinnb]

http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=112493
http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=112493

read that one.

[MarkEg]

Hi guys and gals, i started training rowing again after about 10 years layoff. And progress has been steady but i do know that i lack in technique quite a lot probably.

My progress has been starting around 40 minutes for 10km and now i am down to 36.45 in around 1,5 months of training.

What i have noticed being the biggest difference between me and other rowers here on the forum is that you guys mostly hold a much slower spm than me, im usually upwards 30-31 spm. Is that too high for 10km row ?

I train about 6-7 days a week with 3x 1h rows and 3x 10km rows and if I do not row I do the bike or elliptical machine.

Im 31 years old 195 cm and 124kg from Sweden. And yea im trying to lose weight doing this as well hehehe.

There's no doubt that the aim should be to maximize stroke efficiency. The more SPM you work at, the more energy you dedicate to the act of sliding. I would mix in some low rate -- 20SPM is ideal --30 minute sessions to maximize your power. That'll allow you to do the same thing, and keep improving, at lower rates.

[jackarabit]

I feel foolish giving advice to someone well above 90th percentile in their age bracket. A big man going up and down the slide at 30 rate for 37' is an aerobic accomplishment in itself. Maybe there would be more improvement to come IF you manage to hold the rate down and produce the same power. But you would have to up the rate again to realize the improvement. At some point the investment in stroke power is going to get very high for the rate of return. Any strategem for improvement has finite limits. Milk it dry and find the limit.

[hjs]

Hi guys and gals, i started training rowing again after about 10 years layoff. And progress has been steady but i do know that i lack in technique quite a lot probably.

My progress has been starting around 40 minutes for 10km and now i am down to 36.45 in around 1,5 months of training.

What i have noticed being the biggest difference between me and other rowers here on the forum is that you guys mostly hold a much slower spm than me, im usually upwards 30-31 spm. Is that too high for 10km row ?

I train about 6-7 days a week with 3x 1h rows and 3x 10km rows and if I do not row I do the bike or elliptical machine.

Im 31 years old 195 cm and 124kg from Sweden. And yea im trying to lose weight doing this as well hehehe.

For time trials high ratings are fine, in training you better use lower rates. Toprowers use the same ratings as you do, but 80/90% of their meters are rate 18/22. Not slow but the strokes are pretty hard, with a relax recovery inbetween.

For a guy you seize, which is very suited, you use a, like I call it, hamsterstroke, Very likely you don,t finish your stroke and break your knees early. Try rowing strapless, this will make that clear.

You are doing fine, but if you build a stronger stroke via low rate work you will become a lot faster still.
Re weight, its mostly your eating, you are a big guy, training a good bit, don,t go to low, just eat clean, plenty of protein and vegies and your will keep loosing weight.

If possible start doing some weights.

[Bob S.]

A 10k at 30spm and 36:45/500m would be an average of 261.5 watts, an average of 8.7 watt-minutes of work per stroke. So, for ordinary training workouts, it would be best to use a stroke rate of 20 and a pace of 2:06 (about 174watts) at the start. Then work on building a stronger stroke by lowering that pace while keeping the same stroke rate. Working on technique helps a lot. A hard, quick drive and a slow easy recovery can help you to improve the average amount of work done per stroke.

[wrezanini]

Thanks for the tips !

I tried doing 20-25 spm today at the 10km it just felt so much harder than doing easy 30-31 spm. Not maybe so much physically as it was mentally taxing thinking of what im doing. While at 30-31 spm im on auto mode and just going.

Ive lost around 7kg since i started training around 2 months ago. My aim is around 105-110kg cause i have weighed 89-95 kgs and i looked like a skeleton.

The times i get on 10km is for me just another proof that i am going forward and improving.

But I also know that i did manage to find that sweet spot where 1:50 @ 27-28spm strokes were feeling just as "untaxing" as say 1:53 strokes @30-31spm were the difference as i said above is i have to concentrate in what i am doing which is pretty damn hard when you are tired as you al know. This is what lead me to make this post as I know there is so much more time i can gain with proper stroke technique.

But of course I also know if i don't make it a habit of doing things right it will never become automatic either.

[hjs]

A 10k at 30spm and 36:45/500m would be an average of 261.5 watts, an average of 8.7 watt-minutes of work per stroke. So, for ordinary training workouts, it would be best to use a stroke rate of 20 and a pace of 2:06 (about 174watts) at the start. Then work on building a stronger stroke by lowering that pace while keeping the same stroke rate. Working on technique helps a lot. A hard, quick drive and a slow easy recovery can help you to improve the average amount of work done per stroke.

2.06 for a tall pretty fast man will be to slow imo. He proberly can easily go faster if he uses a full stroke.

[Bob S.]

2.06 for a tall pretty fast man will be to slow imo. He proberly can easily go faster if he uses a full stroke.

Weii, yes, but it is based on his current work/stroke level, which is low for his age and size. I am sure that he can improve it rapidly, but it is a starting point. The point is that he can concentrate on technique at that level and certainly making sure that he is taking full strokes is part of that.

Bob S.

[hjs]

2.06 for a tall pretty fast man will be to slow imo. He proberly can easily go faster if he uses a full stroke.

Weii, yes, but it is based on his current work/stroke level, which is low for his age and size. I am sure that he can improve it rapidly, but it is a starting point. The point is that he can concentrate on technique at that level and certainly making sure that he is taking full strokes is part of that.

Bob S.

Yes Bob, but almost certain not lack of power, but simply using a, breaking the knees before stroke ending matter. If he just makes the stroke longer its stronger right away.
From rate 30 to 20 with the same power per stroke will be very easy on the heard/lungs.

[wrezanini]

So hi again guys, ive been doing my steady daily 10km and weekends 1h row in the morning and 10km at night. I am hitting under 37 minutes on pretty much every training session meaning on a daily basis.

And I have improved and I was on my way under 36 minutes today but i somehow managed to lose my lense in my right eye and that really threw me off.

I have not really been working that much on my stroke but I have noticed some other very important things.

1. not eating at least 3 hours before trying to break your pb. 2. Eating high carb sugary stuff is preferred. 3. Being just in the best mindset possible, really honestly when you are going for a pb its usually every cell in your body says slow down or stop so you don't really need another reason to stop.

All in all I must be doing something right if i started at 42+ minutes in January hehehe.

[hjs]

Simply shows volume works. 7x10 plus 2x an hour..

Still working on a stronger stroke could help more I think. Keep it up

[wrezanini]

I broke it again ! this time on my own machine at home lol even got this time verified on concept 2 rankings

Pretty damn proud of this was something idk even know how i managed last 1000m i was breathing like a dog !

[jackarabit]

@ wreznani: great time!

Yes indeed, 6+' down in 3 months and 50" down in less than 30 days 36" is a gigantic improvement. I have to ask if low rate (or at least lower than 30 rate) day to day training contributed to that improvement? Will you be doing future training at 18-20spm? The faculty of The Little School of Rate Suppression needs to know!

[maestroak]

That is really impressive, well done.

-Steve