Weights alternatives

[Shawn Baker]

Rate 20, 30 sec to 1 minute intervals with plenty of rest in between- max out drag (pull fan cover off if you need to)- pull as hard as you possibly can every single stroke


Lots of jumping!

[jackarabit]

Scott, whatever you choose to do for strength, get thoroughly warmed up beforehand.

[Scott Lewis]

If I am going to combine SS and squats should I row or do squats first?
Thanks guy's

[kerosene]

Maybe both. Use rowing for warmup then lift then row more.

In general with strength training you don't want to be in state of fatigue so your form and concentration are solid.
A pretty good even if derivative web-book on strength training can be found hete:

http://idreamz.nl/fileshuttle/a61c00d6.pdf

Its stronglifts 5x5 program which has a lot of really good info for a beginner. The author Mehdi went weirdo years back - maybe he is back to normal already.

Starting strength by Rippetoe is better but not free.

[Anth_F]

Squats first! They basically count as the WU.

I generally do 2 sets of 50 before i begin my SS sessions.

As it's new to you maybe start with 3 sets of 10 at first. Or if you feel you can do more easily, 2 sets of 20 etc etc.

[jamesg]

Casual weightlifting is I think too risky for young amateur oarsmen. Any small accident will put you out of action for weeks, with loss of endurance, so will make you slower.

In any case how can you beat pulling hard on a blade a thousand times a day? More sleep and more grub might be better options.

[Scott Lewis]

Casual weightlifting is I think too risky for young amateur oarsmen. Any small accident will put you out of action for weeks, with loss of endurance, so will make you slower.

In any case how can you beat pulling hard on a blade a thousand times a day? More sleep and more grub might be better options.

Good idea. Just went along to the club weights session so hopefully that will be a regular thing. I reckon that's good enough once every week.
Thanks for the help everyone. I reckon I'll just head along there every week and mix in some steady state on Friday and monday.

[dwalk]

Work on your core. Use pallof press, plank, any bracing type core exercises. It is not your back, but your glutes and hams that should make up the 2nd(body) part of the stroke. It is basically a hip hinge if your core is strong enough to keep back in proper position.

[AndyG]

If you want to build sheer power on the erg very low distance so 50m or 100m or200m intervals, low SPM of 20 or lower and focus on watts/power output. Have very long strokes putting everything into every pull. In theory you could/should yield better results than weights.

Why not chart your interval progress here? Have some sessions that are 50m intervals, some 100m intervals and other 200m intervals. Some of them should be low SPM and others should be all out high rating SPM. I'd be interested to see your progress. Good luck

[kerosene]

I get that amateur lifting without supervisio carries injury risk. Actual olympic weightlifting is very low injury rate sport however. It is matter of technique.

I just want to add the 2c that it's not only the aerobic capacity that can be shaped during youth. Strength is another obe of those things that can be hugely built around puberty and after it. I was typical teenager with bench oriented casual training and even now over 20yrs of mostly not training I can quickly build my bench up while almost struggling to get my squats numbers better than bench.

In weightlifting club I go to there are teen girls who also train for other sports. The girls are performing on top national level (medalists) yet seem to do just fine in their other spirts too. A young 20ish distance runner here has strength training as a part of the routine. She is succesful and the couch attributes low injury rates to syrength training.

To me pure strength = 5 or less reps

[strider]

Weighted jump squats are very good. They were done 50 years ago for rowing training. But they hit the thighs more than your glutes for improved rowing power, due to posture. Think of glutes as having different sections. Starting angle of bend in the hip determines which area is used most for certain exercises.
A half squat hits the top, full squat upper and mid, deep squat the whole muscle.

Rowing is the best exercise to row stronger, because most weight training exercises do not hit the right parts of the muscles.
This ought to be old news. If someone could SAFELY adjust weight training exercises to hit the muscles exactly as you row, then benefits would occur.
But since one can erg, the erg is the mimic of the boat. The weights can improve overall strength, but for rowing speed, they must mimic rowing as well as rowing itself.
Thus the great success of those rowers who stick to the water, and to erg training.

One can mimic weight training sets and repetitions on an erg, or on the water. But measuring resistance is more complicated.
Improvement is measured in better boat speed.

Also weights allow for balanced muscle strength, avoiding imbalances that can be the source of injury.

[RWAGR]

Bodyweight stuff is fine. But you need to be very careful lifting weights before you have finished (or mostly finished) growing. You should only do it supervised by your coach or at least on a program designed by them where they have given you an in-person demonstration. As others have said, you basically don't need to do strength training off the erg, at least anything other than bodyweight stuff. So weights per se are optional; all the more reason to take good care of yourself. You will have many years aged 17/18+ to build up muscle mass/ bench weights.

[Scott Lewis]

Thanks guys! I'm getting my ergo tomorrow so I will just use that. Can feel myself getting better and stronger on the erg and the water. Huge improvements from before summer!