Weight training for rowing.

[ukaserex]

Just my two cents - but unless you're on the juice, nobody should really worry too much about getting too big with weight resistance training. Even under the best conditions, strength takes a long time to develop to the point where you'd see that increase on the rower. Power on the other hand is a different animal. Strength takes years to develop, whereas cardio fitness will only take a couple of months. (all relative, mind you)

Consider a 2k for time...if you lack explosive power, that first stroke is going to be slower than all the ones that follow. Which means you have some catching up to do from the very first stroke.

But, if all you're after is longevity or just general health, and feel you have sufficient muscle mass, just lifting once a week is quite enough to maintain that lean mass, assuming you consume enough protein each day.

[Dutch]

I have now decided to pursue a time under tension routine with a 1 second up and 4 second down and on bench press and a rowing movement a 1 second hold. I use a fixed weight for the 5 sets which I generally try an hit 15 reps with. I do 2 body parts per session every other day.
Each time I train I am refining it slightly, but I have noticed I am more physically alert when rowing. I have lowered my drag from 130 to 118 and I am doing 6k pieces slightly quicker and am still fresh afterwards. I feel 30 mins to be quite do able now at my 5 k pace with just a bit more training.
I did set a 6k pb as well the other day which totally suprised me.

[Dutch]

So to follow up from my last post on this, it has been 9 weeks now that I took up a time under tension routine.
I have refined it down to 4 sets of 12 with a 3 sec down 1 sec up count for major body parts and 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 for minor body parts.
The whole point of this routine for me was to train for endurance of the muscle, nothing else, anything else was a bonus or an unplanned by product of the training.

The major thing I have noticed is that heart rate has dropped from an average of 142 at the beginning of tut routine in July to an average now, of approx 114, for all pieces. Sprints to half marathon it never changes, bike erg is the same as well.

The first month it went from 142 to 132, then midway through August it dropped over night to 120 and now the last week it has started going down to about 114. From pbs to ss rows and cycles, its all the same.
The only time it was up on this was when I did a half marathon cycle ride and it was 126.
I could not work this out for weeks and it was something aussie nick said that made me check my training records. I keep logs of everything, even foot plate settings and seat heights. The hr drops coincided with the start of the tut routine.

I have dropped my drag factor down from 130 to about 112 to 114. This has been on pieces of over 5k and over. Sprints I am able to lower down to 140 so far. I am looking at maybe something a little lower even, not sure yet though. I am might be maxed out on this.

I use 2 fans when I cycle or row so not sure if this maybe helps keep the heart rate a bit lower as well.

Stroke rate has gone up slightly to the upper end of training range eg 19 average to 23 now. I think 24 spm is normally classed as the top end of the training range spm.

I do feel that I want to start doing pieces longer than 2k, eg 5k and over 25 to 26 spm now.

I know some of this will be better fitness driven, but for me the drop in heart rate says that something has worked for me where I have been training for muscle endurance. I actually feel far more efficient.

Bodyweight has not really changed and physically I am more toned, maybe a slight bit more build, but not rippling full of muscle lol
I also feel I have a long way to go before my body conditioning allows me to match my potential aerobic capacity.

[Dangerscouse]

The major thing I have noticed is that heart rate has dropped from an average of 142 at the beginning of tut routine in July to an average now, of approx 114, for all pieces. Sprints to half marathon it never changes, bike erg is the same as well.

The first month it went from 142 to 132, then midway through August it dropped over night to 120 and now the last week it has started going down to about 114. From pbs to ss rows and cycles, its all the same.
The only time it was up on this was when I did a half marathon cycle ride and it was 126.

Something doesn't seem right with that kind of rapid response, and a HR that is that low if you feel like you're actually doing anything more strenuous than a normal walk.

Are you sure that your HR monitor is working properly, and what is your resting HR? Are you working out in a non air-conditioned room, with end of summer temperatures & humidity? I'm not a doctor, but you mentioning that there is no difference between a PB attempt, and steady state session is something that I'd want to get double checked by a medical professional, as heat & humidity will, and should, effect your HR, even if only by a relatively small amount.

I've seen people with low working HRs, mine usually stays fairly low too also, but there is always a discernible range of rates when they work through increasing efforts. For example, a steady state HM for me will be circa 125ish, or down to 120ish if I dropped it closer to UT3 effort, but if that was a PB attempt, it would be 165-170ish.

You're aiming for an efficient heart, but very sudden changes in efficiency might be a warning sign of bradycardia, with no associated symptoms. Hopefully I'm wrong, but it doesn't quite make sense to me.

[KeithT]

I agree with Stu - something seems wrong with HR remaining the same.

[Tsnor]

The major thing I have noticed is that heart rate has dropped from an average of 142 at the beginning of tut routine in July to an average now, of approx 114, for all pieces. Sprints to half marathon it never changes, bike erg is the same as well.

The first month it went from 142 to 132, then midway through August it dropped over night to 120 and now the last week it has started going down to about 114. From pbs to ss rows and cycles, its all the same.
The only time it was up on this was when I did a half marathon cycle ride and it was 126.

Something doesn't seem right with that kind of rapid response, and a HR that is that low if you feel like you're actually doing anything more strenuous than a normal walk.

Are you sure that your HR monitor is working properly...

Can you tell us which HR monitor you are using ?

(My wrist optical based fitbit charge 2 HR data from rowing shows that my HR falls as the intervals get harder. The polar H10 belt I got once I understood the fitbit was confused says the opposite.)

[aussie nick]

yep, my fitbit charge 4 is totally useless for accurate heart rate measurements while exercising...tho consistent and accurate for my resting heart rate

a polar (or similar) chest strap is the way to go

[Dutch]

I have some old Casio wrist hr monitor given to me by the brother in law from his running days.
My resting hr is about 62 to 64. it has come down from about 78 in about 9 months.
I row in a cool north facing room and the rower is in a glass alcove, no sun gets in to warm the room at all. Even in 28 degrees its cold. I row with 2 fans on me, both less than a meter from me at all times.
My recent HM might as well have been a 5k there was hardly any sweat I am that cool from the fans.
I recently showing my m8 the concept 2 bike and did 3 mins on it steady, I had no fans on as it was a "look at my bike show off session" and my skin was hot and prickly and forehead was starting to sweat and I could hear my heart pumping in my ears, so it deffo goes up lol. I think the fans do stop it rising a lot though. I was surprised how hot i was after just 3 mins without them.

I do lots of my rowing in the ut2 zone, I am lucky if I drop much below 2.00 per 500, when I do for a quick sprint my hr is not even had time to start really.
Now when I say PB attempts, I have not done anything below 6k for months so all the times I have going for can be achieved in the ut2 zone and I only aim to take very small increments of time off. I did a 6k PB on the 10 of August and I had an average hr of 152 right in the middle of my claimed hr drop zone.
Two days ago I did a PB for 30 mins by 103m but I do know for that one that my pulse rate was 120 bpm exactly a minute after I had stopped as I was surprised at what the watch was claiming and did a 15 secs times 4 with fingers measurement. I did not take it immediately as I was rowing slowly to get breathing normal for 50 secs after.
So I don't think there is a prob medically, I think I have a really rubbish hr monitor, I still do claim tut has helped a bit, maybe not as much as I think lol
But I am fitter for sure as pulling times of 2.03 per 500 is actually nice and relaxed for me now, it feels much the same as 2.08 used to. I just have not pulled a 2k time for months so don't really know where my 2k time plus 20 secs target is now for ss rows.
Hope this elaborates a bit and makes some points a bit clearer.
Take home is, yes I need a chest strap!!