Question about starting a erging plan

[will3]

Hi all,
My season is starting again and I really want to get my 2k down. Important 2k test are around december, january and february. I have been looking online and I was thinking of hopping on the petes plan. However I am just wondering if I start on the pete plan now is it too early and will I plateau or peak too early in the season to have a good 2k around the important 2k tests. I also see that the pete plan is all erging and am wondering if the lack of strength will cause me lose muscle and end up stop improving as fitness increases but strength stays the same.

[Dangerscouse]

I'd recommend including weight training in any training plan, especially if you're young and you don't have a solid foundation of former weight training. Don't just focus on rowing specific movements too, as antagonistic muscles need to be worked too, otherwise you can quickly become imbalanced.

I've never used Pete Plan, but I guess that it can be used cyclically and you can test yourself at certain stages. I don't think you'll have any issue with plateauing if you don't overtrain and you are very mindful for you're feeling so you know when to push on and when to rest

[Tsnor]

Great question. You are correct, IMO, pounding pete plan for 7-9 months is too much.

Import test Dec, Jan, Feb --> 7 to 9 months from now

Most sports that have predictable "peak" periods use a season model. google "periodization" e.g. https://blog.nasm.org/periodization-training-simplified or this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMUXJiYxs6k
"off" season --- you are past that
"base" season -- This is where you are now. Drive your aerobic base. 1 intense session every 7 to 10 days and as much long/slow work as you can fit in. Say 90 mins @ 70% of peak heart rate 5 times a week, one intense day, one total rest day. Do Weights low reps, 90%-95% max.
"build" season -- Sept/Oct: two to three months before your Dec test. Also called "prep", etc. Ramp the rowing intensity. Maybe use Pete Plan here. Continue Weights on same days as intense rowing so you have the rest days. Continue 1 total rest day and do long/slow UT2 on other days. Any issues you have on technique should be hammered out by now.
"race" season -- continue Pete Plan Dec thru Feb tapering around your 2K tests. Plan pacing, spm, taper, etc.

good luck

[max_ratcliffe]

"base" season -- This is where you are now. Drive your aerobic base. 1 intense session every 7 to 10 days and as much long/slow work as you can fit in. Say 90 mins @ 70% of peak heart rate 5 times a week, one intense day, one total rest day. Do Weights low reps, 90%-95% max.

Fantastic post.

Out of interest, how would you program in the strength work during the base phase? Combining it with the intense rowing day (only every 7 to 10 days) doesn't seem frequent enough.

[Sakly]

"base" season -- This is where you are now. Drive your aerobic base. 1 intense session every 7 to 10 days and as much long/slow work as you can fit in. Say 90 mins @ 70% of peak heart rate 5 times a week, one intense day, one total rest day. Do Weights low reps, 90%-95% max.

Fantastic post.

Out of interest, how would you program in the strength work during the base phase? Combining it with the intense rowing day (only every 7 to 10 days) doesn't seem frequent enough.

Sometimes I do my strength/bodyweight sessions on same day as my typical 60min steady state session (otherwise I could not row 3-4 times a week combined with 3 times strength). I get ~6h rest between sessions, enough for me to have a good strength session.
For the intense rowing day it is more important to perform on the same day as strength day to not overdrive your system with too many intense sessions per week.

[Tsnor]

..

Out of interest, how would you program in the strength work during the base phase? Combining it with the intense rowing day (only every 7 to 10 days) doesn't seem frequent enough.

Agree --> " (only every 7 to 10 days) doesn't seem frequent enough."

Best practice is likely described in this video for cyclists. The speaker is an elite endurance cyclist who follows research closely and the video is worth watching end to end. The video calls for 2 strength training sessions/week. The weekly schedule at 10 mins in https://youtu.be/TBiP_AjWr00?t=640 gives you the intensity work and the strength training and how they fit together.

Personally, I'm in my rowing base season. 3 days / week (tues, thurs, sat) x 1.5 to 2 hours on the water sweeps rowing done mostly long/slow. I also have 1 day/week of volleyball (monday) which is intense. I do weights 3x week (mon after VB, thurs, sat), try to keep Tues lite and sometimes skip a weight day if my legs feel dead. Available evidence says I'd be fine (maybe better off) with only two weight sessions/week, but the gym is on way home from rowing and VB, and I like this schedule, so this is what I do.

As said above, definitely stack the weight sessions with the intense day. So 2 x weekly weights, 1 x weekly intensity stacked on same day as one of your weight days. Then go for UT2 volume as much as you can fit in.

[max_ratcliffe]

As said above, definitely stack the weight sessions with the intense day. So 2 x weekly weights, 1 x weekly intensity stacked on same day as one of your weight days. Then go for UT2 volume as much as you can fit in.

Great stuff thanks.

[Ombrax]

For the various folks out there (but not the un-breakeable 25 year-olds - now that I'm in my late 50's my body doesn't recover as quickly as it used to)

What's more typical for you for recovery after a hard row the day before? An easy UT2 session, or no rowing at all?

[max_ratcliffe]

For the various folks out there (but not the un-breakeable 25 year-olds - now that I'm in my late 50's my body doesn't recover as quickly as it used to)

What's more typical for you for recovery after a hard row the day before? An easy UT2 session, or no rowing at all?

Ut2 almost always helps me recover. The exception is when my hamstrings are sore. Then I find it difficult to keep my form in the recovery and it all seems like very hard work (and my knee starts hurting too).

[Sakly]

For the various folks out there (but not the un-breakeable 25 year-olds - now that I'm in my late 50's my body doesn't recover as quickly as it used to)

What's more typical for you for recovery after a hard row the day before? An easy UT2 session, or no rowing at all?

I typically prefer an easy session for recovery.
Tuesday lunch break hard intervals, evening hard weights and bodyweight session, wednesday very easy 60min was helping much
41 yo, so perhaps recovery will be on a better level, but I feel the differences to my 20s already very well

[Dangerscouse]

For the various folks out there (but not the un-breakeable 25 year-olds - now that I'm in my late 50's my body doesn't recover as quickly as it used to)

What's more typical for you for recovery after a hard row the day before? An easy UT2 session, or no rowing at all?

I always do a steady row the day after, but the only caveat is that on Mondays I do a steady morning row, and a hot dynamic Pilates class in the night, and I need a rest day on Tuesday.

[nick rockliff]

For the various folks out there (but not the un-breakeable 25 year-olds - now that I'm in my late 50's my body doesn't recover as quickly as it used to)

What's more typical for you for recovery after a hard row the day before? An easy UT2 session, or no rowing at all?

For recovery it should be UT3.