What is a proper workout?

[rentagreement]

Hi,

I am coming from a cycling background where a workout can easily last min 1h to 4hours.

Indoor Rowing is my 2nd and soon probably 1st sport.

Now: What is a proper workout for rowing? At this point I feel that everything less than 10k or 45min is a waste and does not have an effect. This is most probably wrong but being socialized on a bike I do feel so.

Are 20min/5k a day really enough? How should I proceed to get rid of this feeling of wasted time below 45min?

thx

[jamesg]

How should I proceed to get rid of this feeling of wasted time below 45min?

Learn to row with a stroke that has plenty of work in it. At low rates (18-23spm), you'll be able to go long distances. If then you want to race, you'll need to use it at high rates (27 or more).

Note the sequences: https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/ ... que-videos

C2 provides a Workout of the Day (WOD). Todays is 5 x 4 minutes, 2' rest.

[rentagreement]

thx, i am already a fine rower, technique ok, all is set. I just feel bad going below any kind of training lasting less than 45min, even hard interval workouts I prolong at low intensity until I reach 45min or 10k.
is that necessary? do you guys really do shorter workouts?

[p_b82]

What is your definition of "proper" though, as that's ultimately what drives whether it meets the requirement.

It also depends on your overall volume too.

I row 3x a week only, so all my sessions are to ~90% MHR, whether that is a gentle 2k warm up then 700m in sprints, or upto 21k in a HM, depends on how I feel on the day.

To me they're all "proper" as I'm working hard regardless of the time duration.

[gvcormac]

The "proper" workout is the one that you actually do.

I'm not nearly as regimented as many others, whether I'm rowing for health or cross-training for a marathon. I do a mix of intense and easy, short and long.

For me the "proper" row is somewhere between 100m and 30km. I do at least 30 mins a day on one of my ergs; sometimes a lot more. I'm on my BikeErg right now, as I am every morning while having coffee and catching up on email etc.

[jamesg]

I just feel bad going below any kind of training lasting less than 45min

If wanting to work hard in training, you need a reference power level. So do a 2k test as fast as possible at say 32.

As you'll know, the essence of rowing is the Stroke. Each one has to be as good as possible, so that we do actually train it, and can adjust the power level via rating. Stroke quality is Watts/Rating.

Then (but not the same day) after warmup paddle the 45 minutes at up to 70% of test Watts, at max rating 23. In the last quarter, see what you can do.

For 2k racing, there are detailed Erg training plans here:
http://3.8.144.21/training/interactive

[Vcweiss346]

I come from the same background and have felt, and still feel, anything less than 45 min is not beneficial. But if my time is limited I try to do a good sharp interval session to maximize the “value”. If you did 5k worth of sharp intervals you will get very good training benefit, assuming you have longer steady state sessions of an hour or more.

[MPx]

So much depends on your goals and probably even more on what you like doing so that it will keep you coming back. Sitting on the erg sawing away slowly for 45 min or more would see me stopping within a month or two. So I don't.

I'm still reasonably fit though and most of my ranked times respectable within age-group so I'd say I do proper workouts. Yet my steady state stuff tends to be just 8k, 2x5k 3r, 3x3333 3r, 5x2k 2r, or some other combination adding up to between 8 and 10k ... mostly done at r20 and actual erging time of 30 to 42min. Twice a week I do faster/harder stuff and that will be much shorter ! That's enough for ~200k/mth ~2.5MM/yr. Enough for me and enough for what I want to achieve. But its not enough to make me an elite erger or anything like!

[alex9026]

Whether I be running, cycling, lifting in the gym....I had some of my "best" workouts when I was pressed for time and cut the fluff.

To answer your question, though, factoring a warm up I think 40mins is an appropriate time to get something done.

[Dangerscouse]

I instinctively feel 10k is a minimum workout for me, but it sometimes becomes 30 mins if I'm pushed for time.

If you've got the time, there's no reason why you need to limit the distance, but if I was doing a 5k I'd make sure it was a TT effort, but that's just me.

I would make sure to keep an eye on progress if you do reduce down the distance/time rowed, as that's probably the acid test.

[alex9026]

I would make sure to keep an eye on progress if you do reduce down the distance/time rowed, as that's probably the acid test.

This. Plenty of successful athletes out there adopting a "minimalist" approach to training, but you can be sure their hard days are truly hard.

Long term, I favour a higher volume lower intensity approach, save for race day / TT efforts.

[aussie nick]

I would make sure to keep an eye on progress if you do reduce down the distance/time rowed, as that's probably the acid test.

Long term, I favour a higher volume lower intensity approach, save for race day / TT efforts.

whereas I'm the opposite. I feel like the 2 interval/very hard sessions a week in my schedule when I'm training properly are when I make my progress and the others are just there to make up the time in between

[hikeplusrow]

I'm from a cycling and running background, and I think you have to accept that some endurance sports require workouts of a longer duration than others. A weekly long ride of 3-6 hours may be pretty standard for cyclists, but it's unlikely you'll find many runners or rowers doing workouts of that duration as part of their general training. Cycling, of course, is the high volume sport par excellence. Different sports, different physiological requirements.

[G-dub]

Many follow Pete Marston’s plans that were created to be done during his lunch hour. He also seemed to get pretty fit on them

[jamesg]

A weekly long ride of 3-6 hours

What would be the average power in that, for those who do it once a week?