2K strategy - what needs improving?

[Jamie rowing]

I was comfortable at 2:11 with 23 spm.

This is probably also something to look at. 23spm is very low for a 'race' to go fast.
Everyone has a sweet spot of rate for a given distance, but I wouldn't assume yours (or anyone else's) is at 23. Typical value for a 2k is around 30, some use a bit lower rate, some bit higher even going into 40s.
Surely this is also something what needs to be trained to get used to the higher rate, as breathing is affected by rate as well.

Also, regarding stroke rate should i up the spm even if I can’t maintain the same power per stroke? Because I’m not sure I could pull as powerfully if i was going at 30spm for example. I suppose dropping the power a touch but increasing the spm could result in more speed overall if done properly….

[Sakly]

I was comfortable at 2:11 with 23 spm.

This is probably also something to look at. 23spm is very low for a 'race' to go fast.
Everyone has a sweet spot of rate for a given distance, but I wouldn't assume yours (or anyone else's) is at 23. Typical value for a 2k is around 30, some use a bit lower rate, some bit higher even going into 40s.
Surely this is also something what needs to be trained to get used to the higher rate, as breathing is affected by rate as well.

Also, regarding stroke rate should i up the spm even if I can’t maintain the same power per stroke? Because I’m not sure I could pull as powerfully if i was going at 30spm for example. I suppose dropping the power a touch but increasing the spm could result in more speed overall if done properly….

You fully got the point.
On low rates it is 'easy' to maintain a full long stroke with a good catch without cumulating too much fatigue, so we can train the good stroke best at low rates.
The goal should be to not lose stroke power (and technique) at all, when upping the rate, but that probably won't work for every rate.
When I look at my recent PBs, I see stroke power values from 12-14W/min, but on my steadies I typically am in the range of 9 to 11. So for me personally I see higher values, when upping the rate for TTs, but that must not be the case for everyone.

[Citroen]

Also, why do people use the term and number for drag factor rather than saying the number the the side of the machine?

The drag factor is the number the PM5 uses when it calculate your score. It's a measurement of damping taken by counting the revolutions over time. That number takes into account the amount of crud and cruft in the fan cage.

Using the damper lever setting can mean a sensible drag factor as long as the cage is clean, but not as it collects cruft from the atmosphere. I've rowed on a machine that would only get a drag factor of 70 with the lever on 10. That's normally around damper three on a clean machine. There's also some variation from elevation above sea level. You will get reduced damping as you go higher.

The PM5 will measure drag for you.
Main menu -> More Options -> Display Drag Factor. (Then row some strokes until a number appears.)
If you row your own machine check it monthly.
If you plan on rowing someone else's machine check it on your machine, move the lever on the foreign machine until it matches the number.

https://www.concept2.com/training/artic ... er-setting

[iain]

Surely this [higher rating] is also something what needs to be trained to get used to the higher rate, as breathing is affected by rate as well.
Also, regarding stroke rate should i up the spm even if I can’t maintain the same power per stroke? Because I’m not sure I could pull as powerfully if i was going at 30spm for example. I suppose dropping the power a touch but increasing the spm could result in more speed overall if done properly….

However you increase the power you will need more oxygen, so yes it will be harder and needs to be coordinated with your breathing so that you can brace for the stroke. Ultimately the work per stroke shouldn't drop, but while getting to that state there may well be an intermediate position where you can maintain a higher power at a higher rating despite your work per stroke reducing. The only way to know if to try it. Re DF, different people have different preferences, so it is worth you trying out a few to find what works for you. That said, it changes the balance of the stroke (higher drag uses the upper body more while lower requires a faster catch) so you may like to change in small increments and keep it there for a few workouts before determining whether the new set up is better for you.

[Jamie rowing]

I’ve taken the advice to check my drag factor and discovered that 4 on the damper amounted to a drag factor of only 72, way less than the recommended 100-125. I kept lifting the leaver and even at 10 the drag factor was only 84. This did feel a lot better however. I was able to average 180watts /2:04.7 pace over 6x3:00/3:00r. These numbers seemed more powerful than my 164w 2:08.7 av in my 2k test on Saturday. There are better machines at another gym i attend so will try to find a machine where the drag is more in the recommended range. Using the higher drag felt really good. Felt i was putting some real energy into the machine.

Thanks for all the great advice so far guys. It has really helped and amde me enthusiastic to improve. When i finally move out of my flat into a house my first big purchase will definitely be a rowing machine!

[dabatey]

I think I've read on here about folks taking in a hand held hoover to the gym and improving the drag by giving the fan a clean. (Might be wrong of course..someone who knows better please chip in).. The machine must be very dirty for a drag of 75 with lever on 10.

[Dangerscouse]

I’ve taken the advice to check my drag factor and discovered that 4 on the damper amounted to a drag factor of only 72, way less than the recommended 100-125. I kept lifting the leaver and even at 10 the drag factor was only 84. This did feel a lot better however. I was able to average 180watts /2:04.7 pace over 6x3:00/3:00r. These numbers seemed more powerful than my 164w 2:08.7 av in my 2k test on Saturday. There are better machines at another gym i attend so will try to find a machine where the drag is more in the recommended range. Using the higher drag felt really good. Felt i was putting some real energy into the machine.

Thanks for all the great advice so far guys. It has really helped and amde me enthusiastic to improve. When i finally move out of my flat into a house my first big purchase will definitely be a rowing machine!

If it is possible using a vacuum cleaner will make a world of difference. It's easy to do, but you need a screwdriver as well and a cloth to wipe the metal mesh guard. It takes about 5-10 minutes, and doesn't endanger the rowing machine at all.

I'd also recommend cleaning the monorail if it's that badly maintained. A small spray of generic glass cleaner on to a cloth will be ideal.

[Sakly]

I recently did the cleaning for the gym rowErg and skiErg. They provided a hoover and I told them to leave me alone for 10mins.
RowErg came back to 220 from 135, Skierg wasn't much below it's max, 140 back to 150.

[iain]

Less amenable gym users have also mentioned "safety" of using unmaintained equipment in the gym and "encouraged" the gym staff to do the cleaning! If you are in a hurry (or without the equipment) you can often increase drag by 10 or so just by cleaning the outside of the cage with a damp gym towel if it is really dirty!

That session was definitely an improvement. I would expect a pace around 2k from such a workout for someone of your pace. So starting a 2k at 2:05 and then pushing as you can in the second half should be possible based on that.

I would recommend a longer interval session to get used to keeping going when you are tiring. Say 2:12 for 2k intervals with 5 min rest between, ideally 4.

[Jamie rowing]

Further to the drag factor discussion, I found a cleaner machine and was able to row at drag factor 104. This is up from my previous levels of 72 or 84 on my normal machine. This felt really strong. I was able to average 2:02 and 191w for 8*2:00/3:00r. Pretty confident I could hold 2:05 for 1500m then push on for the final 500m of my next 2k test, which would take at least 15s off my previous best of 8:35. I wasn’t aware that drag factor could have such an effect

[Sakly]

Further to the drag factor discussion, I found a cleaner machine and was able to row at drag factor 104. This is up from my previous levels of 72 or 84 on my normal machine. This felt really strong. I was able to average 2:02 and 191w for 8*2:00/3:00r. Pretty confident I could hold 2:05 for 1500m then push on for the final 500m of my next 2k test, which would take at least 15s off my previous best of 8:35. I wasn’t aware that drag factor could have such an effect

Indeed, it has. For sprinty short stuff I increase the DF to around 160-200 depending on distance. My typical DF for 2k is 135-140, for steadies around 100-110.

[Jamie rowing]

Is ideal df at all dependent on body weight and/or height? Being short and relatively light I’m wondering if my df should be lower than your classic 190cm 90kg rower…

[Sakly]

Is ideal df at all dependent on body weight and/or height? Being short and relatively light I’m wondering if my df should be lower than your classic 190cm 90kg rower…

There is no ideal DF, as it's very individual. If you are very explosive, lower DF can suit you better. I'm a slow athlete and lack explosiveness, so I get advantage of a higher DF, as strokes are slower.
As a higher DF needs more strength to accelerate the flywheel, it has a dependency to your strength, which of course has dependency to height and weight, at least at some degree.
Long story short: you need to test different DFs and find out what suits you best, where your sweet spot is.

[dabatey]

When I started I did most of my rowing at 130 drag. After a bit I changed to 100 drag and although it felt a bit different there was pretty much no change to my power outputs. Even 500m intervals where I was pulling a pretty short stroke were ok run at 100 drag. I'm 60kg though and I think someone heavy would want a much higher drag for short stuff.

[Sakly]

When I started I did most of my rowing at 130 drag. After a bit I changed to 100 drag and although it felt a bit different there was pretty much no change to my power outputs. Even 500m intervals where I was pulling a pretty short stroke were ok run at 100 drag. I'm 60kg though and I think someone heavy would want a much higher drag for short stuff.

On lower drag I face a speed threshold I cannot overcome at that drag, as I cannot increase my drive speed anymore. On increased drag I can get the drive speed to the same level, thus calculated speed on the monitor gets faster. This is the main reason, why I change drag during different pieces.
Like you say, different athletes, different handling