Intervals

General discussion on Training. How to get better on your erg, how to use your erg to get better at another sport, or anything else about improving your abilities.
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miket-nyc
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Intervals

Post by miket-nyc » January 17th, 2025, 12:31 am

I basically stop rowing much in the warm weather because the bedroom where I use my Model D gets way hotter than the 68-70 I like for rowing, so I've been taking long walks instead.

But I’ve gone back to rowing with the colder weather and started doing informal intervals. I warm up for 10 minutes or so. Then I row as fast as possible for sixty or seventy five seconds, then rests for 4 minutes, and keep doing that over and over. This it's how it shows up on my Polar H9:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U08hN- ... p=drivesdk

My question is, am I doing this right? Should I be rowing fast longer, resting less (or more) between intervals, etc? BTW, I'll be 73 in one month, so I don't expect these numbers to compare with you younger guys. I'm just trying to improve compared to my own past performance.

Mike Taglieri

Tsnor
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Re: Intervals

Post by Tsnor » January 17th, 2025, 1:09 am

There are many training approaches.

The one I use says go hard two days a week, have at least one rest day, and then go long/slow (45 mins or more) at a super slow 'conversational' pace for as many additional days (2? 3? 4?) as long as you feel good.

Your workout is perfect for a hard workout. If you do that 2 or 3 days a week - perfect. If you do it more than 2-3 days/week then the training approach I use says you're better off trading a longer much less intense piece for some of the the hard workouts you're doing. Here's a video on the training approach I use. https://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_seile ... e_athletes

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Citroen
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Re: Intervals

Post by Citroen » January 17th, 2025, 4:45 am

Tsnor wrote:
January 17th, 2025, 1:09 am
Here's a video on the training approach I use. https://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_seile ... e_athletes
There's a video that even the largest couch potato should watch.

iain
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Re: Intervals

Post by iain » January 20th, 2025, 7:25 am

Not sure what you are trying to train for or your background and so what is reasonable for you in training.

You want to make sure that most of your training is with good strokes. Going as hard as you can may mean that you are hurried and compromising your stroke. The intervals you describe may well get you fit for 500m or so, but for aerobic exercise and longer distances you need to do more controlled intervals sub-maximum. I would suggest trying 500m intervals with 2 min rest between maybe start 20S/500m slower than your "all out" and see how you get on. Try and do 6 at the same or a slightly faster pace each time and then do the last as fast as you can (not starting all out, but as fast as you think you can sustain for the 500 and then push harder for final 200). This is a more aerobic workout and will help in longer intervals. If you have not done so or have a background in rowing, you should also watch the technique videos and make sure that you are rowing correctly as otherwise you might hurt yourself while underperforming on the C2.
56, lightweight in pace and by gravity. Currently training 3-4 times a week after a break to slowly regain the pitiful fitness I achieved a few years ago. Free Spirit, come join us http://www.freespiritsrowing.com/forum/

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