Training questions from a newbie...

[whitewhaleholygrail]

Hi all,

I started using the erg a few weeks ago and now i'm hooked! My current pb is 7.53 and I feel will be lowering this considerably in the next week or so. The problem is, I don't know how to structure my training for long term fitness...at all.

Thus far I have been doing 2k ergs almost everyday, always trying to lower my split, even if just by 1 second. I also do a full body weights session 3 times per week and have been doing so for about a year.

So basically:

1. Should I be trying to lower my 2k time by continuing in the same vain? If not, what kind of training regime should I be looking at - I have seen the 3 week plans on the c2 website, are they any good?

2. Do you think it's beneficial to push yourself on the erg and follow it with weights? If not, how can I time my sessions correctly to fit in with my full body workouts i.e. Erg in the morning and weights in the afternoon?

Sorry for the long post, I have so many questions! I do intend to join a novice crew and so i'm eager to get fit ASAP.

Thanks,

WWHG.

p.s. Just in case it matters, i'm 6ft, weigh around 13st and am 23.

[jamesg]

I always like to see ASAP..

First make sure you're technique is ok; on the erg this basically means the right sequence and full length strokes, you need to get near the chainguard but keeping your back straight and getting to vertical shins.

Then you can estimate your potential, as follows.

Do a 20 minutes warmup at say 2:10 - 2:20 pace, on a LOW drag (<130, setting 3 one hopes) rating 20-22. Warm means just that, you should be sweating.

Then take care as injuries are always in the offing, but as you're strong and have already used your tendons, do a 100m test (or two) with full length strokes, flat out. Note the time taken and the rating you used.

Calculate the average Watts (speed in m/s ^3 x 2.8); this is a measure of your potential, or maximum power.

Divide the average Watts by the rating you used (strokes/minute). Let's say the ratio W/rating is 10. This is your stroke, for the moment. In real numbers, it's 10 Watt-minutes, and is the amount of work you did in each stroke, on average.

From then on, pull every single stroke for the rest of your life (or until the next test) at that work level. If the ratio is 10, at rating 18 you pull 180W; at 30, 300W. And so on.

Most days you should do 30-40 minutes at the rating you like best, probably 20-22 if you're 6' tall. Stick in a few sprints (multiple 250s, 500s or something) whenever you feel like it. If it's too hard, drop the ratio a bit and use higher ratings. If too soft, pull for longer times.

Useful quality indices are: W/kg (at 82kg, you should never go below 165W except maybe warming up) and the W/rating ratio above.

If you race you need a structured plan, such as the Interactive on the UK site. Before using it, make sure you have reliable data as to your min and max HRs and an all out 2k time.

[whitewhaleholygrail]

Thanks very much James! I appreciate the post as it's very detailed. If I were to proceed using that kind of training, how often should I do a full 2k test? Also, what are your thoughts on combining my training with my current weights regime?

Finally, what kind of time should I be looking for considering my weight and height, as I want to be decent before I go onto the water...

Thanks again,

WWHG.

[jamesg]

Once a year is probably enough for 2k tests. A 2k race is one of the toughest events there are; to do it without the necessary skills will only tell you that you don't have those skills. A sculler called Xeno Müller posted a 2 month plan for 2k racing here some time ago. There were, among others, 35 outings of 15k up, but as far as I remember, not one 2k test; he has a collection of Olympic medals.

So long as you do lots of endurance pulls at high work levels, doing weights too probably won't cause you any harm, if you're careful with technique. All real activities such as XC skiing, running, climbing, kayak, bike, freestyle etc, take hours, not minutes. While it's fine to have a high max speed or whatever, if you've no endurance you can't do them. You don't want to find yourself a mile out to sea or half way up a cliff and exhausted.

If you plan to go afloat, do that now and forget the erg. Rowing is about moving boats on water, and you have to learn how by going there. Fitness is a side effect. If you pull hard on an oar or two for a couple of hours a day, you won't be able to avoid it.

[jamesg]

Saw your other post too, on where to row in London. From Putney Bridge on the south bank westwards, there's a whole line of illustrious boatclubs. And all along the Thames valley above the locks. If you're an Eastender, the Royal Docks have been abandoned by shipping and there should be plenty of clubs there too, as well as in Greenwich near the Cutty Sark and on the Isle of Dogs, though the river itself will be dangerous. Don't know if you can scull past Canary Wharf in the West India Docks, but worth a try.

Don't worry about novicehood, no-one's born with an oar in his hand.