Beginner Pete Plan review and prep towards it

[reuben]

From my point of view this is all predicated on half decent technique, which is assumed or glossed over.

I simply followed various videos to get the technique right and rowed strapless to further refine my technique. Then I tried 500m rows, slowly increasing the distance, then 1000m, which I managed in 4:09 with gas left in the tank. I slowly improved it, had sprints, and tried 2000 m. The next day I jumped right into a 5k.

As a single data point, here's my story.

I bought an erg 2-3 years ago. Not surprisingly, my technique was terrible. So I started working on it. Then work went crazy (covid), my mom started her final slide downhill, I retired, my mom died, I bought a house, I sold a house, and spent the last year working on the new house (fixes, upgrades, etc.). So pretty much all exercise went out the window - my beloved multihour hikes, multihour bike rides... everything. Even yoga. I didn't even think about the erg other than when I moved it from the old house to the new.

Now life is settling down again, so I'm starting to pick up the fitness pieces again, erg and otherwise. I have no intention of competing, and will probably never row more than 4 times per week (I have an indoor bike trainer as well). In my case, rowing is just one piece of a physical and mental health bundle. I realize that that's not true for many here.

Fast forward to the present. Last week I updated the PM5 firmware and the Ergdata app, rewatched some technique videos, including pick drills, then got on the erg a few times.

Yesterday I got on the erg for 30 minutes. I set the drag to 4, which resulted in a drag factor of 110. While a lot of numbers were displayed on the PM5 and in Ergdata, I ignored pretty much everything except spm, which was low. I ignored 500m pace, watts, power curve, projected distance, etc. I glanced at heart rate and drive length once in a while. My goal yesterday was to try to maintain proper technique the whole time - legs, hips, arms, arms, hips, legs.

I had no problem with 30 minutes, but I was going SLOW and easy. That particular session was all about technique, not really about fitness. I got my heart rate up a bit, but nothing crazy. Mostly UT2 and a bit of low end UT1. If I had tried for more of a fitness session my technique would surely have suffered. It's not ingrained in me as it is with most people here, and it won't be ingrained or natural to any other beginning rower who would try the BPP or Couch to BPP.

If you want to assume or require good technique, that's fine. Just be explicit about it up front, rather than implicit.

0.0 - Check with your doctor.
0.1 - Learn good technique.

Just a thought.

[Dangerscouse]

If you want to assume or require good technique, that's fine. Just be explicit about it up front, rather than implicit.

0.0 - Check with your doctor.
0.1 - Learn good technique.

Just a thought.

Another great point. There's so many variables that can totally change advice for a specific person and ingraining bad technique, which is all too easy for a total newbie, is never a good thing.