Tiring Out Too Easily During Training - rating high

[mattflint49]

Hey guys,

So I tried to do my first 2km erg test today after months of basically no cardio and all weightlifting and I tried to hold around about 1:55 and needless to say by the title but I simply couldn't. When I up the rate and drop the pressure a bit I can hold the split but my lungs begin to burn quickly and I cannot hold my rate up above 28 on average - once I settle in it goes straight down to 25 average.

Does low rate SS pieces help with being able to hold high rates?

Thanks

[Gammmmo]

you just need to spend more time doing cardio...any cardio by the sound of it. "all weightlifting" - remember "specificity" principle...

[aussieluke]

do lots of long slow rowing to improve your aerobic base

do some short, fast pieces to learn how to go fast

[bisqeet]

it looks like you are one of the gravity inflicted size people, which means you have to rate higher than taller people to achieve the same power.
that coupled with being light weight is going to make your progress a little harder than us fat tall people :/

that said - build up your aerobic base
increase your power/stroke


and amaze us all

[Anth_F]

Hey guys,

So I tried to do my first 2km erg test today after months of basically no cardio

There's your problem!! Do a lot more cardio.

I found after doing a lot of cardio sessions, then going on to doing 6-8x500m HIIT sessions really helped me massively. I can now keep much better pace over even 5k distances now, than i could before doing HIIT.

[hjs]

So I tried to do my first 2km erg test today after months of basically no cardio

Thanks

You cry an aerobic sport, without doing aerobic training and wonder why that doesn,t work?

I wonder why you wonder ........

Rowers train lots of meters at low rate ut2 pace and yet have no trouble rating up, why wouldn,t you? Technique needed is not a hard stroke, otw guys on the erg use a hard first part of the stroke, but a relative soft finish, this to prepare smooth recovery, a hard finish will mess this up. You simply use a way to hard stroke for your fitness.

[lindsayh]

Hey guys, So I tried to do my first 2km erg test today after months of basically no cardio and all weightlifting and I tried to hold around about 1:55 and needless to say by the title but I simply couldn't. When I up the rate and drop the pressure a bit I can hold the split but my lungs begin to burn quickly and I cannot hold my rate up above 28 on average - once I settle in it goes straight down to 25 average.
Does low rate SS pieces help with being able to hold high rates? Thanks

Answered your own question Matt - no cardio => no aerobic fitness => poor times. Your weight lifting wont help your rowing much at all really.
The point of training is to get fit enough to maintain faster stroke rates for longer - at least 30+ for a LWT when doing the TT
There is no doubt that a good bit of your training should be lower rate SS pieces (22-25 say) but on its own that is not enough - faster rated pieces as well with speedy intervals. As before there are heaps of helpful threads here.

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

In order to rate high during an erg test, you have to spend time practicing high rates. Practice makes perfect.

[Edward4492]

Not sure why everyone tries to complicate things. If you're a rower......row. the heirarchy is simple. Row, if you can't row erg, if you can't do either everything else is a distant second (lifting, running, cycling). One of my kids (that I coach) decided that running on the beach everyday was the secret to success. I told him it was a great idea....if he wanted to get good at doing beach runs. He insisted on weight lifting, I had him doing three erg sessions per week and he's making great progress. Then he hurts his back in the gym and hasn't been able to do any decent erg work for several weeks. School starts in two weeks with an erg test. Now what?

You gotta define what you want. Nothing wrong with lifting, mountain biking, KB swings etc. But if you come to me and say you're fighting for a seat in a boat the answer is clear. ROW! Lots of steady state meters with enough speed work mixed in. The only thing I'm thinking about adding in is some yoga classes to help my flexibility in the boat (if I can find the time).

No aerobic training for an event that is 75% aerobic?

(Just a thought, how many power lifters are out running 5k's? I'm guessing they......lift weights)