Training On Slides

[old] kwadams · Post by **[old] kwadams** » May 20th, 2005, 1:50 pm

I've seen several posts in the past on using slides, but didn't have much luck searching the archives. I just got a pair and have been using them for about a week now. They take some getting used to, but I find it easier to get a much better leg drive now (and the left-leaning force curve to prove it). I don't know if others have the same results or not, but my times have improved fairly significantly. Part of it is pace, but I'm sticking with S10MPS so I'm pulling harder, too. I think it's that you get a quicker catch and are only moving the rower rather than your whole body. I know I'm sweating a lot more, even with the C-Breeze! Anyway, is there anything I need to watch for (i.e., bad habits) while using slides? Is it OK to do all my erg training on slides (does it really come closer to rowing a single) or is there any benefit to switching back and forth once in a while? Do others find it easier to really drive hard with the legs? I would always struggle with using a little too much arm at the beginning, but to me the slides more or less force you to initiate with a hard leg drive. My biggest struggle has been trying to slow down as I used to do my steady state rows at 19-20 and now it's hard to keep it under 22. I'm typically in the mid-upper 20's now and feel like I just want to go, especially when sprinting at the end of a longer row. Thanks. Kevin

[old] gorow9 · Post by **[old] gorow9** » May 20th, 2005, 2:48 pm

I've only used slides a few times but I've always heard people at the boat club saying the one thing to worry about is developing a pause at the catch or skipping some stroke by pushing with the legs too soon. The coach always says if your tenique is good there's no problem. That's just what I've heard never experianced but good luck ~Sara

[old] nkoffler · Post by **[old] nkoffler** » May 20th, 2005, 5:34 pm

Kevin- Try searching under "slide users only." I asked some slide questions and got some good feedback from PaulS and others. I been using slides exclusively for about 5 months. As compared to a stationary erg, I found that I needed to be quicker at the catch and that I was overreaching on the stationary erg. I also find it much easier to vary stroke rate on the slides and the whole rate for pace trade is much more apparent. When I first switched, I found my typical SPM to be higher and felt the need to have to work a bit harder to achieve my old paces. I've worked through this by developing a quicker catch mostly. Overall, I love the slides. Try getting Xeno's rowing DVDs (www.gorow.com) for slide based workouts. In these, you'll learn all sorts of stroke breakdowns and one-legged drills. As for always being on the slides, that's what I've done so far. That said, I'd do some stationary sessions in prep for a 2K race. Enjoy, Neil M/LW/US/38

[old] Cran · Post by **[old] Cran** » May 20th, 2005, 5:44 pm

I find slides much smoother At the moment I'm about 4 secs/500m faster on slides with feet out than I am on static with feet in, for 10K sessions. (drag 130). I rate higher on the slides, and it feels much more powerful. You can really use the legs. I don't do a lot of ergs anymore though and do most of my metres in a scull, so maybe it's just that the slides are more like sculling

[old] kwadams · Post by **[old] kwadams** » May 20th, 2005, 8:28 pm

Thanks for the replies folks. I was using the archives search (which I guess doesn't work) rather than the current search, but I did find the thread you were refering to, Neil. I'm going to order Xeno's DVD's and give them a whirl. Everyone raves about them. Cran, I've taken up sculling now, too, so I'm thinking it will be less erg work this summer and more on the water. Actually most of the scullers I've talked with at our local club just detest the erg and would do something else if they couldn't be on the water. I keep getting the "ergs don't float" refrain... Hope everyone has a good weekend. Kevin

[old] Canoeist · Post by **[old] Canoeist** » May 23rd, 2005, 2:24 pm

Kevin, Tell the guys at your boathouse that they "can't row a boat at CRASH-B". I have been rowing on slides for the last three years. Spring and summer I row on slides. I prefer to use slides. Then I change to the stationary erg before CRASH-B. My times on slides are 1 second/500m than my times without slides. It happens at all distances from 500m to the marathon. I don't know why, but it happens for me. If you rank your times, don't forget to click that you rowed the piece on slides. Cheers, Paul Flack

[old] The Matinator · Post by **[old] The Matinator** » May 24th, 2005, 9:13 am

It is easier to go faster using slides because they force you in to good techinque as does erging with your feet unstraped, as to it being more like sculling i can not agree with this as i regularly warm put on slides or a row prefect (simialar to erging on slides) then single, the major differentance the balance the stutle things that effect balance like a clean tap down or have equal pressure with both feet during the drive phase, aren't as important on an erg because you are not likly to capsize it.

[old] Cran · Post by **[old] Cran** » May 24th, 2005, 9:21 am

yeah, sorry... I didn't mean that erging was like sculling... I meant the maybe the leg drive was more like the leg drive in sculling... ...or that cos I'm sculling it means I have a technique or whatever that works better on slides than a static erg or something... you're confusing me now

[old] kwadams · Post by **[old] kwadams** » May 24th, 2005, 8:26 pm

It's funny you mention about even foot pressure as I never would have thought about that on the erg. I kept turning the boat to port on my first two attempts at sculling. The coach said there's a host of things going on, including putting my left oar in a little quicker than the right (plus I'm digging), over squaring the right a bit, and pushing more with my left leg. Other than that I'm doing OK!! I had forgotten that my left foot is a half size larger than my right and I tend to favor it. Erging never would tell you that. I've been trying (on the slides) to even out the pressure, but I think I'll have to use the single to work on it some more. Although I guess that's what Xeno's one leg drills teach you? The concept of balance throughout your whole body is incredible in a single. As one of the guys told me, "no place to hide." I'm back in the single this Thursday and then Sat in the 4, followed by the 2x. They're already talking to me about racing in July in an 8 open row (1000m, any age, any experience), so I guess I have the bug now. I really want to focus on sculling as I like to do my own thing, but I have to admit the whole teamwork thing when you're moving in a sweep boat is quite a rush. Kevin

[old] The Matinator · Post by **[old] The Matinator** » May 25th, 2005, 12:55 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(Cran @ May 24 2005, 01:21 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>yeah, sorry... I didn't mean that erging was like sculling... I meant the maybe the leg drive was more like the leg drive in sculling... ...or that cos I'm sculling it means I have a technique or whatever that works better on slides than a static erg or something... you're confusing me now </td></tr></table> what i meant was that ergs can only improve your techinque to a certain level. also the feeling of being in a boat can't be relicated on an erg.