Rowing Program

Primary Workout:

4 x 4 min w/ 5 min rest.  Transportation - 85 – 105% of your 2000m race pace. 

Secondary Workout:

3 x 7 min w/ 3 min rest.  Anaerobic Threshold – 75-85 % of your 2000m race pace. 

After doing a lot of base and aerobic conditioning work over the past few weeks.  It is time for some pure speed work.

Primary – 5 x 5:

5 – 500M pieces, at race pace on a 5 minute start interval.  Short and sweet.  Do at least two as the first 500M of a 2K race, and mix the remaining at body and last 500m sprint pieces.

Secondary –

1 x 11’ Anaerobic Threshold: Row at 80-85% of Race pace, u pick fan, cadence 24-30 spm.

Great job everyone on the 5000m piece last week.  That is a very tough race piece and you all did awesome at keeping after your pace and keeping your technique tight.  Very nice job!  This week’s workout will be a little different.

Primary –

2 X 8 (10 paddle + 30 Full Power) 5 min rest if solo; switch out with partner quickly if sharing a machine.  Follow w/ 8 x 24 weighted squat jumps on the minute.

Row at 85 -100% of your 2000m race pace.  Use the first 3 strokes of your 30 full pressure to build up the wheel speed (building momentum – 1^st stroke ½ pressure, 2^nd stroke ¾ pressure, 3^rd stroke 7/8^ths pressure, and go full pressure for 27, paddle for 10 strokes, build for 3 and go again).  Keep hitting each stroke hard and let the fatigue help you find efficient technique and a mental grove.  Nothing to record here, you’re just taking 480 very hard strokes and doing some light squats.

Secondary –

3 x 6’ Anaerobic Threshold: Row at 80-85% of Race pace, u pick fan, cadence 24-30 spm, rest 4 min.         

Over distance training or Utilization training is the brain child of legendary New Zealand track coach Arthur Lydiard.  Often called LSD, or long slow distance training, it is defined as prolonged work performed at well below your cardiac threshold.

Over distance work in rowing is so muscularly exhausting that the body is highly incented to figure out how to row efficiently – how to use skeletal strength instead of muscular strength, how to effectively use muscular strength, and how to relax any muscle chain that is not in active use. 

The other benefit to over distance training is the mental adaptation that can be achieved.  The rhythm of drive and recovery in rowing is fundamental and universal, like the filling and emptying of lungs, the beating of a heart or the push and pull of waves breaking on a beach.  That rhythm of work and rest can be meditative - can be.  Over distance training gives you an opportunity to develop the ability to shut down the left (logical) side of your brain and move into the non-verbal right side of your brain.  If you can improve this skill your perceived amount of recovery time will grow and your ability to work without regards to your limits will also expand. 

Work at your ability to park your mind by staring at a specific point in space and letting your focus go blurry, repeating a motivation phrase that fits your pace, counting your strokes, rowing with your eyes closed, or try feeling on one aspect of your form for 5 min at a time.

Please find the time to look at at least one of these technique videos:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zQ82RYIFLN8&feature=related

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oP6OR-G7AxM&feature=related

Primary –

1 x 5000m Utilization Training 1: Row at 70 - 80% of Race pace, u pick fan setting, cadence 22-28 spm.

Secondary –

2 x 7’ Anaerobic Threshold: Row at 80-85% of Race pace, u pick fan, cadence 24-30 spm, rest 3 ½ min.