Terminology

Terminology

Maximum Aerobic Power (MAP)

The paces and various thresholds of training intensity can be extrapolated from the pace of a personal best 2k, first because 2k is the benchmark distance of Olympic and Indoor rowing, but more so because 2k race pace closely coincides with the power output required to reach Maximum Oxygen Uptake. Allowing for an anaerobic component, Maximum Aerobic Power should be between 80% and 90% of your average 2k race power. 

Alternatively the pace zones, and an estimate of MAP, can be derived from a Functional Threshold Pace calculated from a longer 20min to 60min piece. 

Such calculations are necessarily approximate as they do not account for individual differences in proportion of anaerobic to aerobic capacity. So some adjustment may need to be made depending on whether you are predominantly a 'sprinter' or a 'stayer'. Which can be accurately ascertained only through laboratory testing.

Regardless, in either case, an estimate of MAP is very useful because it indicates the lowest and therefore optimum pace for developing Oxygen Uptake and its percentage correlates closely with the same percentage of Heart Rate Reserve thus enabling a comparison of internal and external workload.

In practice, an experienced athlete can fairly accuarately gauge at what pace they are approaching their lactate threshold and at what pace they are approaching their maximum Oxygen uptake. In the first instance, the going starts to feel hard and in the second instance it starts to be agonising.

Velocity at VO2max (vVO2max) or Maximum Aerobic Pace

Maximum Aerobic Power corresponds directly with the speed or pace required to reach maximum oxygen uptake. For a current 2k time of 7:11-7:15 each split is roughly 1:48 /500m or 278Watts, I would begin to develop VO2max when I reach 90% of that, or 251Watts, which translates to a pace of 1:52 500m splits (ie. at Race Pace plus 4). 

That is my beginning average pace for doing Long, Short, and also Micro Intervals. 

In the case of Micro Intervals, because you are accelerating each time, and it takes several strokes to build up speed, some strokes have to be considerably harder in order to attain this average speed. So, counter-intuitively, the average speed of micro intervals is seldom faster than that of longer ones, however, about half or ¾ of the strokes are rowed considerably faster and the rest of strokes at greater pressure per stroke than the average.

Steady State.

An easy pace that does not result in much cardiac drift (a slow increase in heart rate over the duration of the piece) comes closest to being steady state.

However, a moderate to firm pace or a threshold pace producing a clear heart rate climb could also count as steady state if they do not produce enough lactate to create a distinct imminance of failure to continue.

Any sessions that do not exceed anaerobic threshold, are not sprints or intervals or time trials, for convenience, are often termed ‘steady state’ although there will always be increments of fatigue. 

It is probably best to avoid the term altogether.

Functional Threshold Power/Pace

FTP, the maximum power able to be sustained for one hour, is a popular benchmark for longer endurance events such as cycling, triathlon, and ironman. It will vary depending on whether the athlete is primarily characterised by slow twitch or fast twitch muscle fibres and whether they have performed mainly aerobic or anaerobic training. 

Light or Easy Training

Easy means training primarily below Aerobic Threshold and, for someone with a 2k time around 7:07 to 7:15, such as me, that means 2:16 splits (RP+28) or 139Watts. A short or moderately long Light Training session can be used for active recovery after a Hard Training Session but the same pace can be also used for Long Duration Sessions.

Long Duration Training Sessions

Long Duration means continuous rowing for more than an hour – which can count as hard workouts requiring a light or moderate day to follow. In practice, most of my Easy work occurs at 2:12 splits (RP+24) as at that pace I can still maintain very little cardiac drift (ie. my HR at the end of the workout climbs only three or four beats higher than it is at the end of the first half of the workout).

Moderate Training

Moderate means that you are using a comfortable stroke rate (24-26) at a pace that is at the upper end of steady state but less than Threshold. The average split pace is just above Aerobic Threshold (or Ventilatory Threshold 1, the slight onset of hard breathing) which occurs at approximately 50-60%MAP. For me, 60%MAP is 2:08 split (RP+20) or 167Watts. 

The duration of a moderate training may vary from half an hour to one hour depending on your stage of training, but does not aim to particularly extend training duration beyond what you are accustomed to.

Lactate Threshold

Though this varies among individuals, LT is approximately 70-80% of MAP. Without a clinical Lactate Test I estimate mine being 76% with 1:58 splits (RP+10) or 212Watts being my Functional Threshold Power, the pace I could theoretically sustain for an hour. This is around the pace I would use for Tempo sessions and aim for in Cruise Intervals.

Tempo

Tempo pieces are continuous rows of 20mins to 1hr just under the Lactate Threshold (ie. at Functional Threshold Pace) trying to extend the time that LT pace can be sustained. 

FTP occurs between 70-80% of MAP. I estimate my FTP to be about 76% MAP, or a split pace of 1:58 (Race Pace +10) and 212Watts. Using this formula as a starting point for a 20min to 1hr row soon enables you to find out how much higher or lower your actual FTP is.

Tempo can also refer to P3 or sub-threshold pace and, in weightlifting, it refers to the duration of eccentric and concentric stages of a lift.

Cruise Intervals

These are long intervals, 1500m-3000m, done at just below or just above Lactate Threshold, approx. 80% of Max Aerobic Power (MAP), and eliciting a Heart Rate of roughly 80% of your Heart Rate Reserve. (Heart Rate Reserve being your Maximum HR – Lowest Resting HR.) Progress by increasing the number or length of pieces only eventually raising pace towards the end of Phase 2 to transition into Long High Intensity Intervals.

Long High Intensity Intervals (Long HIIT)

There is a marked difference in difficulty between 3-4 minutes of high intensity and  around 2 minutes of high intensity. For this reason I call the former Long Intervals and the latter Short Intervals. The really short intervals lasting less than a minute I call Micro-Intervals.
Long HIT intervals for me are generally about 1k. but can be anything from 750m up to 1500m, performed at close to MAP or Race Pace. Cruise intervals may metamorphose into these as the training progresses. Heart rates should climb to above 90% HRR towards the end of the Training. The classic formula is 3-4 x1k with 4min active recovery.

Short High Intensity Intervals (Short HIIT)

Short HIT intervals are generally 500m, but can be from 250m to 600m depending on whether you are trying to develop more speed at VO2max or to extend your endurance at vVO2max. They are generally performed at slightly below MAP but in the latter stages of Phase 3  at slightly above MAP. Heart rates should climb to above 90% HRR towards the end of the Training. The classic formula here is 6-8 x 500m with 1½ – 2min active recovery.

Micro-Intervals

These are usually between 10secs to 30secs duration but may be up to 1minute. Work to Rest ratios are between 1:1 and 2:1. The aim is to work at MAP or above with rests too short for much HR recovery. 

These can be performed in clusters of 12 or so with a 1k active recovery row (5mins) between clusters. The result is that heart rates above 90% of Heart Rate Reserve are maintained for long periods during each cluster stimulating the development of VO2max. 

Additionally because the short recovery encourages aerobic pathways there is a muscular endurance benefit from doing a lot of strokes above race pace without as much lactate build up as occurs in sprint training.

Sprint Repeats

Sprint Repeats are most commonly 250m but may be slightly shorter or as long as 500m and are always performed above MAP and with plenty of rest (more than 2 mins) between pieces. 

These contribute to developing power per stroke and to anaerobic capacity – the amount of work you can produce at above Lactate Threshold. 

Just a few short sprints within steady state sessions every week or couple of weeks in Phase 1 will help to maintain basic speed by stimulating fast twitch muscle fibres. 

First increasing and the number or length of repeats and then decreasing but with faster pace and long passive recovery closer to racing will spur anaerobic development.

Hard Low Stroke Rate (Hard LSR)

Hard LSRpieces are rowed at a pace that, at 16-18 strokes per minute, elicits more than 90% of the average work per stroke of a 2k race. For progressive overload, aim to increase distance per stroke and number of hard strokes performed in a session. 

A comfortable way to do these is to alternate 1k at moderate pace rating 24-26spm with 1k hard strokes rating 16spm while maintaining the same pace. The session can be relatively short (under an hour) and is extended by increasing the percentage of hard strokes rather than total workout duration.

Alternating SR sessions combine Hard or Firm Low Stroke Rate distances (say, 500m or 1k) with light or moderate distances.

Rate Ladders, Pace Ladders, Stroke Ladders, and Pyramids

Incremental increases of pace or stroke number or stroke rate with or without recoveries of equal strokes. 

In Pyramids the number of strokes or pressure is incrementally increased and then decreased in steps.

Easy with Hard Stroke Strides

Insert 5-10 hard strokes at lower stroke rate each 500m or 1k in order to develop power in fast twitch fibres.

Power Strokes

Power Strokes are performed at a high Drag Factor setting (200+) in sets of 6-12 x 10secs-1min, most commonly 10x 30secs with rests above 1min 30secs and 5 minutes between sets. With the monitor set to measure Watts. 

The aim is to perform a maximum Watt peak stroke or to register high average Watts per piece. 

Training should not continue if average Wattage drops below 90% max Watts (Peak Power) as determined by the 7 stroke Wingate test. The chief benefit Is an improvement in Peak Power and hence the percentage of peak power needed for MAP as well as increased power of start and finishing bursts that rely on Alactic reserves.

Contrasting Sets

Contrasting Sets involve sets of Power Strokes performed at a high Drag Factor setting (200+) followed by sets of fast strokes performed at a lower Drag Factor using the post activation potentiation effect to develop fast engagement with the flywheel at the catch.

Alactic Training

Alactic training requires short pieces (eg. Starts, Strides, or Power Strokes) of 3 to no more than 12 Strokes at maximum power with long rest periods of more than 2 minutes.  If done correctly, it should not generate much lactate and thus is compatible with Steady State Training, particularly used for maintenance of strength and power while extending aerobic capacity,

Strides

Strides are a form of alactic training, involving relaxed build-ups to race pace in about four strokes and lasting from five to six strokes in total. Lactate starts to rise in about four seconds and remains in the system for up to thirty minutes, so keep these short or if longer than six strokes interspere them with longer stretches of easy work up to 1k. 

Resembling starts ‘on the run’, they can be inserted within continuous steady rows as a way to break monotony and also to maintain development of fast twitch muscle fibres during easy pace foundation training. The first stroke needs to be a relaxed build to the finish with the next stroke shorter and sharper to pick up the momentum of the flywheel and then each stroke lengthening out without losing that momentum.

Easy with Strides Session

Insert 5-15 stroke Strides at a faster stroke rate each 500m or  each1k of an Easy Duration session in order to also develop fast twitch fibres and the ability to raise stroke rate and insert sprints within a race.

Race Rehearsal

Race rehearsal  can be simply rowing at moderate pace over the 2k distance imagining what you have to think about at each stage or it can involve rowing at controlled race pace and stroke rate for various fractions of the race distance trying to maintain consistency and relaxation. 

A useful exercise a week out from the target event is to row just past the 1k mark (say 1250m) at race pace to develop confidence and a familiarity with how it will feel in the race without overstressing. Another useful exercise during Phase 3 is the aerobic build-up – moving into race pace ‘effortlessly’ from steady state over five to ten strokes.

Stroke Rate and Return

Stroke Rate and Return drills are necessary to overcome the fact that a lot of preliminary training is done at low stroke rates that do not allow muscles to become accustomed to the speed and effort required during the return up the slide during the recovery phase at race rating. 

These include pyramids and ladders of various stroke rates, light work with forced stroke rates, rowing on an incline by propping the front of the erg on bricks, ‘strapless’ rowing so that the core has to work harder in the recovery phase, weighted sit-ups with feet strapped in on the erg, and fast finish drills.

Segmented drills

Rowing half and quarter strokes, or legs only, legs and back, back and arms, single leg only etc. as drills or as Power Strokes.