Pete Plan Stories/Recommendations?

[akpgunner]

I am a 17 year old rower with a 6:55 2k.

I'm looking to bring my time down to a 6:45 (ideally by the end of the year), and have heard good things about the Pete Plan.

Is this a realistic target? What sort of success have you found using the Pete Plan?

Also, I'm worried that the plan might be too much cardio on the longer term - I'm wondering if it would be better to supplement it with weights instead of some of the longer sessions.

Thanks in advance.

[chgoss]

It's a tough plan to be sure but one never gets better by taking it easy
It can be adjusted to suit different needs/goals, and I know folks also lift when doing it.

You should post to UK forum, lots of folks over there use it, and you'll most likely get response from Pete as well (he rarely posts over here).

http://concept2.co.uk/forum/viewforum.p ... 5b8a18c625

[akpgunner]

Point taken about taking it easy . Thanks for the response, I'll try the same post in the UK forum and see what I get.

[gregsmith01748]

Since a 2K is about 70% aerobic, I don't think that the Pete plan suffers from too much cardio. A lot of people have used the paln to get a lot faster. The key is to be really scrupulous about following the pacing guidelines. Make sure that you are focused on hitting your splits and really gunning the last reps to set targets for the next session.

Most of what I have read says that weight work is mostly helpful if you have an identified strength shortfall in a particular area. There are some strength tests in "Rowing Faster" that you might want to try (Squats, Deadlifts and bench rows with body weight based criteria). If you meet the criteria in those tests, you'd probably be best served by focusing on hard core interval training supplemented with steady state distance rowing. like what you see in the pete plan.

[akpgunner]

I'll check out the book when I get a chance, but I think for the most part I should be fine, barring dead-lifts, perhaps.

I probably won't be able to start for another couple weeks (logistical issues) but I'll give the full plan a proper run and see where I end up in a few months. Maybe I'll post an update at the end if anyone else needs similar info.

Thanks again gregsmith and chgoss for good info.

[hjs]

I am a 17 year old rower with a 6:55 2k.

I'm looking to bring my time down to a 6:45 (ideally by the end of the year), and have heard good things about the Pete Plan.

Is this a realistic target? What sort of success have you found using the Pete Plan?

Also, I'm worried that the plan might be too much cardio on the longer term - I'm wondering if it would be better to supplement it with weights instead of some of the longer sessions.

Thanks in advance.

To much cardio ? Most row coaches would say, not enough cardio, the plan is tough after a few 6 weeks cycles and often to tough. 2 hard interval sessions plus 1 hard longer distance, getting faster every week will sooner or later always get to a point that the sessions are to fast.
At your age, if you train well, you simply will improve, you are simply still growing. Depending on how relative fit you are, 6.45 seems doable.
Rowing and any other endurance sport is mostly about your aerobic fitness and the specific muscle fitness for the given sport you do.
To train specific rowing power you could do some L4 work from the wolverine plan.
Changing long rows into weight sessions, will in the long run not help. Doing weighst can be helpfull, if you ask me, but that should be extra. Keep at the big exercises and learn good technique.