Technique / Stats Advice

[davidrenstead]

Hi

I'm new to the rower and looking for some general advice based on my current technique versus times/performance. I had done the usual newbie error of too many strokes per minute and too high a drag factor and having done some research have slowed it all down to work on the stroke:

10k / 39.42 / 30 sm / 207 W / Drag 182
9k / 40:00 / 22 sm / 151 W / Drag 118

Can anyone offer any advice on what to work on based on the above ? At the moment I'm assuming that my drag should be up around the 130 mark to begin with ? Also I should be trying to just row at say 20 strokes per minute and focus purely on technique ?

[hjs]

Hi

I'm new to the rower and looking for some general advice based on my current technique versus times/performance. I had done the usual newbie error of too many strokes per minute and too high a drag factor and having done some research have slowed it all down to work on the stroke:

10k / 39.42 / 30 sm / 207 W / Drag 182
9k / 40:00 / 22 sm / 151 W / Drag 118

Can anyone offer any advice on what to work on based on the above ? At the moment I'm assuming that my drag should be up around the 130 mark to begin with ? Also I should be trying to just row at say 20 strokes per minute and focus purely on technique ?

There is training and there is racing/time trialing. When you race you use don’t go for a given rating, but you go by feel and use spm that makes you the fastest.
Re drag, you two rows very well show what drag does. A high drag, 207, slows the fan down rapidly, to counter this you need to up the spm, which you did. 30
The lower drag, 118, you used rate 22, so per stroke you covered much more meters. Pace was only 1 second slower.

Optimal would like be in the middle, rating starting around 25/26, ending higher, going to maybe 30.

Why use lower rating, you showed it already, it gives you the rest between strokes to build a stronger stroke. Sessions like this should be max. Thats way to taxing in the long run.

If you want to train real strenght, you could and use a high drag and low rating. Be carefull, this is very taxing, so limit the amount of strokes.
If you train for optimal speed, time trial or intervals use a drag and rating that is optimal. 115/135 ish, woman a bit lower. Rating not low, but also not very high, the session rate 30, was using a soft slow stroke, and very rushed recovery.
To be able to use a very drag and still use good technique you need to be very strong and very fit. In fact, almost nobody fits those criteria. Toprowers, think 5.40 guys, do not use high drag, but modest 120/40 drag. Even topsprinters, doing a 500m, still do not use max drag often. But go for 150/70. Reason being, they are not fit enough to keep that going for the full 500.

In short, seldom use high drag. Race at optimal drag/spm, train partly at lower ratings, but don’t race those sessions.

[Allan Olesen]

10k / 39.42 / 30 sm / 207 W / Drag 182
9k / 40:00 / 22 sm / 151 W / Drag 118

Can anyone offer any advice on what to work on based on the above ?

You could work on a stronger stroke. The idea is fewer, but stronger strokes, so you maintain your effort or power. (Unless you were actually aiming for a reduction in effort.)

You did fewer strokes without changing the strength of your stroke. As a result, power output decreased with approx. 25% when you reduced your stroke rate with approx. 25%.

With that said, your stroke is actually not that weak. You do a little less than 7 WattMinutes per stroke, which is quite okay for a beginner.