Concept2 Forum

Hello - I’ve been watching some videos on YouTube from Travis Gardner, though he hasn’t posted in a while. He advocates a drag factor in training (and even racing) which is quite a bit lower than I see most posters use - 100 to 110 is typical, though he does differentiate men/women/youth etc. He seems to talk sense and has a creditable background with decent times on the erg and competitive on water experience. Wondered whether anyone else had seen these videos and had any thoughts about his training style?

To me, SS with a low drag factor makes sense. It helps keep the HR down, along with practicing shorter drive times. I found it more beneficial for 30R20 as you need a short drive time, while having good recovery.

Personally I found his SS recommendations too fast - even 2:18 which he thinks is the lowest even for handicapped people would put me over UT1 quickly. https://old.reddit.com/r/Rowing/comment ... r/jgc5dmx/

But it does work for many people… so if it works well it works well. Just my (not very great) opinion.

I've not watched his videos - or his coaching material - but I think drag factor is subjective and individual, the same as rating.

I personally could not row at 14spm without a pause, would be even harder for me with a lower DF to normal (I row at around 120 for everything) - 18spm is actually really tough for me to slow down to - I have to really really concentrate at it, and it just feels uncomfortable.

Reading the comments on the reddit link it suggests he is very much focused towards close to elite level and not "average joe's" or novices as his comments around pacing are blunt to the point of rude, and there's lots of people that are starting out where those paces are way above what they are capable of for longer sessions.

With all sports - especially ones with technical elements - there's no one-size fits all perfect thing to do though. It's about finding what works for the individual & luckily there's loads of possible ways of making pace that it's easy to find something that works. (and what works OTW is not always the same as what works on the erg)

no male athlete should be benching less than 100 kg x 10 unless they are pre-pubescent, very old, or injured/handicapped. And no male athlete should bench less than 100 kg x 8 period. If you are weaker than that, it is a technical issue, not a fitness issue. Imagine bench press as a scale reading. You can stand on the scale and get your natural weight and you can push down on an external fixture to increase that weight readout. 100 kgs is the equivalent of a small male standing on a scale. Anything below that is related to your size or your work (in the analogy this would be pushing on something to increase your weight readout.) tldr: find a good coach to help you refine technique and you will bench 50 kilos more for reps in weeks with no increase in "effort".

click my link. I do strength coaching. send me money pls. also happy just to video chat for money. or just email me to talk about lifting. (Also for money.)

.

Ruin Christmas wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2025, 11:53 am

no male athlete should be benching less than 100 kg x 10 unless they are pre-pubescent, very old, or injured/handicapped. And no male athlete should bench less than 100 kg x 8 period. If you are weaker than that, it is a technical issue, not a fitness issue. Imagine bench press as a scale reading. You can stand on the scale and get your natural weight and you can push down on an external fixture to increase that weight readout. 100 kgs is the equivalent of a small male standing on a scale. Anything below that is related to your size or your work (in the analogy this would be pushing on something to increase your weight readout.) tldr: find a good coach to help you refine technique and you will bench 50 kilos more for reps in weeks with no increase in "effort".

click my link. I do strength coaching. send me money pls. also happy just to video chat for money. or just email me to talk about lifting. (Also for money.)

.

I'll do all that for half the price

Sakly wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2025, 4:07 pm

I'll do all that for half the price

No male Internet strength coach should be writing programs for half the price unless they are pre-pubescent, very old, or injured/handicapped.

Ruin Christmas wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2025, 4:32 pm

Sakly wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2025, 4:07 pm

I'll do all that for half the price

No male Internet strength coach should be writing programs for half the price unless they are pre-pubescent, very old, or injured/handicapped.

What about if one defines as diverse?