spm help
spm help
although there were similar posts, my problems with spm haven't been answered. I tend to get the best scores at a low-medium spm (24-27 range), although in an eight I row the strongest in the high 20s and low 30s (usual race pace around 30). I realize that a higher spm on the erg translates to better times, but whenever i try, i get much lower scores and get more tired because on an erg you have to rush up the slide, rather than let the "boat" come underneath you. how can I solve this problem and get higher spm on the erg, and getting lower splits?
HIgher spm erging
Dlyubas -
While this may not apply to you, my experience has been that you need to work at expanding the range of stroke rates you are comfortable with by doing workouts of varying distances and intensities and target stroke rates.
I was only really comfortable with stroke rates between about 22 and 28 a few months ago. Started doing short distance high intensity workouts (8x500m, 5x750, pyramid - 250/500/750/1K/750/500/250, 4x1K) once a week, with a target rates of 30+ spm. Over 7 weeks, my average rate for these workouts has moved from 28.7spm to 32.5spm, with a corresponding improvement in times.
On the other end of the range, am doing long rate-restricted pieces (40 to 80 min) with average stroke rates at 18 to 19spm, with subintervals within each workout at rates of 16spm up to 24 spm.
Early in the going, I found it almost impossible to row at 16spm with any degree on intensity. Now, while it is a bit tough to get in the groove, I can row quite comfortably at 16spm.
The low rate stuff helps with technique and control & that helps when I crank up the rate in the shorter pieces.
Not sure if this will work for you, but it did for me. Might be worth trying.
Cheers. Patrick.
While this may not apply to you, my experience has been that you need to work at expanding the range of stroke rates you are comfortable with by doing workouts of varying distances and intensities and target stroke rates.
I was only really comfortable with stroke rates between about 22 and 28 a few months ago. Started doing short distance high intensity workouts (8x500m, 5x750, pyramid - 250/500/750/1K/750/500/250, 4x1K) once a week, with a target rates of 30+ spm. Over 7 weeks, my average rate for these workouts has moved from 28.7spm to 32.5spm, with a corresponding improvement in times.
On the other end of the range, am doing long rate-restricted pieces (40 to 80 min) with average stroke rates at 18 to 19spm, with subintervals within each workout at rates of 16spm up to 24 spm.
Early in the going, I found it almost impossible to row at 16spm with any degree on intensity. Now, while it is a bit tough to get in the groove, I can row quite comfortably at 16spm.
The low rate stuff helps with technique and control & that helps when I crank up the rate in the shorter pieces.
Not sure if this will work for you, but it did for me. Might be worth trying.
Cheers. Patrick.
Make sure your breathing is in sync with your stroke. There is a good article on the UK C2 site about breathing. At low stroke rates, I take one breath on the drive and one on the recovery, but at higher rates, I inhale quickly at the catch, hold the pressure during the drive, exhale at the finish, relax, and start the next inhale on the recovery. If your breathing gets erratic, it will really slow you down. Find a stroke rate where your breathing is comfortable and you'll do better.
Mark Underwood. Rower first, cyclist too.
dlyubas
Ideal ratings on the erg are strictly personal, depending on height and weight. A short LW may need to pull at 30 to train hard, while a tall HW (even only 10% taller than the hypothetical LW) can load himself enough at 20-23.
It's not really a problem, unless the "problem" derives from bad technique; in which case we can only work on that. A certain minimum stroke quality (ie work content, again personal) has to be reached, otherwise we are not training at all.
The "beauty" of the erg is that being a single, we can all train on it, whatever our shape and size; just not all the same way.
Ideal ratings on the erg are strictly personal, depending on height and weight. A short LW may need to pull at 30 to train hard, while a tall HW (even only 10% taller than the hypothetical LW) can load himself enough at 20-23.
It's not really a problem, unless the "problem" derives from bad technique; in which case we can only work on that. A certain minimum stroke quality (ie work content, again personal) has to be reached, otherwise we are not training at all.
The "beauty" of the erg is that being a single, we can all train on it, whatever our shape and size; just not all the same way.
08-1940, 179cm, 75kg post-op (3 bp).