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2k Erg Tips – Easy Tapering Plan

December 27, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Tapering for a 2k erg?

What do you do?

Maybe you take it easy for a couple of days, and erg light. Or you take a day off from all rowing and rest.

Or you might even have a secret tapering strategy that is guaranteed to leave you brimming with rowing energy and ready to pull hard. Your very own secret 2k erg test tip.

Whatever your strategy, for it to be effective, it must be timed perfectly.

Almost to the hour.

Here’s the secret 2k erging test tip of the day.

Most rowers don’t like taking time off. We feel as though we need to be always training even if it’s only an easy 20 minute erg. We feel that the more we train the better we become. And the more we deserve to row fast.

But the smart money is on the rowers who can judge exactly when to take some time off.

The best time to take a break from erging and rowing is 2 days out from the 2k test. Take 1 day completely away from training and erging. Take it easy and try to avoid stress.

But you must erg the following day to keep your muscles, technique and energy systems flowing. If you don’t exercise lightly the day before a 2k erg the chances are that you will feel sluggish and dull on race day.

Try it out:

Day 2 (2 days before 2k erg test) – No training. Absolute rest.

Day 1 (1 day before the 2k erg) – Light erg workout  for 20 – 30 minutes (include some race power 10’s  2 – 4 max)

Day 0(Race day) – Warm up well in advance of the 2k. (at least 60 minutes before hand) for 10 -15 minutes.

Then do your normal race warm up.

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New Erg Rowing Workouts – Check it out!

December 23, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Hello everyone,
I’ve added some more indoor rowing workouts to the workouts section. I have a lot more that I want to put over the next few days, so hopefully I’ll get the chance to do it.

I’m also going to put up a free daily workout on the main page along with the usual article.

Keep it going!

Brandy

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Best Erg Footplate Position – A Definative Answer.

December 22, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Over 1 Million times a day, people search google for “correct erg footplate position” or “best foot plate on the erg”.

Ok I’m exaggerating by approximately 999,997.

But you will be surprised about how many ergers and rowers do not set the footplate position correctly on the erg.

Did you know that the correct footplate position can make a massive difference in power and technique?

And good technique = more efficient power = (life is easier! (or faster) – take your pick)
 
 

So what is the best foot plate setup?

The goal is simple. You need full length sliding and maximum power through your feet and legs.

Full length is vertical shins at the beginning of the power phase. Most people either over-compress or under-compress and neither is good. And unless you have a mirror or a good coach beside you, it’s impossible to tell if your shins are vertical at the catch. So get some help.

But there are more factors you need to consider to ensure a good erging  foot plate position.
 
 

Your Height.

Taller people generally have larger feet and need to position the footplate low (with maybe 1 or even zero holes showing).

Otherwise their toes and balls of their feet would be overhanging the top of the footplate. Which is and a big waste of power and a definite short slide maker.

Smaller shorter people generally have shorter and smaller feet. If you are like below 6 ft you need to put your footplate higher up (with 2, 3 or even 4 sets of holes showing).

Why?
Because you are not in an efficient position to gain maximum power from your leg drive when your feet are too low. Plus it’s a mechanical certainty that you will open up too early with your body-swing on the power phase.

Which means a weak acceleration to the finish of the stroke.

Next time you are erging, try it out. Set your feet lower than you usually do and you will find that it feels really weird. You’ll discover that it feels like you can row a lot longer and getting to the catch is a breeze.
 

But on the erg, longer is not always better.


If you are under set with your feet and you are over-compressing at the catch there will be a delay in getting your legs fired up. And you will accumulate more lactic acid (pain – which we don’t like!) because of the acute angle between your upper and lower leg.

A good footplate position should allow you to power up easily and horizontally.

The best way for you to pull the handle is in a straight line – as close to your strong levers (legs, back and arms) as possible.

Weightlifters do it all the time. Have a look on YouTube for some Olympic Weightlifting techniques and pay attention to how they all emphasise the bar remaining close to the body as much as possible during the lifting phase.

Ok rowing is different, but not all that much.

You gotta keep that handle straight and close to your body as much as possible. Otherwise it’s like trying to stretch out at full reach and pick up your grandmas favourite (and really heavy) ornament from her mantelpiece. A dangerous move and not guaranteed to give you a result!
  

The Proportion between your legs and back.

You might be a tall person with long legs and a short back. If that’s the case you need to set low. On the other hand you might be tall with a long back and short legs

If you think you are in this category you need to fix your footplate high. Even if your feet overhang a little.

Because there will be too much of a gap between your handle and feet.
  

Your Hip and Ankle Flexibility.

You might have ankle, achilles tendon, knee or hip flexibility problems which might prevent you from rowing at full slide length. In that case you need to drop your feet low (at the cost of being more ii) because good length is more important than maximum efficiency.

The bottom line is keep the footplate as high as possible, without overhanging with your toes and balls of your feet. Without being so restricted that you cant even get past half slide with your seat.

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2k Erg Test Meltdown – 5 Steps for a fast recovery

December 22, 2010 / / 2 Comments

So you go off hard. First stroke, second stroke, third… Harder, faster, harder. You’re pumped and blowing out all that nervous energy that’s been building up all day long.

You start to think “ok – it’s a 2k erg let’s see if I can settle down into a good strong rhythm”. Stick to my guns. Do what I planned.

But now at 1713 meters to go, you get that creeping feeling. All is not well deep inside the core of your engine.

NO!

Not today. Please…

You continue on rowing and try to ignore the fact that your legs feel weak and empty. You’re burning up inside and every stroke feels heavy and torturous.

You haven’t planned for this. What will you do?
 

Step # 1. Do Not Stop

This is often the first thing that comes into your head when you’re faced with a 2k erg test meltdown.
You just wanna let it go – it’s not your day and that is it. But whatever you do, please Do Not Stop. Because the next 4 steps, can and will, get you out of a deep hole and help you salvage something from the day.

Have you ever been in a situation where the difference between a good race and a bad one comes down to just 1 stroke? Not the last one, but somewhere out on the course like 743 meters from the finish line. Someplace obscure where you let it slip through your hands.

If you can hold on around that danger stroke and give yourself a chance to continue you can really learn big things about yourself. Almost anyone can do it when it’s easy – right? We’ll what about when it’s really, really hard?

This is the time where you earn that inner strength and confidence that can set you up for the rest of your rowing life. It’s what sets the great rowers apart from the good.
 

Step # 2. Back Off Immediately

Ok it’s only a 2k erg – a short distance with little time to mess around, but if you back off on the power and follow the next step you will save yourself a lot of pain and failure in the long run.

How much should you back off?

Well if you were aiming to pull even splits of say 1:40 for the middle 1000, you should go to 1:42 or 1:43. Back off enough so that you can recover.
 

Step# 3. Rate Higher

Immediately after backing off on the power you need to increase your rate. You need to keep it light. Keep the wheel spinning along. Take the load off your legs, back and arms. Stop muscling the handle like you want to choke it. Back off, rate higher.

And just spin it . . nice and lightly with a nice high tapping along rhythm.

If you were at 33, go up to 35.
 

Step # 4. Close Your Eyes

Relax your face and close your eyes. We rowers love to show how hard it is. There’s nothing like showing off our ‘I’m being tortured’ face right through a 2k erg.

Well in damage limitation mode you absolutely must quit being tense – immediately .
And close your eyes.

Why?

Because your mind plays tricks. When you’re in 2k erg test meltdown your body wants out and your mind will do everything it can to make it happen.

It will make 1:43 feel like 1:37.

So shut the windows, relax and don’t look out. Tap the wheel along with relaxed muscles and a nice, high light rate.

It will help your to blood flow. It will help you recover.

You just need to have patience. And faith.
 

Step # 5. You will come round.

Recovery will come, but when it does, Do NOT start muscling the handle back down to 1:40.

You need to nurse it back down, slowly and incrementally in time with your ability to absorb the extra work load. And don’t worry, it’s never too late. Even if your 2k average power target is still high you can always sprint like never you’ve never sprinted before – to the line. And yes, you can open you eyes again.

But you will only be capable of sprinting if you have followed the steps. And when it comes to the sprint make sure you don’t go too early. Do 40 seconds – max.

Make the sprint pay. Give it everything. Be angry. Be annoyed. And when you get to the finish line, be absolutely finished.
 

What if it doesn’t work?

It should work. It always will unless there’s something seriously wrong (like you are ill or something).Done correctly, you will recover and limit your losses.

Better than putting your head down and rowing yourself to a standstill.

Believe me. I’ve been there.

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