T-Nation C2 500m Sprint Competition

Training
61

Well 6:30 is about average for lightweight collegiate males in the US (some faster some slower depending on the conference and level of program). Most of them are doing lots and lots of volume (see 2x workouts a day of anywhere from 15-20k a go for their steady state pieces, and shorter work for their AT/AN work.

Now, I have a bit of different view points then many rowing coaches in that I believe raw strength can truly make up for a lack of volume (though truly volume is needed a good bit).

So depending on the amount of time you have to allocate to rowing and to lifting I could make you a program or point you in the right direction (those I train/coach probably wouldn’t appreciate it if I made you out a detailed program for free).

That being said first and foremost you need to do a 2k, with the digital setting at 130-140 depending on your strength. Read through this thread to see how to check the digital rating if you’re unsure as I’ve outlined it previously here.

Once you’ve done that then I’ll have more information as to what you should be doing in terms of heart rates and training ranges.

Regardless of what you pull chances are you’ll be needing to put in a solid 5-6 sessions on the erg/water a week and 3 in the gym. This would be minimum for the goal you have outlined.

Other information that’d be helpful (though not necessary):
Age, weight, height, approx 1RM in squat, deadlift, clean, 6k time, 10k time, 60 minute distance (in meters).

More info that you’ll likely have less access to:
VO2 Max on the erg, Max Watt output at quarter, half, and 3/4 slide. Max wattage in 10 strokes. Wattage for 30 seconds. Lactic Acid Threshold heart-rate (where your body switches from aerobic to anaerobic) on the erg.

One thing to note that VO2 max and other various lactic acid testings vary depending how you test. A test on the treadmill will vary from a test on the erg due to the different biomechanics and difference in how well your body is trained at the specified movement.

62

I was looking more for a point in the right direction when it comes to erg training on top of time on the water. I only row at a low level, not at university level standard, but I still want to see personal progress as well as win regattas. We currently have about 3 outings a week, but sometimes more leading to races or during pre season and 1 erg session. On top of this I do 3 weight sessions in my own time, focusing on strength and conditioning, but am looking to add some more erg training when I can.

Current stats:
Age: 19
Weight: 89kg, 195.8 lbs
Height: 5’11
Squat 1rm: 140-145kg approx at moment
Deadlift 1rm: 162.5kg
5k time: 18:55.3 (sorry we seem to do 5k tests rather than 6k)
2k time: 6:55
30 minute distance: 7770m (Not done a 60 minute distance)

Sorry I don’t have all the information you asked. Again any advice is greatly appreciated. The main thing is what extra erg training I should add in and how much volume I should do to push myself without compromising strength or recovery.

63

Well, as I’ve said 6:30 is highly ambitious for someone that only rows/ergs 3-4 times a week as it will be hard to develop a decent aerobic base on that.

As you may or may not most programs are geared towards peaking at a certain time. Usually for some sort of championship race. This is why the majority of the off season and beginning of seasons are spent building base, and as you get closer to your championship race you start adding in speed work to wind yourself up for more speed.

As of now I’d say you’re lacking in base if I had to guess (biggest thing most people lack at your level of rowing).

With that being said, the best workouts for aerobic base in my opinion are 60-90 minute steady state rows. For you if you’re using a heart rate monitor your heart rate will be between 135-165 for the most part depending on how you feel (don’t be trying to kill yourself on these 60-90 minute rows as they are steady state). If you’re shooting for splits go for 2:03-2:15 on your days where you’re just feeling off or your doing more distance (the more you do the higher your split can be in this range just remember consistency). If it’s a good day and you can manage it stay in a 1:57-2:03 range for the duration. Again it’s steady state so whatever your first 1000 avg split is should also be your last 1000 and every 1000 in between.

Squat and Dead look decent for someone your height/age, as always the more strength you can add to these movements as well as cleans, the more carryover it will have in the boat.

Once you’ve gotten farther along in the season an closer to your race is where you’d be adding in high duration pieces.

If you cannot do 60-90 minute pieces (I’m giving these as someone looking to actually break 6:30) then go for 10k’s. Either 10k a day or 2x10k on your longer days. As time goes on start lowering the volume once a week and go for something like 2x12 minutes, 3x8 minutes. When you’re getting really close to your peak time you’ll be adding in anaerobic work.

64

Thanks for the tips LM!

65

Thanks for the advice LM I will definitely give the 60 minute pieces a try. I am willing to increase volume as necessary as I really do want to beat that 6.30 barrier as well as increase my lifts.

66

[quote]Sine wrote:
Thanks for the tips LM! [/quote]

Always glad to help. If anyone has any other questions feel free to ask and I’ll answer them as best I can.

67

The other week (bw 127kg, best squat 150kg, best dead 200)
best 100m 1.13 (peak split of 1.09)

Will have to try a 500m soon.

2 years ago at bw 100 with a max squat of 60! and max deadlift of 80!:
best 500m – ?? probably around 1.23
best 500m*8 with 3’30 rest — avg split of 1.28.something
best 2k - 6:13

68

What’s the best anyone can do for 100m. i know this is a test of muscling the machine (i used to row) but it would be interesting to see what peak splits heavily weight trained dudes can pull in terms of peak power.

I tried it the other week and got 1.13 for 100m with a peak split of 1.09.

69

1:07 peak split, 1:09.4 for the full 100 (tested it out just to see)

Current BW = 177 lbs (going back down for a race where I have to be 165).

70

LiquidMercury

I Have a question, Is the 100m test to show the possible 500m time if you could maintain the pace/power/stroke rate etc?

I run a small health club in Wales and have the member challenge on our board, set at 30 seconds, level 10 on the flywheel.

My leader thus far (a 55 year old male, slightly overweight but with fantastic cardiovascular ability) is hitting 156m… I just wanted to know if this a good distance? Especially for a gentleman with these sorts of characteristics.

I have yet to try this months challenge due to being away.

Thanks for any advice or tips

MJ - Cartwright

PS - I have achieved 1:35.2 for the 500m (although that was at the maximum resitance setting. Level 10)

71

1.09.4 for 100m at 177lb WOW

— I did 1:13.3 at 280lb — I’m very unfit (although surely this can’t require much fitness), never use the rower anymore and used a drag factor of 140ish: I’m going to have to try and beat this with max drag factor.

72

[quote]MJ - Cartwright wrote:
LiquidMercury

I Have a question, Is the 100m test to show the possible 500m time if you could maintain the pace/power/stroke rate etc?

I run a small health club in Wales and have the member challenge on our board, set at 30 seconds, level 10 on the flywheel.

My leader thus far (a 55 year old male, slightly overweight but with fantastic cardiovascular ability) is hitting 156m… I just wanted to know if this a good distance? Especially for a gentleman with these sorts of characteristics.

I have yet to try this months challenge due to being away.

Thanks for any advice or tips

MJ - Cartwright

PS - I have achieved 1:35.2 for the 500m (although that was at the maximum resitance setting. Level 10)
[/quote]

100 meter test is generally worthless as a testing measure. No one in the rowing world uses it for anything. I simply did it for this thread.

Since your guy is doing 156 meters in 30 seconds, his avg split/500 comes out to be 1:36.2

Maybe for his age/overweight factors this might be decent but is no means good.

73

100m test might be useless in the rowing world because you never race over such a short distance (except maybe in ‘Bumps’ or ‘Torpids’) but surely it’s a reasonable test of strength in a rowing context and POTENTIAL.

Let me explain a bit. 2 years ago I had been rowing for a few years and hit 6.13 on the ergo (I could only do 1.18 for 100m though with a peak split of 1.15). I was v.v.WEAK in the weight room (60kg max squat, 80kg max dead) and had no clue about strength training: I was just very very well conditioned. At this point I was forced to quit rowing.

2 years later (after 1 year of training) I am much stronger (150kg max squat, 200 max dead) but my 2k would surely suck (I don’t dare test it but would guesstimate it at 6.40) because I don’t really do any conditioning (apart from a light resistance/bloodflow circuit).

However, what would happen if I kept my strength (or even improved) while getting back to rowing fitness. Where would my 2k be: sub 6 mins?

Wouldn’t my 100m time be a good predictor of where I could POTENTIALLY go?

74

No. It wouldn’t be.

For a multitude of reasons:

  1. Those with higher strength levels are going to have faster 100 meter pieces. Since this is the case, we could draw correlations as to what powerlifters could pull and say “omg they’re going to pull faster then rowers.” We know this to not be the case due to technique, aerobic/anaerboic levels.

  2. Lightweight vs Heavyweight rowing. I’ve met lots of heavyweights that can crank it out for 100-500 meters and get beat in 2k’s by lightweights that are much slower in 100-500 meter piece.

This is similar to the football combine bench test and how stupid that is, only on a larger scale of stupidity.

If you had managed to keep your conditioning up and doubled your strength, you’d absolutely have faster times on the erg.

75

[quote]gregron wrote:
why would you use the rowing machine and not put the resistance all the way up to 10? Thats weak.

Anyone who likes the rowing machine should try rowing 10 minutes (or if you’re bad ass 20 minutes) and keep your 500m split time under two minutes… now thats a kick in the balls. (i did the 20 minute one only once)

.greg.[/quote]

Try doing that as a warm up. I do 6km pieces as warmups for my workouts pulling 1:54/500m split usually.

76

As for my best 500m piece I was pulling 1:39’s last week but could have done better. I came back home for the summer and my old highschool’s ergs are slightly older so wasn’t used to them and I was pulling slightly harder for longer than I should have been and kept it around 1:22 for too long before I was able to lengthen out.

77

Tried 2K for the first time in a year and a half. Was surprised that I managed to pull 6:40. Having my training partner yell at me the entire time might have helped.

Age; 33
Height; 6’
Weight; 190
ERG Level; 6

78

Great 2K imoko.

Pulled a 500m after some cardio today and ended up with a 1:27.7.

79

For a case in point of how important technique is, as a 120-125 pound coxswain I pulled a 2k with a 1:59 split, and now almost a year later at a slightly heavier 150-155 pound ex-coxswain I just pulled a 500m at a 1:38.7 split.

I don’t have a crazy amount of power, I just have a decent set of lungs and know how to correctly pull an oar (or in this case an erg).

80

1:32.xx for me and I have no f0cking endurance…

I have cycled a sub 30sec 500M on a fixed gear bike :D, 27.xx in fact :), 1000m in 1:28.xx

Koing