I want to start doing some erg workouts to give my shins some recovery time from running, but I don’t know any good workouts. So far all I really do is around 2k warm-up, then either a 30:00 TT, or a 10km TT, etc. I want to mix it up and do some good, hard sets, because let’s be honest, long TT’s are boring as crap. Hopefully ST can provide me with some sick workouts.
And if you give me intervals or pace times (per 500m, please, because that’s what the machine displays and tracks), then also tell me what your ability is for a 30:00 or 10km TT so I can adjust your times to fit my ability. .
If you want steady state workouts, just 4x20’, 3x25’, 2x30’ or 2x40’. I always preferred distance, so either a 15k or 20k SS, occasionally broken up. For those I would hover in the 1:55-2:00/500m range @ stroke rate 20-24 (can do 4’ @ 18, 3’ @ 20, 2’ @ 22, 1’ @ 24, or just go straight through at whatever is comfortable). For steady state, its mostly important to pay attention to your HR monitor.
For speed workouts, 5x1500m w/ 5min active rest, 4x2k w/ 6min active rest, 4x3k w/ 5min active rest. Can also do something like 20x 500m, broken up into chunks (i.e. 5x (4x500m, 60"off), 3’ off between sets).
To give you pacing ideas: My 30’ PR ~ 1:45 rate capped at 24 I believe. It worked out to just north of 8500m. I never did a 10k “TT” but presumably it would be ~1:47 range.
Given that, I would do the 5x1500m @ ~1:38, 4x2k @ ~1:40, and 4x3k @ ~1:41.
A lot of the splits are all dependent on rating, which can be a useful tool (the lower the rating, the more power is required, the higher the rating, the more anaerobic the workout is – similar to cadence on a bike).
One of my favorites for a long row is the countdown: 1500,1400,1300,1200, … all the way down to 100 with 2 min recoveries decreasing to 30 seconds.
20x200 is a total mindf*ck.
there’s the Weis workout, short but brutal:
Set your erg for 40 minutes
4x30 seconds on , 30 seconds off at 98%
5 minutes on. 1 minute off at 88%
10x20 seconds on , 10 seconds off at 94%
10 minutes on at 86%
10x20 seconds on , 10 seconds off at 94%
5 minutes on ,1 minute off at 88%
4x30 seconds on,30 seconds off at 98%
Hehe… very very few triathletes would be able to hold those splits! Probably not any without a (very competitive) rowing background. My erging is not too good now with only triathlon training and I used to be a pretty decent lightweight (6:28 2k pr)
This was one of the hardest workouts I can recall doing back in College. It may actually be one of those workouts that is harder if you are in better shape but give it a try. These are all sets as fast as you can go.
Warmup
2000 meters at 22 strokes/minute
3’ rest
1000 meters at 30 strokes/minute
1’ rest
2000 meters at 20 strokes/minute
3’ rest
1000 meters at 32 strokes/minute
1’ rest
2000 meters at 18 strokes/minute
3’ rest
1000 meters at 34 strokes/minute
Something that I always went to when I did not feel like cranking the usual 2x20 or 2x40 was the pyramid: 1 hard stroke (close to max), 1 soft, 2 hard, 2 soft, 3 hard…all the way up to 20 and down. If you feel good go up to 25 or 30 for super sucking.
Not sure where it fits in a program, but at least it felt like I just did something.
And I would imagine most triathletes would consider me to be too “fat” to be competitive at triathlons! I rowed @ 187, and now tri @ 174 and still falling. Definitely a good amount of “erging” shape is required to hold those numbers, regardless of how much general fitness you have.
This thread makes me want to throw up in a bucket just from reading all these classic workouts =) Those were the days indeed…
If you like doing the distance, but find it boring, I like to do some kind of pyramid, like if I’m doing 40’, I’ll up my pace every 5 minutes while keeping the stroke rate constant, or every 500m I’ll do a power 10 or 20 keeping the stroke rate the same and see how low I can get those splits. I find it helps break up the monotony.
If you’re into intervals and punishment, rowing is the sport for you. Check out concept2.com.
I still like the erg now and then in the winter (our gym has a row of them conveniently facing all the other cardio equipment, so there is a constant stream of distracting eye candy around, which helps) and usually stick to 40-60’ with some kind of pyramid in there. Gone are the days of the 2k test for me, but for backdoor bragging purposes I’ll throw out my PB of 6:27 as a lightweight in high school ;). Nothing out of this world, but I worked hard for it and don’t mind bragging about it now and then!
Rowing is an “exciting” part of my training plan for the winter.
The lady has an erg (lives next to the bike rack in our living room) and I anticipate stealing some time on it when the weather is miserable & rollers look too intellectual.
1:40 on :20 off x30 (it will take you 59 minutes and 30 seconds…you can skip the last 30 seconds rest pace should be roughly your 6k pace + 2-4 seconds…so if you can hold 1:45 for an all out 6k, then hold 1:47-49. to make it a little easier you can do 1:30 on, :30 off. I had my high school team do that and “only” do 20 of them. I’d advise starting with the high school option and working your way up to the full hour. You should be able to program your monitor for work/rest interval…and check out how well you paced yourself after.
2x19’ pyramids…full pressure
1st pyramid: 4’@20strokes per minute, 3’@22, 2’@24, 1’@26, 2@24, 3@22, 4@20
2nd bump the stroke rates up 2.
If you’re doing the pyramids right, you should feel like you’re pulling pretty damn hard on each stroke.
This was my coach’s method of erg-testing to decide who gets to seat race. Combined time. By the end you’re basically a drooling pile of sludge under the erg.
pace should be roughly your 6k pace + 2-4 seconds…so if you can hold 1:45 for an all out 6k, then hold 1:47-49. to make it a little easier you can do 1:30 on, :30 off. I had my high school team do that and “only” do 20 of them. I’d advise starting with the high school option and working your way up to the full hour. You should be able to program your monitor for work/rest interval…and check out how well you paced yourself after.