Recommended Drag Factor Settings
International rowers train and test with the drag factor setting at a level of resistance that enables them to replicate their rhythm and rate from the water. Good rowing technique is about speed of application of power and not just brute strength. The table below illustrates the settings recommended by the Amateur Rowing Association and used by Great Britain's international rowing teams for testing and training.
Recommended Drag Factors
User
Drag Factor
J11/12 beginner
95-105 approx
J12/13
105-115
J13/14
110-120
J14/15
115-125
Junior Women
125-135
Junior Men
130-140
Lightweight women performance athletes
125
Heavyweight women performance athletes
130
Lightweight men performance athletes
135
Heavyweight men performance athletes
140
Before and After Exercise - Warm Up
The aim of a warm up is to prepare the athlete both physically and mentally for exercise. When starting exercise, the body begins to release adrenalin, which increases the heart rate and causes dilation of the capillaries in the muscles. This has the dual function of increasing the temperature and elasticity of the muscles to help prevent injury and improve the speed at which oxygen can be transported around the body. The increased temperature allows the enzymes required for the muscular contraction to function more efficiently. Warm ups also make us more alert as the increased body temperature allows nerve impulses to travel more quickly, improving the reaction time. There are also psychological benefits of a warm up, especially if you are superstitious and perform the same routine every time you exercise or compete.
Training Warm Ups
The warm up necessary for training sessions will depend on the type of work involved in the session. The lower the intensity the less time required to warm up. This also applies to time taken in the cool down. This should be gentle rowing with heart rate at twice your resting heart rate. Table 1.1
Warm-up/Cool Down Times for Training Sessions
Type of Session
Warm-up
Cool Down
UT2
5-8 mins
5-8 mins
UT1
8-10 mins
8-10 mins
AT
10-12 mins
10-12 mins
TR
12-15 mins
12-15 mins
AN
15-20 mins
15-20 mins
Competition Warm Ups
Pre-competition warm ups should prepare you for maximum intensity exercise. For this reason they should start with a gentle warm up row until your heart rate is twice your resting rate. At this point you should stretch the muscles required in the competition. Once this is done, return to gently rowing until your heart rate has returned to twice your resting level. Once you have reached this point you should include a number of high intensity bursts; these should be no longer than ten strokes in length and you should do no more than four bursts in total. The time between bursts should be governed by the time it takes your heart rate to return to normal warm up level. Finally a 13 to 15 stroke start should conclude the work, then row gently until your heart rate has returned to warm up level.
Target Group: People who have a limited amount of time for training. The 20 minute fitness programme is based on the periodisation of training (see Periodisation of Training in Section 1 : Before and After Exercise), training heart rate (see Training Intensity in Section 3 : Physiology )and the training bands (see Training Bands in Section 3 : Physiology). The session length, in terms of work, is up to 20 minutes but this does not include time for warm-up, coo ldown or stretching. Depending on the amount of rest you require, some sessions may overrun the allotted 20 minutes slightly. This programme (Table 5.3) has been written for anybody who wishes to train from three to five times per week. If you train three times a week, follow the programme for sessions 1, 2 and 3. For four sessions add on Session 4, and for five sessions complete all sessions. Table 5.3 20 Minute Fitness Programme, 3-5 Sessions per Week Session Light Week Medium Week Hard Week
Preparation Period 1 2 3 4 5 1 x 20' UT1 20spm 2 x 8' UT1 22spm 1 x 20' UT1 20spm 2 x 8' UT1 22spm 1 x 20' UT2 18-20spm 1 x 20' UT1 22spm 2 x 8' UT1 23spm 1 x 20' UT1 22spm 2 x 8' UT1 23spm 1 x 20' UT2 18-20spm 1 x 20' UT1 24spm 2 x 8' UT1 24spm 1 x 20' UT1 24spm 1 x 20' UT1 24spm 1 x 20' UT218-20spm
Development Period 1 2 x 8' AT 24spm 2 x 8' AT 25spm 2 x 8' AT 26spm
2 3 4 5
1 x 20' UT1 20spm 3 x 5' AT 26spm 1 x 20' UT1 22spm 1 x 20' UT2 18-20spm
1 x 20' UT1 22spm 3 x 5' AT 27spm 1 x 20' UT1 23spm 1 x 20' UT2 18-20spm
1 x 20' UT1 24spm 3 x 5' AT 28spm 1 x 20' UT1 24spm 1 x 20' UT2 18-20spm
Consolidation Period 1 2 3 4 5 3 x 4' TR 28spm 6 x 1' AN 32spm 4 x 2' TR 30spm 2 x 8' AT 24spm 1 x 20' UT1 20spm 3 x 4' TR 28spm 6 x 1' AN 34spm 5 x 2' TR 32spm 2 x 8' AT 26spm 1 x 20' UT1 22spm 3 x 4' TR 30spm 8 x 1' AN 36spm 6 x 2' TR 32spm 2 x 8' AT 28spm 1 x 20' UT1 24spm
Notes for Table 5.3 1. 1 x 20' UT1 20spm means row for 20 minutes in your UT1 heart rate range at 20 strokes per minute. 2. 2 x 8' UT1 20spm means row for eight minutes in your UT1 heart rate range at 20 strokes per minute, with a short rest of three to four minutes, then repeat. 3. 6 x 1' AN 32spm means row one minute intervals in your AN heart rate range, with at least one to two minutes rest between each piece of work, repeat six times. 4. 4 x 2'TR 30spm means row for two minutes in your TR heart rate at 30 strokes per minute with 30 to 90 seconds rest, repeat four times. 5. Sessions 1 to 3 are fairly hard workouts as they are designed for people only completing three training sessions each week. The less training you do each week the harder the individual sessions need to be so that cumulatively you are doing enough work for it to be beneficial. As you complete more sessions per week the training load of the extra sessions can be reduced. Therefore sessions 4 & 5 are lighter workouts. When completing more than three sessions a week we recommend you adjust the sequence of the sessions to give a more balanced mix of light and hard sessions throughout the week.
Interactive 2,000m Programme
2000m 24 Week Training Programme
Athlete Level 3, 4 Sessions a Week
Week Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4
TEST
1x20'UT1
2x15'UT1
2x10'UT1
40'UT2
2x14'UT1
2x18'UT1
2x15'UT1
45'UT2
2x17'UT1
4x10'UT1
2x18'UT1
30'UT2
2x7'AT
2x7'AT
2x12'UT1
45'UT2
2x8'AT
2x8'AT
2x16'UT1
50'UT2
2x9'AT
3x7'AT
3x15'UT1
30'UT2
2x7'AT
2x7'AT
3x12'UT1
2x14'UT1
2x8'AT
2x7'AT
2x4'TR
3x13'UT1
2x9'AT
2x9'AT
6x2'TR
10
20'UT1
2x8'AT
2x7'AT
3x2'TR
11
2x12'UT1
2x10'AT
2x7'AT
2x4'TR
12
TEST
3x7'AT
2x9'AT
3x3'TR
13
40UT2
2x9'AT
2x8'AT
3x2'TR
14
2x16'UT1
3x7'AT
2x8'AT
2x4'TR
15
2x18'UT1
4x6'AT
2x10'AT
3x3'TR
16
2x20'UT1
4x1.5'AN
3x10'AT
4x4'TR
17
50'UT2
10x1'AN
2x12'AT
2x3'TR
18
3x13'UT1
5x1'AN
2x15'AT
3x3'TR
19
3x14'UT1
8x45s'AN
3x13'AT
4x3'TR
20
50'UT2
6x1.5'AN
3x8'AT
2x5'TR
21
2x16'UT1
6x1'AN
3x10'AT
3x5'TR
22
2x18'UT1
8x45sAN
3x12'AT
3x6'TR
23
2x15UT1
6x1.5'AN
2x8'AT
4x2'TR
24
25'UT2
1x3'TR
3x45s AN
RACE
Instructions
Pace Guide
The training intensities in each band are based on your current 2,000m time of 06:58, your Resting Heart Rate of 55 and your Maximum Heart Rate of 220. Whenever the Training Programme says TEST, do a 2,000 metre piece as fast as you can and reassess your pace. If you bookmark this page, you can change your 2,000m time and/or your resting and maximum heart rate to get a new set of paces if required.
Zone
Heart Rate
HRR%
Pace
% of 2k power
UT2 - Aerobic Endurance
162 - 171
65 - 70
2:16 - 2:04
45 - 60
UT1 - Intense Aerobic
171 - 187
70 - 80
2:04 - 1:58
60 - 70
AT - Threshold
187 - 195
80 - 85
1:58 - 1:53
70 - 80
TR - Transport
195 - 212
85 - 95
1:53 - 1:43
80 - 105
AN - Max
212 - 220
95 - 100
1:43 - 1:40
105 - 115
Notes for Training Table (examples)
1. 30'UT2 means row for 30 minutes in your UT2 Range 2. 2x15'UT1 means row for 15 minutes in your UT1 range, with a short rest of five or six minutes between each piece. 3. 8x1'AN means row eight one-minute intervals in your AN range, with a one minute rest between each piece. 4. 6+5'AT means a six minute piece followed by a five minute piece at your AT range, with a six minute rest between pieces. 5. 3x3'TR means three lots of three minutes at your TR range. 6. TEST means rowing 2,000 metres as fast as possible, to enable you to benchmark your progress.
Training Warm ups
The warm up necessary for training sessions will depend on the type of work involved in the session. The lower the intensity the less time required to warm up. This also applies to time taken in the cool down.
Type of session
Warm up
Cool down
UT2
5-8 min
5-8 min
UT1
8-10 min
8-10 min
AT
10-12 min
10-12 min
TR
12-15 min
12-15 min
AN
15-20 min
15-20 min
Recovery Time Between Intervals
Full recovery between intervals can be considered as taken place when the heart rate has fallen to warm up level (twice resting rate). The intensity of interval-training can be increased by working to 90% or even 80% of full recovery. Resting Heart Rate = 55bpm. Warm up rate = 110bpm. 100% recovery = 110bpm go again 90% recovery = 116bpm go again. 80% recovery = 121bpm go again. The closer the recovery is towards 100%, the more the training will tend towards improving Power, while the closer the recovery is towards 80%, the more the training will tend towards improving lactate tolerance. Reduced recovery is most effective at the beginning of an intensive interval-training period when intensity takes precedence over quality. Close to competition quality takes precedence over intensity and therefore full recovery is advisable. IMPORTANT: Medical Recommendation. If on race day you feel unwell, or have recently been suffering from a virus, we recommend that you do not race. Indoor racing requires maximal effort and Concept 2 takes no responsibility for illness or injury caused as a consequence. If you have any doubts you should seek medical advice prior to racing.
