Overview
This video discusses effective strength training strategies for rowers, including why strength training is important, different methods and exercises, and practical advice for structuring workouts. Personal experience and observations about exercise selection, repetitions, and injury prevention are shared.
Importance of Strength Training for Rowers
- Rowing is primarily an endurance sport but also requires substantial strength.
- Strength training develops raw power that rowing alone may not provide, especially with age.
- Enhances stability of joints, tendons, ligaments, and potentially increases bone density.
- Supports injury prevention and maintenance of overall health, especially as athletes get older.
- Breaks motion monotony, prevents movement numbness, and improves proprioceptive responses.
Types of Strength Training
- Specific strength training: low rate, high power work in the boat.
- Non-specific: weight training, body weight exercises, and range of motion work.
- Core training: both symmetric (e.g., sit-ups) and asymmetric exercises to link muscle chains.
- Range of motion and flexibility exercises such as overhead deep squats and good mornings.
Recommended and Non-Recommended Exercises
- Olympic lifts are generally beneficial if performed with good technique.
- Squats: focus on functional movement, especially front squats, and back stability over leg strength alone.
- Avoid excessive leg press and pistol squats due to risk of overloading the back and knees.
- Chest press and loaded sit-ups target the anterior chain for better trunk stability in rowing.
- Pull-ups, bench pulls, and hip thrusts are useful for rowing-specific muscle activation.
- Minimize deadlifts to avoid back injury, and instead focus on exercises with safer load distribution.
Structuring Repetitions and Sets
- Use “triple loading”: three consecutive sets with short (30 sec) breaks, each to failure.
- Typical rep ranges: first set (15–20 reps), second (8–15 reps), third (to failure).
- Prioritize effective muscle fatigue over classic hypertrophy or endurance rep schemes.
- Adjust weights by trial and error for each athlete; focus on clean technique over maximum load.
Training Periodization and Frequency
- Favor weight training in early off-season (e.g., three weeks of weights, then switch to endurance).
- Shift toward endurance as peak rowing season approaches.
- Weight training continues until ≈2–2.5 months before peak season.
Advice for Rowers
- Select weights that allow clean execution and muscle failure per plan, not based on one-rep max.
- Record and review technique to ensure safety and effectiveness.
- Balance strength and endurance development to meet the demands of rowing performance.
Recommendations / Advice
- Focus strength work on the anterior chain for posture and trunk stability.
- Avoid high-risk exercises like deadlifts and leg press if not technically sound.
- Vary training stimuli and break repetitive movement patterns to support adaptation and injury prevention.
Questions / Follow-Ups
- More scientific research on cartilage adaptation to strength training is needed; community input is welcomed.