Welcome to /r/Rowing!

I'm a coxswain for an u15 team but i'm really light. I was just wondering how light is too light cos i'm 90 lbs/41 kg at 13 and thinking about gaining some weight. I also have a regatta next week where i have to be at least 121 lbs /55 kg so i was wondering what to do about that. I just wanted some opinion of some more experienced rowers.

I’m a collegiate rower, and I’ve never really been able to use my body weight properly when i’m rowing/erging. I weigh 195lbs but I don’t pull the watts a guy my size should be (seeing sub 1:30 is rare) . I was never really taught to hang my body weight off the handle. I feel like I can improve in this area, any tips?

Do you recognize this and have any idea what it would be worth today? I haven’t seen it in white like this.

I had developed tendinitis over the summer but treated it well. I went the whole season going full send without any problems whatsoever. I had surgery and was out for 2 weeks and suddenly my forearms start to hurt after no issues. Is this a muscle issue?

So basically I have a goal to get my 2k to 7:15 by late February. Rn I'm at a 7:40. I am 14 and a sophomore, 5ft 5.5 and 115ish lbs. Should I train twice a day, like once before school at 5:30am(only time I could do it) or nah? Also if I train twice a day should I only do that on certain days and what type of training should I do?

How much does watts per pound really matter

Coach here, working with everyone from novices to high-performance juniors and U23 athletes. I love coaching because it allows me to take on a mentorship role, be out on the water, and share my technical knowledge—something I've been doing since I was 16. I'd love to hear what made a coach stand out to you all. There are definitely some abusive or crazy coaches out there, but I've also encountered some truly amazing ones.

I was doing an erg workout today and at around the middle of the workout my elbow, which had never hurt before, started to feel like it was going to pop. What can I do to prevent this?

Hello! I just started the Pete Plan and am excited to be rowing. Today was my first day and I have to say, the 5000m kicked my butt! But I got through it in 29 minutes, almost on the dot.

Should I be including any break times in the endurance sessions? Like today was a 5000m row, should I have rested at any point or did I do right by rowing the entire time?

For an absolute beginner, is a 29 minute 5000m acceptable? I feel as though I've always struggled with cardio and I'm worried that I'm not going to improve at the pace of the Pete Plan and will be struggling to keep up in later weeks.

So it seems like i was rowing more with my arms and using my actual back which i believe led to pain in my mid back. however, since i’ve started pulling with my back while also leaning a little bit back which activated my abs i’ve gotten rid of the mid back pain.

I'm sure this is a dumb question, but do national/olympic/world champion rowers get some sort of designator on their rowing kit to symbolize their champion status like the cyclists do (e.g., the stripes on the cycling jersey sleeves)? My nephew asked me this the other day and I'm embarrassed to say I don't know or can't remember.

Cheers.

Hello, I am a college student. I have been wanting to get a rowing machine for a very long time, but I always told myself I would get one after graduating. However, it seems I will be in college for a while longer. I was wondering if I should get a Concept2 or a cheaper rowing machine (I haven’t decided yet—please recommend one). Another concern is that I will most likely travel abroad after graduation, and I don’t think there will be a marketplace for selling it where I live, so I won’t be able to sell it. Please help! It will take me up to a semester to save up for it. What do you recommend?

I'm getting a wolverson rower and I'm curious to know if anyone has managed to use it successfully on EXR or any of the other rowing apps?

Also what experience you have had generally using the rower itself

I'm looking to buy a Garmin watch for rowing. I row 9 times a week for my college and want something to track my training and overall fitness. I'm interested in the sleep, body battery, stress level tracking, etc. as well as obviously the rowing part. I'm also terrible at remembering to charge my devices so long battery life is an asset.

I'm looking at the Vivoactive 5 or the Forerunner 255 right now. As I'm a student my budget is definitely nothing over £300... any suggestions? What features are useful?

Edit: Been offered a Fenix 6 Pro for £100 or Fenix 7x Solar for £295, are either worth it??

I have tried working with a friend, but I get too self critical of myself and in just end up comparing myself and losing motivation. I’ve also tried music, but that only gets me so far, especially on UT1 workouts and above. Any advice?

Findoar - the oar matchmaking service.

https://findoar.co.uk/

Get the odd oars out from the back of the boathouse and get them back into use. Save money and help reduce waste. Perfect for non-high performance squads or programs that don't need the latest or greatest gear. Novices, juniors, social rowers, masters.

You can find replacement oars to match up your sets, or make your odd oars available to help someone else.

I repair a lot of oars and visit a lot of boathouses. So many coaches and club captains worry about what to do with perfectly good oars that are not in pairs due to some accident. If only there was a way to connect a lonely stroke side oar at one club with a lonely bow side one at another club? So with the help of another rower we set out to create a 'dating service' for oars!

Limited to the UK and Ireland at the moment, but if the concept proves popular I'm sure that the word with spread around the world!

https://preview.redd.it/pdk3bwnyyf4e1.jpg?width=435&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eba508ed9d24da4077abd60f3643794113749999

15m. My asthma is under control and medicated but still impacts my performance if I don’t take my puffer. What are the chances of getting good?

Welcome to the weekly achievement thread!

What was your achievement this week? It could be anything! A new 2k PB? Get a good lift at the gym? Or even your first time capsizing a single!

Got a erg screen or a regular training shot? Curious what your 2K will be based on a workout? This is the place for it!

Side note: 99% of erg screens should go in this thread. A separate post with an erg screen should be something that happens once or twice a year, at most. Big PR's, that kind of thing.

Also, please check our wiki pages:

• Which erg to buy
• Is this a good erg time?
• How do I set up for steady state?
• Where do I set the lever on the side (what's drag factor)?
• What apps can I use when erging?

This thread is likely to fill up quickly, consider sorting the comments by "new" (instead of "best" or "top") to see the newest posts.

This is a judgement free zone, so be respectful, positive and keep criticism constructive.

Welcome to the weekly technique thread!

If you're looking for feedback on your technique on or off the water you're in the right place. Post text, images, or videos of whatever you want feedback on, and will try and help.

Please host your video somewhere on the internet (YouTube, Streamable, Dropbox, Amazon Photos, Google Drive, wherever) and link it here.

This is a judgement free zone, so be respectful, positive and keep criticism constructive.

Please note that separate posts asking for feedback are still allowed, but only if they are large enough to warrant their own post.

If you don't want to upload a video, you can use the RowerUp service to get an AI computer form check. Currently this service is free.

I am a heavyweight rower trying to get a sub 7 for my next 2k for the spring, or maybe even C.R.A.S.H.-B's. Last spring, I was at a 7:09 2k, but have gotten about 20 seconds slower. I was wondering what workouts I could do over the winter to efficiently get me there. I've heard steady state is good, but I'm not sure how long and what pressure.

I'm an u16 (15 years old) rower in New Zealand with a 2k of 6:58 at 65kg and 185.5cm. I've got some decent results in a double and I wanna start reaching out to some ivy leagues aswell as some schools like University of Toronto or University of Washington.

entertaining a silly hypothetical...

how long to go from untrained to an absolute aerobic rowing monster?

Lots of variables in reality of course... but say we remove them and you have an average untrained athlete who is able to commit to rowing/nutrition/recover/technique/etc completely on an optimal training plan. How long to reach 100% of that athlete's potential? how about 90% or 50%?

I'm interested in learning more about how long these aerobic adaptations take. Surely it's decades for an endurance athlete to maximize their engine. I'd expect diminishing returns, so I'm curious how fit someone can get in proportion to their max potential in say 1,2,3 or 4 years...

I'm wondering if I should begin taking creatine again because when I take it I feel like I am enhancing my performance especially when it comes to the erg. I've also heard that taking creatine will make you gain weight. The reason this concerns me is because in the fall when my club does 5k erg testing our coaches don't weigh us to get watts per pound, but in the winter and spring when we shift to 2k testing in the winter and spring they weigh us. Do you guys think it is worth the extra couple pounds?

Someone asked for IRA predictions a few days ago, here are some real thoughts.

Top to bottom last years IRA 8+ grand final was an excellent race. I've attached the race progression with some important times included.

https://preview.redd.it/c19ykeluwb4e1.png?width=856&format=png&auto=webp&s=de05dccf942207e03f5c9b6a7049acf686d024fb

Our top six finishers this last year left little doubt of their speed. I would have liked to have seen Brown against Cuse or Harvard, after really enjoying watching them row this last season. Brown unfortunately is only returning two rowers from last years 8+. Princeton though after last years strong finish will have all 8 of their rowers, and the cox, returning to race this year. Below are the rosters of last years IRA V8+, rowers in green will be returning this next season. I apologize for leaving Yale off, they have not posted this seasons roster.

https://preview.redd.it/r395z99vxb4e1.png?width=1212&format=png&auto=webp&s=e64d927e993b38c8fd58669d8aad8c7a55ba7ab4

Unlike the club teams Varsity programs do few real head races. I checked out the Charles results, and tried to figure if these teams were racing a true "1V". Some had nearly identical lineups to IRA, though UW kept only Bellomo from their IRA boat.

https://preview.redd.it/ng0i62rdyb4e1.png?width=241&format=png&auto=webp&s=00e8cad3a2ca81c3f3391c090e889a09078de953

It was exciting to see Northeastern running a little deeper this year than last, super cool to see their JV boat come in ahead of Harvard and Yale's. Depth creates a push for those few 1V spots in the spring, and they are sure to push hard through the Winter. The Harvard and Yale JV also performed well, and I'll be interested in watching lineup changes between their top boats.

Princeton, with last years lineup intact, put up a great performance. What their team is lacking in depth now will hopefully by found in the time they have spent together.

TL:DR - Grand Final Hunting

UW - Returning 6/8 from gold medal IRA Crew. Likely hasn't shown true speed yet and has younger rowers more than ready to fill the line up.

Harvard - Returning 7/8 from silver medal crew. Won the Charles with what is likely a working 1V lineup. Good way to enter winter training. In the medal hunt for sure.

Cal - Returning 7/8 from bronze medal crew. Haven't seen much from them yet but they'll be fast. Excited for spring racing and erg scores.

Princeton - Definitely a boat to watch. 8/8 rowers and a coxswain who have a spring season together already. Second at Charles, only losing to a quick Harvard Crew, they have a promising season ahead (hopefully with a medal at the end).

Yale - Roster not updated but has returned some rowers. Third at Charles and definitely in conversation for a medal this next IRA.

Cuse - 7/8 rowers coming back. Will be excited to see how they do but I expect some lineup changes to the 1V, will be hunting for a spot in the grand final.

Northeastern - I expect that Northeastern will have a decent shot at the grand final this spring. They have the depth and are finding some speed in head racing they lacked this last year. Hopefully they can throw some punches in the sprints.

Who have I overlooked? Any big shifts in leadership or team composition? I would love to take a look at ACRA next, they have some decent head race results that might be fun to look at.

After years of forced hiatus (due to chronic tennis elbow), I decided to give it a try last Sunday. It went well, so here’s my second attemp… However, I keep wondering: HOW on earth do you guys manage to last longer than 30 minutes on the thing??? And I do not mean stamina - I mean the ass 😅 mine really aches after 20+ minutes. I’m probably not the only skinny person here, so: what’s your trick?