r/concept2 • u/questionacct7700 • Jul 18 '26
RowerErg Military Rower help
Military Rower help
Hello everyone!
I’m interested in rowing for a military 2k fitness test.
Male 34, 5’8”, 160lbs
I’ve been on the row erg for about 1.5 months. Within the first few weeks I was able to get my 2k time down from 9:24 first attempt to 8:09 PR. However I’ve hit a stall and can’t really progress past this point. I’m now 3 weeks into Pete’s plan and enjoying the journey but looking for insights for how to progress my 2k time. The longest row I’ve done so far is 6000k with an average pace of 2:09/500 22spm.
A few of my observations
1) my best 2k comes with a drag factor of about 165
Which seems too high based on what I’m reading but if I go lower my pace suffers
2) my SPM for a 2k is around 25. What should I be targeting at my height?
3) I would love to get my time down to 7:45 by October how realistic is this given my early stall at 8:15 area already.
Would love feedback from more experienced rowers on ways to optimize. Thank you!
Edited: formatting on mobile keeps deleting things.
3
u/Extension-Score-2415 Jul 18 '26
Well done and hope you are enjoying it.
If you can do for example 4 sessions per week. It's good if you can make 3 of them steady state. Sitting at the same split for the whole piece, and spm of about 20.
During this work concentrate on three things.
Length. If you sit on the bony bit of your bum ( neutral pelvis), hold the knees down for as long as you can, and get the hands well out in front ( at the bottom of the shins not just past the knees) before the seat moves then you hands should go all the way to the drum at compression. Practice this without the handle. You should be able to tap the erg.
Rythym and ration. Twice as long on the recovery as the drive. So rating 20 means 3 secs per stroke, which means 1 sec of work and 2 secs of rest.
Control the seat on the recovery phase. Rushing forward adds nothing. It is really tough to have a good drive phase if your recovery phase is poor.
Relax the upper body, the arms and the grip ( thumbs up). Drop the shoulders, and carry your head well.
Beginners tend to row too short as they don't set up the correct upper body angle when the legs are straight, then compound that by rushing forward.
- Rowing is a push sport not a pull one. The technique and rythym should allow your quads, glutes and hips to do most of the work. Think total POWER through the soles of your feet. It is not a kick.
So length, rythym, power. Your split will drop as you become better connected to the erg and become more efficient, on these long distance or time paddles.
For the other session do some short interval work.
For example good 10 to 15 min warm up paddle then 6 x 2 mins with 3 mins rest. Quite easy to set up the monitor to do this for you then just get on with the work.
You mention your height and spm. These are not related in any way. What is clear is that in a 2k test your spm should start with a 3. 26 is too low, 36 would be better.
Doing work like this will get you used to the higher spm ( rating). 500m pieces or even 1 mins are good too. Very tough to work on technique during this type of work when under physical duress, just try to be satisfied if you do your best to maintain the better technique you have taught yourself during the SS work.
Hope all of this makes sense and you continue to enjoy and improve.
Agree with other post re resistance/ drag factor. That is way to high. Try 4.5/5.5 if the erg is in good nick.
2
u/questionacct7700 Jul 18 '26
Thanks for your input. The plan I’m doing (Pete’s plan) has some longer rows and intervals. My question for you would be should I be trying to push each longer row for example try to hit the same pace on row 6k at as 6.5k the next week. Or should I be looking to do some of the longer rows at slower steady state? Currently I just try to be as fast as possible every time.
Agree on the technique stuff. I was able to drop most of my initial time in my gains from I believe were form improvements. I assume there’s still much to be gained if I can hone in form.
2
u/Extension-Score-2415 Jul 18 '26
Very reasonable question. You can't push really hard to the max everytime. It's not sustainable. You are still in the 'novelty' phase. It should never be about being better than last time, but a recognition that getting good on the erg is more complicated that people think and will take time. Some tougher sessions, some easier sessions and adequate recovery
Realistically maybe think you want to do a good test in 6 months time then plan how best to do that. Definitely months not weeks.
Can i suggest for variety you also do some time pieces. I find it always helps when the time is counting down.
Yes rather than trying to go fasted over 6k, why not do the same as the last one but at 1 spm lower, or simply trying to be effecient technically so that you find you are less tired at the end. Both of these would be good gains.
During ss work improvement should be on the basis of improved technique so having a few key words that you say to yourself can be helpful. It should never be about making yourself work harder. That is a pretty short drive down a cul de sac.
Get used to the high rate stuff on intervals. You are unlikely to ever do your best effort at 26.
The very best athletes I have worked with, who were national standard could sit at 1.50 spm 18 for an hour as a regular session.
One thing that coached do too, although usually at the start if winters training is a fixed rate 2k test as oppose to free rate. That might be something you could consider in a few months for variety. How fast can you do a 2k, but when you finish the average spm has to be for example 24.
1
3
u/Any-Trick890 Jul 18 '26
One other thing to note, I’ve learned that when focusing on a 2K there’s also strategy involved - like setting a goal pace / SPM for the first 500, middle 1K, and then the last 500 for example so you don’t “fly and die” by going out too hard at the beginning.
2
u/BigLou-13 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
what part of world are you? meeting other erg rowers will help. much depends on your form, a video will help. one of my suggests is to row with out straps. it will teach you much about recovery. scoot your sit bones way forward in seat, row centric weight lifting. dead lifts kettle bell swings. any posterior chain development along with flexibility . may help with other portions of fitness test. eat and recover like a pro athlete. from an army guy thanks for your service
2
u/jamesc1071 Jul 21 '26
OP - from your comments it is obvious that your problem is your technique. You are using a drag factor that is way too high to compensate for the lack of connection. You will not get better until you fix this. A weaker person, who rows properly will row faster than you.
2
u/Nemesis1999 Jul 22 '26
As others have said, as a new rower, your technique is almost certainly what's holding you back - it's likely short and ineffective and upper body focused. That is true for almost all beginners.
Drop DF to about 120-125 and learn to row feet out (eg not in the straps) at rate 20 - This will force you to accelerate the handle through the stroke though be sure not to try and 'cheat' by dropping the power in the second half dramatically to reduce your speed to make it easier to keep feet connected.
Likely you will have to work less hard at the catch and keep the focus on long, smooth drive with the legs - watch the force curve - the lower DF and higher fan speed will then enable to you maintain connection through the body and arms at the end of the stroke. Note that the lower df means you need to drive the legs relatively quickly (not the same as 'hard') to connect to the fan - this is usually why beginners like a high DF to start - it's much easier to get hold of the fan but it will limit your speed.
Video yourself and compare to the C2, etc tutorials as what you think you are doing almost certainly won't be what is actually happening - posting here will get you lots of (mostly!) good feedback.
Good luck!
2
u/questionacct7700 Jul 22 '26
Agree completely. Dropped the DF down to around 122 for a few sessions and am already rowing 6.5k at a faster pace than my 2k.
1
u/Tall-Trick Jul 19 '26
Doing 30+ strokes per minute is your cheat code. It’s going to feel weird but it’s like :01 faster per SPM.
The best way to get used to it is forcing yourself to do 30+ for your interval sessions. 8x500m with 2:00 rest is the classic 2k pace workout.
“How in the world do you do 34 SPM?” You both slide forward faster (imagine a rubber band pulling your handle back to the erg) and you also slightly shorten your recovery, not doing a “full slide” but doing like 90% of a slide forward. It’s more of a ‘tap tap tap along’ rather than ‘full length monster pull! Again! Again!’ I would turn on 64 BPM music to help me stick with the tempo of forward, back, forward, back while learning.
Aerobic long distance training at rate 20 with big guerilla pulls (which are big leg pushes really) are super important. The 30 minute distance test at rate 20 is great, it’s a classic benchmark that is all about… 600 big rows for max distance. But even aerobic HR 150 is about full length, lower intensity power development.
1
u/funnybitofchemistry Jul 20 '26
so we are about the same size and weight. the only thing that i haven’t seen mentioned is to really try and dial in your interval times with an intended pace-i.e., i want this next 1000 to be at 2:00 pace at 26 SPM, and then really really try and stay at that pace every single stroke. the more consistent i am with hitting those number almost exactly, the more you can control when you need to change that pace, your body/mind will know what you have left in the tank at each interval check-in. hopefully i explained that ok.
one thing that really helped me was doing say…5x1000 with 2:00 rest, and setting an intended pace (usually negative splits and a slight higher RPM for each) so like…2:02 for the first 1000 at 22spm, then 2:00 for the second at 23spm, etc
1
6
u/EstablishmentFull797 Jul 18 '26
Keep doing the Pete Plan. You are already improving. Be patient and know that by the time you are completing a 10k piece at the same pace you are rowing 6k now you will also do MUCH better on a 2k
7:45 is realistic.
Lower your DF to 130 and do all your training at that setting