The way you train on a RP3 is largely dependent on what your goals are. Are you an elite rower looking to shave off a couple of seconds or are you a novice getting to grips with rowing?
This page will give you some basics on how to get started and might even help seasoned athletes.
Rowing is a great sport to build strength and endurance. Since it is a full body exercise, all the major muscle groups are strengthened and the cardiovascular system is trained optimally. Most rowers are looking for ways to increase their performance on the 2000 meter distance.
This is the official Olympic distance in on-water rowing and also a very popular distance on Indoor Rowing machines. Generally, rowing a 2k, as it is called, takes between 5 and a half to over 8 minutes. This will push your aerobic and anaerobic systems to their limits, meaning that both these systems have to be trained in order to improve.
Polarized Training
How you will do this, is largely dependent on how much time you can devote to rowing each week. Full-time athletes can spend up to 25 hours a week to train. For these athletes it is generally a good idea to do easy steady-state rowing for up to 90% of their training hours. The remaining 10% is divided between high-intensity sprints and race-pace intervals. This is called polarized training.
For athletes who do not have time to train 8-10 hours (or more) per week, the balance between long endurance training and high-intensity training will be slightly different. However, it is recommended to do both types of exercises. In addition, there are 2 other types of training that can be performed well with RP3: intensive endurance and strength training.
When the goal is not a 2k race, but performing well at a longer distance 'head-race' (time trial) or even a shorter distance sprint-race, it is recommended to perform the mentioned different kind of workouts.
Training benefits with RP3
Use the workout benefits of indoor rowing combined with the direct feedback monitor information, RP3 Rowing provides, like the powercurve and all other data concerning the stroke performed.
Training with RP3 is therefore very effective. Always start with the weekly base training of at least 20-30 minutes steady-state (easy & extensive), at low stroke rate (18-20) and maximum 40-50% force. This could be increased in time towards 45 - 60 minutes, at least once or two times a week.
Shape & Grind your desired powercurve, which needs to be as smooth and 'full' as possible: like the last 15minutes of a 'sunset', with the peak at about 45-47% of the curve. Train the stroke length towards at least 130cm. More experienced rowers are usually between 140 - 150cm.
Imagine the Sunset ↓ for the ideal RP3 PowerCurve Shape
RP3 Portal functionality provides all the information to analyse your workout. Take a look and start learning.
Structuring Training
Add increased intensity sessions to these base trainings, like intensive endurance or high intensity interval training (HIIT). You can start with 2x 5min. and extend step-by-step towards 4x 15min or 6x 10min, with small periods of rest in between. These more intensive workouts demand a strokerate between 24-28 and force between 60 - 80%.
Pyramid Training could also be choosen: from 3-2-1-2-3min, towards 5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5min. to add to the weekly schedule. With every pyramid step you could increase the stroke rate (like R20 - 22 - 24 - 26 - 28 and back, or slightly larger steps) and force (like: 50 - 60 - 70 - 80 - 90%) and down again.
Note: start with the force you can hold until the end of the session. Always try to train progressive versus start too fast and quit. Better to start easy and give it all at the end.
HIIT is about shorter intervals and even higher intensity (full force). You can start with 5x 20/40 seconds, with 20sec. full force and 40sec. rest (keep moving) and develop towards 2 - 3x times 10x 40/20sec. with at least 5minutes rest between the series.
All these kind of trainings could be prepared in the RP3 App upfront and selected just before the session.
Example: combination of RP3 base training with on Water training
YouTube items
12 April 2023
Do you want to draw a better shape of your curve? A simple and smooth curve from the front to the end?
Here are 5 drills you can use to improve your curve and improve your stroke to take with you in the boat and become a better skilled rower.
Frequently asked questions
+
On a Dynamic Indoor Rowing machine the flywheel is also moving as the seat does. So ‘everything’ is loose. The athlete even moves relatively much less than the flywheel, which corresponds to the situation and the feeling in the boat. That is the reason we are using “True Rowing Experience” as our motto.
> Static -> Body Mass turning, instead of just flywheel on Dynamic, very similar as in the boat
> Less stressful lower back, injury prevention and often even used for back injury recovery
> Dynamic rowing is much more like rowing on water and better useful as part of rowing event preparation or during the season
> Difference in scores: less hard in extensive (longer: 30min +) workouts, harder on fast (high pace) parts, but above all: dynamic is more like what you do in the boat during a race
+
We get this question very often. The short answer is: it cannot be compared. Static and dynamic ergometers are just completely different. When reversing the movement of the rower’s body weight in static rowing, more energy is lost. And the body takes a hit with every stroke. Often and especially it causes (lower) lower back complaints and even injuries, and joints can also play up.
On RP3, the acceleration of the flywheel is measured for the score and the real time feedback and numbers in the monitor. Static machines usually measure the movement of the chain. Therefore, with a rowing style in which a firm final stroke is made with the arms, the score can be higher on a static machine.
However, this is not a natural and logical movement in the rowing boat. On the RP3 it has no (minimal) effect on the score. Better rowing does though!
Although the scores are not really comparable, it can be said from experience:
> more power rowing: higher scores on static ergometer
> more technique: better score on RP3
The technically better rowers score relatively better on RP3. The difference between RP3 and the common static ergometers on a 2,000m score is approx. 1-3s per 500m in favour of the more technical rower.
One of the big advantages, often mentioned by the users who do have much experience on both: on RP3 you can practise higher stroke rates more easy, so really can train at (boat) race pace and have very similar experience or feeling.
+
First of all, rowing on water is, of course, rowing on water. An RP3 stands on the mainland, on the ground, and that of course gives more stability. It is possible to use a ‘wobble seat’, which also simulates the lateral imbalance of a rowing boat. With a ‘wobble seat’ you can train to sit more upright and prevent imbalance.
In the boat, the catch; where the blades of the oar go into the water, is more difficult than on an ergometer. After the catch, the feeling of rowing is very comparable to the rowing stroke in the boat. Hang, build up pressure, finish with back and arms. The final part of the stroke is good to practise with RP3, where most – even experienced rowers – often lose pressure too quickly. The recovery is also comparable to a recovery in the boot.
Technique is a factor for better scores, whereas on a static ergometer just more force is also an option for better results. On RP3 Dynamic indoor rowing machines you are implicitly ‘forced’ to improve and be as technical as possible.
With RP3 you get direct feedback via the monitor (App on smartphone or tablet) about the shape of the power curve and the figures such as joules, watts and stroke length. There are many other fields (30) to select, besides the standard ‘stroke rate’, ‘split’ (time / 500m) and ‘average split. Rowing on RP3 therefore gives much more real time feedback over the rowing stroke. This makes RP3 a very suitable training machine for better rowing and improving your rowing technique.
With RP3 it is also possible to physically link 2 or more machines. This allows the synchrony of the pressure curve of the team of rowers to be trained. The software offers the possibility to analyse your own curve after the workout, but also the curves of the team (overlay) and expose the differences. This is input for improvement.
RP3 is also busy adding rowing data from boat training sessions to the log, so that this data can also be compared with rowing data from an ergometer training and vice versa.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Testimonials
- Maureen McGuire
-
- Thomas Poulsen
- Olympic rower
