Yeah, it's easy to get lulled into a sense of what your steady state "should" be, but the truth is it'll probably vary up or down 2-3 seconds on any given day. Starting conservative helps ensure you don't overextend yourself early on those days when your body is going to want to chill 2-3 slower than normal. Conversely, if you're having a good day the body will settle into the rhythm it wants without requiring additional effort. Another benefit is that I found the more relaxed and controlled I completed the first quarter to third of the longer rows, the better the training session was overall.
Thanks Travis. I have recently come upon your channel and am enjoying your informed thoughts on rowing training. I am a 49 year old former rower who decided to get fit and strong and found my old sport was the kindest to my joints, particularly when doing longer aerobic/steady state sessions. I am using the FISA Development program (Training program for clubs and individuals) by Thor S. Nilsen as a guide and your content has given me a deeper understanding and renewed commitment to my tailored version of this program. Again many thanks and please keep up the good work.
I confess I don’t warm up much for UT2. Often only 500m. I’ll take a minute and a half to work down to target pace of 2:00, row a few strokes there and then over a few strokes pull down to a 1:50-1:52. Double that for UT1 and double again for AT. Probably about 3k for an interval or test piece session. I would be interested why you think say 90 mins is better than 3x30min with short rests. There seems to be a range of opinions out there on this topic. And not just because of the chance to relieve the back but also whether it is physiologically different assuming no back issues. It also allows you to schedule drink stops to minimise variations from one session to another.
Hi Anthony, I think spending AT LEAST 6-9 minutes gradually moving from 10+ seconds slower than your usual ss pace to that target split will benefit any athlete regardless of their age or experience. The greater the age and/or less the experience, the longer that period should be. I commented about the continuous vs split ss in another comment here, and will probably just make a video about it because that question is so common. To your particular comment though, you should drink or eat whenever you need to, and if you are doing so in the manner described in this particular video there would be no meaningful variation from one session to another (not to mention I wouldn't want you to take less water breaks than you would need rowing in 90 degree heat just because your accustomed to rowing in 60 degree heat where they would not be as important.)
Hi Travis. I’m finding your videos informative and based upon your own experience as an athlete and coach, perhaps more honest in terms of the reality of how training is or should be. I’ve been doing a lot of research in training methods over the past 3 or 4 months and have read and tried most of the advice given. My main reason for this is that I have reached a plateau and guessed that I needed to concentrate on working on my base. I have trained for years in various sports, cycle racing, triathlon and running. My job means that I work shifts and as a result I missed out on a lot of competition. Because of this I bought a C2 rowing machine 2 years ago to allow me to compete again in the various online leagues. Of late I have increased my steady rowing sessions and now cover around 50K per week and include a road ride lasting between 2.5 and 3 hours once a week. Although my endurance has improved, it has not improved my times over for say the 2K. In fact I am slower. My steady state rows have typically been at around 65 to 70 percent of my HR max. For me I just don’t think the effort is intense enough to improve my fitness. I know a lot of folk train at a level that is described as not too easy and not too hard, however research shows that the level of intensity described causes too much fatigue. Other advocates of UT2 describe the effort as easy to a level that I would suggest is more of a recovery effort. Again research suggests that some of the top rowing teams spend the vast majority of their time at UT2. Now the real question is, what really is the effort that these teams work at when training at UT2? Is it easy or is as you seem to prescribe, which for me falls within the not too easy and not too hard category?
Thanks for the comments. A couple thoughts that may help. First, aerobic conditioning must be accompanied by anaeorobic training (and periodized properly) to provide long term performance benefits to your race efforts. If you are ONLY doing steady state, you will plateau as you described (or decline if overdeveloping slow twitch muscle fibers). Next, 65-70 percent of HR max is a VERY low effort for the majority of athletes. Without knowing your HR profile specifically I cannot say with certaintly, but I can say with fair confidence that this effort will not produce a particularly effective training stimulus in rowing. (e.g. I am 39 years old and my UT2 HR tends to average in the mid to high 150s with an upper limit of 168). For UT2 keep your cadence low (16-19 spm) and your effort high. Let the cadence restrict your output, not your power per stroke. And don't train based on HR unless your zones have been reverse engineered based on your personal HR profile as derived from months worth of training data. Even then, use it to analyze your training, not to dictate your day to day effort. Hope that helps. If you want more personal guidance, check out the coaching/consulting options at gtsrowing.com
Travis Gardner - thank you for your reply. I do still incorporate a session or two of intervals per week. I’m going to ditch the HR monitor for a while and take on board your advice, which as I suspected reinforces my thoughts about the actual intensity of my UT2 being on the low side. I’m also going to include more rest. At 52 I’m probably not recovering adequately between sessions. Many thanks for your help Travis.
I get this question enough that it may warrant a video on it's own. Quick answer would be that aerobic adaptations are going to be induced by continuous cardiovascular pressure on your circulatory system. Any extended break will retard that stimulus. The fitter you are the more the breaks will hinder the desired adaptation, given the rate at which your HR will recover when work is interrupted.
I’m debating if I should buy a concept 2 rower or a spin bike for at home aerobic training. I like rowing more but I feel like I have to go at a painfully slow pace to keep my heart rate down if I were to want to do more Zone 2 or what I think would be UT2 work? All of my current workouts on a rower are where I average an SPM of 29-33 and a 500 meter pace of 2:00 where I feel pretty challenges but not overly worked to where I can’t repeat that pace. I think my threshold heart rate is about 175. I have no intentions of competing in rowing and solely have a desire to maintain and improve upon my aerobic conditioning and improve my body composition. I like rowing more but feel like I’ll get burnt out on interval workouts. Also feel like it’s easier to do zone 2 work on the bike. Plus the spin bike takes up less space. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.
There's a lot of content on the channel about how to execute a UT2, how UT2 is not the same as Zone 2 training, and how Zone 2 training is not an ideal way to train aerobically in this sport. If you are just training for health and fitness I wouldn't recommend more than 1 anaerobic (interval) workout every two weeks, so burnout should not be an issue. Cycling is ideal for zone 2 training so if that is what you want I'd say get a spin bike. If you want a power endurance rather than muscular endurance activity, then the concept 2 is what you want. Final note, do 83 percent of your training at an spm under 19, and another 9 percent under 25 spm. The next 6 percent keep it under 29 and then the last 3 percent you can reach into the 30s. If you have questions on any of the other videos about UT2, Zone 2, etc. just leave a comment and I'll answer it when I see it.
Really liked the ‘Just Row’ advice - I’ve started taking onboard water (never done before) and hated losing time. Have you a view on heart rate at end of warm up or indeed end of UT2? I appreciate your ‘it’s not Level 2’ comment but did I see you show a 171 pulse at the end of a UT2? I feel I could work harder at 18SPM for the duration (45-60 mins) of my UT2 sessions but am assuming if my heart rate ends up above 80% at the end that would now be more UT1 albeit at low stroke rate? (My old coach rejected sessions if you breached the heart rate cap) Regardless please keep content coming my training is really responding to your great advice. Thank you.
Hi Mike, thanks for the feedback and questions. I would definitely trust your RPE over HR without exception. For the session you are mentioning, I was returning to training after a break of many years, it was hot and humid out, and I wasn't actually too concerned with staying at UT2 (just with getting conditioned mentally for longer rows). All of these factors would tend to generate higher HRs for the same effort if I was quite fit and training in more moderate temperatures. For me personally, UT2 tends to max out at 168 and UT1 at 176 with averages of 152-158 and 166-172 respectively. Percentage of maximum HR is essentially meaningless in my experience. I have several videos exploring this perspective. If you haven't found them yet, check them out for sure. As for HR profile for UT2, you should see it quickly rise for the first minute or two then settle into a very gradual rise over the duration of your training session. The slope of this curve will depend on your fitness, effort, heat, humidity, etc. Viewing on a graph, it you warmed up properly the "end" of your warmup would blend right in with the rest of this graph. This video has a decent example of how that would look. th-cam.com/video/wbwZQYT8cVs/w-d-xo.html. Final point, typical HRs in each training zone will always overlap with the zones below and above them, so it is perfectly normal for your HR at the end of a UT2 session to cross into the range you would expect to see through the early or mid stages of a UT1 row. That is certainly NOT a reason to discard the session. The idea of ignoring any training session is perplexing to me. You can't ignore work that has been done, whether you executed it how you planned or not. As I tell my athletes, there are no "make ups" or "do overs" with training. You must always move forward based on what came before.
Travis what an awesome video. Thanks so much for the wealth of information you provide us. As a very serious and committed beginner these videos of yours are invaluable. I have one probably off question. When I watch your catch position I see that your legs open up does this effect the offset from the catch position? Would it be a way to alleviate tight hip flexors so that one could get a tighter catch position? Again thanks for all that you do for us.
This just happens to be how I'm comfortable though I'll often focus on keeping my knees over my feet as I compress. My hips are actually the most flexible part of my body as those stretches are the only ones I enjoy (and therefore do them more often). Replicating the action may be helpful for some others though I would warn against opening space for your body to collapse at the front end. Just because you keep your knees wider doesn't mean your body should take up that space. What is important is that you avoid over compressing and maintain a strong, supported forward body angle through the direction change. Good luck! Glad to hear the videos have been helpful :)
Thanks for such a prompt reply Travis. Helpful is definitely an understatement. There so informative. I’m following your instructions to the letter and will definitely be looking into gts! Again thanks Travis!
Great session. Do you think it is worthwhile to track HR in my training log for UT2? I would love to see my UT2 split improve over time at at around the same HR. Good idea?
Definitely. Tracking average HR for the last two thirds, middle third, and last third as well as max HR would all give you valuable information to track over time. Even more valuable, if you can download the data and get a graph of your HR for the duration of the workout then you can learn a lot about how the slope evolves over time. Be sure to note things like temperature and humidity in your log each day as both will have large effects on your HR values during a session. Taking it a step further, I'd start your HR at least 10 minutes before a workout and let it run for about 30 minutes after (just don't forget to stop it or you'll have 24 hrs or data when you start the next day's session!). Knowing what your HR is going into a session as well as the rate at which it recovers after a session can tell you plenty. Have fun and feel free to check back with how it goes!
I would need a fairly complete understanding of your training history, skill set, goals, and availability to answer that responsibly. Check out the general consultation options at gtsrowing.com if you're interested in guidance along those lines.
Do higher stroke rates tend to cause more lactic acid buildup in the legs than lower stroke rates? If so, is that one reason why you recommend 16-20 SPM for UT2 workouts, i.e. because the intent is for UT2 workouts to be aerobic rather than anaerobic?
Not really. I recommend low rates for UT2 because drive speed is very important for competitive performance. Rowing a 2:04 at a 16 spm and 95 drag is going to require a much faster drive speed than rowing a 2:04 at 24 spm and 120 drag. The drive speed of the former is very similar to what you will need when competing and it is important to minimize difference between training and competition in this particular metric.
@@TravisGardner But aren't races typically rowed at SPMs much higher than 16? (NOTE: I'm a new masters rower and haven't raced before; I'm just asking the question to better understand the concept).
They are. For racing you essentially want to repeat the same stroke you execute for UT2 at a higher frequency and resistance. Drive speed is fast in both cases. If you train in a way that your drive speed for racing is much faster than your drive speed during training, your muscles will fatigue quicker during the race effort and you will not be able to fully access your capacity for producing energy because your muscle fatigue will be holding you back.
![UNDERSTANDING UT1 STEADY STATE [FOR ROWING] and How to Execute a UT1 Training Session](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gaZudbfGjmQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![UNDERSTANDING UT1 STEADY STATE [FOR ROWING] and How to Execute a UT1 Training Session](/img/tr.png)
Liked the additional clarification of "conversational" level. Never thought of slightly negative splitting steady state, but it makes sense.
Yeah, it's easy to get lulled into a sense of what your steady state "should" be, but the truth is it'll probably vary up or down 2-3 seconds on any given day. Starting conservative helps ensure you don't overextend yourself early on those days when your body is going to want to chill 2-3 slower than normal. Conversely, if you're having a good day the body will settle into the rhythm it wants without requiring additional effort. Another benefit is that I found the more relaxed and controlled I completed the first quarter to third of the longer rows, the better the training session was overall.
Thanks Travis. I have recently come upon your channel and am enjoying your informed thoughts on rowing training. I am a 49 year old former rower who decided to get fit and strong and found my old sport was the kindest to my joints, particularly when doing longer aerobic/steady state sessions. I am using the FISA Development program (Training program for clubs and individuals) by Thor S. Nilsen as a guide and your content has given me a deeper understanding and renewed commitment to my tailored version of this program. Again many thanks and please keep up the good work.
Hi Sean, thanks for the note. Great to hear you've been able to embrace the sport again and have found a medium that agrees with the body!
I confess I don’t warm up much for UT2. Often only 500m. I’ll take a minute and a half to work down to target pace of 2:00, row a few strokes there and then over a few strokes pull down to a 1:50-1:52. Double that for UT1 and double again for AT. Probably about 3k for an interval or test piece session. I would be interested why you think say 90 mins is better than 3x30min with short rests. There seems to be a range of opinions out there on this topic. And not just because of the chance to relieve the back but also whether it is physiologically different assuming no back issues. It also allows you to schedule drink stops to minimise variations from one session to another.
Hi Anthony, I think spending AT LEAST 6-9 minutes gradually moving from 10+ seconds slower than your usual ss pace to that target split will benefit any athlete regardless of their age or experience. The greater the age and/or less the experience, the longer that period should be. I commented about the continuous vs split ss in another comment here, and will probably just make a video about it because that question is so common. To your particular comment though, you should drink or eat whenever you need to, and if you are doing so in the manner described in this particular video there would be no meaningful variation from one session to another (not to mention I wouldn't want you to take less water breaks than you would need rowing in 90 degree heat just because your accustomed to rowing in 60 degree heat where they would not be as important.)
Hi Travis. I’m finding your videos informative and based upon your own experience as an athlete and coach, perhaps more honest in terms of the reality of how training is or should be. I’ve been doing a lot of research in training methods over the past 3 or 4 months and have read and tried most of the advice given. My main reason for this is that I have reached a plateau and guessed that I needed to concentrate on working on my base. I have trained for years in various sports, cycle racing, triathlon and running. My job means that I work shifts and as a result I missed out on a lot of competition. Because of this I bought a C2 rowing machine 2 years ago to allow me to compete again in the various online leagues. Of late I have increased my steady rowing sessions and now cover around 50K per week and include a road ride lasting between 2.5 and 3 hours once a week. Although my endurance has improved, it has not improved my times over for say the 2K. In fact I am slower. My steady state rows have typically been at around 65 to 70 percent of my HR max. For me I just don’t think the effort is intense enough to improve my fitness. I know a lot of folk train at a level that is described as not too easy and not too hard, however research shows that the level of intensity described causes too much fatigue. Other advocates of UT2 describe the effort as easy to a level that I would suggest is more of a recovery effort. Again research suggests that some of the top rowing teams spend the vast majority of their time at UT2. Now the real question is, what really is the effort that these teams work at when training at UT2? Is it easy or is as you seem to prescribe, which for me falls within the not too easy and not too hard category?
Thanks for the comments. A couple thoughts that may help. First, aerobic conditioning must be accompanied by anaeorobic training (and periodized properly) to provide long term performance benefits to your race efforts. If you are ONLY doing steady state, you will plateau as you described (or decline if overdeveloping slow twitch muscle fibers).
Next, 65-70 percent of HR max is a VERY low effort for the majority of athletes. Without knowing your HR profile specifically I cannot say with certaintly, but I can say with fair confidence that this effort will not produce a particularly effective training stimulus in rowing. (e.g. I am 39 years old and my UT2 HR tends to average in the mid to high 150s with an upper limit of 168). For UT2 keep your cadence low (16-19 spm) and your effort high. Let the cadence restrict your output, not your power per stroke.
And don't train based on HR unless your zones have been reverse engineered based on your personal HR profile as derived from months worth of training data. Even then, use it to analyze your training, not to dictate your day to day effort.
Hope that helps. If you want more personal guidance, check out the coaching/consulting options at gtsrowing.com
Travis Gardner - thank you for your reply. I do still incorporate a session or two of intervals per week. I’m going to ditch the HR monitor for a while and take on board your advice, which as I suspected reinforces my thoughts about the actual intensity of my UT2 being on the low side. I’m also going to include more rest. At 52 I’m probably not recovering adequately between sessions. Many thanks for your help Travis.
I would be interested to hear more about wby you recommend continuous pieces over intervals with short rest.
I get this question enough that it may warrant a video on it's own. Quick answer would be that aerobic adaptations are going to be induced by continuous cardiovascular pressure on your circulatory system. Any extended break will retard that stimulus. The fitter you are the more the breaks will hinder the desired adaptation, given the rate at which your HR will recover when work is interrupted.
I’m debating if I should buy a concept 2 rower or a spin bike for at home aerobic training. I like rowing more but I feel like I have to go at a painfully slow pace to keep my heart rate down if I were to want to do more Zone 2 or what I think would be UT2 work? All of my current workouts on a rower are where I average an SPM of 29-33 and a 500 meter pace of 2:00 where I feel pretty challenges but not overly worked to where I can’t repeat that pace. I think my threshold heart rate is about 175. I have no intentions of competing in rowing and solely have a desire to maintain and improve upon my aerobic conditioning and improve my body composition. I like rowing more but feel like I’ll get burnt out on interval workouts. Also feel like it’s easier to do zone 2 work on the bike. Plus the spin bike takes up less space. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.
There's a lot of content on the channel about how to execute a UT2, how UT2 is not the same as Zone 2 training, and how Zone 2 training is not an ideal way to train aerobically in this sport. If you are just training for health and fitness I wouldn't recommend more than 1 anaerobic (interval) workout every two weeks, so burnout should not be an issue. Cycling is ideal for zone 2 training so if that is what you want I'd say get a spin bike. If you want a power endurance rather than muscular endurance activity, then the concept 2 is what you want.
Final note, do 83 percent of your training at an spm under 19, and another 9 percent under 25 spm. The next 6 percent keep it under 29 and then the last 3 percent you can reach into the 30s.
If you have questions on any of the other videos about UT2, Zone 2, etc. just leave a comment and I'll answer it when I see it.
Really liked the ‘Just Row’ advice - I’ve started taking onboard water (never done before) and hated losing time. Have you a view on heart rate at end of warm up or indeed end of UT2? I appreciate your ‘it’s not Level 2’ comment but did I see you show a 171 pulse at the end of a UT2? I feel I could work harder at 18SPM for the duration (45-60 mins) of my UT2 sessions but am assuming if my heart rate ends up above 80% at the end that would now be more UT1 albeit at low stroke rate? (My old coach rejected sessions if you breached the heart rate cap) Regardless please keep content coming my training is really responding to your great advice. Thank you.
Hi Mike, thanks for the feedback and questions. I would definitely trust your RPE over HR without exception. For the session you are mentioning, I was returning to training after a break of many years, it was hot and humid out, and I wasn't actually too concerned with staying at UT2 (just with getting conditioned mentally for longer rows). All of these factors would tend to generate higher HRs for the same effort if I was quite fit and training in more moderate temperatures. For me personally, UT2 tends to max out at 168 and UT1 at 176 with averages of 152-158 and 166-172 respectively. Percentage of maximum HR is essentially meaningless in my experience. I have several videos exploring this perspective. If you haven't found them yet, check them out for sure.
As for HR profile for UT2, you should see it quickly rise for the first minute or two then settle into a very gradual rise over the duration of your training session. The slope of this curve will depend on your fitness, effort, heat, humidity, etc. Viewing on a graph, it you warmed up properly the "end" of your warmup would blend right in with the rest of this graph. This video has a decent example of how that would look. th-cam.com/video/wbwZQYT8cVs/w-d-xo.html.
Final point, typical HRs in each training zone will always overlap with the zones below and above them, so it is perfectly normal for your HR at the end of a UT2 session to cross into the range you would expect to see through the early or mid stages of a UT1 row. That is certainly NOT a reason to discard the session. The idea of ignoring any training session is perplexing to me. You can't ignore work that has been done, whether you executed it how you planned or not. As I tell my athletes, there are no "make ups" or "do overs" with training. You must always move forward based on what came before.
Travis what an awesome video. Thanks so much for the wealth of information you provide us. As a very serious and committed beginner these videos of yours are invaluable. I have one probably off question. When I watch your catch position I see that your legs open up does this effect the offset from the catch position? Would it be a way to alleviate tight hip flexors so that one could get a tighter catch position? Again thanks for all that you do for us.
This just happens to be how I'm comfortable though I'll often focus on keeping my knees over my feet as I compress. My hips are actually the most flexible part of my body as those stretches are the only ones I enjoy (and therefore do them more often). Replicating the action may be helpful for some others though I would warn against opening space for your body to collapse at the front end. Just because you keep your knees wider doesn't mean your body should take up that space. What is important is that you avoid over compressing and maintain a strong, supported forward body angle through the direction change.
Good luck! Glad to hear the videos have been helpful :)
Thanks for such a prompt reply Travis. Helpful is definitely an understatement. There so informative. I’m following your instructions to the letter and will definitely be looking into gts! Again thanks Travis!
Great session. Do you think it is worthwhile to track HR in my training log for UT2? I would love to see my UT2 split improve over time at at around the same HR. Good idea?
Definitely. Tracking average HR for the last two thirds, middle third, and last third as well as max HR would all give you valuable information to track over time. Even more valuable, if you can download the data and get a graph of your HR for the duration of the workout then you can learn a lot about how the slope evolves over time. Be sure to note things like temperature and humidity in your log each day as both will have large effects on your HR values during a session. Taking it a step further, I'd start your HR at least 10 minutes before a workout and let it run for about 30 minutes after (just don't forget to stop it or you'll have 24 hrs or data when you start the next day's session!). Knowing what your HR is going into a session as well as the rate at which it recovers after a session can tell you plenty.
Have fun and feel free to check back with how it goes!
what is the average watts for a 60min steady state UT2 session? Is a sustained 140watt ok?
140 watts for 60 minutes would be good for a slightly above average high school girl if her stroke rate was kept under 19 spm.
@@TravisGardner thank you sir
How long would a typical UT2 training take?
I would need a fairly complete understanding of your training history, skill set, goals, and availability to answer that responsibly. Check out the general consultation options at gtsrowing.com if you're interested in guidance along those lines.
Ty 🤗😁
Do higher stroke rates tend to cause more lactic acid buildup in the legs than lower stroke rates? If so, is that one reason why you recommend 16-20 SPM for UT2 workouts, i.e. because the intent is for UT2 workouts to be aerobic rather than anaerobic?
Not really. I recommend low rates for UT2 because drive speed is very important for competitive performance. Rowing a 2:04 at a 16 spm and 95 drag is going to require a much faster drive speed than rowing a 2:04 at 24 spm and 120 drag. The drive speed of the former is very similar to what you will need when competing and it is important to minimize difference between training and competition in this particular metric.
@@TravisGardner But aren't races typically rowed at SPMs much higher than 16? (NOTE: I'm a new masters rower and haven't raced before; I'm just asking the question to better understand the concept).
They are. For racing you essentially want to repeat the same stroke you execute for UT2 at a higher frequency and resistance. Drive speed is fast in both cases. If you train in a way that your drive speed for racing is much faster than your drive speed during training, your muscles will fatigue quicker during the race effort and you will not be able to fully access your capacity for producing energy because your muscle fatigue will be holding you back.
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