I would imagine that after 40 secs, the rest of the fields were looking at their monitors somewhat demoralized, then Alexander got to row looking to see if anyone was catching him - and maybe thats why he didnt need to push it at the end
Hey Greame! For me it motivated me to go slightly faster actually and thought, this guy is going to explode! 😂 Little did I know it was part of the strategy!
Really fascinating stuff! My thoughts are that relative to our "2k" pace, that first 40 seconds, no matter if he goes sub-1:20 for the first :40, or 1:25 for the whole 5:4X, we're all going to feel miserable after 40 seconds. Apparently, this guy can fly (without dying) for 40 seconds. Still, really interesting! Wish I had a read out like that for my 2k pr!
Biggest feature for me is that discipline to stick with the same stroke rate in the last 100m when the pace is dropping. Temptation to shorten up must be huge.
Very interestingly analysis, Cameron. I suspect this was a racing strategy. Take the race favourites by surprise and unsettle them. A bit like the British eight did in the 2000 Olympic final. And you have to admire his courage to have stayed well in front until the end.
Appreciate the analysis. We truly live in an amazing time when we can readily access this type of data. It would be interesting to compare the data from the top 10 in each divisions to see if certain patterns emerge. One of the benefits of having this type of real-world data is we can quickly establish what strategies work and which don't.
Hi Cam, very interesting videos on rowing. I used to indoor row about 10-15 years ago and back then there wasn’t anything really on the internet regarding 2k strategy. I have AF now so I still row but at a more sedate speed. Like you, I always liked to negative split and although I’m not an expert, for me it was more psychological then physiological. In other words, as the distance-to-go decreased I felt I could go faster because any associated discomfort would not last so long as if I had put more effort in earlier. Also watched your video on UT1 and UT2. When I started the Indoor Training Plan (I think it was called) I only lasted a couple of sessions and thought that the times I was achieving were so slow that this was ridiculous. Thereafter I did the required pieces at the designated times and stroke rates and completely disregarded the heart rates, often reaching max rate on both UT1 and UT2 !! Wish I’d seen your videos back then.
I’d guess if you look at the leaderboard splits at the 250m mark it’ll show Alex is racing a specific individual, and he was trying to create a gap vs that person. Once he had the lead he cruised to the 1st place with some gas in the tank in case a sprint finish came up. So Alex is probably quite a bit faster, but this was a championship strategy (win is most important). Good for him!
Very cool. Also got a couple of extra suggestions as to why Alexander might have adopted this fast-starting strategy. As I understand it those first two or three strokes are "free", as the energy source is your ATP-CP system and not carbs, so you may as well max those out and get as high an initial boat speed as possible without any lactic acid penalty. There's a clue to a problem with the ergo's approximation of a boat here. After a stroke or so, the speed is up to 6.8m/s (1:13/500)---you probably cannot accelerate this quickly in a real boat on the water, so we can guess that the ergo is assuming an athlete weight lower that his actual mass, presumably he is a large heavyweight man. I think it may assume 70kg for the rower, but not sure about that. So it's a win-win, high initial boat speed for free.
That’s a great analysis Cam, hopefully Alexander can look at this and reach out to you, 40secs at that pace is quite amazing, but I think physiologically his body might be accustomed to this and hence the comfortable sitting at pace for him. I love negative splits and I think they are a weapon of erg destruction if used the right way, I have read numerous articles on going fast early and then getting an early lactate bath that then effects the overall 2k, so I think you are right about negative splits being a good strategy, let’s wait and see when we can hear from Alex. Next level from you though, to analyse stuff, love it #yamsquad
Yeah that's what I was thinking too. Definitely have to be used to doing that type of thing in training to do it during champs! Thanks for the positive feedback too! #yamsquad
I think others have already explained the science and math on it and simply it's not the best approach. However, I have had some PBs on longer rows and the 500 with going faster than desired at the start. Mentally having that "cushion" can give you the feeling you can hang on. That said, I think for a 2K it would not work well. I analyzed my score at the WRIC last year against the guy who finished right behind me, he had a good gap on me thru 1K but in the third 500 I staid steady and he dropped off quite a bit he went a little faster at end too but I got him overall due to the 3rd 500 and that he went too fast early. I am thinking he was just looking to win....still mind boggling to go that fast and then do 5 minutes in the 1:27 range.
I've seen this approach suggested before but have never tried it. I normally pull hard for five strokes before settling at my pace, but curiously my 2k PB was achieved at pulling hard for only the first stroke (my idea being that even those five strokes took away a lot of my reserves).
Terence Anderson you’re right about the first strokes, a lot of people tend to take around 10 hard strokes at the beginning because they think it’s free energy. Well it’s not haha, i wish it was. My erg coach told us that you can only count the first ten seconds as “free speed”, after that, even if it doesnt feel like it, the lost (essentially wasted) energy will get back to you in the last 750m.
@@mariakr681 Yep, about 10s is correct, you can burn off that ATP-PC free creatine for about 8-10s for free...but after that you're dipping into anaerobic reserves.
Holy Moses, gone up another level Cam. Love the statz and your insight. I only use negative splits my mind and body could not cope otherwise (maybe I'm wrong. This is gold dust 🙏. It's very male focused though, why not look at the female world champion and contrast? In cycling we get lost in the male stars but there are some miracle female athletes out there. Pretty sure you could double your accelerating fanbase. Perfect vlog. ♠️
Thank you MrBoggins! Big help fro. You obviously and things I missed in the video that can improve it further! Excellent idea with changing the athletes too#yamsquad
I saw this guy Instagram and it look like he always do this : starting off very quickly (here his first 500m was 1:22 so he was already 25 meters in front of everyone). But it will be very interesting to talk to him cause for me its kind of a non sense : if you can hold sub 1:20 and then 1:27 for the rest of the race, why don’t you do something like go for the whole race at 1:25-1:26 ? It’s pretty better for the body to keep a steady rythm.. My coachs always said that we need to be on 2k pace after 20 seconds of effort.
I wonder if what we are looking at the start as a timing interval, is actually a stroke count instead. Suppose his mindset is, "I will pull five huge strokes then settle?" I find myself counting strokes in big efforts works the best for the passing of the time because of my needing to have my attention on more than the clock during a start. Just a thought... just saw another comment with the same remark.
The ErgData App provides this same info if you connect it to a Concept2 Logbook. It would actually be pretty cool to see your training on there. If you do use the logbook, is your information public?
Feels like this has to be tactical reasons. It's going to be slower...you have a certain number of watts you can do aerobically, and a certain amount you can do anaerobically (which is a fixed number, similar to a battery). So if you're this guy, you can average say 550w for a 2k. Interestingly, this can usually be done in a variety of ways. You can do 420w at the start, 600w in the middle, and end with 400w. You can start like this guy did and then ease back, generally as long as you don't dip below threshold you can do close to your best power. However, for speed (e.g. 2k time) it's a horrible tactic...because rowing is not linear. Doubling the watts does not double the speed. We can see this really easily. A dead even 500w row will give you a 5:55. However if you rowed 3:00 @ 700w, then 3:00 @ 300w you would cover just (1134m + 855m) 1989m in 6:00, so likely a 6:02 split for the same wattage. Cyclists will occassionally vary power, but they have uphill/downhill terrain features to worry about. Rowing on a C2...you don't. Even splitting will always get you the fastest time, with the exceptional that you can psychologically do more watts using a different strategy.
The issue is that for cyclists is that they are racing for several hours, 3+ hours at a time, in which case it would be very advantageous to hold a very even split as the body is purely relying on aerobic power for that duration. For a 2k there are several energy systems at work here and it is potentially better to go off harder to make use of your 'anaerobic system' for energy in the first 30-40 seconds.
@@kevinshen You're somewhat correct, I addressed these differences. Starting hard for 3-5 strokes (about 10s) is good, you're burning of ATP-PC energy which is "free". Longer than that and you'll start tapping your anaerobic stores. Anaerobic energy, you have a certain amount of. It's a finite quantity, given in kJ. It's like a battery, use it up then you need to recharge. Anaerobic energy is recharged and you go below AneT/VT2, and the easier you go the faster to recharges. The key with a 2k is that it's going to be entirely above VT2. So once you use that anaerobic energy, it's gone for that 2k. The key is that how its used doesn't matter. Let's say you have 25 kJ anaerobic battery and go out hard like this guy, using up 20kJ in first 40s. Well then you have 5kJ left for the rest. How you use that anaerobic energy doesn't change the AVERAGE watts you can do. Changing how YOU use the average watts will affect your speed however. Using them in a non even split manner results in a rowing time that is slower as resistance is not linear with speed. The only way to go faster with such a strategy, is it you psychologically struggle to even split, in which case other strategies might help you cope with the pain and do more power. This means that for the best 2k time you've got a mental weak link you can improve.
I wonder if Hamish Bond should do something similar to this? I feel like he has the right physical components to be able to complete the following 5 minutes at his typical race pace after an early surge
I had a look at the race, some of the rowers were really ripped, is that all rowing or are they doing a lot of strength work? what kind of stuff are they doing?
I noticed that too. I wouldn't say that is all rowing but I have noticed over the passed couple of olymiads that there are becoming more and more rowers like that. As to what they are doing. I have no idea! A lot of training I'd assume!
@@CameronBuchan maybe some rowers bulk up over the winter?,a Russian wont be able to row outside for 5 or 6 months of the year, maybe they hit the gym and then lean out coming into the summer?
My dad rows a little, but he also does the charity CN Tower Climb in Toronto twice a year, and I wonder how many rowers it attracts, because it's a massive fitness test. (I know that 5k and 10k competitive runners participate; they're the ones who hold the best time marks.) Do you know any rowers who partake in any other fitness endeavours?
How about looking at the top woman, the top lightweight, the top veteran (say over 50?) and comparing their stats and differing approaches - it would be really interesting to see the comparisons and that way we could all maybe learn something relevant to our physical types? Great vlog!
Yours time was fantastic only a few can do that and the finish almost to the end was even more awesome the sprint for so long time, I imagine the winner envy you that you could sprint for so long, but if you want to be faster maybe and only maybe start faster you started very slow 1.30 . The winner went down to 1.13 and also did the 500 m the day before where he went down to 1.10 You should perhaps have started at 1.20. When I was rowing very much faster I usually did 20 strokes at perhaps 90 % power and then settling down If you had only done 2 strokes at max to start and the 500 m the day before like so many of the others perhaps, but amazing result you had but big leg muscles like Phil Clapp will provide the power to lower splits and he is only rowing once or twice a week acc to interview, but every person is different.
Hit the nail on the head at the end there! Every person is different. I can blow very quickly with too many strokes at high pressure, hence only a few strong pulls to start. Been working in trying to improve the fitness to be able to do more though!
@@CameronBuchan So this is interesting. My standard once-per-month Concept2 workout (long story as to why it's not more frequently) is a 5K, during which the final portion (1,550m?) is done at about this m/s, but I've been pretty steady at a 26s/m stroke-rate. Makes me wonder if I could gradually up this to 30...and see if I can reduce my time a little.
This guy must have read this article before doing the test: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18067518 However, if you study the concept of Critical Power and W' (the work that can be done above critical power), then overall one's performance is fairly fixed by these parameters and pacing strategy gives you minor tweaks (albeit that these differences can sometimes be medal defining). There is also a really interesting comment in a review of CP - which is actually about variable high intensity exercise but still reviews CP and W' nicely for the type of exercise involved in 2k testing - (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371646/) which states this: "Knowledge of an athlete’s CP and W′ permits a coach or sports scientist to calculate that athlete’s best possible time for a given distance and to consider tactical, positional, and pacing approaches that might optimize performance relative to the athlete’s competitors." Plus we know that if you train to increase your CP, your W' may drop, so it is helpful to know where your power-duration curve may lie... I reckon you should measure your power-duration curve to predict your 2k time and then you can build a better strategy. Let me know if you want more info.
Looks to me that he has worked on optimising his anaerobic sprint ... and knows at exactly what time he has to drop the rate to avoid a complete lactate blow-out. It makes far more sense to perfect this based on measured physiology than on an initial 10 or 20 second sprint ... where is the science behind the latter? If lactate can be cleared and maintained at a steady state after 40 seconds why stop an initial sprint after 10 seconds or so? I bet there is very little research behind this type of optimisation....i mean how many sports start with a sprint or near max. anaerobic effort before another 5 mins of near max aerobic effort? Runners tend to have an anaerobic reserve at the end of the race whereas rowers need to get the boat moving at the start and are beat by the finish. Ive seen middle distance runners with a final 400m kick...they know when its safe for them to kick (neither too soon or late). Others only have a 100m kick. Our rowing man here looks to have worked out how long he can sprint without lactate interfering with the largely aerobic majority of the remaining 2000m race. I'm sure it must hurt him but pain doesn't necessarily mean a performance sacrifice ... I am sure the body will adapt if training mimics his race strategy....pushing the initial sprint interval further and further. This video is old now...but i am interested in what the actual reason is for this guy's race strategy.
Yes very little research behind what I do at the start. Just based on what coaches have told me. The idea behind the strategy in the video was made by some experimentation but I wouldn’t say as specific as you suggest. I don’t disagree that the sprint at the start of a race is a strange strategy but will evolve from what happens on the water. Plus in running if someone did sprint out the gates for 40s in a 400m they would likely be able to hold onto the lead if everyone was caught by surprise. In indoor rowing you don’t really know the speed that everyone is going like you would on a track
he starts too fast the point of the start is to get your AVERAGE split down to the speed you want to hold thru the rest of the first 1700-1800m before your closing kick his slow in the stretch means he overspent and carried that deficit til he couldnt hide it the perfect race has abt 5 strokes (7-9sec) hard then the long steady then a kick that doesnt die even as your physically unable to go faster
I would imagine that after 40 secs, the rest of the fields were looking at their monitors somewhat demoralized, then Alexander got to row looking to see if anyone was catching him - and maybe thats why he didnt need to push it at the end
Hey Greame! For me it motivated me to go slightly faster actually and thought, this guy is going to explode! 😂 Little did I know it was part of the strategy!
Really fascinating stuff! My thoughts are that relative to our "2k" pace, that first 40 seconds, no matter if he goes sub-1:20 for the first :40, or 1:25 for the whole 5:4X, we're all going to feel miserable after 40 seconds. Apparently, this guy can fly (without dying) for 40 seconds. Still, really interesting! Wish I had a read out like that for my 2k pr!
Biggest feature for me is that discipline to stick with the same stroke rate in the last 100m when the pace is dropping. Temptation to shorten up must be huge.
Agreed but not sure if it was discipline or blowing! #yamsquad
If you want to see consistency, have a look at the Open Women’s winner, the awesome Olena Buryak. Race profile is as flat as a snooker table
She's an amazing athlete! Perhaps an analysis of her 2k will be next! #yamsquad
Very interestingly analysis, Cameron. I suspect this was a racing strategy. Take the race favourites by surprise and unsettle them. A bit like the British eight did in the 2000 Olympic final. And you have to admire his courage to have stayed well in front until the end.
Hi Jeremy! I spoke to Alexander over the weekend and interestingly doing what he did was not to do with getting ahead!
I'll look forward to hearing the actual reason.
It seems like your videos are getting better every day, love seeing you progress. Keep at it
Thank you! Working on bringing better content! #yamsquad
Appreciate the analysis. We truly live in an amazing time when we can readily access this type of data. It would be interesting to compare the data from the top 10 in each divisions to see if certain patterns emerge. One of the benefits of having this type of real-world data is we can quickly establish what strategies work and which don't.
Great analysis Cameron, really interesting to hear your thoughts on his strategy!
Wowzer, that's such a good rate and time. #Yamsquad awww yeah!
Awww yeeaaahhhh #yamsquad
Hi Cam, very interesting videos on rowing. I used to indoor row about 10-15 years ago and back then there wasn’t anything really on the internet regarding 2k strategy. I have AF now so I still row but at a more sedate speed. Like you, I always liked to negative split and although I’m not an expert, for me it was more psychological then physiological. In other words, as the distance-to-go decreased I felt I could go faster because any associated discomfort would not last so long as if I had put more effort in earlier. Also watched your video on UT1 and UT2. When I started the Indoor Training Plan (I think it was called) I only lasted a couple of sessions and thought that the times I was achieving were so slow that this was ridiculous. Thereafter I did the required pieces at the designated times and stroke rates and completely disregarded the heart rates, often reaching max rate on both UT1 and UT2 !! Wish I’d seen your videos back then.
I’d guess if you look at the leaderboard splits at the 250m mark it’ll show Alex is racing a specific individual, and he was trying to create a gap vs that person. Once he had the lead he cruised to the 1st place with some gas in the tank in case a sprint finish came up.
So Alex is probably quite a bit faster, but this was a championship strategy (win is most important). Good for him!
Hey Matt, I spoke to Alex on insta and think I'll share it on another video soon. He wasn't really racing anyone by what he did.
Very cool. Also got a couple of extra suggestions as to why Alexander might have adopted this fast-starting strategy.
As I understand it those first two or three strokes are "free", as the energy source is your ATP-CP system and not carbs, so you may as well max those out and get as high an initial boat speed as possible without any lactic acid penalty.
There's a clue to a problem with the ergo's approximation of a boat here. After a stroke or so, the speed is up to 6.8m/s (1:13/500)---you probably cannot accelerate this quickly in a real boat on the water, so we can guess that the ergo is assuming an athlete weight lower that his actual mass, presumably he is a large heavyweight man. I think it may assume 70kg for the rower, but not sure about that.
So it's a win-win, high initial boat speed for free.
I spoke to Alexander over the weekend, perhaps I'll share on another video. You're actually pretty spot on for what he did!
That’s a great analysis Cam, hopefully Alexander can look at this and reach out to you, 40secs at that pace is quite amazing, but I think physiologically his body might be accustomed to this and hence the comfortable sitting at pace for him.
I love negative splits and I think they are a weapon of erg destruction if used the right way, I have read numerous articles on going fast early and then getting an early lactate bath that then effects the overall 2k, so I think you are right about negative splits being a good strategy, let’s wait and see when we can hear from Alex. Next level from you though, to analyse stuff, love it #yamsquad
Yeah that's what I was thinking too. Definitely have to be used to doing that type of thing in training to do it during champs! Thanks for the positive feedback too! #yamsquad
Loving these analysis and think-piece videos!! #yamsquad
You keep me motivated for my boxing training! Love your videos
Great to hear! Keep up the good work! #yamsquad
really like these vids keep it up and also VERY exited to see like a series of you relearning the single that'll be great!!
I too am looking forward to trying to stay afloat! 😂
I think others have already explained the science and math on it and simply it's not the best approach. However, I have had some PBs on longer rows and the 500 with going faster than desired at the start. Mentally having that "cushion" can give you the feeling you can hang on. That said, I think for a 2K it would not work well. I analyzed my score at the WRIC last year against the guy who finished right behind me, he had a good gap on me thru 1K but in the third 500 I staid steady and he dropped off quite a bit he went a little faster at end too but I got him overall due to the 3rd 500 and that he went too fast early. I am thinking he was just looking to win....still mind boggling to go that fast and then do 5 minutes in the 1:27 range.
I've seen this approach suggested before but have never tried it.
I normally pull hard for five strokes before settling at my pace, but curiously my 2k PB was achieved at pulling hard for only the first stroke (my idea being that even those five strokes took away a lot of my reserves).
Terence Anderson you’re right about the first strokes, a lot of people tend to take around 10 hard strokes at the beginning because they think it’s free energy. Well it’s not haha, i wish it was. My erg coach told us that you can only count the first ten seconds as “free speed”, after that, even if it doesnt feel like it, the lost (essentially wasted) energy will get back to you in the last 750m.
@@mariakr681 Yep, about 10s is correct, you can burn off that ATP-PC free creatine for about 8-10s for free...but after that you're dipping into anaerobic reserves.
Shows how important the start is
Holy Moses, gone up another level Cam. Love the statz and your insight. I only use negative splits my mind and body could not cope otherwise (maybe I'm wrong. This is gold dust 🙏. It's very male focused though, why not look at the female world champion and contrast? In cycling we get lost in the male stars but there are some miracle female athletes out there. Pretty sure you could double your accelerating fanbase. Perfect vlog. ♠️
Thank you MrBoggins! Big help fro. You obviously and things I missed in the video that can improve it further! Excellent idea with changing the athletes too#yamsquad
Yes yes yes. Let's compare the awesome women.
I saw this guy Instagram and it look like he always do this : starting off very quickly (here his first 500m was 1:22 so he was already 25 meters in front of everyone). But it will be very interesting to talk to him cause for me its kind of a non sense : if you can hold sub 1:20 and then 1:27 for the rest of the race, why don’t you do something like go for the whole race at 1:25-1:26 ? It’s pretty better for the body to keep a steady rythm.. My coachs always said that we need to be on 2k pace after 20 seconds of effort.
I wonder if what we are looking at the start as a timing interval, is actually a stroke count instead. Suppose his mindset is, "I will pull five huge strokes then settle?"
I find myself counting strokes in big efforts works the best for the passing of the time because of my needing to have my attention on more than the clock during a start.
Just a thought... just saw another comment with the same remark.
The ErgData App provides this same info if you connect it to a Concept2 Logbook. It would actually be pretty cool to see your training on there. If you do use the logbook, is your information public?
I actually don't use the logbook! Perhaps it's time to start!
Feels like this has to be tactical reasons. It's going to be slower...you have a certain number of watts you can do aerobically, and a certain amount you can do anaerobically (which is a fixed number, similar to a battery).
So if you're this guy, you can average say 550w for a 2k. Interestingly, this can usually be done in a variety of ways. You can do 420w at the start, 600w in the middle, and end with 400w. You can start like this guy did and then ease back, generally as long as you don't dip below threshold you can do close to your best power.
However, for speed (e.g. 2k time) it's a horrible tactic...because rowing is not linear. Doubling the watts does not double the speed. We can see this really easily. A dead even 500w row will give you a 5:55. However if you rowed 3:00 @ 700w, then 3:00 @ 300w you would cover just (1134m + 855m) 1989m in 6:00, so likely a 6:02 split for the same wattage. Cyclists will occassionally vary power, but they have uphill/downhill terrain features to worry about. Rowing on a C2...you don't. Even splitting will always get you the fastest time, with the exceptional that you can psychologically do more watts using a different strategy.
That is really interesting, thanks!
I have spoken to him over insta, I think I'll discuss in another video. Interestingly it wasn't tactical! Strategic yes, but he rowed his race
@@CameronBuchan Will be very interesting to here what he has to say and his logic.
The issue is that for cyclists is that they are racing for several hours, 3+ hours at a time, in which case it would be very advantageous to hold a very even split as the body is purely relying on aerobic power for that duration. For a 2k there are several energy systems at work here and it is potentially better to go off harder to make use of your 'anaerobic system' for energy in the first 30-40 seconds.
@@kevinshen You're somewhat correct, I addressed these differences.
Starting hard for 3-5 strokes (about 10s) is good, you're burning of ATP-PC energy which is "free".
Longer than that and you'll start tapping your anaerobic stores. Anaerobic energy, you have a certain amount of. It's a finite quantity, given in kJ. It's like a battery, use it up then you need to recharge.
Anaerobic energy is recharged and you go below AneT/VT2, and the easier you go the faster to recharges.
The key with a 2k is that it's going to be entirely above VT2. So once you use that anaerobic energy, it's gone for that 2k. The key is that how its used doesn't matter. Let's say you have 25 kJ anaerobic battery and go out hard like this guy, using up 20kJ in first 40s. Well then you have 5kJ left for the rest. How you use that anaerobic energy doesn't change the AVERAGE watts you can do.
Changing how YOU use the average watts will affect your speed however. Using them in a non even split manner results in a rowing time that is slower as resistance is not linear with speed.
The only way to go faster with such a strategy, is it you psychologically struggle to even split, in which case other strategies might help you cope with the pain and do more power. This means that for the best 2k time you've got a mental weak link you can improve.
I wonder if Hamish Bond should do something similar to this? I feel like he has the right physical components to be able to complete the following 5 minutes at his typical race pace after an early surge
I had a look at the race, some of the rowers were really ripped, is that all rowing or are they doing a lot of strength work? what kind of stuff are they doing?
I noticed that too. I wouldn't say that is all rowing but I have noticed over the passed couple of olymiads that there are becoming more and more rowers like that. As to what they are doing. I have no idea! A lot of training I'd assume!
@@CameronBuchan maybe some rowers bulk up over the winter?,a Russian wont be able to row outside for 5 or 6 months of the year, maybe they hit the gym and then lean out coming into the summer?
@@lmc4964 there definitely is benefit to putting on a little bit of size through the winter!
My dad rows a little, but he also does the charity CN Tower Climb in Toronto twice a year, and I wonder how many rowers it attracts, because it's a massive fitness test. (I know that 5k and 10k competitive runners participate; they're the ones who hold the best time marks.) Do you know any rowers who partake in any other fitness endeavours?
Hi Cam. Do you know what drag he was using. Tks
I actually don't perhaps I'll ask him! #yamsquad
How about looking at the top woman, the top lightweight, the top veteran (say over 50?) and comparing their stats and differing approaches - it would be really interesting to see the comparisons and that way we could all maybe learn something relevant to our physical types? Great vlog!
Fantastic idea Tony! I think I'll do just that! #yamsquad
Hi Cameron just out of curiosity what software or app you currently using to analyse the race
Yours time was fantastic only a few can do that and the finish almost to the end was even more awesome the sprint for so long time, I imagine the winner envy you that you could sprint for so long, but if you want to be faster maybe and only maybe start faster you started very slow 1.30 . The winner went down to 1.13 and also did the 500 m the day before where he went down to 1.10 You should perhaps have started at 1.20. When I was rowing very much faster I usually did 20 strokes at perhaps 90 % power and then settling down If you had only done 2 strokes at max to start and the 500 m the day before like so many of the others perhaps, but amazing result you had but big leg muscles like Phil Clapp will provide the power to lower splits and he is only rowing once or twice a week acc to interview, but every person is different.
Hit the nail on the head at the end there! Every person is different. I can blow very quickly with too many strokes at high pressure, hence only a few strong pulls to start. Been working in trying to improve the fitness to be able to do more though!
Maybe he is just bringing his HR up to racing HR as fast as possible, then switch to constant power.....
Cam, when you train do you always set up the ergo for the same drag factor or do you change it (say, higher DF for shorter pieces)?
Pretty much always the same unless I'm doing max 100m or something!
Cam, what drag factor do you use?
I would never have guessed that so high a stroke-rate would be used. (P.S. Is my math correct in extrapolating just under 10 metres/stroke?)
Depending on who you are you can be lower or higher than this for the 2k! That's about right yes!
@@CameronBuchan So this is interesting. My standard once-per-month Concept2 workout (long story as to why it's not more frequently) is a 5K, during which the final portion (1,550m?) is done at about this m/s, but I've been pretty steady at a 26s/m stroke-rate. Makes me wonder if I could gradually up this to 30...and see if I can reduce my time a little.
This guy must have read this article before doing the test:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18067518
However, if you study the concept of Critical Power and W' (the work that can be done above critical power), then overall one's performance is fairly fixed by these parameters and pacing strategy gives you minor tweaks (albeit that these differences can sometimes be medal defining). There is also a really interesting comment in a review of CP - which is actually about variable high intensity exercise but still reviews CP and W' nicely for the type of exercise involved in 2k testing - (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371646/) which states this:
"Knowledge of an athlete’s CP and W′ permits a coach or sports scientist to calculate that athlete’s best possible time for a given distance and to consider tactical, positional, and pacing approaches that might optimize performance relative to the athlete’s competitors." Plus we know that if you train to increase your CP, your W' may drop, so it is helpful to know where your power-duration curve may lie...
I reckon you should measure your power-duration curve to predict your 2k time and then you can build a better strategy. Let me know if you want more info.
Love it the research! If love to know more. Data is king! #yamsquad
@@CameronBuchan Happy to. Drop me an email and I can send you more. My email is l.howard@imperial.ac.uk and I've also sent a LinkedIn request. Luke
Looks to me that he has worked on optimising his anaerobic sprint ... and knows at exactly what time he has to drop the rate to avoid a complete lactate blow-out. It makes far more sense to perfect this based on measured physiology than on an initial 10 or 20 second sprint ... where is the science behind the latter? If lactate can be cleared and maintained at a steady state after 40 seconds why stop an initial sprint after 10 seconds or so? I bet there is very little research behind this type of optimisation....i mean how many sports start with a sprint or near max. anaerobic effort before another 5 mins of near max aerobic effort? Runners tend to have an anaerobic reserve at the end of the race whereas rowers need to get the boat moving at the start and are beat by the finish. Ive seen middle distance runners with a final 400m kick...they know when its safe for them to kick (neither too soon or late). Others only have a 100m kick. Our rowing man here looks to have worked out how long he can sprint without lactate interfering with the largely aerobic majority of the remaining 2000m race. I'm sure it must hurt him but pain doesn't necessarily mean a performance sacrifice ... I am sure the body will adapt if training mimics his race strategy....pushing the initial sprint interval further and further. This video is old now...but i am interested in what the actual reason is for this guy's race strategy.
Yes very little research behind what I do at the start. Just based on what coaches have told me. The idea behind the strategy in the video was made by some experimentation but I wouldn’t say as specific as you suggest.
I don’t disagree that the sprint at the start of a race is a strange strategy but will evolve from what happens on the water. Plus in running if someone did sprint out the gates for 40s in a 400m they would likely be able to hold onto the lead if everyone was caught by surprise. In indoor rowing you don’t really know the speed that everyone is going like you would on a track
You can write him in direct inst: alexadrr_live
P.s. his best erg 5.40.8, so I don’t think he gave his best
We have been chatting after this video. It was not his best in score but he wasn't holding back!
#yamsquad
he starts too fast
the point of the start is to get
your AVERAGE split down to the speed
you want to hold thru the rest of the first
1700-1800m before your closing kick
his slow in the stretch means he overspent
and carried that deficit til he couldnt hide it
the perfect race has abt 5 strokes (7-9sec) hard
then the long steady then a kick that doesnt die
even as your physically unable to go faster
And he clearly could faster @Frank Astier ;-)
Think I'll make another video talking about his response to our questions!
It’s called undetectable Russian doping mate! I mean the guy was 6th in U23 1x this summer, and he is 22 year old. Doesn’t appeal to my logic!