Long Light Green
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 27 min Light Green, rate 16–18
Cool-down · 8 min
Easy miles still count. Use the pauses to tidy up the stroke.
Free erg sessions
Rowing machine workouts
These are the erg sessions I actually use with my athletes, grouped by what they're for. Each one's shown as a 45-minute session with the warm-up and cool-down already in. Want one to fit 20 minutes or 90, with splits from your own 2k? The Workout Generator does that for free.
Before you pick one
The colour is how hard it should feel. Light Green and Green are easy, conversational work, and that's where most of your week should be. Orange and Red together: no more than two sessions a week. Every hard session has a warm-up that builds to the rate you'll need.
Build my engine
Aerobic base
Long Green
45 min · Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 27 min Green, rate 18–20
Cool-down · 8 min
Most of your week should look like this. It's where the engine gets built.
Rate ladder
45 min · Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 15 min: 5 min at rate 18 / 5 min at rate 20 / 5 min at rate 22
5 min at rate 18 · Green
5 min at rate 20 · Green
5 min at rate 22 · Green
Cool-down · 10 min
Teaches you to add rate without adding effort.
Get quicker over 2k
2 × 1k + 2 × 500
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 25 min: 2 × 1k / 2 × 500m
1k · Red · rate 30–32
500m · Red · rate 32–36
500m · Red · rate 32–36
Cool-down · 10 min
The long bit of a 2k, then the fast bit. Both in one session.
1k repeats
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 22 min: 1k Red, rate 28–32
Cool-down · 10 min
Just off race pace for longer. Builds the bit of the 2k where most people fade.
8 × 250 at race rate
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 18 min: 250m Red, rate 34–36
Cool-down · 10 min
Gets you used to race rate without it falling apart.
3 × 750
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 17 min: 750m Red, rate 30–32
Cool-down · 10 min
The middle of the 2k, practised.
Head race / 5k prep
Long, controlled, race-pace work
5k test
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 20 min: 5k Red, rate 26–30
Cool-down · 10 min
The real thing. Go out at goal pace and bring it home quicker.
Head race simulation
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 20 min: 5k Red, rate 26–30
Cool-down · 10 min
Practise the shape of a head race so race day is just doing it again.
Sprint speed
Starts, 250s, 500s
Starts
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 27 min: 20-stroke start Red, rate 36+ then 32
Cool-down · 8 min
A good start is free speed. Quality over quantity.
10-stroke bursts
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 26 min: 10 strokes Red, rate 36+
Cool-down · 9 min
Pure speed. Short enough that every stroke is your best one.
Flying 250s
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 26 min: 250m off a 20-stroke build Red, rate 34–38
Cool-down · 9 min
Speed at the end of a build, like the push in a race.
Power 15s
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 27 min: 15-stroke max power Red, rate 24–28
Cool-down · 8 min
Strength on the erg. Every stroke as hard as the first.
1 on 1 off
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 27 min: 1 min hard Red, rate 30–32
Cool-down · 8 min
Short rest, honest work. Teaches you to hold on.
100m sprints
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 24 min: 100m Red, rate 36+
Cool-down · 10 min
Top speed, full recovery. Stop when the speed drops.
Flying 500s
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 23 min: 500m off a moving start Red, rate 34–36
Cool-down · 10 min
Speed you can hold. Full recovery so every one is quick.
Tabata-style
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 22 min: 20 s hard Red, rate 32–36
Cool-down · 10 min
Short and horrible. Keep the stroke long.
30/30s
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 20 min: 30 s hard Red, rate 30–34
Cool-down · 10 min
Can you hold your speed when you are tired? This is how you find out.
250s off 45 s
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 17 min: 250m Red, rate 32–36
Cool-down · 10 min
Race speed with barely any rest. It gets hard fast.
500s off 1 min
45 min · Red
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 17 min: 500m Red, rate 30–32
Cool-down · 10 min
Speed endurance: race-ish pace, not much rest.
Technique
Pick drill pyramid
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 27 min: 2 min arms only / 2 min arms and body / 2 min half slide / 2 min full slide / 19 min continuous
2 min arms only · Light Green · rate 18–20
2 min arms and body · Light Green · rate 18–20
2 min half slide · Light Green · rate 18–20
2 min full slide · Light Green · rate 18–20
19 min continuous · Light Green · rate 18–20
Cool-down · 8 min
Builds the stroke one piece at a time, then puts it back together.
Rate cap
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 27 min Light Green, rate 18 max
Cool-down · 8 min
Low rate leaves you nowhere to hide. Every stroke has to be long.
Eyes closed
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 23 min: 3 min eyes closed Light Green, rate 18–20
Cool-down · 10 min
Feel the catch rather than watch it.
Ratio rows
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 22 min: 6 min slow recovery Light Green, rate 18–20
Cool-down · 10 min
Quick drive, slow recovery. That rhythm is what makes a boat run.
Legs only to full slide
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 20 min: 5 × (1 min legs only / 1 min half slide / 2 min full slide), no break
1 min legs only · Light Green · rate 20
1 min half slide · Light Green · rate 20
2 min full slide · Light Green · rate 20
Cool-down · 10 min
Legs first. Most of your power is there, so learn to use it before anything else.
Pause rows
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 18 min: 8 min pause at body-over Light Green, rate 18
Cool-down · 10 min
The pause makes you set your body before the slide. That is most of a good stroke.
Recovery
Easy paddle
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 27 min Light Green, rate 16–18
Cool-down · 8 min
If you're wondering whether it's easy enough, go easier.
Paddle and mobility
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 25 min: 10 min Light Green, rate 16–18
Cool-down · 10 min
Easy rowing and a bit of mobility. You should finish feeling better than you started.
Technique-light
45 min · Light Green
Warm-up · 10 min
Main set · 27 min Light Green, rate 16–18
Cool-down · 8 min
Recovery with something to think about. Nothing hard.
Want these put together into a week for you?
The sessions are the easy bit. Knowing which one to do today, and when to back off, is what coaching's for.