Adding in row conditioning on a C2R - programming ideas?

[over40]

I've got a C2R I'd like to use more soon instead of running.

Can anybody point me to a thread/article/site that has a pretty good, specific row interval program progression laid out? (Looking for intervals, not LSD).

I know of a few workouts, but I'd like to be a little more systematic in programming conditioning so I can see if I'm getting better.

[NeilTheCanadian]

Great choice getting a rower.

Not entirely sure about specific articles, but I would get some practice on it and get that stress/recovery/adaptation cycle started on its base level before taking up a mor3e advance rowing program. just like doing the LP before TM or HML. good luck my friend and happy rowing!

[BBB]

You sit your butt on the rower and you row. Add it in slowly... 5-minutes to start, then 10-minutes, work up to 30-mins. Not rocket science. Do it on off-days and keep the intensity relatively low.

[blues]

Sully, (Dr. Jonathon Sullivan), and Larry Lindenman, (Point Driven Training), each recommend a very similar interval workout which I find to be pretty effective on the rower.

Set the work interval on the PM for twenty seconds, and the rest interval for 40 seconds. (You can't specify a value under twenty seconds on the work interval.)

At the top of the minute go balls to the wall for twenty seconds trying to row as hard and fast as you can. Spend the next forty seconds recovering by rowing at a low to moderate pace.

Repeat the interval as many times as you feel up to. I generally complete about 12 cycles. It gets my heart rate up progressively with each cycle and I end up in the 80 to 85 percentile according to various formulas for estimating maximum heart rate.

You'll feel it.

Another one I like that I came up with myself based loosely on Tabata is 40 seconds work at max output / 20 seconds rest (slow rowing)...rinse and repeat 8 times.

Works for me. Try 'em out and see how they work for you.

[over40]

Blues-
So how does the progression work from day to day with this kind of interval? Adding extra cycles? How are you measuring your progress, or are you?

I’ve been doing 300M sprintsx6, slowly reducing the rest period from 120 to 60 sec each week. It must be doing something, as I can feel where my power drops off occurs later and later into the intervals.

I just finished Sully/Baker book and would like to try a prowler at some point. I’m in my mid-40s.

I realize this is SS is strength focused, along with this forum, but given the necessity for conditioning in a well-rounded lifetime training program I really wish either of the programming books or SS would have gone into a little more detail. Perhaps I am making this more complicated than it needs to be. However having been burnt out on pointless excessive CrossFit volume, I just have a real aversion to doing anything in the gym that doesn’t have a purpose and ultimate direction.

[blues]

Blues-
So how does the progression work from day to day with this kind of interval? Adding extra cycles? How are you measuring your progress, or are you?

I’ve been doing 300M sprintsx6, slowly reducing the rest period from 120 to 60 sec each week. It must be doing something, as I can feel where my power drops off occurs later and later into the intervals.

I just finished Sully/Baker book and would like to try a prowler at some point. I’m in my mid-40s.

I realize this is SS is strength focused, along with this forum, but given the necessity for conditioning in a well-rounded lifetime training program I really wish either of the programming books or SS would have gone into a little more detail. Perhaps I am making this more complicated than it needs to be. However having been burnt out on pointless excessive CrossFit volume, I just have a real aversion to doing anything in the gym that doesn’t have a purpose and ultimate direction.

I measure my progress against how I did in the recent past time-wise, and how hard my heart is working to meet the demand . I find I'll vary anywhere from a second or two for the average 500 meter time with the trend going to faster with the same or lower heart rate. You can up the intervals, lower the rest time etc. (I use the rest period as slow to moderate row.)

I'm rowing simply for cardio benefit but not for specific goals. It's an adjunct to the strength training. I'll throw in a 2000 meter, 4000 meter etc either as a straight row or split into intervals to change it up from time to time just to avoid getting bored.

I'm 65, 5'10 and 175. I've been working out for most of my life, so if I don't do it I feel like something is missing. But I'm not training to compete against anything but myself and the effects of creeping age. So far, so good.