Rowing different distances requires different exertion. And depending on what else the workout includes, knowing your stroke rate is a good thing.
“Stroke rating is extremely important in helping you … find your efficiency and … determine, all right, how are you going to structure this workout as you have to get off the erg and do something else?” says Shane Farmer of CrossFit Rowing.
Dave Lipson, a fellow coach at CrossFit Invictus, demonstrates what various stroke rates look like from a 5,000-meter row down to a 250-meter row. Knowing that number factors into determining your pace and strategy in a workout, Farmer notes.
“You can’t win a workout on the erg, necessarily, but you can lose one,” he says. “This machine has to be finesse. If you try and crush this machine, it’s not going to give up. The harder you push, the more it’s going to resist. And as it resists, it’s going to wear you out.”
Video by Again Faster.
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Additional reading: Smoother Rowing for More Power by Tom Bohrer, published April 1, 2008.
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7 Comments on “The Importance of Stroke Rate”
1
wrote …
I had the opportunity to work with Shane at a recent CrossFit Rowing Cert at the Concept 2 factory in VT. Fantastic coaching! "You won't necessarily win a workout on the erg, but you can lose one" has entrenched itself in my coaching vocabulary. Knowing how to approach a rowing WOD with strategy (and a whole slew of other tips and tricks) has changed my relationship with the erg. Thanks Shane!
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2
wrote …
Finally opening the crossfit community up to better rowing technique. As a rower, it pains me to see fellow crossfiters not reach their full potential on the rower. In the end, they lag in workouts that they could do much better in had they known proper rowing technique. It's just like the clean and the snatch, proper technique leads to increased power.
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3
Finn Christo wrote …
Perfect timing...I'm rowing across the Atlantic next year!
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4
wrote …
Why are you still using Dave as an example for rowing?!
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5
wrote …
Haha... I think these were all shot on the same day. He's got a pretty solid half-stroke. I'd love to see a shot of that monitor when he was pulling a 40.
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6
wrote …
Shane, you're still the man.
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7
wrote …
Looked like Dave was bending his wrists down going into the catch. Seemed to cause a lot of bouncing on the chain. Surprised something wasn't said about this. Otherwise, thanks for all the great info.
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