Let’s be honest. If you asked most rowers whether they’d rather spend an hour on the water or thirty minutes on an erg, they’d choose the water every single time. That’s why we fell in love with rowing in the first place. There is something special about watching the sun rise, or the sun set, over a quiet river, feeling the boat run beneath you and hearing eight athletes moving together in perfect rhythm. Nothing will ever replace that feeling, and nor should it.

But if I asked you a different question — not about what you enjoy most, but about what will make you a better athlete — your answer might be different.

If your main training goal was to become fitter, stronger and ultimately make your crew faster, where would you get the biggest return on your training investment?

For many athletes, the answer isn’t on the water at all.

It’s sitting quietly in the corner of the shed, the back of your garage at home, or a crowded gym.

The erg has never had the romance, and definitely not the fun of rowing. No one puts a photo of themselves smiling on an erg on social media. It’s hard, repetitive, and, if we’re being honest, it can be mentally draining and stressful. Yet I would argue that few pieces of equipment have done more to improve rowing performance than the “terrifying” rowing machine.

Think about an average water session. You drive to the club, get changed, carry boats, wait for people to arrive, rig equipment, launch, stop to regroup, row, return to the shed, wash the boats and pack everything away. Before you know it, two or three hours have disappeared, including a lot of wasted time; well with the exception of maybe the post-row beer, of course (that’s a shout-out to my rowing mate, John Perry).

Now compare that with a quality erg session.

Within a few minutes you’re warming up. Thirty or forty minutes later you’ve completed a workout that has challenged your heart, lungs, brain and muscles from the first stroke to the last. Every minute has been productive. There has been no waiting, no interruptions and no wasted time. From a purely physiological point of view, it’s hard to think of another training session that offers such a high return on investment.

That’s not to say the erg replaces rowing. It never will. Rowing is a technical sport, and nothing develops boat feel, timing and crew rhythm like time on the water. But fitness and technique are two different things. Make no mistake, the fitter you become, the more effectively you can apply your technique, and that’s where the erg really comes into its own.

One of the biggest reasons is its ability to improve your aerobic capacity. If I had to choose one type of training that delivers the greatest improvement in fitness for most rowers, it would be structured erg intervals. They are demanding, uncomfortable, and certainly not everyone’s favourite session, but they work. Interval training allows you to spend time working close to your maximum aerobic capacity, challenging your cardiovascular system in a way that steady rowing just can’t. Over time your VO₂ max improves, your recovery becomes quicker and your ability to sustain power increases. Quite simply, you build a bigger, stronger engine.

And in rowing, bigger engines win races. Technique wins admiration. Fitness wins races. The best crews have both, but without a big engine it’s incredibly difficult to apply great technique when the pressure comes on.

What I also love about erg training is its honesty.

Out on the water there are countless variables. Wind, current, temperature, the crew you’re rowing with, the boat, the quality of the steering, and even the mood of the crew can influence how fast you go. Sometimes everything comes together, and the boat feels incredible. Other days it feels like you’re rowing through glue.

The erg removes almost all of those excuses.

The monitor doesn’t care if it’s raining outside. It doesn’t care whether you’ve had a stressful day at work or whether you only slept for five hours last night. It simply measures what you produce. Your split, your watts (which, in my opinion, remain one of the most undervalued statistics in rowing), your stroke rate, your heart rate and your distance are all there in black and white. Week after week, those numbers tell a story. If your average split is improving across a training block, you’re getting fitter. If you’re producing more power at the same heart rate, you’re becoming more efficient. The numbers don’t lie, and that’s one of the greatest strengths of erg training. Progress becomes measurable rather than something you simply hope is happening.

Another reason I love the erg is that it removes excuses. The river might be flooded. It might be blowing 40 km/h. It might be dark before you finish work. Your crew might have cancelled training. None of that matters. If you’ve got an erg, you can train. Consistency is one of the biggest predictors of improvement, and the erg makes consistency possible all year round.

There is another side to the erg that often gets overlooked, and that’s the mental side.

An erg session has no scenery to distract you. There is no boat running beneath you and no crew to carry you through a difficult patch. It’s just you, the flywheel and a monitor counting down every painful metre. There comes a point in every hard interval where your body starts negotiating with your mind. Slow down. Ease off. Skip the last repetition. Finish a minute early. We’ve all had those conversations with ourselves.

The athletes who continue pulling are developing something that extends well beyond fitness.

They’re developing resilience and mental toughness.

Every difficult interval becomes practice for race day. Every time you choose to keep going when everything hurts, you’re teaching yourself that discomfort doesn’t have to mean stopping. That’s a lesson you’ll use every time your crew reaches the final stages of a race, and everyone is searching for one more effort.

Perhaps the biggest thing rowers forget is that they’re never training just for themselves.

Every session you complete makes your crew stronger.

Every interval you finish gives your teammates another athlete they can trust and rely on.

When everyone in a crew commits to doing the hard work away from the river, something special starts to happen. Standards rise. Expectations rise. You don’t need to tell people you’ve been training because they can see it. They notice you’re still producing power when others are fading. They notice you’re recovering more quickly between pieces. They notice that you never seem to give up in the closing stages of a race.

Nothing earns respect within a crew quite like quietly doing the work when nobody else is watching.

I often think of erg training as making deposits into a bank account. Some deposits are small. Others are enormous. Some sessions feel fantastic, and others leave you questioning why you ever started rowing in the first place. But every quality session adds something to the account. You may not notice it tomorrow or even next week, but over the course of a season those deposits accumulate into a level of fitness, confidence and resilience that you simply can’t fake.

Come race day, you’re not hoping you’ll be fit enough.

You’re simply making a withdrawal.

So the next time you’re staring at an erg and wondering whether today’s session is really worth it, remember what you’re investing in. You’re investing in a bigger engine, a stronger mind, measurable improvement and, most importantly, a faster crew.

The erg may never become your favourite place to train, but if your goal is to become the best rower you can be, it just might be the smartest investment you’ll ever make.

“The river teaches technique. The erg builds the engine.”

If this article has convinced you that erg training deserves a bigger place in your program, I’ve created a free online Erg Coach that generates structured training sessions based on your experience, fitness, and goals. Whether you’re training for your first 1 or 2 km test or preparing for your next regatta, it’ll help you make every session count. Give it a try – CLICK HERE— it’s completely free.

The post Why Every Stroke on the Erg is an Investment in Your Crew appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.

Motivation Gets You Started, Discipline Keeps You Going

There’s nothing wrong with motivation. In fact, it plays an important role in sport, particularly at the beginning of a journey. When you first decide to take up rowing, running, or join a footy team, or commit to getting stronger in the gym, motivation is usually what kicks the whole thing off. That initial burst of excitement, that vision of who you want to become — it’s powerful stuff. It gets you out the door, gets you signed up, gets you moving. But here’s the thing: motivation was never designed to be a long-term fuel source. It’s a starter motor, not the entire engine.

Think about the greatest athletes in history. Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, James Tomkins, Drew Ginn or Cristiano Ronaldo — do you think they woke up every single morning feeling fired up and ready to go? Absolutely not. There were days when their bodies ached, when they’d suffered losses, when the last thing they wanted to do was show up for another gruelling session. What separated them from everyone else wasn’t that they felt more motivated. It was that they showed up anyway. They had built systems, habits, and routines so deeply ingrained that showing up wasn’t a decision driven by emotion — it was simply what they did – DISCIPLINE!.

This is where discipline becomes the true difference-maker. Discipline transforms training from something you do when you feel like it into something you do regardless of how you feel. It creates consistency, and consistency is the only real path to improvement in sport. You don’t get better by training brilliantly once a week when the mood strikes. You get better by putting in the work day after day, week after week, even when it’s boring, even when it’s hard, and especially when every part of you is telling you to take the day off. Motivation might get you started on that journey, but discipline is what carries you all the way to the finish line.

Why Relying on Feelings Alone Will Always Let You Down

Feelings are unreliable. That’s not a criticism of human nature — it’s just a fact. Our emotional state fluctuates constantly depending on sleep, stress, diet, weather, and a hundred other variables. If you’re an athlete who only trains when you feel motivated, you are essentially handing control of your athletic development over to factors that have nothing to do with sport. Had a bad day at work? Training suffers. Didn’t sleep well? You skip the session. It starts to feel justified in the moment, but over time, those skipped sessions add up, and progress stalls in a way that’s very difficult to recover from.

The real danger of motivation-dependent training is that it creates an inconsistent relationship with your sport. You end up with peaks and valleys — intense bursts of activity followed by prolonged periods of doing very little. This is actually counterproductive from a physiological standpoint. The body adapts to consistent, progressive stress over time. When training is sporadic, you’re constantly starting and stopping, never quite allowing the adaptations to fully take hold. Many coaches and sports scientists will tell you the same thing: a moderate training plan followed consistently will always outperform a perfect training plan followed inconsistently. Feelings get in the way of that consistency every single time.

Discipline, on the other hand, removes the question entirely. When you operate from a place of discipline, you don’t ask yourself whether you feel like training today. The schedule says Tuesday is a hard session, so Tuesday is a hard session — end of discussion. This might sound rigid, but it’s actually incredibly liberating. You free yourself from the mental back-and-forth of “should I or shouldn’t I?” and replace it with a simple, non-negotiable commitment. Over time, this becomes your identity as an athlete. You’re not someone who trains when conditions are perfect. You’re someone who trains, full stop. That identity is far more powerful and far more durable than any motivational video you’ll ever watch.

At the end of the day, motivation is a tool — a useful one, but a limited one. It can ignite the flame, but it cannot keep the fire burning through the cold mornings, the tough losses, the plateaus, and the setbacks that every athlete inevitably faces. Discipline is what does that. It’s built slowly, through repeated choices to show up even when you don’t want to, and it compounds over time into something truly formidable. If you want long-term success in sport — whether you’re chasing a personal best, a team trophy, or simply a healthier version of yourself — stop waiting to feel motivated. Build the discipline instead. Because motivation is a feeling, and feelings pass. Discipline is a practice, and practice is what makes champions.

Train the brain, not just the body!

The post Why Discipline Beats Motivation in Sport Every Time appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.

I remember a quote from Greg Welch, Ironman World Champion in 1994: “If you want to win, you’ve got to be willing to take risks.” That resonated with me big time. Conservatism doesn’t bring glory.

Anyone who has been in boats I’ve coxed will know I like taking risks. I don’t like the “vanilla” approach to race plans, and I like backing the abilities of the athletes I’m coxing. That said, I need to sign a bit of a disclaimer here — I don’t always know every crew perfectly, so sometimes judgement has to be adjusted on the fly.

Until recently, I didn’t realise there was actually a name for something that sits right in this space: the “Explore vs Exploit Dilemma”. I came across it in an article a few days ago and went down the rabbit hole.

The idea is simple, even if it sounds academic. Exploring means trying something new to find a better way of doing things. Exploiting means sticking with what already works and getting the most out of it.

Every crew, whether they realise it or not, is constantly moving between these two modes — assuming the coaching team (and coxswain) are across planning properly. The challenge is that most crews don’t get the balance right. Not because they don’t understand rowing, but because training and racing pressure naturally pushes them toward one side.

In rowing, exploiting is where consistency lives. It’s locking in a race plan you trust, reinforcing technical patterns that already move the boat well, and repeating training sessions that you know deliver results — or worse, assume deliver results.

It’s also about making decisions that favour reliability over potential. When a crew is in a good place, this is where you want to spend most of your time. It’s also, generally speaking, the easier option physically and mentally.

The problem is that if you only ever exploit, you eventually plateau. You get very good at what you already are, but you stop discovering what you could be. Growth slows, and for older rowers especially, it can stop altogether. That’s where exploration has to come in.

Exploration is uncomfortable by nature. It might be a different boat setup, a change in rhythm or structure during training pieces, or moving athletes around in the boat to see what happens — which, of course, can bring ego into play very quickly.

In short, it’s deliberately testing different technical or training approaches. Most of the time it won’t feel better straight away. In fact, it often feels worse. That’s why crews abandon it too early and don’t give it enough time to see real outcomes.

But the point of exploration isn’t immediate performance. It’s information. You’re trying to find out whether something has a higher ceiling than what you’re currently doing.

Where crews tend to get this wrong is timing.

Early in a season, there should be a strong exploration phase. This is when you can afford to test, adjust, and get things wrong. But many crews settle into “status quo” early just to get the season underway, and because most seasons start with head racing, it’s easy to become conservative without noticing.

As you move closer to competition, the balance should steadily shift toward exploitation — making the most of what you’ve already discovered. By the time you’re racing, you should be almost entirely in “make it work” mode rather than “try something new” mode.

What often happens instead is the opposite. Crews stay too conservative for too long, then panic and start changing things late when there’s no time left to properly evaluate anything. That’s not exploration — that’s disruption.

The same dilemma shows up in racing, especially for coxswains. Once you’re in a race, you’re constantly deciding whether to stick to the plan or respond to what’s unfolding around you.

Personally, I don’t love rigid plans. I prefer racing — working with the crew to respond in real time as the race develops. But even that still sits inside this framework: sticking to the plan is exploitation, reacting is exploration.

Good crews don’t randomly switch between the two. They operate with pre-agreed triggers so any deviation is controlled and intentional, not emotional.

Without that structure, races fall apart quickly. Crews chase moves too early, abandon rhythm too easily, or overreact to small shifts in speed. The better crews stay anchored, but flexible enough to respond when it actually matters — and that comes down to the coxswain having real race feel and being able to read the field.

There are a few common patterns that show up repeatedly. Some crews over-exploit mediocrity — they find something that is “good enough” and stop challenging it. Others over-explore, constantly tweaking without allowing anything to settle. Both limit performance, just in different ways.

The most effective programs are deliberate about this. They define what is fixed and what is open to change. They explore early and aggressively, then narrow focus as racing approaches. And importantly, they measure whether changes actually improve boat speed, not just whether they feel better.

At its core, this isn’t really a theory problem. It’s a discipline problem.

The best crews aren’t the ones who avoid change or chase it constantly. They’re the ones who know when to stop searching and when to start locking in.

And in rowing, that timing is often the difference between being competitive and being genuinely fast.

I challenge you to explore this concept.

The post The Explore vs Exploit Dilemma in Rowing appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.

In this casual convo, I sit down with Mario Laing from Lake Eildon Rowing Club to have a chat about his commitment to 100 consecutive days of rowing training. We talk through why he started, what he’s learned along the way, and how the reality didn’t always match the expectations—especially on the tougher days.

A key theme that comes through is discipline. Not motivation, but the ability to keep turning up when the body is flat, the metrics aren’t improving, and the excitement has worn off. Mario shares what’s shifted for him physically and mentally, and how this block of consistent training is shaping his longer-term goals.

There’s plenty here for anyone thinking about consistency, building habits, or just getting through the days where training feels like a grind rather than a win.

For those of you who know me, I bang on about discipline constantly, and it’s only with discipline and motivation that you can achieve success, not with motivation alone.

The post 100 Days Straight – Discipline Over Motivation with Mario Laing appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.

UT2: The Engine Room

UT2 is where most rowers spend the bulk of their time. It stands for “Utilisation Training 2”, a phrase that sounds more complicated than it really is — a classic example of rowers trying to be a little fancy. In essence, UT2 is easy, long, aerobic work: the steady-state sessions that build the cardiovascular base, improve fat metabolism, and help you recover from harder pieces.

On an erg, UT2 is usually about 50–65% of your power. Heart rate-wise, it sits around 55–65% of your max heart rate, depending on your fitness. On the water, it’s the pace where the boat glides smoothly, strokes are relaxed, and a conversation with your crewmates is easily possible (if your mates are chatty, of course).

Think of UT2 as Zone 2 in standard heart rate training — that long, easy effort that forms the foundation of any endurance athlete’s program.

UT1: Pushing the Aerobic Envelope

UT1 is a step up. Breathing gets a little heavier, conversation is limited to short phrases, and you start feeling that controlled “pressure” in your legs. UT1 develops aerobic power and muscular endurance, sitting roughly at 65–75% of max heart rate.

In HR terms, UT1 straddles the high end of Zone 2 and the low end of Zone 3. It’s still primarily aerobic — you’re not in full lactate accumulation mode yet — but it’s where you start bridging the gap between easy, base-building work and the threshold or race-pace sessions that really push your limits.

Cheeky Rowers and Their Lingo

Why don’t rowers just stick with Zone 1 and Zone 2? Well, traditions die hard. The UT system dates back to the days before heart rate monitors and power meters, when coaches needed a way to communicate intensity using feel and effort, particularly in team boats. Saying “we’ll do a UT2 session” instantly communicates: easy, controlled, long aerobic work — no gadgets required.

So yes, rowers may have been a little cheeky, inventing their own terminology to sound more sophisticated. But there’s a method to the madness: understanding UT1 and UT2 alongside HR zones can help both new and experienced rowers translate boat feel into measurable intensity, whether on the water or the erg.

A Reality Check for the Time-Poor Athlete

Here’s the thing: much of the theory behind UT1 and UT2 is designed for elite or professional athletes who can spend many hours per week in training. For example, Eliud Kipchoge runs 200 km per week — a huge volume of aerobic work — so he can afford to spend countless hours in Zone 2.

Most of us, however, are time-poor. We don’t have the luxury of 10–20 hours of training per week. That means if we slavishly followed “ideal” UT2 prescriptions, we might waste hours of quality training time on slow, easy sessions at the expense of more time-efficient, higher-intensity training. In other words, we have to get the best return on our training dollar, doing just enough UT2 to maintain aerobic base but prioritising quality sessions that deliver more bang for the buck.

The Takeaway

• UT2 = low-intensity aerobic / Zone 2
• UT1 = moderate aerobic / high Zone 2 to low Zone 3
• Both are foundational, but time-poor rowers can adapt the theory to fit a realistic schedule

Next time you hear a rower casually mention a UT2 session, just remember: they’re not trying to confuse you — they’re using their own quirky rowing language. But also remember, the ideal “UT2-heavy” world belongs to elite athletes; the rest of us can pick and choose wisely to get the most out of our training.

The post UT1, UT2, and Heart Rate Zones: Rowers Doing Their Own Thing appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.

Episode 3: Fueling for Endurance — Diet & Hydration Before HotY

The Head of the Yarra is a long, demanding race — and how you fuel your body can make all the difference. In this episode, Jen, from ⁠Toowong Rowing Club⁠ , and I explore what to eat and drink in the lead-up to the 8km race so you can perform at your best on the day.

We cover:

• What your body needs for sustained endurance
• How to approach carb loading and maintain gut comfort in the lead up
• Fuelling strategies on race morning
• Smart hydration before and after racing
• Post-race recovery tips

Whether you’re racing HotY for the first time or fine-tuning your routine, this episode offers practical, tried-and-true advice to help you stay fuelled, focused, and ready for the river.

In addition, please take a moment to look over the following articles regarding heat stress and glycogen metabolism.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1440244007002095

https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/76/4/243/4851715

Key Safety Points for Masters Rowers – Best Practice

• Age and Heat Tolerance
  • Masters athletes typically have reduced sweat rates and slower circulatory responses, making them more vulnerable to heat strain than younger rowers.
  • Hydration and pacing become increasingly critical, especially in warm or humid conditions.
• Sources of Heat Stress
  • Two main drivers:
    1. Metabolic heat from muscle activity (especially during race starts and sustained efforts).
    2. Environmental heat (air temperature, sun, humidity, and radiation from water surface).
  • These act independently but combine to increase total strain.
• Core vs Skin Temperature
  • Core temperature rises mainly with exercise intensity (metabolic heat).
  • Skin temperature rises due to the environment (sun, humidity, low airflow).
  • Together they determine sweat rate and heat dissipation capacity.
• Sweat and Evaporation Limits
  • Effective cooling depends on both sweat production and the environment’s ability to evaporate it.
  • In humid or still conditions (e.g., windless regattas), sweat doesn’t evaporate efficiently—core temperature rises faster.
• Behavioural Regulation
  • In the real world (unlike lab studies), rowers can self-regulate by adjusting intensity, clothing, and hydration..
• Practical Implications for Masters Rowers
  • Pre-hydrate and cool before racing (cold drinks, shade, cooling towels if needed).
  • Avoid prolonged warm-ups in full sun.
  • Monitor sweat loss and body weight to gauge hydration needs.
  • Adjust stroke rate or intensity when heat load is high—performance drops rapidly once overheating begins, so needs to be considered.
  • Post-session cooling (hydrate and shade) aids recovery and reduces cumulative heat strain.

NOTE: This is not medical advice, our views are based on years of personal experience, we are not medical practitioners. If anyone has any concerns or require more in-depth information please consult a medical professional.

The post Head of the Yarra: Inside the Coxswain’s Mind! – Ep 3 appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.

Episode 1: Training for the Challenge — Building Your Crew for HotY

The Head of the Yarra isn’t just another regatta — it’s 8 kilometres of rhythm, teamwork, and endurance. In this episode, we break down how to prepare your crew for the challenge of Australia’s biggest head race.

Join me and Jennifer Pollock from Toowong Rowing Club, where we cover:

• Why HOTY demands a different training approach
• Crew selection and the importance of technical compatibility over raw power
• Key training sessions: steady-state, rate control, and long race pieces
• The coxswain’s role in building rhythm, trust, and confidence
• Balancing different experience levels within a crew

Whether you’re a rower, coach, or coxswain, this episode will give you practical strategies to get the most out of your HOY preparation.

Like my Podcast? Maybe buy me a coffee?

The post Head of the Yarra: Inside the Coxswain’s Mind! – Ep 1 appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.

That is where watts per kilogram (W/kg) comes in, and in many ways, it’s the metric we should be paying closer attention to. W/kg measures how much power an athlete produces for every kilogram of body weight. This simple adjustment gives a far fairer view of true athletic ability, especially when comparing rowers of different builds. Two rowers might produce identical splits, but if one is 95 kg and the other is 70 kg, the smaller athlete is producing far more power relative to their size — a sign of greater efficiency and strength for their body mass.

W/kg is nothing new in the world of sport — it has been a cornerstone of performance analysis in cycling for years. In professional road racing, climbing ability is often measured in W/kg, because it determines how quickly a rider can ascend a hill relative to their body weight. Just as in rowing, the physics are clear: the more power you can produce for your weight, the faster you can move over a given resistance. The crossover between the two sports is well known, with many athletes transitioning from rowing to cycling after retirement. One example is Hamish Bond, one half of the legendary New Zealand “Kiwi Pair,” who went on to become a highly competitive cyclist, representing New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games. His success in cycling was built on the same high relative power that made him a dominant force in the boat.

In smaller boats such as singles, doubles, and pairs, W/kg is often a better predictor of boat speed than raw split times. Physics is the reason: smaller boats are more sensitive to total mass and more responsive to rowers who can generate high relative power. This means that the strongest, fittest athletes — the ones who produce impressive W/kg numbers — often deliver more on the water than their split alone would suggest. By focusing solely on splits, coaches risk overlooking these athletes in favour of bigger rowers whose absolute power is high but relative efficiency is lower.

This isn’t to say that split times don’t matter. They remain a vital benchmark for selection, particularly in large crew boats where combined absolute power moves the shell. But pairing split times with W/kg creates a fuller, more accurate picture of an athlete’s capability. W/kg tells you not just who is fast, but who is punching above their weight — literally. It identifies the rowers whose fitness, strength, and efficiency might be hidden behind slower splits caused by a smaller frame.

For coaches, the takeaway is clear: record and track both metrics. Use split times to assess absolute performance, but lean on W/kg when you want to identify the most capable movers in smaller boats or spot developing talent. For athletes, knowing your W/kg as well as your splits can be motivating — it shows your progress in ways the raw pace might not. Ultimately, in a sport where every fraction of a second counts, watts per kilogram gives you context, and context can be the difference between a good crew and a great one.

The post W/kg – It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog! appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.

You might think that going out on the water with your crew, coach alongside, and running through some drills means you’re training. But here’s the truth: a lot of what people call training is just rowing. Rowing is paddling up and down the river. Sometimes it’s social. Sometimes it’s mindful. Sometimes it’s technically focused. And sometimes it’s just “putting in the miles.” But training — real training — has a specific goal. It’s not about just covering distance or fine-tuning one more stroke detail. It’s about getting faster, getting stronger, and preparing yourself — mentally and physically — to race at your limits. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: going fast hurts.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stepped out of a boat after a session or a race and heard complaints: that was a bad row, the boat didn’t feel right, it was messy, it was uncomfortable. But when I look at the numbers — the splits, the times — I see the fastest performance that crew has ever delivered. And still, some athletes aren’t happy. That mindset baffles me. Because if you’re a competitive athlete, the number one goal is speed. Everything else is trivial. In masters rowing, sure, sometimes you get lucky with the draw or win because of the division system or quirks of the regatta format. That can build confidence, but it’s not a true test for a competitor. For real athletes, results are earned through preparation, not chance.

One of the frustrations of being a coxswain in a masters club environment is that you’re rarely attached to a single crew. You jump from boat to boat, crew to crew, rarely able to make a deep impact because there are no structured training crews. But in recent years, I’ve had the privilege of working with a few groups who broke that mould. Two women’s crews, one men’s crew — all masters athletes — who said, “Yes, we want to train together, with focus, for a specific goal.” And once they said yes, they were mine — said with a grin, but meant seriously. They made a commitment — to themselves, to each other, and to me — and once they committed, they became accountable. That’s the moment everything changed.

We trained. We didn’t just row. Every session had structure, in fact the whole program had structure: on the water, off the water, at home. And the results followed. Let’s be clear — “results” doesn’t always mean winning. In masters rowing, luck, entry lists, and combinations often play a role. But in these three cases, we built good, fast crews. Why were they good? The men’s crew were lifetime rowers — former schoolboys and club athletes, one even an Australian junior representative. The women’s crews were newer to rowing but fierce, determined, and willing to work hard. I’m a firm believer in using the tools you have and focusing on what you can change.

And here’s the hard reality for masters athletes: you can’t waste time paddling endless kilometers chasing technical perfection. Your neuroplasticity — your brain’s ability to lock in new movement patterns — isn’t what it was at age sixteen. You simply won’t get there. But you can improve your body’s capacity to work hard. You can improve your brain’s ability to tolerate discomfort, to accept the pain of training and racing.

For those wanting the extra comfort of knowledge, here’s something you should seriously consider: get yourself a smartwatch and start tracking your fitness statistics. Oh, don’t tell me it’s too expensive — come on! You spend a fortune going to regattas, on weekends away, race entries, club fees, and many of you even own your own boats. A smartwatch is cheap by comparison! And it’s a small investment that can make a huge difference in your growth as an athlete. I also strongly recommend getting a TrainingPeaks account. This platform gives you real numbers on how your body is coping, how your training is working, and where you need to adjust. Personally, I find TrainingPeaks a vital part of my approach — I follow the numbers closely. After all, TSS (Training Stress Score) doesn’t lie! More than once, I’ve looked at the TSS data after what the coach and crew thought was a solid one-hour “training session” and, well, the numbers revealed it was really just a row. Handy to know, especially if you actually want to improve.

This article isn’t criticising those who want to enjoy the experience of rowing, racing, and community. It’s here to highlight the difference between rowing and training. And the number one difference? It’s not talent. Not age. Not perfect technique. It’s mindset. If you have that inherent competitive streak — if you’re wired to push, to chase, to grind — then understand this: you can’t just row. You have to train. And if you want to give your crew the best possible chance of success, that training has to be hard. There’s nothing wrong with having fun. But if you want to win, it has to hurt sometimes.

At the end of the day, every athlete — no matter their age, background, or experience — has to decide what they want from their sport. There’s enormous value in simply being on the water, enjoying the movement, the company, the rhythm of the boat. But if you have that restless itch inside, that fire that wants to push beyond what’s comfortable, then remember: you’re not out there just to row. You’re out there to train. And training is hard. It challenges you not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.

You’ll doubt yourself. You’ll feel tired. You’ll wonder if it’s worth it. But when the moment comes — when you line up at the start, when you feel the boat lock together in that perfect drive, when you cross the line knowing you gave everything — you’ll know exactly why you chose the harder path. Because that’s the path that makes the difference.

The post Row or Train? – The Hard Truth About Winning appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.

Before diving into this discussion, let me clarify my stance. I typically avoid discussing stroke rates—in well-trained crews, the optimal race rate should emerge organically. Yet the conversation persists because higher rates intimidate athletes. The physical demand increases exponentially as the rate climbs.

We must also confront the “long and strong” dogma ingrained in rowers for generations. Modern technique increasingly challenges this philosophy, prompting us to re-examine these principles.

This article targets amateur athletes—club rowers, masters, and recreational competitors—with base-to-good fitness levels. It’s not aimed at elite or high performance athletes, or small boats (singles/pairs) that require different technical approaches. My insights draw from BioRow, British Rowing, and Row2k, targeting crews seeking competitive edges rather than casual racers.

My perspective comes from a unique dual foundation: I’ve been immersed in rowing since the beginning of my athletic career as a young kid, while simultaneously competing at competitive levels in cycling, triathlon, and running. This combination has given me what I call “cross-sport eyes” – the ability to see rowing technique and physiology through multiple lenses. Yet my rowing roots keep these lessons grounded in our sport’s realities. We all have to work with the “tools in our toolbox”. The vast majority of rowing pundits are purely rowing-focused.

The Painful Truth: Higher Rates Are Faster

Every coxswain and coach faces this dilemma, especially with lighter or less conditioned crews: Do we endure the pain of higher rates (32-38 spm) or settle for the comfort of lower rates (28-32)? Physics and race results confirm higher rates are faster, but they demand exceptional fitness and technical precision. These rates require “special athletes”—rowers who can sustain brutal physiological stress while maintaining form.

The science is clear. Lower rates generate more power per stroke, but the boat decelerates noticeably between strokes. Higher rates maintain continuous propulsion. BioRow’s research shows speed peaking at 32-36 spm despite slightly reduced force per stroke. It’s like cycling: mashing big gears feels powerful, but faster pedaling in lighter gears yields better speed.

The 1:1 Ratio Grind

At 32+ spm, rowers face a near 1:1 drive-to-recovery ratio and at 36 it is 1:1—less than a second to reset between strokes. Compare this to the forgiving 1:2 or 1:3 ratios at lower rates. This relentless tempo forces athletes into anaerobic exertion while amplifying technical flaws: rushed slides, lost connection at the catch, and panicked shortening that sacrifices too much length.

Note the statistics below, paying attention to drive time and recovery time, source www.biorow.com.

The Art of Trading Length for Rhythm

This is where we challenge tradition with modern practice. When crews train specifically for high-rate rowing, there’s a valuable technique of *controlled shortening* – deliberately taking slightly less length to maintain better rhythm and boat speed. It’s not about rowing short or choppy, but finding that precise sweet spot where you preserve just enough length to load the legs effectively while enabling faster stroke turnover.

The magic happens when crews develop quick catches and fast hands at these elevated rates, making swift transitions more valuable than maximum reach. This approach proves particularly effective in sprint races; 500m and 1km distances (common for amateur crews) and when rowing with fit athletes in favourable conditions like tailwinds.

However, it’s important to recognise this isn’t a universal solution – in head races, with less experienced crews, or in heavier boats that demand full propulsion per stroke, maintaining more traditional length remains crucial. That said, even in these scenarios, strategic high-rate bursts still play an important role when making moves or finishing strong. The key distinction is that controlled shortening at high rates isn’t about compromising power, but rather redistributing it more efficiently through the stroke cycle to maintain boat momentum. When executed properly by trained crews, this subtle adjustment can be the difference between holding rate with good connection versus fighting to maintain an unsustainable, exaggerated length that ultimately slows the boat. 

Training the Transition

Preparing crews for high-rate effectiveness requires specific drills:

1. Rate Ladders/ Gearing Changes: Progressive intervals (e.g., 28→36 spm) to adapt to escalating demands

2. Rate-Capped Pieces: Strict rate targets (e.g., 5x500m @30 spm) to maximise power within constraints

3. Sacrifice Drill: Alternating 300m segments at 28 spm (full length) and 34 spm (controlled shortening) to compare speed/fatigue

*Coaching Note*: These drills often confuse stroke seats—clearly explain the intent and technical focus beforehand if required.

The Amateur’s Verdict

Higher rates win races when implemented correctly. Unfit crews won’t magically succeed by rating high—but then, unfit crews rarely win regardless of strategy. The courageous crew that masters the balance of sufficient length and aggressive rhythm will outpace competitors clinging to comfortable low rates.

Test this yourself: Row 500m at 28 spm (full length), then 500m at 34 spm (controlled shortening). Compare splits and experiences—you might discover untapped speed potential.

In short, lots of short and hard pieces in training; “Train the brain”

Final Thought

“Higher rates reward courage. If your crew is fit and technically prepared, don’t fear a shorter stroke—embrace the rhythm and attack.”

The post Stroke Rate, Stroke Length and Ratios – The Racing Dilemma! appeared first on The Coxswains Journey.