A discussion from the Masters Rowing International Facebook Group - very useful insights from people with similar health situations, medical experts and the rest of us who are following and bookmarking the discussion in the hope that we won't need to refer to it for ourselves in future.
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I had an episode of atrial fibrillation a week last Sunday. As a bloke in his early 60s that's not too surprising; apparently rowers have 8x the chance, and I'm in the peak age bracket too. Looking back I have a suspicion that those times over the past year when my heart rate monitor was acting a bit weird, it's because my heart was acting a bit weird, and the HRM was probably fine. I'm waiting for a followup with the cardiologist, but have discovered that the beta blockers I'm currently on until then make ergs and weights completely impossible - serious "head feels like it will explode" side effects. The erg was especially exciting. And not in the good way. Clearly won't be on the water for the next couple of weeks.
Does anyone have any advice for training/rowing with AFib, assuming I get put on a gentler treatment plan? I realise everyone is different and it may not be relevant to me, but it would be nice to know it isn't 100% certain my rowing days are over. I'm not quite ready to just swan around at regattas in my blazer telling people how good I wasn't. (Although that is the backup plan.)
Further resources
And some webinars from our archive which may be useful. Both are free to view.
Recovery takes 2-3x longer after age 40 due to reduced mitochondrial function, slower protein synthesis, decreased glycogen resynthesis rate, and reduced ability to clear metabolic waste. Whereas a 25-year-old recovers in 24-48 hours, masters athletes need 72+ hours between hard sessions. This isn't being "out of shape", it's cellular biology.
The Physiology of Slower Recovery
What's Changed in Your Body
Mitochondrial Function Decline: Your mitochondria (cellular "power plants") become less efficient at 40+. They're slower at producing ATP and clearing metabolic byproducts, which directly impacts recovery speed.
Protein Synthesis Slowdown: Muscle repair depends on protein synthesis. After 40, this process slows significantly. Your muscles need more time to repair the micro-damage from hard training.
Glycogen Restoration: Your muscles store less glycogen after 40, and the resynthesis rate is slower. Complete restoration after hard interval training can take 72+ hours vs. 24-36 hours when younger.
Hormonal Changes: Growth hormone, testosterone, and IGF-1 all decline with age. These hormones are critical for recovery, adaptation, and muscle repair.
The Cumulative Fatigue Problem
What happens: When you do hard sessions too frequently, you accumulate fatigue faster than you clear it. This appears as:
Declining splits despite consistent training
Elevated resting heart rate
Persistent muscle soreness
Poor sleep quality
Mood disruption
Increased injury susceptibility
The mistake: Interpreting this as "I need to train harder" when the solution is "I need to recover more."
Between high-intensity rowing sessions: Minimum 72 hours elapsed
Example schedule:
Monday: Easy aerobic (60 min)
Tuesday: Strength training
Wednesday: OFF or very easy technique
Thursday: Hard threshold intervals
Friday: Strength training
Saturday: Long steady state (easy)
Sunday: OFF
Key point: Only Thursday is high-intensity rowing. Everything else is recovery, technique, or strength work.
2. Sleep Is Non-Negotiable
Target: 7-9 hours per night, consistently, and go to bed at the same time.
Why it matters: Growth hormone is released primarily during deep sleep. Inadequate sleep directly impairs muscle repair and adaptation.
Sleep optimisation:
Consistent bed/wake times (even weekends)
Cool, dark room (65-68°F)
No screens 60 minutes before bed
Consider magnesium supplementation (400mg before bed)
Reality check: You cannot out-train poor sleep. Ever. Watch the sleep webinar to find out if your sleep patterns are normal, how to adjust sleeping and training demands as you age.
3. Nutrition for Recovery
Protein Requirements:
1.2-1.6 g/kg bodyweight daily
Distributed across meals (not all at dinner)
20-40g within 60 minutes post-workout
Carbohydrate Timing:
Adequate carbs around hard sessions (before and after)
Other medical issues requiring professional evaluation
The Overtraining Diagnosis
Symptoms:
Declining performance despite maintaining/increasing training
Persistent fatigue
Elevated resting heart rate
Frequent illness
Depression or mood changes
Loss of motivation
Sleep disturbances
Treatment:
2-4 weeks complete rest (not just "easy")
Medical evaluation to rule out other causes
Gradual return following recovery
Training volume permanently reduced
Prevention: Easier than cure. Respect recovery from the start.
Recovery Enhancement Strategies
Evidence-Based Approaches
Cold Water Immersion:
10-15 minutes at 50-59°F after hard sessions
Reduces inflammation and perceived soreness
Don't use before strength training (may blunt adaptation)
Compression Garments:
Some evidence for reduced soreness
Wear 2-4 hours post-workout
More helpful for recovery between hard days
Massage/Foam Rolling:
Helps with perceived recovery and soreness
10-15 minutes daily on major muscle groups
Not a replacement for actual rest
Contrast Therapy:
Alternating hot/cold (3 min hot, 1 min cold, repeat 3-4x)
May help with recovery perception
Not a magic bullet
Probably Not Worth It
Expensive supplements: Most recovery supplements are marketing, not science Excessive stretching: More isn't better; quality over quantity Fancy gadgets: Most offer minimal benefit over basics (sleep, nutrition, rest)
The truth: Nothing replaces actual rest, quality sleep, and proper nutrition.
Train smarter, not harder. Recover better, race faster.
Join our newsletter for recovery strategies and training insights designed specifically for masters athletes.
You know the thought - that devastating idea that staying in bed is much, much nicer than heading out for a row when the air temperature hovers near zero degrees centigrade.
And you also know that once you're out on the water and have warmed up, the feeling of rowing and the boat hull gliding while nature wakes up around you is unmissable.
How to transition out of bed
Tips that may help you overcome the inertia of a warm bed.
Firstly, you know that it'll be cold outside, and you're tempted to put on lots of clothes so that you're warm when you first sit in the boat. Don't.
Exercise physiologists have shown that while you are exercising, your body produces a lot of heat so that you feel between 5 - 11 degrees WARMER than the ambient air temperature. The proof? If you feel cozy warm when you sit in the boat, you'll be overheated and stripping off layers of clothing after you've rowed 1-2km and you're warmed up.
A friend's advice: You should feel slightly cold when you step into the boat - That's a sign that you are dressed for a workout, not a walk round the block.
Photo credit: David Miege mix quad in snow
Creative hacks from the 6 am rowing club
All rowers have braved early morning outings. Here are some hacks which you may like to try.
Warm your clothes in the drier before stepping out of the door. A small burst of heat to see you through the first chilly minutes of exercise - this is a runners' trick - but I'm sure we can make this work for rowing too.
If it's windy and cold the skin on your face and cheeks can physically hurt - coat your cheeks with a thin layer of vaseline to provide a barrier of protection from the wind.
Drinkable hand warmer - put some hot water in your drink bottle and use this to warm your hands while half the crew is warming up and you're sitting idle in the boat. By the time you become thirsty, it'll have cooled down and be drinkable.
Have a small hot (caffeinated) drink before leaving home. Not only do we feel less thirsty in cold temperatures, and risk dehydration, this boost of caffeine keeps your brain sharp and the heat encourages your body to regulate its internal temperature.
The best training programme for masters rowers over 50 includes: 4-5 sessions per week (not 6-7), polarised intensity distribution (80% easy, 20% hard), mandatory strength training 2x/week, 72+ hour recovery between hard sessions, and clear periodisation with base/build/peak/taper phases. Volume should be 30-40% less than younger athletes, with strategic intensity and recovery prioritised.
Core Principles of Effective Masters programming
1. Appropriate Training Volume
Weekly structure that works:
4-5 rowing sessions (not 6-7)
2 strength training sessions (45 minutes)
2 complete rest days (not "active recovery" that's actually training)
Total weekly training: 6-8 hours maximum
Why less is more: Your body's recovery capacity has decreased. More volume without adequate recovery creates cumulative fatigue that appears as "plateau" or declining performance. Four high quality sessions beat seven mediocre ones.
Common mistake: Trying to match the volume you did at 30, or the volume younger athletes do. This leads to chronic overtraining and under-recovery.
2. Polarised Intensity Distribution
The split that works:
80% easy/aerobic: Conversational pace, building base, recovering actively
20% hard/threshold: Race pace minus 2-3 seconds, lactate tolerance work
0% moderate: The "junk mile" zone should barely exist
Why polarisation matters: The moderate zone, too hard to recover from, too easy to drive adaptation, is where most masters athletes waste their limited training time. You're accumulating fatigue without getting faster or better.
Weekly application:
2-3 easy aerobic sessions (45-90 minutes)
1-2 hard threshold/race pace sessions
Zero sessions in the moderate "no man's land"
3. Mandatory Strength Training
Non-negotiable requirement: 2 sessions per week, 45 minutes minimum
Why it's essential: After 40, you lose 3-5% of muscle mass per decade without resistance training. That's power output disappearing. Rowing alone doesn't prevent this.
What to include:
Squats (goblet, front, or back)
Deadlifts (conventional or Romanian)
Rows (bent-over, cable, or inverted)
Overhead press / bicep curl
Core work (anti-rotation, stability)
Progression: Start with bodyweight/light weight, add load gradually. Focus on movement quality over "ego" lifting.
4. Strategic Recovery Windows
Hard session spacing: Minimum 72 hours between high-intensity rowing sessions
Example schedule:
Monday: Easy aerobic (45-60 minutes)
Tuesday: Strength training
Wednesday: OFF or very easy technique (30 min)
Thursday: Hard threshold intervals
Friday: Strength training
Saturday: Long steady state (75-90 min easy)
Sunday: OFF or race simulation (if competition phase)
Why 72 hours: Complete glycogen restoration, muscle repair, and nervous system recovery all take longer after 40. Training hard before you have achieved full recovery makes you slower, not faster.
5. Periodisation Structure
Annual plan framework:
Base Phase (8-12 weeks):
Build aerobic foundation
Establish strength base
Refine technique
Volume: Moderate, Intensity: Low
Build Phase (6-8 weeks):
Add threshold work
Increase strength training load
Maintain aerobic work
Volume: Moderate-High, Intensity: Moderate-High
Peak Phase (4-6 weeks):
Race-specific intensity
Maintain strength
Reduce volume slightly
Volume: Moderate, Intensity: High
Taper Phase (1-3 weeks):
Volume drops 40-60%
Intensity maintained
Full recovery prioritised
Race readiness
Recovery Phase (2-4 weeks):
Active recovery
Cross-training
Mental break
Prepare for next cycle
Sample Week-by-Week programme
Base Phase Example (Week 4 of 12)
Monday: 45-60 min steady state (rate 18-20, conversational) Tuesday: Strength - Squats 3x8, Rows 3x10, Core circuit Wednesday: OFF Thursday: 45 min easy technique (rate 18, focus drills) Friday: Strength - Deadlifts 3x6, Press 3x8, Stability work Saturday: 90 min long aerobic (rate 18-20, steady) Sunday: OFF
Key features: High aerobic volume, building strength, minimal intensity
Build Phase Example (Week 6 of 8)
Monday: 60 min steady state (rate 20) Tuesday: Strength - Squats 3x6 (heavier), Rows 3x8, Core Wednesday: OFF Thursday: Threshold intervals - 4x6 min at race pace -2 sec, 3 min rest Friday: Strength - Deadlifts 3x5 (heavier), Press 3x6 Saturday: 75 min aerobic + 3x5 min at threshold (embedded intervals) Sunday: OFF
Monday: 45 min easy (rate 20) Tuesday: Strength - Squats 3x5, Rows 3x8, Power work Wednesday: OFF Thursday: Race pace work - 3x3 min at race pace, 4 min rest Friday: Strength - Deadlifts 2x5, Press 2x6 (maintenance) Saturday: Time trial or race simulation (1K test repeats) Sunday: OFF
Purpose: Build aerobic base, promote recovery, increase training volume safely Intensity: 60-70% max HR, conversational pace Duration: 60-90 minutes Rate: 18-20 spm Feel: Could sustain for hours if needed
Threshold Intervals
Purpose: Improve lactate threshold, build race-specific endurance Intensity: Race pace minus 2-3 seconds, ~80-85% max HR Structure: 4-6 x 5-7 min with 2-3 min rest Rate: 20-22 spm Feel: Sustainable discomfort, heavy breathing but controlled
Race Pace Work
Purpose: Practice race intensity, build lactate tolerance Intensity: Actual 1K race pace, ~90% max HR Structure: 4-8 x 2-3 min with equal rest Rate: 22-24 spm Feel: Uncomfortable, "can I actually sustain this?"
Long Steady State
Purpose: Build aerobic capacity, mental endurance Intensity: 65-75% max HR Duration: 45-120 minutes Rate: 18-20 spm Feel: Comfortable but purposeful
What to Avoid
Red Flag #1: Too Much Moderate Intensity
If most sessions are in the "sort of hard" zone (75-80% max HR), you're in trouble. This intensity is too hard to recover from but too easy to drive adaptation. Polarise your training.
Red Flag #2: Hard Sessions Too Close Together
Thursday hard intervals → Saturday hard steady state → Tuesday more intervals = recipe for overtraining. You need 72+ hours between high-intensity work.
Red Flag #3: No Strength Training
If you're only rowing, you're losing muscle mass and power every year. This isn't optional,it's foundational, particularly for post-menopausal women.
Red Flag #4: No Clear Periodisation
Training the same way year-round with no structure, no build phases, no recovery weeks. Your body needs variation and planned recovery to adapt.
Red Flag #5: Insufficient Recovery
Only 1 rest day per week, "active recovery" that's actually moderate training, sleeping <7 hours. Recovery is when adaptation happens.
How to Choose or Modify a programme
Questions to Ask:
1. Does it account for age-specific recovery?
Look for: 72+ hour spacing between hard sessions, 2 full rest days
Yes, absolutely. Masters athletes have different recovery timelines (2-3x longer), reduced VO2 max ceiling, higher injury risk from connective tissue changes, and progressive muscle loss that requires different training approaches. Training like a 25-year-old collegiate athlete after 40 leads to overtraining, injury, and declining performance.
The Fundamental Differences
1. Recovery Capacity
Younger athletes (20s-30s): Can do hard intervals Tuesday and Thursday with full recovery Masters athletes (40+): Need 72+ hours between high-intensity sessions for complete recovery.
This isn't about being "out of shape", it's cellular biology. Your body's ability to clear metabolic waste, restore glycogen, and repair muscle damage slows significantly with age. Training programmes that don't account for this create cumulative fatigue that appears as "plateau" or "getting slower despite training".
What this means for your programme:
Maximum 2 high-intensity sessions per week (not 3-4)
True rest days (not "active recovery" that's actually moderate intensity)
Extended taper before races (14-21 days vs 7-10 days)
2. VO2 Max Decline
The Reality: VO2 max declines ~10% per decade after age 30, even in well-trained athletes. By 50, you're working with roughly 70-80% of your peak aerobic capacity.
Training Implication: You can't out-volume younger athletes anymore. The "more is better" approach that worked at 25 now leads to overtraining.
Instead, masters athletes need:
Less total volume (4-5 quality sessions vs 7+ sessions)
More threshold work (which remains trainable) vs pure VO2 max work
Strategic intensity rather than grinding miles
3. Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia)
The Problem: After 40, you lose 3-5% of muscle mass per decade without intervention. This directly reduces your power output per stroke.
The Solution Younger Athletes Don't Need: Dedicated resistance training. Get into the gym, and lift heavy, especially for women over 50.
Masters-specific requirement:
2x per week strength training (45 minutes minimum)
Focus on compound movements: squats, deadlifts, rows, presses
Progressive overload to maintain/build muscle mass
Younger athletes can maintain muscle mass through rowing alone. Masters athletes cannot. This makes strength training non-optional for competitive performance.
4. Injury Risk and Connective Tissue
Younger athletes: Tendons and ligaments adapt quickly to training loads
Masters athletes: Collagen synthesis slows, tendons become less elastic, injury risk increases
Training modifications required:
Slower volume ramp-ups (max 10% per week)
Dedicated mobility work (10-15 minutes daily)
Technical precision over power (proper mechanics protect aging joints)
Your body's ability to buffer lactic acid and clear hydrogen ions declines with age. This means race pace feels harder at the same relative intensity.
Training approach for masters:
Regular lactate tolerance work (4-8 x 3-4 min at race pace, equal rest)
Year-round (not just pre-competition) to maintain this capacity
Accept that this work is brutally hard, that's why it's effective
What a Proper Masters Programme Looks Like
Weekly Structure Example
Monday: Easy aerobic (60 min, conversational pace) Tuesday: Strength training (45 min compound movements) Wednesday: OFF or very easy technique (30 min) Thursday: Threshold intervals (4-6 x 5 min at threshold, 2-3 min rest) Friday: Strength training (45 min) Saturday: Long steady state (75-90 min easy aerobic) Sunday: OFF or race simulation if competition phase.
Key differences from younger athlete programmes:
Only 2 hard rowing sessions (not 3-4)
Integrated strength work (not optional)
Two complete rest days (not "active recovery" training)
Longer aerobic sessions but less total weekly volume
Intensity Distribution
Masters-optimised: 80% easy/aerobic, 20% threshold/race pace
Common mistake: 60% moderate, 40% "sort of hard", the worst possible distribution
The moderate zone should barely exist. Training should be polarised: easy enough to recover from, or hard enough to drive adaptation. The middle ground just accumulates fatigue.
Chris Wade's photo of a Walbrook sculler
Common Myths Debunked
Myth 1: "Masters athletes just need to train harder to keep up." Reality: Masters athletes who train harder without appropriate recovery break down faster. Smarter, not harder.
Myth 2: "If I just do more volume, I'll get faster." Reality: Volume tolerance decreases with age. More volume without adequate recovery makes you slower.
Myth 3: "Strength training will make me bulky and slow." Reality: Strength training prevents the muscle loss that's making you slower. It's power preservation, not bodybuilding.
Myth 4: "I can't improve after 50, just maintain." Reality: Properly trained masters athletes continue improving. The athletes who plateau are often training wrong for their age.
The Competitive Advantage
This is the good news: most masters athletes are still training like younger athletes. They're grinding high volume, recovering poorly, and getting injured.
If you train appropriately for your age, you have a competitive advantage. While they're overtrained and injured, you'll be:
Proper periodisation with masters-appropriate recovery
Integrated strength training protocols
Threshold-focused interval work
Technical progressions that prevent injury
No more guessing whether your training matches your physiology. Get programming designed for how your body actually works now.
Join our newsletter for weekly evidence-based training insights specifically for masters rowers.
What got you here, won't get you there
Have you noticed that the second time you do a workout it seems easier? Maybe you were increasing from 2 x 15 minutes UT2 (Cat 6) up to 3 x 15 minutes. It seems like a huge step up the first time you do it.
If you do the same workout again within 5-7 days it seems easier. The first session serves as a reference point, an anchor.
This is what is known as the Repeated Bout Effect. Your body's response to a stimulus decreases with each repeated bout.
The more you repeat a behaviour, the less it impacts you because you become accustomed to it.
James Clear, Atomic Habits
When you do the new workout for the first time your body experiences a new stimulus that stresses your muscles and may give you muscle soreness. However, the way people respond to this new stimulus is not constant. Researchers have found that “a repeated bout results in reduced symptoms”. Generally speaking, the more consistently you work out, the less soreness you will experience.
Browse our training programs click the image.
But after a while your body adapts and the new workout becomes "normal". To make more progress, you have to change the workout again and seek new adaptations. Each month the Faster Masters Rowing training programs change the workouts. We leverage the repeated bout effect to help you progress your rowing.
What got you here, won't get you there.
Quick Answer
You're likely experiencing one or more of these issues:
training with inappropriate volume for your age
insufficient recovery between sessions
declining muscle mass without compensatory strength training
using training methods designed for younger athletes that no longer match your physiology
The Core Problem
If you're over 40 and training as hard or harder than ever but seeing your splits slow down, you're not alone, and you're not doing anything obviously wrong. The problem is that "training hard" means something fundamentally different after 40 than it did at 25.
Photo credit: Anne Kilian womens quad
Why "Traditional" Training Fails Masters Athletes
Volume doesn't equal results anymore. Your body's ability to absorb and recover from training volume decreases significantly after 40. What used to work (high volume, frequent sessions, minimal rest) now leads to chronic fatigue and declining performance. You're not undertrained; you're likely overtrained relative to your current recovery capacity.
Your VO2 max ceiling has dropped. Even well-trained masters athletes see roughly 10% decline in VO2 max per decade after age 30. By 50, you're working with 70-80% of your previous peak aerobic capacity. No amount of volume training changes this, it's physiology. Masters athletes who stay competitive move their training focus from volume to strategic intensity.
Recovery timelines have doubled. Where you once needed 24-48 hours between hard sessions, you now may need 72+ hours for full recovery. If you're doing high-intensity work more than twice per week, you're accumulating fatigue faster than you're recovering. Every "hard" session you do while incompletely recovered makes you slower, not faster over the long term.
The Three Hidden Culprits
1. Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia)
After 40, you lose 3-5% of muscle mass per decade without intervention. That's not just aesthetic, it's power output. If you've lost 15% of your muscle mass over the past decade, you've lost 15% of your potential power per stroke. No amount of cardiovascular training compensates for this.
The solution isn't more rowing, it's resistance training. Two 45-minute strength sessions per week, focusing on compound movements (squats, deadlifts, seated rows), can maintain 95% of your muscle mass through your 50s and 60s.
2. Wrong Training Intensity Distribution
Most masters athletes train in the "moderate" zone too much. This is neither easy enough for true base fitness building, and not hard enough for physiological adaptation. This middle-ground training (often called "junk miles") accumulates fatigue without driving improvement.
Your training should be polarised: 80% easy/aerobic base work, 20% legitimately hard threshold and race-pace work. The middle zone barely exists in your training programme.
3. Inadequate Protein and Nutrition
Masters athletes need MORE protein than younger athletes (1.2-1.6g per kg of bodyweight daily) to maintain muscle mass and support recovery. If you're eating like you did at 25, you're almost certainly underfueling your recovery.
What Actually Works
1. Reduce Volume, Increase Quality
Instead of: 6-7 sessions per week of moderate intensity Try: 4-5 sessions per week with clear purpose. 2 easy, 2 hard, 1 technical
Your body adapts during recovery, not during training. Less volume with better recovery often produces faster results.
2. Add Strategic Strength Training
Minimum effective dose: 2x per week, 45 minutes, compound movements Focus: Squats, deadlifts, rows, overhead press, core work Goal: Maintain muscle mass and power output as you age
This isn't optional for competitive masters athletes, it's foundational.
3. Optimise Your Recovery
Sleep: 7-9 hours minimum, non-negotiable
Nutrition: Hit protein targets (1.2-1.6g/kg bodyweight), adequate carbs around training
Active recovery: Easy movement on rest days, not "moderate" training
Monitor: Track resting heart rate and HRV to catch incomplete recovery early
Sculler at rest by Miguel Carvalho
4. Shift to Threshold-Heavy Training
Since VO2 max becomes less trainable with age, focus on what remains highly adaptable: your lactate threshold. Threshold work (sustained efforts at race pace minus 2-3 seconds) remains trainable and drives competitive performance.
Why does it take me so long to recover from hard rowing workouts?
How much can I actually improve my 1k time at age 50?
Is it worth doing strength training for rowing at age 50+?
Professional Rowing Training Support
If you're serious about getting faster instead of slower, structured programming makes a massive difference. Our Masters Training Program provides year-long age-optimised periodisation, proper intensity distribution, and integrated strength protocols designed specifically for competitive masters athletes. This self-guided programme is built on testing so that your training zones are correct for YOU at your current age, fitness and rowing experience.
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Looking backwards to go forwards: what rowing taught me about big tech and what big tech taught me about rowing with Matt Brittin.
Timestamps
01:00 From schoolboy to the Olympics - from a family of ball sport heros. Matt was inspired by Martin Cross to row to a high level - he was his school teacher. Later he was President of his university club where he led the introduction of professional coaching.
04:00 Rowing teaches skills
Matt was running Google in Africa, Middle East and Europe for the past 10 years - he tells a lot of anecdotes about rowing. Steve Gunn (a harsh coach) taught how to take responsibility for what you are doing. Are you a piece of sh*t on the end of the oar? When the mindset is right but the self-appraisal was not. The things Matt learned at rowing were the human things - more useful than Business School, Consultancies and University. I wouldn't be where I am in the business world without the rowing lessons.
08:30 Act like an owner
The unique side of rowing is that when I'm seat racing, I'm against you. When we are in the crew, I'm with you. Act like an owner at Google - take responsibility for what you're doing and win as a team. We collaborate hard - and sometimes a collaborative competitiveness gives a better outcome.
11:00 High Pressure Situations
The start line of a Henley Royal Regatta final is where Matt felt the most intense pressure. Take confidence from the feeling of nerves and the adrenaline surge - this is a sign you are ready for a big performance. Get the attention off yourself - focus on the process is helpful. Know there is someone there who wants you to succeed.
14:45 Henley Royal Regatta Progress
Matt is a Henley steward - he marks the progress over recent years. Sir Steve Redgrave asked Matt to help the committee to plan a 10 year strategy. It looks unchanging yet it's always evolving. Three new womens quad scull events were announced - near parity in Open events and Womens events. Since 2015 every race has been on YouTube live and on demand.
You Win or You Learn.
20:00 Returning to Rowing
It has been a joy and a recalibration too. The gains as you come back are lovely - rediscovering the joy. A lot is about remembering the feelings. How to balance training and travelling for work. How you manage your time at work is important. Matt blocks his diary to take kids to school twice a week - the most important time of the week. He does the same for rowing training.
The discipline when traveling of visiting the hotel gym. The more senior you get the more important it is to show up refreshed and feeling great - in good shape. Leaders need to be in the moment and to have time for staff. Matt is planning to mentor people in business, improve his sculling, and add rowing strength training this year.
Masters rowing is "running up the down escalator". It doesn't have to be the same each year - unlike younger rowing years. Choose something fun to plan for your future rowing.
The central tenet of the camps (besides Comfort in the Boat) can be summarized as follows: "Master Small Boats - Faster in All Boats". All coached by Troy Howell (webinar coach at Faster Masters Rowing).
Camps scheduled at Sweet Briar College, Amherst, Virginia, USA.
Founded by 3 olympians, Patricia Merz, Jeannine Gmelin and Frédérique Rol.
The G/Rowing Experience is for novice and experienced masters, club and recreational rowers who want to improve their technique, prepare racing or simply experience the joy of being on the water !
April 12 - 18, 2026 or September 27 - October 03, 2026
An annual tradition! Come row and learn in Sunny Sarasota! It’s not JUST rowing and video, but we do lots of that too!
What is offered: 2 day or 4 days of rowing, rowing and more rowing with unmatched coaching! Sweep and Sculling options—you can even do both! The symposium will combine on the water rows, with in-depth video sessions and on-land convention style seminars to help you do a deep dive into becoming a better and smarter rower.
Flexible Training Options: Understanding that national teams often bring their own coaching expertise, we offer two training options:
Self-Coached Camps: Utilise our top-tier facilities, including on-site gym, wellness activities, and boat equipment, while maintaining your team’s coaching structure.
BSA-Coached Sessions: If desired, benefit from our experienced coaching staff to provide additional expert guidance tailored to your team’s needs.
We do not run camps. Our self-guided online courses Sculling Intensive Camp, Erg Intensive Camp, Nutrition Intensive Camp, and Square Blades Challenge can be purchased - go to Online Courses and browse Skills and Technique.
Rebecca Caroe and Grant Craies are available to visit your camp as coaches.
All American Rowing Camp — Worldwide
Camps in Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, plus: Various dates; check their calendar.
2026 International Camps:
Cassis, France (coastal)
Corgeno, Italy (flat water)
Sibenik, Croatia (flat/spring & coastal/fall)
Thessaloniki, Greece (coastal)
NEW: Zagreb + Bled with the Sinković Brothers — rowing, tours, meals, discussions
Tailor-made rowing camps for all levels. Row in mixed crews with Olympians and receive coaching from Italian National Team coaches. Various dates and locations across Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, and more). rowingintuscany.com
Craftsbury - Vermont, USA
Located in Vermont USA camps run from May to September. Sculling only in 3,4 and 6 day formats.
As of the time of writing (Dec 2025) all camps are full for 2026.
Coaching available on request for clubs, organisations, private groups, or individuals. Sessions can take place in Amsterdam or at your location, by arrangement.
Best suited for personalised technical coaching and small-group development. enjoyrowing.com
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