Three innovations to improve your learn to row classes and prevent drop-outs. Time to get your club organised for LTR 2025. What's new that you could do this year?
Timestamps
Clubs do these to grow their membership. New joiners are an investment in time and effort - it takes time before that pays off. Around one third of all masters rowers started to row as adults. There are two pathways into masters rowing - people who started in their youth and then come back later in life, and those who start as adult beginners.
02:00 How to run a good adult learn to row class. Buy the book Masters Rowing by Nolte & Fritsch - the chapter on how to structure and teach LTR is really good.
Masters Rowing – Training for fitness, technique and competition – Volker Nolte & Wolfgang Fritsch
The experience of your first lesson is very important to the success of the program. Can paperwork be done ahead of time? Rebecca starts with an interior tour of the boathouse, the oars, the boat types, the changing rooms. Handling the oars - how to hold the oar handle. How to put the oars on the dock, positioning so nobody trips. How to do the sculling crossover. Parts of the boat - how to open an oarlock, the button position, how to adjust the foot stretcher. Carrying the boat, getting in and out of the boat safely.
06:00 They start rowing. We don't give instruction about how to row in the first lesson. They do some confidence drills and then start rowing - working it out for themselves. This may sound like they've being pushed quickly into doing something they haven't been told how to do.
This method serves a purpose - they work stuff out for themselves - take personal control. There is a lot of rest and waiting while others row in the first lesson. Short periods of rowing then stopping and talking or watching - a learning from Tony Buzan (the Mind Mapping man).
You need volunteers to help, give support and be alongside the beginners. Ask those who did the prior learn to row class to be the helpers - they know enough. It helps the new beginners to see how quickly they'll learn. Invite them to coffee after the lesson.
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Nobody can learn to row from a book or from a video.
It’s a sad truth that despite a lot of investment in online training and advice, rowing is one of the few things which anyone benefits from expert coaching, particularly when you first start.
And in case you think I’m biased, I run an online rowing coaching business and we NEVER take on clients who are beginners. We always tell them to join a local rowing club so they can get expert coaching.
In this way rowing is rather like learning to ride a bicycle - you have to experience it for yourself. Learning what rowing feels like is a critical input to your acquiring the skills.
Getting yourself to a good club near your home is easy - just search for “[Your Country] Rowing Federation” and you’ll find the website for the organisation who runs rowing for your country. They all have learn to row pages which list clubs who offer courses.
Note that adult learn to row and children learning may be listed separately.
Once you’ve found a club, go and meet the people - speak to the rowers and speak to the coaches. A good masters rowing coach has several attributes
Ask when the club will next be running a learn to row or learn to scull course and sign up to the waiting list. It’s fun to learn in a group with other adults.
After you have completed your learn to row course, the next steps are to practice regularly.
The more often you can row, the more likely you will learn quickly. A great way to learn is to join a group who train together two or three times per week. After three months you will have been out on the water over 20 times and the sculling movements will be familiar, you’ll have worked out a lot of the early challenges (how to feather, ways to stay in time) and you will be ready to start to learn faster.
There are two ways you can learn faster - practice with a more experienced rower in front of you - so you can copy their movements. And secondly, get videoed. If you can have someone video three strokes of you rowing, send it to an expert coach for rowing video analysis. You will get some detailed advice on what you are doing well and not so well and also drills and exercises to practice so you can speed your improvement curve.
Rowing is fun and is frequently challenging - as you get more skilful, you continue to work on the same “Basics” as beginners learn - but you get to execute them to a high level of skill. The more refined and consistent you can make your movements, the faster your rowing skills will advance.
Things you wish you'd been told or learned earlier before teaching learn to row. You'll never stop learning because this is rowing - it's normal!
03:00 Marlene's first learn to row class 1982.
07:30 Use lifting a box to demonstrate the stroke sequence.
09:00 Port is on the right. Port wine is red, red is right (both start with R).
09:45 Tension - how comfortable are they on the water.
11:00 You won't get fit learning to row. It's mental and technical. Mental - relax enjoy the view.
13:00 Comfort in the boat drills -sit at the catch. Be aware of where your body weight is. Can you feel your feet, seat, and oars against the oar locks?
15:30 Let day one be about experiencing on the water. Demonstrate what a full stroke looks like. Get full strokes in. Be in the boat on day one not on the rowing machine
18:30 Have helpers. First impressions of rowing. Load up your staff for the first day and give attendees assurance and individual attention.
20:30 Don't try too hard. Let them row the way they want to. Check people don't get into a situation they cannot get out of. Wedged against the bank in a lx on a windy day. Use a rope if they are very tentative.
24:15 Make sure you can see all your athletes simultaneously.
24:45 Don't talk too much. One thing at a time.
21:00 Rowing is fun but safety is serious. Highlight the safety features of the boat. Spatial awareness is low when learning something new.
29:40 Rowing lingo - use some but not too much. You'll never stop learning to row. Enjoyment, safety, you want big smiles and a sense of achievement at the end of each lesson.
Learn to row programmes for masters. Masters rowing has two types of member - returning rowers who learned in their youth and adult beginners. Should club boards consider adding more learn to row programs? We discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
01:30 Learn to row - who wants to do it?
02:30 Clubs need a strategy and goals first. Does LTR fit into this? Marlene coached in 1982 Boston, MA and it was the only learn to row in town.
04:30 What is the funnel pathway to membership of the club? This is important to figure out. A community club needs presence with townsfolk.
06:00 when someone tries rowing it is either a yes or a no. Do they like it?
08:30 Pathways - some run LTR over 6-8 weeks and that isn't effective. it's better to do a weekend to get them hooked. A 48 hour camp where you - row Sat/Sun and learn a lot.
12:30 For a small club after LTR integrating a whole group is challenging.
Large clubs with coaches can have 3 groups - beginner /intermediate / advanced
13:30 Give the Learn to Row course members the best coach you can - It's their first impression.
So they feel understood. Many clubs host introductions to rowing throughout the year. We recommend you add an entry level class - with a skills checklist to confirm skills before you can join the intermediate group.
17:15 LTR courses are a great fundraiser. The goal of the program is an adventure camp. Learn something new and fun.
20:00 Are masters receptive to coaching? Or is it a lack of coach communication skills?
Masters attend camps because of coaching. When you ask what's important to them you find a focus for your coaching.
You can't coach masters like juniors. Give people time to explore rowing.
Masters Rowing - the book by Volker Nolte and Wolfgang Fritsch has a chapter on running a masters learn to row course. It's exactly the way Rebecca teaches her novices. Buy the book.
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I am 51 and have never rowed. I would love to take lessons. How can I get started?
Mary
Two ways to get started with rowing and sculling.
Most rowing federations organise the sport for their country so do an online search for [country name or city name] learn to row.
Hopefully you will find someone near where you live.
It is much better to learn with an experienced coach than try to do online courses for learning to row
But do stay in touch and tell us how you get on.
We are an online rowing education business. We can help you AFTER you have done a learn to row course. For practical reasons, this is best done face to face with a rowing coach who is experienced coaching masters. It is never good to try to teach yourself rowing.
3 ways we can help you
Ted Pytlar joins Marlene and Rebecca to talk about his club masters group and their experience of rowing, racing and training | Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.
04:00 This Past week Rowing News Magazine published Marlene's article on Periodisation of Technique.
08:00 Merijn Soeters new Book of rowing photography
10. 30 Our podcast name - we emailed a question to all newsletter subscribers
11:30 Ted Pytlar's background in rowing
13:30 Moving to the single scull - the ultimate boat. The club mix of boats has changed as the interest in rowing singles has changed.
16:00 Delaware River is rocky and can get shallow so we lose skegs often
17:00 Training Goals - focus on head race preparation. We organise ourselves as a group of 4 we know where the rocks are. After hurricanes we re-survey the river
22:00 after hurricanes we get high flow and use peripheral vision to steer and avoid landmarks.
23:00 We have a LTR annual program with a waiting list. 16 people limit.
We don't have enough coaches and 10 sessions is not enough and so we added a plus plan to integrate them into experienced boats.
26:00 We have a plan to beef up the masters program structure with regular outings
Customise a track for each person's flexibility.
28:00 the board has a LTR co-ordinator and organised coaching roster.
Scullers have a skills test for 1x use and also a masters program co-ordinator with input from members. We bring in a professional coach a couple of times a month
31:00 Swapping from sweep to sculling
I didn't realise the importance of stability at the catch and release in 1x in order to get the rest of the stroke to work well.
Subtle mistakes you can make on port /starboard can really mess you up. It took a while to figure them out.
Loose hands is critical in sculling.
33:50 you have to be at a certain point in your rowing journey to realise or hear certain things. As you get better you realise what the coach meant.
35:00 Try to get an understanding of the complete stroke. Mine is 4 pages long.
A picture in your head
37:30 Some adapt technique which is a coping measure because they are afraid of tipping over
39:30 The swirling vortex behind the blade isn't needed - just bury them deeper. Differences of opinion between people happen in rowing - it's good to know them all.
45.00 Rowing movie - Heart of Champions review by Rebecca
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Champions-Michael-Shannon/dp/B09LRZR2F1?ref_=nav_signin&
Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe are joined by Volker Nolte & Wolfgang Fritsch to discuss their brand new Masters Rowing book.
Support this show with a donation
https://fastermastersrowing.com/register/podcast-supporter/
04:00 Racing Starts Challenge sign up details
11:00 Wolfgang Fritsch and Volker Nolte's backgrounds in rowing - rowing coaches are easier to convince of things if you are also a coach
20:30 The message of the book, “Masters Rowing” is to enjoy rowing.
Buy the book https://amzn.to/2Saikeq
22:30 the 6 aspects of ageing
Chronological
Functional
Biological
Psychological
Social
Training
Understand how each is different and how you are placed. Biological isn’t the same as chronological - you may feel different or you may not.
28:40 How does rowing help successful ageing? The book addresses the ageing process and how to make your life better.
34:00 Warm up strategies for masters - as you age you need more warm up. Body function changes and the blood capillaries become tighter and less flexible so blood flow is inhibited.
36:30 One key recommendation for rigging as you age.
Use shorter oars. Adjust the rigging to suit the athletes.
Adapt training intensity to suit too.
Supplementary training and technique changes.
The traditional gig boats are good for learning to row, as are coastal boats.
Your perception of load changes too as you age.
40:00 Marlene’s club has different size and weight boats and adding pontoons as people learn helps.
42:00 Crew boats add a whole level of fun. Volker recommends variety - crew boats rowing on both sides. Try to challenge people a bit and push your function a bit.
46:00 At what age do you see the biggest drop in performance?
Do we lose more in age than we can add in training?
Adjust your focus - you can still improve your skills at any age.
51:00 There are examples of training plans and how to write your own components in the book. Speed, power and endurance.
53:00 Learning to row is a fun adventure. It’s not a military exercise.
A well rigged boat is important.
Don’t use detailed positioning explanations - give the athletes an idea of the whole movement.
56:50 Children learn by trying. For adults, when they ask about something, give them advice. Don’t formalise the learning. Trust the coordination of the athlete.
The basic rowing movement isn’t difficult. Rowing becomes difficult when you want to go fast.
59:00 Volker’s podcast with Joe de Leo. Learning to row - do it organically.
https://www.stitcher.com/show/leo-training-strength-conditioning-endurance-health/episode/episode-130-dr-volker-nolte-dr-valery-kleshnev-power-measurement-and-biomechanics-in-rowing-76528104
There is no carry-over from erg to boat. The brain does not recognise it as the same thing.
1:03:00 Do you recommend sweep rowers to swap sides - yes It helps learn different movements and also swapping seats is a good learning.
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When coaching masters, I often find that they over-think the coaching instructions they receive.
This can be tested by asking the athletes to “think about nothing” for ten strokes and then to take 10 strokes thinking about a technical point. Most row better when thinking about nothing!
In our debriefs after practice many tell me that it’s hard to think about two or three things at the same time - their brain races from thinking catches, to thinking pressure, to squaring early and they fail to execute any of these well.
Thinking about multiple things simultaneously is just not possible.
There is a 4 stage progression which begins with Unconscious Incompetence - you don’t know how bad you are. As the athlete starts to learn they become Consciously Incompetent - they know how bad they are. Later as skill is acquired and successfully deployed, the athletes become Consciously Competent. When they think about a technical point, they can execute it skillfully. The final stage is Unconscious Competence - you can row well without thinking about it.
If you are a coach reading this article, you can use this 4 stage progression to help your athletes acquire technique skills. If you are an athlete reading this article, you can use this for self-coaching.
Most of us start at the consciously incompetent stage - we know what we are trying to learn but we cannot do it well. Coaches introduce drills and exercises to isolate part of the rowing stroke to help you learn the technique. This moves you into the conscious competence stage. When doing the drill can you do it well? After the drill can you introduce it into your normal pattern of rowing? If you can do these two things you are well on the way.
The trick to moving to unconscious competence is to practice not thinking. The athlete may be working on an early square during the recovery. Can you do this movement while rowing and thinking? Then try rowing and not thinking about squaring early - don’t think about anything.... Just row. And after 10 strokes, bring your thoughts back to squaring early but don’t make a change to your technique. You have to first observe your stroke - is it squaring early or not? When you have answered that question, you can make a change if you need to square a bit earlier - or no change if you are executing skilfully. Go back to not thinking as you row. And check back how your technique is going after a few more strokes. This is how to train your brain towards unconscious competence.
A word of warning - beware the devil on your shoulder. Most of us have an inner voice who talks to us while we row. As an adult it is very influential on your ability to learn. Children don’t have such an active inner voice and this is one of the reasons adults find it more challenging to learn a new skill.
Your inner voice has a tendency to be very critical as you learn to row; it may be saying “you’re an idiot”.
It’s really important not to listen to the voice because it gives a subjective assessment of your rowing technique. And frequently it’s a hindrance to your learning and acquiring skill.
When you review how you are rowing, try to be very clinical in your assessment of your skill. Be objective, not emotional and use logic only. Female athletes often have an overly-critical inner voice who can work them into a spiral of despondency which does not improve their technique!
And lastly it is not possible to think about multiple things simultaneously in rowing. Even the Olympians cannot do this. Experienced rowers can focus on one aspect of the stroke, add a second complementary aspect and then try to do those two things together. So even that is just one thing at a time - keeping one in the background while you think about the second and then re-introducing the first to reinforce them working together. A good example is to work on improving power in the second half of the stroke - start by activating your back swing; then add the arm draw to the back swing and lastly do them together.
And keep that inner demon voice quiet while you are rowing!
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