Breathing is something that we do every day and most of us don’t even think about when and how we breathe. The breathing process moves air in and out of the lungs to allow diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide. We as human beings require oxygen at cellular level for our body to function. The respiratory center in our brains (Medulla) is responsible for control of ventilation as breathing is often called. Regulation of pH levels in our body is also done through breathing.
Movement of air in and out of the lungs is caused by changes in the thoracic volume.
Inspiration (inhalation) at rest begins with the contraction of your diaphragm and use of external intercostal muscles. Inhalation lowers the floor of the thorax while lifting the ribs up and out and this allows us to take in more air. The opposite happens at the expiration (exhalation) where the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax and recoil (bounce back to original position) while pushing the air out. In sports and the exercise world breathing is a must and there are several breathing patterns for different sports. Every repetition or exercise should have both an inhale and exhale part.
During exercise inhalation movements are assisted by accessory inspiratory muscles which include neck and trapezius muscles. The function of these muscles is to lift the ribs and clavicle (collar bones) allowing larger amount of air in our lungs during exercise.
Rowing is named as one of the hardest endurance sports and proper breathing is very important to be able to sustain the amount of work. As a coach, I always teach my athletes proper breathing technique.
During the rowing stroke the inhalation should be at the catch and exhalation (releasing of the air) should be at the finish when the hands touch the body.
This must be trained daily.
For some athletes a correct breathing pattern is harder to learn than the rowing motion and it is the coach’s job to make sure the athlete is breathing properly. This is especially important during hard training loads and workouts.
During exercise the rowing stroke exhalation should be loud and noticeable. At this point breathing (exhalation) becomes active and forced. This forced exhalation allows smaller intercostal and accessory muscles to stretch which greatly increases the maximal rate and amount of air flow. By forcing the exhalation, we can drastically increase the amount of air without necessarily increasing the breathing frequency. It is important to note that as the rowing speed increases, the breathing frequency should increase as well. You do not want to breathe like fish at stroke rate 32!
Next time when you sit on the rowing machine, pay attention to your breathing!
Your breathing pattern should become mechanical, followed by each inhale at the catch and the exhale at the finish.
Perfect practice makes a perfect result.
Coach Misha Jezdanov
As a coach you have got good knowledge about how to row and how to TEACH rowing. But when it comes to working with masters athletes, somehow the boundaries and rules seem a little different.
You will have noticed some things which just don't line up with your previous coaching experience working with younger athletes.
Think about the people in your club group who are masters rowers.
These are all good questions and worthy of your attention BEFORE you start coaching masters.
Don't worry if you are already coaching masters, the rest of this article will help you understand some of the underlying things which may help you smooth out some of those wrinkles and improve your experience when working with masters athletes.
Let’s start with the basics - learning to row is a process and it is identical, however old you are. Each athlete advances at a speed which is unique to them but can be influenced by frequency of practice, athleticism and existing fitness. For masters this is just the same.
Masters span a very wide age range - from 27 to over 70 years old. And that is the REAL difference for this type of athlete. As you age through the decades, your physiology changes and so a coach needs to be familiar with what should be possible for each age group.
Within any masters rowing group will be beginners as well as very skilful advanced technicians. You are expected to coach them all. That brings obvious challenges as you may not be able to split the group into less- and more-skilled crews. If you can, that’s a good start because you won’t have half your group getting bored while others learn the basics.
There are methodologies which you can use to teach diverse skilled crews. These are based on our Framework for Skills Progress. In the same way that you probably learned to swim first doing ten metres, then 25 metres and 50 metres (and getting a nice swim badge for each distance), teaching masters rowing successfully can be better organised when the coach knows the Framework for Skills and can move individuals through each of the stages progressively.
Setting appropriate expectations for yourself as a coach is important. Have you tried asking your group to do an erg test or undertake selections for regatta crews? We bet we know what happened.
First there were sideways glances between athletes, then someone spoke up and asked what would happen if they did not do the test, then they listened and when the test date came around.... crickets. Very few athletes showed up. And you're left thinking, What did I do wrong? Surely they want to be in the best boats with athletes of similar speed as themselves?
Some of the coaching tools you use for youth rowers are not accepted by masters. Their goals and expectations are not the same, nor can your goals be forced onto this group.
Many adults come to rowing having been injured out of another sport - they have weak knees from Netball, Basketball, Soccer or Rugby - maybe they’ve had a heart atrial fibrillation, or are a cancer survivor. As a consequence, their bodies are not as mobile, flexible or stable as youth athletes.
You need to be confident using our Rowing with Adaptations methodology when coaching masters. This helps you set appropriate and achievable goals, boat rig and training program rates / distances / times suitable for your group of masters rowers.
When it comes to group organisation and structure, some compare masters to “herding cats”. That’s not possible - each cat goes in its own direction. But rowing is best done as a group and with a singular focus. As the coach, you are a leader as well as a collaborator.
That sentence alone sums up some of the apparently conflicting aims of masters rowing. It really is NOT like youth rowing.
Yet we bet you've tried a few things and found that the group doesn't always follow your lead or coalesce around a single goal.
Getting your group to cohere and agree to shared goals can be challenging. So part of the Masters Coaching Certification course is about group administration and management so that you can enable your members to all have a good rowing experience, and to select a focus and intensity that suits them this year. Next year, it may all be different.
This part of a series of articles for masters rowing coaches to share guidance and insights which will help your coaching practice.
If you've found this article by accident, you can receive the rest of the series by email.
How is rowing going for you? What's it like elsewhere in the world? Learn more from our survey report. If you would like the anonymised raw data, get in touch.
Most masters have been rowing over 10 years and started rowing either at school/university or began over age 40.
The average spend on rowing per year is between US$500 to $2,000 with a significant group spending $4,000 or more each year.
There is some alignment between training effectiveness and rowing budget, those who invest the least get the worst results. Masters who train between 2-4 days a week report results between mixed, OK and good results in the past year.
Training frequency on land and water is consistent from summer to winter.
55% of masters follow a training programme. 39% do not plan their training.
Nearly 40% of masters row a single, 25% use the erg and many do crew boats as well. Weights, body conditioning, yoga, gym and cross training are the most popular land training choices.
Download the State of Masters Rowing 2022 report.
The most shocking finding is that half of all masters rowers either do not get coached or get coaching once a month or less.
Going on camp is popular with most choosing to go to improve technique or for race preparation. 60% of respondents plan on going to camp during 2022.
The pandemic affected rowing clubs postiviely and negatively - 30% reported a growth in members and 22% lost members compared to pre-pandemic yeas. Learn to row classes continue to be popular with most clubs running between 1-3 courses a year and 40% of clubs had more students.
Student drop-out after learning to row is reported at between 50-70%.
Racing was badly affected by Covid with over 70% doing three or fewer races in 2021 and 2/3 reporting they raced less than in previous years. 50% of masters race 5 times a year normally.
The majority of masters use data to analyse their rowing at least some of the time - only 25% report not collecting rowing data. Race results get more attention than training data by the very keen but 30% of masters don't analyse race or training data (clearly some collect data and don't analyse it). Over a quarter report uncertainty understanding what the data shows and 6% have technical issues interpreting rowing data.
We asked respondents for the personal and club challenges - the biggest challenges for clubs are recruiting new members, fundraising, coaching and equipment. A strong second tier of answers include 'getting people to row with', finding time to row and getting support from the organization.
For personal challenges Coaching, injuries and age-related issues lead the responses. It is interesting that the detailed responses frequently reference learning rowing and sculling technique as a personal issue.
Covid has of course created challenges as well from weight gain, restrictions in the number of people allowed to row at one time and training frequency. Many people referenced training in singles as a change as a positive result of Covid.
Motivation is tough in winter, especially if we can only train on the indoor rowing machine.
Support this show with a donation https://fastermastersrowing.com/podcast
01:00 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing.
Marlene's article in Rowing News Magazine e-news - Self improvement 101
05:45 Masters Rowing Survey This will take 10 minutes max. It's a global survey on the state of masters rowing and is multiple choice, mostly.
Make your erg work up into a series of mini challenges
Alternate exercises on the erg
20:00 Staying on track during the holidays. Plan to train.
Keep the intensity up 2-3 times per week. Shorter workouts
Go to the party but plan to train the next day. Don't worry about going off track. Have fun.
Be measured if you choose
3 tips for setting up your erg / indoor rowing machine correctly so that it is "like your rowing boat".
Support this show with a donation https://fastermastersrowing.com/podcast
01:00 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing. Speaking at the US Rowing Convention, CRASH-B erg training program launch
06:00 Setting up your erg
Resistance - the drag factor on Concept2 erg, Water rower, RP3 and Rowperfect. C2 drag factor is 100 - 110 or 115 for masters.
Comfort - set your seat and foot height to avoid lower back load and over-use injuries
12:00 How to set up your erg to be like your boat - single scull. Do short 250m pieces at firm pressure low rate, come into the dock and get on the erg (also on the dock) and row 250m at similar pressure and rate. Do they feel the same? If no, adjust the erg damper setting and drag factor.
Fixed Head rowing machines versus floating head rowing machines - what's the difference? How does it affect the set-up?
14:30 Why am I doing better splits on a resistance 10 than 4?
23:00 Monitor height - set it for a "long core" posture as advised by Baz Moffat
A good drive reduces the "slip" in the chain and increases your effective leg power in the rowing stroke.
37:00 Coffey Simulatoar - set the inboard of the sculls to match your boat.
Bio Rower - set the finish / release position correctly to match your boat.
For folks going to the Head of the Charles - we have created a stand-alone program which peaks for the October Head of the Charles regatta.
It's very similar to our 5k program, and is based on the race distance 4,702 meters.
This is INCLUDED in any of the monthly subscription programs. No extra charge, Select the 5k training program in our Individual or Crew training memberships and trust Faster Masters Rowing to get you fully prepared to race.
Each training plan is designed for masters who row 3 to 6 times per week. It includes "core" sessions which you mustn't miss and optional extra workouts.
The membership also includes land training, rowing and sculling technique, performance and aging well.
We have got you covered.
The monthly subscription programs are customized with training zones to suit you.
At last you can start rowing on the water again. Your instincts tell you to seize your oars and row, rejoicing that erging is over once again. No doubt it feels good to go pump out a 15k, toss in some starts, and sweat. You’ll be euphoric; you’ll probably also have blisters, sore muscles, balance and blade work problems. So, if your goal this season is to move your boat more meters per second, should you really just go tear up the waterways? Paying attention to details, while easing back into your boat will shell out dividends later in the season. Avoiding a madcap approach might also mean a little more indoor rowing.
You need to allow yourself a tuning period of a few weeks when getting back on the water. Give your hands time to adjust to a different handle size or texture. Check that your grips are in good shape and replace them if you need to. Remember that you haven’t feathered an oar for a long time so you will have to be aware of correct hand placement and handle manipulation from the start. Sweep rowers again need to isolate the functions of their hands so the inside hand feathers and the outside hand controls the height. Scullers should keep the thumbs at the handle’s end and resist palming the narrow handles. Attending to flat wrists and keeping the forearms level with the water is important to minimize extra motion.
The boat is a reactive environment, so many of your smaller trunk muscles that have not been used during the down time will fatigue before your larger power muscles will. Your initial sessions are, in effect, limited by the endurance capacity of your stabilizing muscles. When you start to fatigue and catch yourself balancing the boat by swaying your knees-you need to go in. During early season rowing, care needs to be taken to row well and prevent any type of overuse syndrome that will linger into the season. Keep in mind that a muscle strain typically can take six to eight weeks to heal.
Scandinavian cross-country skiers have a training motto that says, “Hurry slowly”. When you get back in your boat this season, put technical emphasis on balance and blade work. This requires patient kilometers of low stroke rate work between 16 to 20 strokes per minute and exercises for the entry and release such as pausing at half-slide, one-quarter slide rowing, or legs-only.
Groove in good movement patterns, but be aware that you also can’t afford to lose fitness.
This is where the erg comes in. The initial transition to the water requires lower power applications until you are comfortable, so putting in some work on the erg can be key to keeping your fitness level up during the transition time. Row your workouts that are above steady state intensity on the erg so you can work at a high enough aerobic level. Gradually, build the pressure up on the water until you can maintain technique under more stress. Being diligent about taking the time to practice good blade work which will give you more boat speed once you start ramping up the cadences later in the season.
Next time you get ready to push off the dock for your distance row, remember another rowing proverb, “If you can’t do it slow, you can’t do it fast”.
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Rowers need to have strong fingers to control the oars. Our expert coaches, Marlene and Rebecca, explain
We got this question
Could you recommend some exercises to improve finger and forearm strength? My fingers and forearms often tire from trying to feather correctly without using my wrists,
First it pays to check you have got the basics correct in your equipment and the technique you use to turn the oar (feathering and squaring).
19:00 If you have osteoarthritis - don't push yourself into inflammation and swelling with your rowing practice. Don't use your thumb to apply internal pressure on the oarlock either if you have osteoarthritis.
20:00 How tight should you hold the handles? As if you're holding a kitten, puppy or a small bird - Firmly enough so the animal doesn't struggle, not so tight that you crush it..
23:00 If your forearms wake you up at night feeling restless. You should stretch them.
Do the "Karate Chop" drill on the recovery and Open Palm Sculling drill.
26:00 Trigger finger syndrome can be developed from rowing. The anular ligaments get pulled and swelling happens in the tendons.
28:00 How to train for both speed and endurance simultaneously. If you are doing CRASH-Bs erg race in March and enter the 30 minute and the 500m sprint event.
Follow the Faster Masters Rowing training plan first and foremost - pick the 1k racing plan. If you have extra time include a 40 minute low intensity row or aerobic cross training session.
32:30 Keep the group together - over the holidays stay in touch with your crew mates and become accountability partners. Community matters in masters rowing.
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Marlene and Rebecca discuss
- Mapping out a good erg program
- Feedback on caring for elders
Through winter the weather affects our rowing. Some are iced in and others just have windy and bad weather days.
We all need to use the erg and water interchangeably - in this episode Marlene and Rebecca discuss how they map out a good erg program.
Start with knowing your spring goal -
Your program needs to reflect these different goals.
Winter is good for building underlying fitness through a base preparation program which maintains your physical form.
Customise your program by doing the Faster Five Fitness Assessment - then you will be working within your personal capability ad know that your training is in the correct zone to improve your physique to achieve your chosen goal.
Timestamps to the show
01:00 The rowing seasons are changing. Winter rowing beckons
05:00 Masterclass Transitioning to Winter. Sign up here
https://fastermastersrowingwinter.eventbrite.co.nz
07:00 US Rowing Conference. Wednesday December 9th 2020 the Training day. Marlene is talking on Training for Life at 12.45 EST. See the full schedule.
https://rowcon2020.sched.com/
Speakers include Stephen Seiler who was on a previous RowingChat episode
https://rowing.chat/power-in-rowing-symposium-stephen-seiler/
09:30 Update on the National Masters Strategy New Zealand - we are creating a model framework. If you want to copy the model, contact Rebecca Caroe
15:00 Caring for Elders was last week's topic. Feedback from a listener. Training is a great outlet for your stress cortisol levels.
18:00 Short intervals on the erg or a power workout are time-efficient which suits carers.
21:00 Mapping a good erg program. Faster Masters programs for December 2020 include 2 separate programs. Base preparation for 1k (next summer) and Base preparation for 5k with a spring peak. if you are planning the Tideway Head Races or the Heineken Regatta or CRASH-B erg races.
Every workout has a land and water instruction including stroke rates.
Faster Five fitness assessment helps you to individualise your program.
25:00 Understand the purpose of the workout. Priority sessions.
Adapting workouts for the erg - 2 points lower in rate.
28:00 Check the resistance and the drag factor of 80-90 on Concept2. Marlene recommends erring on the light side for resistance.
30:00 Riggers on the rack don't line up - how to rack your 1x when some boats have forward wings and others have back mounted wing riggers.
32:00 Marlene's nightmare of having to use a ladder to rack her single scull on the top rack.
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Rebecca and Marlene discuss
- US Rowing Conference
- Training while caring for kids and elders
- Upcoming Masterclass Transitioning to Winter Rowing
02:00 Family Quads at the Bennett Shield Regatta
04.30 inter squad fun races - with nickels and quarters as prizes
07:45 Transitioning to Winter training masterclass - sign up
09:00 US Rowing conference Wednesday December 9th 2020 the Training day. Marlene is talking on Training for Life at 12.45 EST. See the full schedule.
https://rowcon2020.sched.com/
17.oo Training while caring for kids or elders
19:30 Rowers can be very generous - they give their all. Take care of yourself first. Boundaries are needed - scheduling is a problem. Be as consistent as you can.
Reduce cortisol levels by training regularly. Choose from erg / walk / stretch / row on water.
22:00 Don't give up on structure. Commit to 30 minutes a day.
Resources in a past episode we covered
https://rowing.chat/rowing-training-while-raising-kids/
What can you delegate? Cleaning, gardening, shopping?
24:00 Use the travel circuit suggestions which we covered in this episode.
https://youtu.be/oivuKUmpkrU?t=906
Set up a nice home rowing gym
https://fastermastersrowing.com/the-perfect-home-rowing-gym/
Dionne is "super-Mom" she trains around her kids naps and their sport sessions.
28:00 Run with the kids to school and then you run home alone.
30:00 Protect and defend your time. The beautiful word called "NO".
Find some regular training partners who can sub in for you at the last minute if something comes up.
35:00 Erg Studio at home - make it a nice place to be.
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