RowingChat

What changes are needed when doing big or small boats - length / inboard.

Timestamps

01:00 It's all about gearing.

How long are your oars and what is the ratio for the outboard to the inboard?

Small boats versus large boats. You have to carry your share of the total mass of the hull, riggers and oars. In a single scull you are carrying around 14-17kg. As the boat gets bigger, you carry less mass because it's shared between more people.

If you have a bigger boat - you can afford a heavier gearing on the oars.

Coaches try to give each athlete a consistent load to move the boat so you don't have to work a lot harder in small boats compared to big boats.

They adjust the rigging to make this broadly consistent.

03:00 So you should be able to rate a similar strokes per minute almost regardless of which boat type you are rowing in. Generally people rate higher in larger boats.

03:50 The span and spread affects the load.

Last week we reviewed the arc through which the oar tip moves each stroke.

You want a wider span on a smaller boat (single = 160 cm) but in a quad it may be tighter 159 cm.

Sweep spread is measured from the mid point of the hull out to the pin and these will be wider for smaller boats.

05:15 The oar length

You have to be strong enough to move the oar past the fulcum. A 1k race is around 100 strokes and you need to be able to deliver each stroke to a similar power.

Sculling oar lengths - sculls will be set at a length of 287 - 288 cm long

Sweep 370-374 cm.

These rigs are what you expect for younger rowers.... and oars get passed around the club and the lengths aren't changed.

07:20 Jim Dreher invented the adjustable length oar - the story behind the invention.

10:00 Load on the body from the blade

Masters are a hugely divergent age and strength group of athletes. Increase the load for younger masters, tailwinds and for beginners.

Decrease the load for older athletes or it's a headwind. The more experienced are more dextrous and can cope with a higher load and can rate higher.

You have to be able to put the oar in the water at the same speed the boat is moving past that part of water.

13:00 Rig your own boat to suit you

How long are your oars and span/spread? How old are you, how fit are you?

Rigging for Masters webinar - Volker Nolte has a detailed chart for oar lengths and span/spread for masters. He considers most masters to row on much too heavy a gearing.

https://fastermastersrowing.com/rigging/

If you are older you probably want to decrease your load.

When buying oars and sculls the spoon size and shaft weight / flexibility are different options you can choose,

Cut an oar shaft in half - the internal diameter isn't spherical - there are more layers of carbon on the front and back edge. This gives more or less rigidity / flex to the oar shaft. The tensional stiffness in the shaft comes from the thicker carbon which is on the front / back of the shaft facing the direction of travel when the oar is square in the water.

Buy the webinar and get Volker's oar and scull charts.

https://fastermastersrowing.com/rigging/

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Ways to use your boat rig to get a longer arc for the oar. Simplifying why it works and some key principles.

Timestamps

00:30 Rebecca's new shiny object is a wing rigger mounted gadget to mount a stroke coach and water bottle over your rigger.

01:45 Rigging a longer stroke

Having the oar in the water longer (distance rather than time). Taking the tip of the blade through a greater distance each stroke.

Use the principle of the lever to understand how rowing oars and sculls work to propel the boat. Inboard and Outboard ratio is important to understand.

With longer levers you need a greater force on the handle to move the oar though the same arc in the same time.

03:45 Is longer better?

As long as your athlete has the physical strength and power to move the oar through the water then you can use longer oars. There is a point of diminishing returns.

The rowing sliding seat was invented to increase the arc through which the oar is rowed through.

A longer slide gives a greater arc.

05:00 Does the athlete have the oar handling skills such that they can put the oar in the water at full reach at frontstops so you don't miss water? Missing water means you have a shorter stroke than you are capable of.

Rigging a longer stroke is a good solution for someone who is less skilled in bladework. Suggest the athlete rows on a longer arc.

- Shorten the inboard of the oar/scull

- Move the footstretcher closer to the stern

- So the catch angle is the same as other athletes

- And they get a longer effective stroke when the oar is actually in the water

A physically short athlete where you want them to have the same oar arc as other crew members. Shorten the inboard and adjust the outboard so their gearing is the same as the rest of the crew.

07:30 Rig Diagram

This might be useful for you to try. Check the rigging diagram from Stephen Aitken - rowing angle changes presentation

https://www.slideshare.net/rcaroe/rowinangle-changes-duetospanandinboardjan13

08:00 Study the arc through which the rower's arm and oar moves during the power phase.

The solid line shows a reduced span (moving the pin closer to the side of the boat).

Th length of arc is determined by the athlete's anthropometrics (leg and arm length) and torso (height).

A formula to calculate typical arc lengths.

10:00 For small changes of span/inboard this is a useful assumption.

Review the faulty logic

- Only change one thing at a time (not always possible as one change affects other parameters)

- Options of things you can change span, inboard, stretcher position, gap between handles at the finish for sculling. Which COULD you change to lengthen the stroke?

12:00 The conclusion that there's only one option that works

Reducing inboard and span equally and adjusting footstretcher to keep the handle gap the same at the finish works with increases in all angles - catch and finish.

Stephen recommends first reducing the inboard and then reduce the span equally.

13:15 Standardise rig across your boat fleet

Keep oars the same - similar inboards for quad/double and adjust for single. For sweep adjust for eight/four/pair.

What rig should masters rowing boats and oars use? How can clubs set up their equipment to suit as wide a range of athletes as possible?

Timestamps

00:45 I got a pair of mis-matched sculls and so I''m on a rant.... this is easy to improve.

Comfort in the boat and ease of use are the most important for rigging club boats.

All clubs should have standardised rig across the boat fleet.

02:00 Rigging basics

Your rig enables you to move the boat in comfort - your torso and legs.

Be able to sit comfortably at the boat in the finish. Look for your shins not hitting the deck, hold the oar so forearm at the same height as the oar shaft and at the catch that you can get your hips through the work - at least hips level with the face of the gate.

[If you don't know what this is, buy our Sculling Intensive course and learn how to find work through the pin and ways to adjust to suit your needs.]

03:30 Oarlock height and forearm height are related

It's important that your forearms are level with or above the shaft and the oar handle. Otherwise you cannot get weight into the hands as you press the handle down.

04:20 Standardise the boat rig

Sculling spread of 159 or 160 cm; seat to heel measurement of 16-18 cm; oars /sculls 286 cm long and 87 cm inboard, maybe longer oars for men or younger athletes. Note the inboards are the same because men/women use the same boats.

Sweep rigging span of 84 cm; seat to heel 16-18cm. Oars 370 - 373 cm long. Inboards standardise from 114 for an eight down to 117 for a pair.

Put tape on the oars with measurements e.g. 370:114 so it's easy to see what the oar is supposed to be set at.

07:00 Enable quick adjustments for club members

Height spacer washers - put one above and one below the oarlock/gate on every boat. So the oarlock sits at the midpoint above the oarlock to saxboard sill height. So you can easily see if the heights have been moved.

08:20 Shoes with adjustable sizes - we bought ours from Ankaa with velcro adjustment around the heels.

Also home-made velcro instep straps for ladies to use larger shoes are cheap to make.

09:20 Spacer Placer tool - if you want the lanyard when you buy it, mention Faster Masters Rowing.

Buy from Revolution Rowing

https://www.revolutionrowing.com/collections/on-the-water/products/spacer-placer-tool

10:00 Oar designs for easy adjustment include Croker's clamp on the button to release and reset the position without needing a screwdriver and tools.

Give your rowers autonomy so they can adjust the boat and oars to make them comfortable for their needs.

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I am using a daily monitor app to better understand my need for rowing rest and recovery.

Timestamps

00:30 US Masters Rowing Camp April 2024 includes Rebecca as a coach.

02:30 March 2024 Masters rowing training programs by Faster Masters Rowing.

Head race program includes a taper week. The 1k May and June program is for sprint racing.

Imposter syndrome in rowing and how to cure it. McGill spine stabilisation big 3 exercises. Technique sequential versus concurrent stroke profiles.

Get yourself a program including discount coupon.

https://fastermastersrowing.com/join/

06:00 Heart Rate Variability tracking

This tracks the variation between heart beats and is is a good indicator of your state of rest and recovery. How ready are you to do a workout today?

Masters often row on the same rig as they used when younger - clinging onto what we used to do rather than testing and re-measuring your physical state and strength.

09:30 I use HRV4Training app

A daily one minute measure of Rebecca's recent measurements. This is very individual.

Homeostasis - my body's reaction to stress and the autonomic nerve system to keep the body in balance.

Read the blog post

https://fastermastersrowing.com/heart-rate-variability-in-masters/

11.00 HRV case study

After getting a very low score and a red warning on HRV4Training I backed off my training. I was getting a virus - some was normal body stress, and some was post-training stress. It took 3 days before the HRV score came back to the normal range. A clear indication that the invisible virus had enabled me to recover quicker.

12:30 Medical conditions affect heart rate

One community member had an ultra-low heart rate.

Another member has "slightly haywire circuitry" in his heart and knows this affects his HRV measurements.

The HRV measurements are taken by putting your forefinger over the camera light on your phone. It takes a week to get enough readings to set a benchmark.

Full disclosure - Faster Masters Rowing is a brand ambassador for HRV4Training.com

Want easy live streams like this? Instant broadcasts to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn. Faster Masters uses StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5694205242376192

How do masters club groups organise their priorities? Covering training, equipment, coaching, racing/trips/camps, finances - this is a must-listen to episode if you're frustrated by your club leadership.

Timestamps

00:45 Managing your "champagne tastes on a beer budget".

01:00 The State of Masters Rowing 2023 report. The structure of our sport needs revision - learn to row classes are set to grow and that has implications on clubs.

Download your copy

https://fastermastersrowing.com/state-of-masters-rowing-survey-2023/

03:15 What are the priorities for your masters rowing club?

Rowing club strategy for masters includes operational requirements. Boats, equipment, oars, electronics and indoor rowing machines.

List what you'd like to have access to and what you have now - a gap analysis.

Equipment review - list all the boats available, its age and the athlete weight it's designed for.

We found 3 types - women only (70kg), mixed crew weights (80kg), mens boats (90kg+). Also consider their state of repair - are they at the end of life?

Which suit beginners (flat bottom boats, pontoon floats); which suit more experienced crews?

07:00 Training principles for masters rowing

What are the workout priorities for your club? Do you race, do tours, coastal, fitness workouts and what times of day do people want to train?

09:00 Training for racing - ideas from James Dundon of 612 Endurance Rowing Club. A set of principles which members sign up for.

Access to the building shared with other groups. Where can masters be flexible and give priority to other groups in the club.

11:00 Group needs. What would you like to do during a rowing year? Do you train harder before regattas when more people train together - could you get priority at that time? Each of the training group leaders or coaches can name their priorities (boats, club access times and regatta dates). Where is there overlap in desire between the groups?

14:30 Fund raising

Masters are well-placed to support the whole club with fund raising. This can be part of the group needs discussion. The members were surveyed to ask for their perceived priorities.

18:00 The influence your first coach has on your rowing. Beginners get ideas about rowing from their first coach which they take into their intermediate rowing experience and which hold back advancement.

When should you square the blade? The answer is 'it depends'. This is not satisfactory for intermediate athletes - let us explain why.

https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/vip-day-focus-on-boat-skills/

Bonuses include a self-test assessment for benchmarking your rowing skills.

Different situations call for different turning methods.

I bet there's at least one you haven't tried yet.

Timestamps

00:45 Turning a boat sounds easy

What is your goal when turning the boat? Where you are on the water now and where do you want to get to after the turn. Consider the local rules of the river / navigation.

03:00 Slide length - half slide or full slide rowing to turn the boat.

Half the crew can row on bow/starboard and the others back down on strokeside/port.

Consider the catch angle - the more acute it is the bow will turn faster.

04:15 Simultaneous or alternating strokes for your turning. If alternating ensure the other side is ready to start as soon as the other side has finished. In sculling, let your resting side follow the other hand out to the catch and then it's in the right place to take the next stroke. This make the turn faster - less delay between strokes. Important if there's a current pushing the boat.

Invest in yourself Rowing VIP Day

https://fastermastersrowing.com/member-register/vip-day-focus-on-boat-skills/

10:45 A drag turn - around a large arc of a circle. One side holds water and the other side rows.

A shorter arc drag turn - only use the stern athletes checking water - so the retarding force is in the stern of the boat. Then have the athletes rowing be only in the bows to tighten the turn.

12:20 Chop turn - sit stationary legs and arms straight. One side turns the blades upside down and you lift your handles up and down. The curvature of the blades will slowly start to turn the boat.

13:20 Use end pairs to turn.

In an eight have 8&6 back down and 1&3 row on. The middle athletes hold the boat stable while those with the most leverage are rowing.

14:20 Use the current on a river - start to turn the bows into the current so it's in the stream, that force pushes the bows around when turning into the stream (to go with the stream after the turn).

15:50 Checking water

The fastest way to stop a moving rowing boat - bury a feathered blade under the water. It quickly brakes and as the boat slows you can gradually square. This is an emergency stop method.

If you try to check with a squared blade the speed of the water tends to push your oar out of the water. Using a feathered blade is my preferable method to check the boat.

17:30 Counter-feathering

Place the tip of the oar onto the water, blade feathered (the wrong way up). When backing down you can either do this with the oar upside down or with the oar the right way around. There are different advantages. The counter-feather makes it easier to keep the boat balanced on the backing side of the boat. Allows you to keep the boat level while turning and helps guide spatial awareness of where your oar tip is in space (if it's touching the water, you know).

20:15 Turning coxed boats

Turn the rudder in the direction of the turn. Get a good turn by starting the turn just as the crew finishes rowing. As they stop, think about your destination at the end of the turn. Easy at high balance - the boat runs on unchecked. You start to turn and then get the side of the boat on the inside of the turn to check it / hold water using the feathered water. This helps get about a third of the turn done before your crew starts backing.

This shows your intent to other crews who are around you so they know what you're doing.

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Anne works with Henley Womens Regatta to guide international visiting crews towards all the resources they need. From accommodation to boat hire and how to understand the classifications and transportation - she is an amazing resource.

Anne describes some of the Henley Royal Regatta lingo including challenging words like "Stewards" with hilarious effect.

Rowers and coaches dispute the benefits of making a backsplash when placing the oars into the water at the catch. Why? How can you find out which point of view is correct?

Timestamps

00:30 Newsletter sign up is here

https://fastermastersrowing.com/newsletter/

You get early notification of all our events, webinars and courses as well as articles, points of view and discussions.

02:00 Backsplash is the upthrowing of water as the oar goes in at the catch.

Does it show great skill and bladework timing the placement.

Or is it a brake on the forward movement of the boat.

02:45 Valery Kleshnev BioRow explains "When the blade changes direction at the catch, its velocity relative to the boat changes to zero."

https://biorow.com/index.php?route=information%2Fnews%2Fnews&news_id=102&fbclid=IwAR3Jf83uzukQkjTmwt_aXbJV5r1STi1B2f8CBWdD8m07-eRSJhHjaLdz0-w

A neutral entry into the water.

04:30 More or less backsplash?

Backsplash is throwing water towards the bow. Forward splash is throwing water towards the stern. A "V-splash" is a bit of both.

05:15 What happens at the catch?

Square before the oar goes in the water. When the seat stops to change direction is the perfect time for the oar to already be under the water. The oar handle moves upwards so the tip of the blade moves downwards towards the water. Hatchet oars have a straight line on the bottom - can you get that line an inch above the water surface?

Are you bringing the blade down to the water at the catch so you aren't missing water? Do this first.

The oar grips the water before it starts to power the stroke.

The change of direction of the seat is the catch. After it goes in the water, how soon can you grip the water.

08:30 When to use backsplash

It's a useful teaching aide to teach the blade coming down to the water. First, try to hit the water before your seat changes direction. Lift the handles earlier to do this. Learn where the water is relative to your blade(s) and is it symmetrical.

Squaring too late will prevent you getting the timing point at the catch. Roll forward last quarter of the slide with the oars square. Have fewer things to do at the placement.

Get more boat speed by working on the backsplash movement. You get the oar buried closer to full compression of the legs so miss less water.

You may also find improved stability at the catch as both sides lift their hands simultaneously to create the backsplash.

14:30 How to teach backsplash

Start with only half the crew rowing so the boat is stable. Row with square blades to make the catch more simple. Row looking at the oar tip to see how close to the water they can get the spoon before placement. Then row without looking at the oar.

Review the handle height and identify a visual reference so they know they have to lift their hands up to that point in order to make the oar spoon go down towards the water.

Move onto lifting handles earlier in the recovery from half to three quarter slide. This requires a good high balance as you do it square blades. Then teach backsplash as a timing point against the seat changing direction.

Drills to teach the handle movement of the placement.

18:00 Slap Catches - do the recovery feathered - leave the oar feathered and lift the handle up as if putting the oar into the water just slapping the water with a feathered oar at the catch. Alternate with a normal stroke. Listen for the timing of the slap - bow and stroke side. Make it loud.

The Piemenov Brothers did this in their pair.

Try an exaggeration 10 strokes backsplash then 10 strokes without. It's very hard to do if the boat isn't level.

If you dread your indoor rower workouts, listen in. We have 5 things for you to try out which could make your ergs more enjoyable.

Timestamps

00:30 In our training programme this month - 3 training plans to suit your racing, force curve video, how your body mass affects boat speed.

We had a winner at the Virtual Head of the Hooch and personal best times of 3 seconds and 6 seconds from participants - the programs do work!

03:00 5 tips to make your ergs fun. Long endurance workouts can be daunting.

1 - Follow a programme

Making up your workout on the day means you have no goal. Keep a record of your training so you can measure your gains and progress.

2 - Train with a group

There is nothing worse than having to train alone. Even if you have to train in your garage, start the workout at the same time as your crew mates - it's an incentive to show up. And showing up is half the battle in forming an exercise habit.

3 - Reward yourself

Feel good about what you have done. Choose something which you enjoy as a reward.

4 - Set short horizons

While doing the workout choose a destination in the near future (5 minutes) so you can focus on one thing for that time. I choose technique items that will keep my form consistent.

One minute is the lowest horizon.

5 - Distract yourself

Listen to music while training - challenge not to look at the screen until the song is over. Shut your eyes and focus on the feel of the movement instead of looking. Listen to the flywheel - does it get louder as you move to the finish of the stroke? Have a visual cue for your catch - use tape or a straw marker. Change the units to watts from 500m splits. Use this to train yourself to row with consistent pressure. Use your force curve in the same way to train consistency.

Training Camp with US Rowing in Chula Vista 1-4 April. Newsletter recipients will get information about it. I was incorrect that food and accommodation. These aren't included. My bad.

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Understand how your movements contribute to the power phase in the rowing and sculling stroke.

Timestamps

00:30 There are many different ways to row - test for yourself.

01:15 Sequential rowing stroke

Using the legs, back and arms in sequence one after the other.

02:00 Simultaneous rowing stroke

Start the legs and back at the same time and then adding in the arms later.

Blending the overlap between each body part happens in practice so that the power doesn't drop off between each body part.

03:40 Force curve alignment

The sequential movement gives a longer time in the water and a longer duration of the power phase from catch to finish.

Simultaneous gives a higher force curve because the power is higher, but it is a shorter curve because you cannot sustain the power as long as in the sequential.

04:55 Legs | Back | Arms

Rowing is about the effective delivery of power and recruiting muscles into that endeavour.

Legs - the first part of the movement is from your knee - you push the footplate away so only the shins and ankles move. Initiate the stroke with the legs.

Before your legs are fully straight, activate the back. One of the most difficult things to teach is how to keep your legs pushing straight while the back swing begins. Letting the legs drift without adding to the boat speed is a waste of power.

The arm draw is also affected as some forget to continue the back swing when they start the arms drawing.

Many masters have a good leg drive and arm draw but the back can be neglected.

08:00 What proportion of the stroke is legs, back and arms?

Based on my experience legs is 65% and back is 25-30% and arms 5-10%.

08:45 Test this for yourself

In the boat or on the erg set up speed measurement using meters per second rather than 500m splits because it's more sensitive to boat speed changes.

Row at firm pressure, low rate. Then stop using your arms and see how much the speed drops - then stop using the back and the arms (row legs only). Then do the reverse - do the pick drill and measure your speed as each body part is added into the stroke.

This will show you how much of your stroke comes from each body part.

Faster Masters teaches a drill how to improve your stroke.

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