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Masters E-Newsletter

Getting the Most Out of Erg Time

By Mayrene T. Earle, M.Ed.

Now that winter is here, most rowers in northern states have moved indoors to train on the ergometer. Many see winter erg training as a chance to maintain or improve strength and fitness in hopes of making their boats go faster in the spring and summer. To achieve this, it's natural (and effective) to focus on your numbers while erging, since the monitor provides immediate feedback, making it easy to set goals, gauge your progress and push yourself to reach a new “personal best.”

Unfortunately, in the drive to maintain or improve your erg results, it's all too easy to overlook technique. In doing so, you weaken the connection between your erg training and your rowing, which means you're not getting the full benefit of all your erg work. After all, the erg provides a perfect opportunity to improve technique in a stable environment. And surely each and every one of us can improve at least one aspect of his or her stroke.

I'm so convinced that careful erging can improve technique that I even recommend to rowers in warm climates that they come off the water for brief periods to work on the erg. I promise them that erg training with a focus on technique will lead them to use their time on the water more effectively – and appreciate it more too!

So here's my suggestion: When erging this winter, occasionally drop your focus on the numbers and work on technique. The not-so-big secret is that this will result in better numbers!

Here are some areas you can concentrate on while erging:

* Keep your hand and chain heights steady.

* Move your hands and body out of bow without pausing.

* Keep your upper body steady once you establish your reach.

* Feel the tension in the chain as it brings you into the catch.

* Feel the “boat” moving out underneath you on the recovery.

* Take the catch with your legs.

* Relax your arms and shoulders and feel them being stretched by the chain.

* Keep the shoulders ahead of the hips until the legs are at 165 degrees.

* Delay the arm draw until the back has moved past vertical.

* Keep the elbows at the same height as the wrists.

* Repeat again. And again. And again.

Generally it's best to do drills during warm-ups, when you can focus on areas that need improvement and then carry that over into your work. Steady-state erg pieces also are ideal for working on technique and rhythm.

In addition to practicing technique on the erg, watch as much video as you can -- video of yourself and of others. There are a lot of great DVDs out there. Seeing and visualizing good rowing also helps improve your technique.

May you have a healthy and productive winter and a wonderful holiday season.

Mayrene T. Earle, M.Ed., is founder of MastersCoaching. She conducts camps and clinics for masters rowers around the world. She also provides coaching for coaches and offers Erg Inspiration classes by phone. Contact Mayrene at mayrene@masterscoaching.com . Copyright © Mayrene T. Earle. All rights reserved.