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Alex Krupp
Alex Krupp
This guide was written primarily for lightweight male rowers, but may useful
for others as well. c.f. the section on page 10 below on assumptions,
caveats, and prerequisites. All weights are stated in pounds (lbs). Convert
to kg.
Youre reading this because you want to get fast. Clearly. Otherwise you
wouldnt be here.
What follows is a comprehensive guide on going from being a complete
couch potato to an Olympic-level athlete in six months. How is this
possible? After all, normally this would take several years. The secret is
focusing on the fundamentals. Consider the following passage, written about
Japanese baseball:
"In every confrontation with a real American professional team it seems that
what we need to learn from them, besides their technique of course, is how
uniformly faithful their players are to the fundamentals. Faithfulness to the
fundamentals seems to be a common thread linking professionalism in all
areas." T. Kageyama
The interesting thing is that Kageyama was actually a professional go player,
and the quote above comes from a book about go. But as it turns out,
whats good for baseball players and go players is good for rowers as well.
Here are the basic principles behind this guide:
Alex Krupp
Most other training guides start out with a 2k or a series of max lifts, and
then attempt to divine a new best workout each day based on initial
performance. These top-down programs never work for two reasons:
1. They dont have you doing the most efficient workout on any given
day.
2. They fail to generate actionable data.
These systems are mostly designed to keep the kids from getting bored,
and to make the person who created them seem smart.
In contrast, by holding our workouts constant we can easily track our rate of
progress and make data-driven decisions quickly. This allows us to tweak
our workouts to keep our rate of improvement in each exercise linear for as
long as possible, rather than having it prematurely reaching the point
of diminishing returns. I will follow up with several real world examples of
this below, as well as some raw data from my own personal experience.
The ultimate goal is to go from your current level of fitness (or lack thereof)
to being able to pull a sub-6:20 2k in six months. In order to break 6:20,
here are the benchmarks you need:
Aerobic cardio: sub-1:55 for 2 x 45 @ 155hr / 19spm
Anaerobic cardio: >2900m avg. for 3 x 10 @ 24spm (4 min), 26spm (3
min), 28spm (2 min), 30spm (1 min)
Alex Krupp
Months 1 - 3
Monday Saturday: Erg 2 x 45min @ 19spm, 75% max HR
Monday Saturday: Stretching, core strength
Monday & Thursday: 6 x max pull-ups
Tuesday & Friday: 6 x 10 squats
Wednesday & Saturday: 4 x 10 back extension
Sunday: Rest
Erg
Alex Krupp
Between the two sets eat something like a banana or a power bar.
This helps prevent chronic glycogen depletion, the cause of most
overtraining syndrome.
Keep the drag factor around 100 for the 90 minute pieces.
I'd recommend taking one extra day off from the 90 minute erg pieces
every other week, and then cross training for one day during the
weeks that you're not taking an extra day off. This means that you
should be doing your 90 minute erg pieces 22 days out of the 30,
with an additional two 90 minute pieces per month of cross training.
However, don't erg any less than 22 days per month or else your
cardio will take a dramatic hit.
Never skip a strength workout. Even one missed day will set you back
at least a week. In economics terms, the bulk of the improvement
comes from the marginal effort you put in near the end. That is, the
first 80% of the effort gets you only 20% of the benefits.
Similarly, never skip a workout for an erg test. Ive seen way too
many rowers try to cheat the system this way, which makes no sense.
By training through every piece you ensure that even if youre a little
slower in fall, youll be miles ahead in spring. This takes a certain
amount of self-confidence and assuredness in your ability to make the
A Project Management Approach to Lightweight Rowing
Alex Krupp
boat, but the dividends here are enormous. Go easy the day before
your last 2k of the season, but train through everything right up until
then.
Pull-ups
Record how many you get on each set in your notebook, but in excel
record only the number you get on the first set and the total for all
six sets.
Squats
Start with the maximum amount of weight you know you can safely do
for 6 sets of ten reps. Each time you can successfully completely the
6 x 10 two workouts in a row for a given weight, increase the weight
by 10 lbs for the next session. Always use a squat belt.
If you complete the lift just barely both times then keep with that
weight for another session or two, especially as the weight gets
heavier. Again, if you follow this workout plan then pretty much the
only thing that can stop you from pulling a 6:20 is getting injured, so
dont f**king get injured. If there is ever a question about safety then
immediately reduce the weight.
It generally helps to put a 5 or 10lb plate under each heal. This lets
you push with your entire foot while keeping good form.
Once the squats start getting very heavy its good to lie on the
ground between sets, and with your legs on elevated (e.g. resting on
a chair or on the erg) do crossovers with 5 or 10lb weights. Start with
your arms lying on the ground completely extended, as if you were
A Project Management Approach to Lightweight Rowing
Alex Krupp
making a snow angel. Then slowly bring each arm across to the other
side of your chest with the weight in each hand. The point of this isnt
to get a workout, its just to help drain the lactate and other cruft out
of your legs. Doing this for a minute or so between sets dramatically
improves recovery.
The method of lifting described above is extremely taxing. Especially as you
get better, its not uncommon for your heart rate to be close to its maximum
after each set. Because of this its ok to wait a few minutes between sets,
especially in hot weather. Remember, the reason we lift this way is that its
the fastest way to improve our strength. Dont try to rush through the lifts to
gain cardio; this vastly slows down ones rate of strength improvement, a
trade-off that makes little sense considering that strength takes so much
longer to gain than cardio. Even worse, rushing through lifts gives only a
nominal additional cardio benefit if youre already doing the 2 x 45 ergs,
resulting in a huge overall net loss in rate of improvement.
Similarly, the best way to complete these workouts is to do the lifts before
the cardio. The thinking is that even if you cant erg as fast at the 155
heart rate after lifting, youll still be getting roughly the same cardio benefit.
Whereas if youre lifting less weight each week because youre lifting after
cardio, then ultimately its going to take much longer to gain strength.
Months 3 4.5
Monday Saturday: Erg 2 x 45min @ 19spm, 77.5% max HR (around 160)
Monday Saturday: Stretching, core strength
Monday & Thursday: 6 x max pull-ups
Tuesday & Friday: 6 x 8 squats
Wednesday & Saturday: 4 x 10 back extension
Sunday: Rest
A Project Management Approach to Lightweight Rowing
Alex Krupp
Months 4.5 - 6
Monday Saturday: Erg 2 x 45min @ 19spm, 77.5% max HR (around 160)
Monday Saturday: Stretching, core strength
Monday & Thursday: 6 x max pull-ups
Tuesday & Friday: 6 x 6 squats; superset each with 3 jumpies
Wednesday & Saturday: 4 x 10 back extension
Sunday: Rest
Monday & Thursday: 3 x 10 @ 24spm (4 min), 26spm (3 min), 28spm (2
min), 30spm
A Project Management Approach to Lightweight Rowing
Alex Krupp
Months 6 7.5
Monday Saturday: Erg 2 x 45min @ 19spm, 77.5% max HR (around 160)
Monday Saturday: Stretching, core strength
Monday & Thursday: 6 x max pull-ups
Tuesday & Friday: Plyometrics for legs (i.e. jumpies)
Wednesday & Saturday: 4 x 10 back extension
Sunday: Rest
Monday: 3 x 10 @ 24spm (4 min), 26spm (3 min), 28spm (2 min), 30spm
Tuesday & Friday: 2 x 1250m @ 34spm
Tuesday & Friday: Extra 45 min of cross training cardio.
Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday: Varies
For the plyometrics, the simplest program is to work your way up to 3 x
100 jumpies. For example, start with something like 6 x 20 your first week,
and then slowly work your way up.
On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, do shorter anaerobic sprint
pieces. Good examples are 5 x 2000, 5 x 5, and 6 x 2.
Complete at least two 8 x 500 ergs before your next 2k. Do the pieces at
the following stroke rates: 26, 28, 30, 32, 29, 31, open, open. Rest for 1:45
after each piece, and 8 minutes after the fourth. If you can break a 1:35
A Project Management Approach to Lightweight Rowing
Alex Krupp
average for all eight pieces then you should now be able to break 6:20 on
the 2k.
(Alternate version: 6 x 500m open. Rest for 1 min after each piece. Drop
the fastest, drop the slowest, and the average of the middle four is your 2k
split.)
The most important thing to remember here is never skip the 2 x 45 in
favor of the sprint pieces. Approximately 70% of your 2k speed comes from
base cardio, and the sprint workouts contribute only a small fraction to the
remaining 30%. At the elite level about 100k per week is the break-even
point. That is, if youre doing more than 100k per week youre gaining
cardio, and if youre doing less than 100k per week youre losing cardio.
Thats not to say that doing sprint work isnt extremely important, but as it
gets closer to sprint season a lot of people start doing less cardio and only
focus on the sprint pieces. This is a huge mistake. Never do sprint workouts
unless youre already doing at least 100k per week.
You are a lightweight male between the ages of 16 and 38. If not you
can always modify goals and workouts as long as they remain
consistent with the principles outlined above.
Getting fast is either the first or second most important thing in your
life. Meaning that if your number one priority is school/work, then
training has to take priority over hanging out with friends and
significant others, partying, staying out late, surfing the web, etc. This
A Project Management Approach to Lightweight Rowing
Alex Krupp
system will only work if you have a love of sport and a strong
intrinsic motivation to be the best.
You know how to erg, row, and lift weights safely. If not visit Row2K
(or an equivalent website for your country) to find a learn-to-row
program in your area.
This guide assumes you have at least a minimum of non rowingspecific strength. You dont need the perfect beach body by any
means, but you should hopefully be able to do 20 dips and bench
155. If not then spend six weeks or so working on this before you get
started, perhaps concurrently with a longer version of the two-week
cardio plan outlined below. The reason is that for the next six months
youll be focusing almost exclusively on rowing muscles, so you want
to make sure your antagonistic muscles (pecs, triceps, hamstrings) are
strong enough that you dont injure yourself. Some of the book
recommendations below may be highly useful for creating an
appropriate program.
If youre completely out of shape when starting this, then you might
want to take at least two weeks to ease into the erging. Try
something like 15 minutes the first day, 25 minutes for the next two
days, 35 minutes for the next three days, 45 minutes the next four
days, and 2 x 35 min for 5 days. Hopefully you are steady stating at
least under 2:30 by the time you start the full workout plan.
The biggest caveat here is with the pull-ups. For me I found that I
gained strength very quickly using this method, but then eventually
A Project Management Approach to Lightweight Rowing
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Alex Krupp
topped out around 35. While this is really all you need to break 6:20,
I feel like there are probably ways to improve upon this component
after the first three months. Again, the reason you are plotting your
progress in excel is so you can see if your improvement is starting to
level off. If it does, figure out why and modify the workouts as
needed.
Suggested variations
Consider substituting some of the pull-ups for bench pull after the first
three months, especially if you are already close to hitting your pullups goal. The only reason I didnt include this in the standard plan is
that most people dont have access to the necessary equipment.
Basically the suggested workout would become:
Monday: 6 x max weighted pull-ups
Thursday: 6 x 20 bench pull
Once youre able to do over 30 pull-ups on your first set without
weight, add 10 lbs using a dip belt. Then add another 5lbs every time
youre able to do 20 or more on your first set for two workouts in a
row.
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Alex Krupp
Stretching
If you want to be the fastest then you need to have the most strength, the
most cardio, and the most flexibility. Unfortunately all too often stretching
takes the back seat behind the other two components of fitness even though
its equally important. Therefore Im taking the position that the best
stretching routine is the one that you do every day. And the best way to do
this is to create a routine that you actually enjoy because it feels good. To
that end Id recommend doing the stretches below in the order listed. Doing
the wrong stretches or doing them in the wrong order can be really tedious.
The idea here is to create something thats aesthetically appealing while at
the same time hitting all the muscle groups required to keep you safe and
maximize your 2k.
Shoulder stretch.
The hurdler stretch. First with each leg extended, then with both legs
extended. The goal here is to get your chest as close as possible to
your knees.
Quads stretch.
The achilles stretch. If you prefer this can also be done on all fours
(pushup position) instead of against the wall.
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Alex Krupp
Core Strength
Core strength is popularly believed to prevent chronic use injuries. While the
scientific evidence is somewhat equivocal I think its safe to assume that at
least a solid baseline level of fitness here is necessary, if not a p90x beach
body physique. Here are three exercises below:
Pillar bridges Get into pushup position. Hold for 10 seconds. Raise
and extend right arm. Hold for 10 seconds. Switch arms. Hold for 10
seconds. Raise and extend right leg. Hold for 10 seconds. Switch
Legs. Hold for 10 seconds. Raise and extend right leg and left arm.
Hold for 10 seconds. Switch arms and legs. Hold for ten seconds.
A Project Management Approach to Lightweight Rowing
13
Alex Krupp
Cherry Pickers - Remember, the goal isnt just to move your arms
back and forth, but rather to isolate your core muscles and use them
to twist your entire trunk from side to side.
Leg Lifts - Lie flat on back with head and shoulder blades off ground.
Lift both legs so heels are six inches off the ground and knees are
straight. Hold for one minute.
Food
Id recommend picking up Nancy Clarks book on sports nutrition. This book
is invaluable, especially when cutting weight for race season. No special diet
is needed to complete these workouts, just remember to eat something in
between 45-minute pieces to prevent chronic glycogen depletion.
My only other tip is to try the Seth Godin breakfast. Its healthy, low calorie,
and delicious. Try it with cilantro, sprouts, and grape tomatoes.
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Alex Krupp
is something you need to work on then try adding in the following sprint
workouts:
Gamut: 1min on, 1min off, 1 min on. The original gamut erg is an
excellent tool for learning how to pull hard because there is a lot of
resistance at the catch and very little at the finish. Because of this it
rewards the out-of-control energy that makes the 8+ win
championships.
Erg or water: 500m sprints. (Or quarter mile sprints if rowing the 1x.)
Gimmicky Ideas
None of the stuff below is necessary, but here is a list of ideas for if you
have some extra time and want to experiment.
Supplements - The only supplements I'd recommend are the ones that
are generally recommended anyway for health reasons: a basic
multivitamin like this or this,Omega-3, and Co Q10. That said, if you
want to try something crazy, try drinking a Red Bull and a couple
teaspoons of honey 30-45 minutes before a big erg test. It sounds
disgusting, and it kind of is, but the raw energy surge and pulling
aggression you get from this is completely ineffable. (But dont have
more than one because FISA, WADA and the NCAA have strict limits
on acceptable caffeine use.)
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Alex Krupp
Hypoxic tent This is a low oxygen tent that you sleep in to increase
your red blood cell count. This allows your blood to hold more
oxygen, which improves athletic performance.
Jump training - If youre more ambitious with your plyometrics you can
purchase one of the vertical jump workouts designed for basketball.
There are several readily available that you can find via a simple
Google search, although I cant personally vouch for the safety or
efficacy of any individual program.
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Alex Krupp
method, etc. If not, try diffing this guide against some of the other popular
training methods below:
The Amateurs
Olympic Obsession
A Fine Balance
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Alex Krupp
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Alex Krupp
My personal data
As promised, I want to share some of my personal data about how this
program worked for me. When I started this program I had already rowed
previously for many years at a reasonably high level, before taking a 1.5
year hiatus. During this time I was almost completely sedentary, except for
things like walking around campus between classes. As such, I was
completely out of shape when I started training again and could barely keep
my erg average below 2:30 at a 155 heart rate. I took 2 - 3 weeks to work
my way into the program, as described above, and then followed the
program diligently for the next 4 months.
At this point I unfortunately had to take 2.5 months off due to a medical
problem that was being exacerbated by training. After these 2.5 months I
trained lightly again for a month, attending team practices but not erging or
lifting at all on my own. After these few weeks back I was able to pull a
6:23.3 on the erg, even though I was nowhere near in the physical shape I
had been before. Thus it stands to reason that even if I wasn't in good
enough shape to have broken 6:20 before this break, I probably would have
come very, very close.
More importantly, I had easily achieved my training targets for pull-ups and
squats, and was less than a month away from achieving the erg targets as
well. So, as it stands, while I'm not the fastest collegiate lightweight rower
ever to have rowed, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who got to my
level of fitness faster than I did. Not only this, but the data suggests that I
still had a ton of potential left as my rate of improvement hadn't yet started
to significantly decrease. But don't take my word for it, download
my workout data for the first four months and see for yourself.
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Alex Krupp
Final thoughts
If you make it through the above then you should have little difficulty in
ultimately breaking 6:20. The real trick is staying motivated.
So far as I can tell there are really only two ways to go about this. The first
is to regularly visualize yourself winning and achieving your goals. The idea
here is to motivate yourself by the thought of getting to go out and fuck up
someone elses day. If youre the kind of person who enjoys this then its
theoretically possible to make it work almost indefinitely.
However, the better long term strategy I think is to adopt what Hinduism
calls the sanyasa-tyaga mindset. That is, take the right actions, but then
renounce the consequences. If you can learn to enjoy the process for its
own sake then this is the true path to sustainable fastness.
Lastly, dont be afraid to make changes. But only make changes that are
based on data, and that will generate more actionable data. Good decisions
are based on patterns, so plan ahead and create workouts that make these
patterns easy to spot. As Yogi Berra once said, You can observe a lot just
by watching.
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Alex Krupp
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