Winter Weight & Erg Workout Program
Past Years Winter Workouts (.pdf)
For all of those who want to carry the rowing over to the winter, I am going to put a series of weight and erg workouts on the Lincoln web site, usually at the start of the month.
These will designed be to help you get a little stronger, increase your aerobic base a little more, and have you as prepared as much as possible for the start of rowing in the spring.
Winter for club rowers has traditionally been a time to slow down a bit after the long racing season, and ease back in weight and cardio vascular base training. Even though it seems like rowing has just ended, it is really the start of next year, and should be approached that way. Almost all of the erg and weight training will be done with the idea that we are preparing for May, not next month. So some of the efforts may seem rather easy, but keep in mind that you need to rest and repair yourself, and this is a time for working towards the future. Almost one step back, two steps forward.
As much as I can, I will try to have exercises that can be done in your home, and using things like a small bag of flour, or cans of soup, so that weights are not needed. Your muscles do not know the difference between a 5 lb bag of flour and a chromed weight they only know resistance.
I will also try to give an idea of how each weight exercise is targeted towards a specific area of the stroke. I find it easier to think of it in terms of rowing, not just weight lifting.
As always if you have any pain or chronic soreness from doing the exercises, stop. I will try to include some more advanced or rigorous exercises for those who want the extra challenge.
It can be a good idea to keep track or the weight training sessions, and to keep a record of your effort, a simple logbook to mark progress
We may also try to organize some erg sessions so that people can work out together, and help pass the time until the start of rowing in the spring.
~John Cotter