Rowing News April Article – Check Yourself
March 11, 2010
There are two ways to monitor how hard you’re working, and neither tells the whole story.
By Bob Kaehler
Looking for an effective way to measure proper intensity levels while training? Coaches use two different methods to keep tabs on their athletes: heart rate monitors and a combination of speed, wattage, and split averages. Both methods have certain inherent advantages and have been used to great effect by world-class coaches and athletes. Regardless of the one you use, it is important that you consider additional external and internal factors which could affect actual intensity levels.
Heart-rate monitors are a popular method for tracking intensity levels during a training session. But knowing your current maximum heart rate is essential if you want to train effectively. Karvonen’s formula (220- age) is often used to establish maximum heart rate, but can be 15 beats or more per minute above or below your actual maximum heart rate. A better way to establish maximum heart rate is through a step test guided by a physiologist’s plan, or by rowing a 2,000-meter test. After accurately measuring maximum heart rate, you can then set correct heart-rate training zones. Many coaches and physiologists break training intensity into a minimum of three levels or zones: easy work (65-80 percent of max heart rate), threshold work (88-92 percent of max), and interval work (98-100 percent of max). Before you begin training with heart-rate monitors and zone targets, however, you’ll need to consider a slew of other factors.
External environmental conditions such as air temperature, humidity, wind, and even the amount of clothes you wear can affect your heart rate. Internal conditions such as how well hydrated you are before and during your workout can also play a role. This is why it is so important to remain properly hydrated when training. Cardiac drift, the natural tendency for one’s heart rate to creep upward as training progresses, must also be considered during training sessions lasting longer than 30 minutes. The likelihood of cardiac drift occurring in shorter workouts can increase if the external and/or internal conditions are not ideal before or during your training session. If this happens, you may need to reduce your training intensity to keep the heart rate within the desired zone.
Some athletes and coaches, meanwhile, prefer measuring speed, wattage, and average splits to determine workout intensity. This method works particularly well when training indoors on rowing machines, where conditions remain consistent. Power and speed measurements can be taken accurately, free of external factors such as wind speed, water current, and air and water temperatures. When training outdoors, these external conditions can influence speed and therefore must be taken into proper consideration when assessing the intensity of a particular workout. Periodic testing, such as a 2,000-meter-or 6000-meter test, is often used to set training speeds and average splits. Using these benchmarking tools will allow you to find your appropriate pace and can be an effective way to monitor specific intensities for a given training session.
Heart-rate monitors may be a better choice for self-coached athletes versus the speed, wattage, and split average method, which is best conducted under the guidance of a coach who can continuously regulate intensity levels based on the changing conditions and external factors. Regardless of which method you choose to determine intensity levels for training, pay attention to the conditions within your control by staying properly hydrated, using fans when indoors, and wearing the appropriate workout gear.
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