A reader asks how she can get fit on the ergo while training for summer racing on the UK South Coast Coastal Rowing Championships (2km with 1 km turn around).

This is a really great way to build up your individual fitness and test yourself as you improve.   You can do this on the Rowperfect, Waterrower or Concept 2 ergos.

• Row 40 minutes at rate 26. Record your 500m split. This split is now your target for all your steady state long ergos. So say you do 2:10 in the rate 26 when you do your regular steady state at rate 18-22 you are aiming to pull 2.10
• Row 40 minutes at rate 20 -22 at the target split.
• As you get fitter, you can do longer pieces. Build up from 40 minutes towards 60 minutes (for an adult) or 100 minutes if you’re aiming to row for Great Britain.
• When you can do all the workout at the target split (check the average split at the end of the workout), re-test by doing session 1 again.
• Get a new target split and build up again.

I recommend doing a steady state long ergo workout twice a week through the winter.  Depending on your level of fitness at the beginning, you should be able to reduce your split quite quickly because this workout is seriously challenging and will help you on your personal best scores, For coaches: This is a good way to teach people how to pull hard at low rate by giving them an achievable target set by themselves.