Grab an ergo and a crate of beer for your next workout

Control

Most coaches of young rowers struggle to teach slide control.  A simple ergo workout can help.  Take an upside down wooden beer crate, or something similar, and prop the back of the erg about 250mm to 300mm off the ground.  Place the rower on the erg and have her row.  She will immediately notice that she needs to control her progress forward – progress for the coach.  Now get her to row at a low and controlled rate, say 18spm.  With good prompting and eliciting of feedback it should be possible to get her to notice and feel the pressure under the feet that controls the sliding forward.  Now have her row at full pressure and keep the same control.

Take the ergo off the box and try now.  Most rowers will immediately be able to row with better control.  If necessary repeat the dose.

Strength workout

Place the ergo on the box as described above.  Row one of your normal workouts and notice the difference!  Much more work for the legs without the extra load on the back that increasing the ergo setting gives.  The ergs also have to work to control the slide forward and the quads in particular get to be loaded eccentrically as well asconcentrically.

This extra loading can be used in endurance pieces or in a power strokes style of training.

And, if the session is too awful then the coach gets to drink the beer!