Issue #18: Can the weight room predict your rowing performance?

✍️ Author’s Note

Welcome back to The Threshold Lab, where each week we dissect a training topic, dig into the research and translate it into practical strategies. I’m Stephen Pelkofer, an aspiring HYROX Elite 15 athlete and research/data nerd. This week’s edition is focused on rowing time trial performance, and what variables might make you a better rower.

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👨‍💻 Introduction

Topic: Variables that influence rowing time trial performance

This newsletter is often focused on running or topics extremely close to running. Since the HYROX North American season is upon us, I’m pivoting to do a deep dive into rowing, and specifically, what factors might influence rowing time trial performance (on a concept2 rower!).

The study I read is a fascinating deep dive from elite rowing that gives us a blueprint for how strength, power, and muscular endurance in the weight room map to time trial performance. If you’ve ever wondered which lifts and which rep-ranges are most useful when you want to row fast, this issue is for you.

Reference Study: Strength, Power, and Muscular Endurance Exercise and Elite Rowing Ergometer Performance

🔬 Deep Dive

Study setup

• Participants: 19 elite heavyweight male rowers

• Timing: Off-season testing, weight room + ergometer tests

• This testing and training replaced their normal endurance and weight training for this testing period.

Variables measured

Weight room tests (note RM = rep max)

• Leg pressing and seated arm pulling on a DYNO machine (Concept-2), at multiple repetition maximums (5RM, 30RM, 60RM, 120RM) – with output in Joules.

• Note: The DYNO machine isn’t even sold by Concept2 anymore but it is somewhat similar to their newer Strength Erg machine.

• Free weights: 1RM power clean and 6RM bench pull.

Rowing erg tests

• Time trials: 500m, 2000m, and 5000m

• Peak stroke power test (max power per stroke)

• Aerobic condition via 7-stage incremental lactate test (simple terms: power at approximately 4 mmol/L lactate)

• 60-minute max distance trial

Key Results

1. Strong predictors for sprint & mid-distance ergometer performance (500 m, 2000 m) and peak stroke power

   1. Power clean (1RM) and bench pull power were among the best two‐factor predictors of peak stroke power and 500m times.

   2. Lower-body strength (leg pressing) plus upper-body pulling strength/endurance also map well to 2000m performance. Examples: 5RM leg press + 6RM bench pull, or 5RM leg press + 60RM seated arm pulling.

2. Muscular endurance (high reps) has value, but less so for longer durations / pure aerobic tests

   1. For example, 60RM seated arm pulling correlated with 500-2000m erg times, but weight room variables were poor predictors of longer endurance outcomes like 5000m, 60-minute trial, or the aerobic lactate test.

   2. The 120RM leg press (roughly a 4-minute test) was not a good predictor of endurance performance (5k and 60min erg tests), even though one might expect that. Possibly because among elite athletes, many are more similar with respect to aerobic capacity, reducing variance to be explained by muscular endurance.

3. No single weight room measure predicts all outcomes

   1. Different weights / reps / power vs strength vs endurance give different predictive power. The best predictors vary depending on whether the target is short/medium distance, or power output, etc.

4. Combining measures helps

   1. Best predictions often come from using two predictors together (e.g., strength + power, or strength + endurance).

   2. Erg tests themselves often have even higher explanatory power for performance in erg outcomes. Basically the DYNO machine tests were more predictive probably because they are more specific and direct.

5. All weight-room tests were poor predictors for longer duration tests (5000m and 60-minute trial) or aerobic condition (lactate test).

   1. As usual for longer duration time trials, the aerobic engine and movement economy really matter.

   2. Max strength and power ≠ bette rowing endurance performance.

Data / Study Caveats

• As always, correlation does not equal causation (this study focuses entirely on correlation metrics like r^2).

• This was a group of highly trained male rowers – their performance is likely similar across the board and might not be super helpful for applying the results to recreational athletes.

• The authors were surprised that the 120 rep max leg press test did not correlate to performance on basically any of the time trials. They did note that this type of test is extremely demanding and might require more rest/less fatigue going into it.

Time for some lab notes ⬇️

🧪 Lab Notes

In every issue of this newsletter, the “Lab Notes” are going to be the protocols that you can apply to your training and routine right away. The goal of this section is to translate the science into actionable steps for the reader, whether you’re a recreational runner/HYROX competitor, or someone pushing the limits of their peak potential.

• Rowing power and sprint tests <= 500m

  • HYROX applicability = very low ⬇️ 

  • Power cleans and heavy strength work matter

  • 1RM to 5RM work will help improve time trial performance in a sprint

  • Bigger athletes will always have an advantage

• Rowing anaerobic power and 1k-2k tests

  • HYROX applicability = some, but likely not super important ➡️ 

  • A combination of max strength (low reps) and local muscular endurance (high reps like 30+) work will improve time trail performance here

  • Bigger athletes still have an advantage at these distances

• Rowing endurance and 5k-60min tests

  • HYROX applicability = most important of these three groups ↗️ 

  • None of the weight room tests had any correlation with performance here

  • In these tests, your aerobic engine and LONG muscular endurance matter

  • I personally use my 5k time trial performance as a pacing indicator for my HYROX races

  • How I improve my performance for 5k and longer

    • Long aerobic sessions > 30min long

    • 3-5k pace intervals with short rest → 8×500m w/60s rest

    • Speed endurance bursts → adding 5×30s sprints into easy days

That’s it for this edition of the Threshold Lab. Happy training!

References

Lawton, Trent W.1,2; Cronin, John B.2,3; McGuigan, Michael R.1,2,3. Strength, Power, and Muscular Endurance Exercise and Elite Rowing Ergometer Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 27(7):p 1928-1935, July 2013. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182772f27