The Baltimore Rowing Club -- Programs -- Pack

The Short List
To join the BRC Pack, you must be an Annual Member in good standing. Because this program is uncoached, you will not need to pay coaching fees.

Add yourself to the BRC Pack email discussion list -- good things happen there.

2008 Workout Calendars

BRC Pack

Welcome to the BRC Pack, a new program for members with sculling experience that will let you train with other BRC Pack members who want a flexible program that fits their schedules and needs and who want to have some fun. This isn't a program for novices to learn how to scull. We want to provide a framework for group training that lets you pick the right level for your objectives for this rowing season. It is always easier to get the most from workouts when you row with other people, and it is always easier to get up in the morning when you know your Pack is going to be there when you arrive.

Current plans and ideas for the program:

We will publish a calendar of workouts that you can follow throughout each month whether on or off the water. The workouts will specify duration, stroke rate and target heart rates. The club is purchasing Speed Coach wiring for all the sculling boats so we can all do the same workouts at the same rate, at the same time. Until we are all wired, we can use a watch for our timing and to help count stroke rates;
We will all know what the day's workout is in advance, so we just have to show up, get in a boat and go out and do it. We'll all be doing the same workouts for the same amount of time. We may stagger our starting points to keep togethe, or create mini-Packs based on speed, experience, etc. Working with and against each other is part of the fun. You can arrange your own boat lineups or just hook up with others in the morning. As the season progresses, those who are going to do some racing will probably want to settle into some regular lineups. It's up to you;
We will have priority access to the club sculling boats on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday mornings. We are planning to be on the water at 6:00 AM on Tues. and Thurs., and at 8:00 on Sunday, so show up a little before then. Times can change based on group preferences and experience once we get underway;
We hope most of you will make these three weekly training sessions on the water, but that is up to you. We also hope you will supplement these outings with other workouts both on and off the water, more on that below;
We plan to start rowing in 4X's and 2X's, and will work in 1X's when it warms up a bit. Each boat will have to have a bow certified rower steering, but that does not seem to be a problem with this group;
We may have "guest coaches" from time to time;
We hope to have some video sessions too with either guest coaches or Pack members taking a turn as camera-person;
We hope to have dinner at Alfredo's to review video tapes as well!

Starting Dates

For those of you who want get started in March, we'll kick things off on Tuesday 3/11. If you want to wait for April, that's fine, too. We plan to start doing some race pieces on the water for fun and fitness beginning in April.

Workouts

We will put together monthly workout calendars. We are including a variety of workouts to help you get in shape and get faster too. We aren't starting out with the highest intensity stuff. We'll build up to that, but we want to make the workouts challenging at the same time.

A description of each of the following workout types is included below.

Oxygen utilization 1 (Util 1)
Oxygen utilization 2 (Util 2)
Oxygen transport (Trans)
Anaerobic threshold (AT)
Lactate tolerance (Lac)
Alactate (AL) (These are included in the race piece Lac workouts and in the Util workouts where you do 15 strokes at a 30 every 5 minutes)

The workouts are set up by:

Duration - how many and how long
Stroke Rating target range
How much rest between pieces (this rest is at a paddle or quarter to half pressure)
% of maximum exertion/output
Heart rate target range – two ranges are listed for a Max = 200 (younger/elite) and 180 (older, more mature). You can approximate your MHR by subtracting your age from 220 and adding 3. You can then apply the exertion % for the workout to your own Max and set your own target range. Or you can do a 500 M piece on the erg all out (after warming up a lot) and check your rate on a heart monitor or take your pulse. A heart rate monitor is a valuable tool that you should consider buying.

It is critical to stay within the target stroke rating and heart rate ranges for the various types of workouts. If you want to go fast later in the year, you need to build that aerobic base now with the steady state work.

Obviously, the more work you do, the more results you will get, but we've tried to arrange a program where you can choose your level of activity. The more time you can spend on the water the better, but there are also other ways to get a lot of the benefits of the various workouts.

Three days a week of training

We tried to set up the Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday workouts to provide you with a range of the types of work for those of you who choose to train three days a week.

Four days a week of training

If you choose to train for 4 days, we'd recommend adding another Util (steady state) workout either on the water or erg. You can also substitute a 60 minute run/bike/elliptical workout.

Five days a week of training

We recommend adding in the Util workout or equivalent plus a Transport workout on the water or erg or spinning or other aerobic interval workout

Six days a week of training

Add two Util workouts and a Transport or LT workout or equivalent.

Remember you aren't restricted to the three days of this program for rowing on the water in club boats. Once the Competitive program gets going, there very well may be additional boats available on the other days of the week in the morning, or during the sculling program in the afternoons. If you have your own boat, all the better and we encourage you to get out there and do as many workouts as make sense for you.

This is just a way to add some structure and hopefully some fun for folks who want to go out and scull on a regular basis. You can change things around as you want. It's your row.

Workout Descriptions

Oxygen Utilization training is your steady state workouts. It helps to improve the body's ability to use the oxygen delivered to the muscles via the bloodstream, by increasing the number of capillaries and mitochondria surrounding each. Most of the adaptations occur at the site of the muscles being stressed and it is therefore essential that Util training is carried out in the boat whenever possible.

Oxygen Transport training is designed to increase the body's ability to transfer the oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the muscles and thereby strengthen the heart and make it more efficient.

Anaerobic Threshold training is designed to improve the rower's anaerobic threshold, i.e. to develop the aerobic capacity. It is important when doing this type of training to exercise at the correct intensity to avoid either over-production of lactic acid or under-stressing the body, both of which will lower the training effect.

Lactate Tolerance work is your higher rating race type pieces, The aim is to build up the level of lactic acid in the body by performing a series of work pieces with a short rest in between. Lactate production and removal training, where we would do some quarter to half pressure paddling after every second work piece allows the body to remove the lactic acid and produce the maximum level again during the next work piece.

Alactate Training develops the ability of the body to produce the instant energy required at the start of a race. The production of this type of energy does not produce lactic acid. Practicing racing starts or incorporating a series of short bursts of about fifteen strokes at high rating and maximum pressure during a longer work piece will improve this aspect of your performance.

Rowing Programs : Pack/Oddpod

BRC Pack