Test Your Power with the 7-Stroke Max: Will Ruth
Concurrent Training for Body Composition and Rowing Performance: Blake Gourley
Key Technical Factors for Boat Speed: Joe DeLeo
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Within-session and between-session reliability of the seven-stroke maximal effort test in national level senior rowers. Nugent, F., Comyns, T., Ní Chéilleachair, N., & Warrington, G. (2019). Journal of Australian Strength & Conditioning, 27(4).
Researchers studied 10 male competitive rowers performing multiple seven-stroke max (7SM) tests to understand its reliability as a test of peak rowing power. They found that the rowers produced similar scores across all tests, indicating that the 7SM is a reliable and practical test for trained rowers. Rowers and coaches can use the 7SM as a superior form of short-duration erg testing to evaluate rowing peak power and performance impact from strength training.
Rowing performance, body composition, and bone mineral density outcomes in college-level rowers after a season of concurrent training. Young, K., Kendall, K., Patterson, K., Pandya, P., Fairman, C., & Smith, S. (2014). International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 9.
Over the course of a nine-month competitive rowing season, rowers participated in a concurrent training program that paired strength training with rowing specific training. Researchers explored the training program’s impact on body composition, bone mineral density, and 2K performance. Throughout the season rowers gradually and consistently demonstrated significant improvements in rowing performance, body fat percentage, as well as lean body mass. Coaches and rowers can utilize concurrent strength and rowing training to effectively improve both rowing performance and body composition.
Technical determinants of on-water rowing performance. Holt, A., Aughey, R., Ball, K., Hopkins, W., & Siegel, R. (2020). Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2.
Researchers collected race data from 17 female and 14 male national-level rowers across forty-seven, 2,000-meter races. The researchers found that faster rowers over 2,000-meters performed with higher stroke rates, greater peak and average force, and greater catch angles. Rowers and coaches can use the results from this study to focus on the technical and physiological aspects that best translate to boat speed: greater catch angles, higher stroke rates, and rate of force development in the rower.
About Science of Rowing
“Science of Rowing” is a monthly publication created by three dual rowing-strength coaches, Will Ruth, Blake, Gourley, and Joe DeLeo. Our goal is to move research into practice for coaches and rowers of all ages, types, and levels. We are entirely member-funded and do not promote products or sell advertisements. Members receive one issue each month containing three reviews of recent and applicable research in rowing training, strength training for rowing, and other relevant performance areas like psychology, injury analysis, technology, and more. Each issue includes video and graphic content to help move the knowledge into practice, as well as a podcast episode of the three of us discussing the takeaways and our experiences. Membership includes access to all prior issues, so join us for one month and get access to every issue. We also offer discounted annual and team memberships, as well as gift memberships for a special rower or coach in your life.