When Life Gives You a Lockdown, Make Lemonade!
John Thornell
by John Thornell, Grok Rowing Founder, Stonington Crew Girls Head Coach
With COVID-19 precautions keeping us off the water, rowers are spending more time on the erg.
They’re training on their own. They’re participating in virtual races and online challenges. And they’re doing a lot of it! Concept 2 has “seen a big uptick in both national and world records!” An infographic posted on the company’s Instagram account shows world records this year from March 15 to April 15 more than doubling over the same period in 2019 and quadrupling over 2018.
Obviously, the extended indoor rowing season has improved rower fitness. But, it’s also a terrific time to work on technique.
Training alone allows athletes to concentrate on themselves. There are no distractions (like a neighbor’s erg monitor). Training at home, rowers are free to focus on making changes, monitoring their progress, and improving technique. Video analysis and training aids can help identify and make those improvements.
Video Analysis: Rowers often erg in front of a mirror. But, it’s a little difficult to see the finer points of the stroke, while rowing. If possible, athletes can shoot video with a smartphone and review it after erging. Of course, video can also be shared with coaches. And apps like Dartfish provide tools that help coaches and rowers create a detailed video analysis and gain valuable feedback.
Training Aids: Once improvement areas are identified, training aids can help athletes make the necessary changes. By providing visual and tactile feedback, training aids help to build muscle memory and accelerate the athlete’s development. Video can also be used to ensure aids are positioned properly.
When life gives you a lockdown, make lemonade! Eventually, we will get on the water. And when we do, athletes can be better prepared, physically and technically.