At this time of year many rowing clubs get ready to return to more water sessions. Daylight savings is providing more time on the water in the morning and the evening. To accomodate this, many programs will cut back on gym sessions. But is the juice worth the squeeze?
Background
For the most part, coaches see the value in strength training and they are happy to see it in the program twice a week. However, unbenknownst to the strength coach, the river coach probably has the a preference for more time spent rowing on the water - naturally enough. To his or her credit, rowing is a very technical sport and requires consistent repetition in order to master coordination and turn it in to skill. The way I see it is that cutting an S&C program short is akin to a marathon runner quitting with 2k left. There is a cost associated with this.
Endurance is the Killer of Strength
When it comes to developing key traits of strength, power, and endurance the trick is to balance all three. We must also settle with the notion that we will need to be more power dominant come championship time. The determining factor here being that we can achieve more power when there is a solid foundation of strength. While we can increase power by working on power exercises alone, there is a cieling to this improvement. We must be happy to pay the price. If the gym gets the axe, initially performances will improve but after about three or four weeks, a rower who continues their strength and power work will gradually gain an edge over those who do not.
The Bigger Picture
Speaking of the bigger picture its important that coaches know how to manage their training signals. Strength power and endurance all want to be the star of the show at the same time. The coach has to manage who gets to shine and when. Through the winter, strength and endurance may share the stage, but as we approach the peak of our season, power will be centre stage. Check out my blog on the force velocity profile so you can learn how to accomplish this. If you have any questions about managing strength power and endurance, please get in touch to find out how I can help you and your rowers.
To answer the question, yes the juice is worth the squeeze. Keep your S&C program active for as long as is reasonable to do so.