Rowing for Paddlers

Whether you paddle for recreation or competition, rowing will help you prepare for the endurance of a long, weekend paddle, your next stand-up paddling adventure or the rigors of a marathon canoe race. (Racers: the parentheses below indicate which part of the race the exercise simulates.) For sport-specific training, you might also want to check out Paddle Sport Training's paddling adapter for the Concept2 Indoor Rower.

Sample Workouts

Goal: Prepare for a canoe race or a weekend of paddling.

Details:

  1. Row easily for 5 minutes to warm up; get off and stretch briefly if you want to.
  2. Row 2 minutes hard (the start).
  3. Row 5 minute of moderately intense steady work (settling in).
  4. Take a full pressure 30 second sprint every 3 minutes, maintaining a good steady pace between the sprints. Do this 5 times, which should bring you to an elapsed time of 22 minutes (working the pack/drafting).
  5. For the next 20 minutes, sprint for 1 minute every 5 minutes, still maintaining a good steady pace between sprints (beating another boat to the next portage).
  6. Row easily for 5 minutes to cool down.
  7. Stretch.


Paddling on the Charles River
Paddling on the Charles River