Having a robust training program is essential for competitive rowers, in order to improve their technique, build endurance, lower the risk of injury and maximize power output. As Peter A Derow points out, strength training is especially important for competitive rowers to increase force production, gain or maintain muscle mass, as well as train the muscles that might be neglected by the rowing stroke. Good strength training for rowing can help competitive rowers to improve overall athletic coordination, rowing performance, and resistance to injury.
Peter A Derow underlines the importance of strength training for competitive rowers
Strength training is important for competitive rowers as it is a pretty different physiological training stimulus than what they can achieve through erging, rowing and other common cross-training routines. Many rowers simply stick to high-drag erging or rowing, like using cans or bungees on water and increasing the fan damper on the erg. But this would not be enough strength training for a competitive rower. Strength training is way more than simply increasing the resistance of the sport movement. Strength training through varied exercises and forms of loading is necessary for competitive rowers.
Eccentric muscle actions with strength training are one important aspect that makes such exercises necessary for competitive rowers. Eccentric muscle actions basically take place when the muscle is lengthening under load, resisting gravity or force. These actions occur during almost every strength training exercise. Eccentric muscle actions can generate a high amount of muscular force, as well as can help increase gains in muscle strength and size.
Almost all rowing and erging tend to occur in sagittal plane, as muscles extend and flex to achieve the rowing motion. While there is a certain amount of rotation for a sweep rower, but just to the single side. Strength training provides valuable opportunity for competitive rowers to train rotational movements in the transverse plane, as well as train lateral movements in the frontal plane. This provides a very different stimulus that one may get from rowing and erging. Training for such diverse movements can help lower the risk of injury by improving muscle and movement balance.
Strength training allows rowers to train a single limb at a time, which is not possible to do effectively while rowing and erging. Single-arm push and pull exercises, as well as single-leg squats, can particularly help maintain balance between the right and left sides of the body. Such exercises can improve the performance of the rowers by increasing total force output and lowering the risk of injury by reducing muscle imbalance.
As Peter A Derow mentions, strength training enables competitive rowers to develop peak force from the top-down. It can help increase the maximum amount of force that a rower can produce and how fast they can produce this force. Increased maximum force production lowers the amount of effort a rower would need for each stroke, as every stroke at race pace would be a lower percentage of the maximum capacity pf the rower. Strength training also improves the endurance of competitive rowers, making it easier for them to operate at a sub-maximal intensity.
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