This 10-week rowing interval programme is a very effective, albeit hard way to make rapid gains in cardiovascular fitness. What's more, it can be adapted to work on a bicycle too.
Because it's aimed at gaining basic fitness, it's not hugely varied the way a rowing-specific programme would be. Instead, it's manipulates volume of training in a very simple manner to get you an improvement in your rowing (and overall CV) fitness in a fairly short period of time. Density and intensity remains the same throughout the intervals.
In simple terms...
I like rowing because it's full-body activity whose upper body work is reliant on the back muscles. Lo and behold, it's the back muscles that most people often neglect in their weight training. While rowing won't make up for this, the lower resistance nature of rowing suits positive postural adaptations quite well.
Including a warm-up, even the longest workout in this 10-week rowing interval programme comes in at just over 30 minutes per session.
Do a thorough dynamic mobility warm up, including a rowing progression of a few minutes, for at least 10 minutes.
2000m Rowing Time Trial as fast as you can (don't sprint off the start, you won't finish!)
Every week, do the interval workout twice with up to 5000m (approx 25 minutes) row on another day.
10 x 60s Row, 60s Rest
7 x 90s Row, 60s Rest
8 x 90s Row, 60s Rest
9 x 90s Row, 60s Rest
10 x 90s Row, 60s Rest
5000m Easy Row
5 x 2min Row, 60s Rest
6 x 2min Row, 60s Rest
7 x 2min Row, 60s Rest
Only one workout this week: Repeat the week 0 Time Trial.
Take at least 2 weeks in which you only do a bit of easy rowing before re-running the programme should you wish to do so.
After doing the programme through twice, the return on your effort will diminish significantly if you do more and you'd be better looking for a more performance orientated rowing programme.
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