How Cardio Can Help You Become a Better Rower

A 2k rowing race relies heavily on your aerobic system, with a significant contribution from anaerobic work. The better your fitness in both, the faster and longer you can row. Cardio training is how you build it.

Aerobic and anaerobic capacity

Aerobic capacity is your body’s ability to take in, deliver and use oxygen to produce energy over time. It drives long, steady rowing and speeds recovery between efforts. See all you need to know about aerobic capacity and VO2 max and rowing.

Anaerobic capacity covers short, high-intensity efforts that outstrip oxygen supply, like the start of a race or the final sprint. Hard intervals train it. The two systems overlap: even a hard 2k leans mostly on aerobic energy, but the anaerobic share decides how well you can start, move and finish.

Improving aerobic capacity

• Do plenty of steady rowing at a conversational to moderate effort.
• Build duration gradually. Add a few minutes a week, not large jumps.
• Use heart rate zones to keep easy sessions easy.
• Add occasional longer intervals, such as 4 x 8 minutes at a hard but sustainable pace.

Example aerobic sessions

Session	Work	Rate	Rest	Effort
Steady	40 to 60 minutes continuous	18 to 20	None	Easy, can talk
Long intervals	4 x 8 minutes	22 to 24	2 minutes easy	Hard but repeatable, RPE 6 to 7
Threshold	3 x 10 minutes	22 to 24	3 minutes easy	Comfortably hard, RPE 7

Improving anaerobic capacity

• Short, hard intervals with enough rest, such as 8 x 1 minute with equal rest.
• Race-pace pieces in the lead-up to a test. See anaerobic workouts.
• Strength work for the legs supports power. See strength training for rowing.
• Limit this to one or two sessions a week, and rest properly afterwards.

Example anaerobic sessions

Session	Work	Rest	Effort
Short intervals	8 x 1 minute	1 minute	Hard, RPE 8 to 9
Sprints	10 x 20 seconds	1 minute 40 seconds	Maximal, with full recovery
Race-pace	4 x 500m	3 minutes	Target 2k pace or slightly faster

Hard intervals are tiring, so don’t stack them on consecutive days.

Other cardio

Cycling, swimming, running and brisk walking add aerobic work with different loading, which can help if you want volume without extra rowing, or if you are managing a niggle. A bike is easy on the joints. Running is efficient but harder on the legs. See cross-training for rowers, running for rowers and swimming for rowers. For more cardio-based rowing sessions, try three best cardio workouts for rowing.

Why both matter

Aerobic fitness lets you hold the pace, while anaerobic capacity lets you start fast, respond to moves and finish. A balanced plan has plenty of the first and a measured dose of the second. A common split is the majority of your weekly time easy, with one or two harder sessions. For a structured approach, see our training plans and the 2k erg programme.

A sample week

• Monday: 45 minutes steady.
• Tuesday: strength session.
• Wednesday: 4 x 8 minutes.
• Thursday: rest or easy cross-training.
• Friday: 40 minutes steady.
• Saturday: 8 x 1 minute, with a warm-up and cool-down.
• Sunday: rest.

Avoiding overtraining

Watch for heavy legs that don’t clear, poor sleep, a raised resting heart rate and slower paces at the same effort. These are signs to back off. Check with your GP before a big increase in cardio training if you have a heart or health condition.