Mastering the Erg Test

Erg tests and races are used in every rowing program in the world. They are used to select, train at a specific intensity, or satisfy the urge to compete. They can show what you can achieve as an individual and whether your training is translating into improvement.

Erg tests cause more anxiety in athletes often than a hard training session or even a race on the water, although they’re actually not that different. In a hard training session, you should push yourself to the limit, and in a satisfying race, you should do the best you can. In an erg race, you can’t do more than that. So why do erg tests feel so different and why do you worry so much in anticipation?

First, many people talk about erg tests negatively, as exhausting lung-busting ordeals that push athletes to the brink of human endurance. After hearing their tales, it’s natural to feel dread and think you’d better prepare for the worst.

Second, with each stroke, you get immediate feedback on exactly what you did, and you can’t hide. You get very objective information about what you’re doing and where you are in relation to your expectations and plan. You can reach your goal in a workout or a race without pushing yourself to the limit. You can reach a certain training intensity or win a race without going all out and still achieve a satisfactory result.

But the erg test is unforgiving. If you don’t push yourself to your absolute limit, the result will be clear, undeniable, and disappointing.

Third, we begin an erg test typically expecting to achieve a personal best. You know what you did last time and want to do better, which is perfectly natural. Combine this with the wrong race plan and you make life difficult for yourself.

Many people talk about the pain one experiences during such tests, although the physical feedback is just an unpleasant sensation caused by acidic buildup in the muscles from the incomplete breakdown of glycogen, which provides the necessary energy to pull hard. The amount of acid depends on the intensity of the work.

Despite the discomfort, you can and will persevere; it just takes plenty of motivation. You know the test lasts only a few minutes and that afterward you’ll feel better. Even if you do nothing after the test, your body will take care of the by-products and break down the acid.

But if you injure your back during an erg test, you’ll be in severe pain and will have to stop. Such pain does not go away on its own and must be treated by a doctor. Being uncomfortable and being in pain are two different things.

To reduce the anxiety of an erg test and prepare for a successful performance, I suggest the following:

Stop talking about the expected pain. What’s to be expected is discomfort, and if you’re not experiencing it, you’re not working at full capacity. Use your body’s feedback to guide your efforts and interpret it in a positive way. Learn to use it to control your performance, resisting the urge to stop too early and staying strong enough mentally to stay on target and complete the challenge. Push yourself the same way you would in a tough race on the water.

Set a realistic but challenging goal. Based on previous training sessions, you should have a firm idea of how fast you can go. Do some prep sessions to assess your current fitness. Be honest with yourself and heed the advice of your coach. Be positive about the upcoming test. Embrace the nervousness that everyone has before a test.

Set process goals that you can work on to keep yourself positive and motivated. Such goals begin with a plan for how you’ll organize your time and activities before the test, such as when you’ll go to bed, when you’ll eat, what you’ll eat, how you’ll get to the venue, how you’ll warm up, etc.

Then, how you’ll begin the test, how many strokes and at what intensity, what stroke rate you’ll try to reach and when, how you’ll feel at different points of the race. Make sure you talk positively to yourself the whole time before and during the test. Pat yourself on the back for every process goal you achieve, even the smallest and easiest ones.

Plan your race strategy. This includes the performance target, measured by average splits, and the three phases of the race—start, middle, and finishing sprint. The target average times must be based on previous experience. Then, plan the length of the individual race phases and the targeted splits. 

The start of an erg race should be about 250 meters. It’s helpful to set a stroke sequence that you can count down. Each sequence should have a focus—the first five strokes to get the fan going, then five strokes at maximum intensity to get your energy system fired up, then 15 strokes to stretch out and transition to your medium race pace while making the most of the fast-spinning fan. As an experienced rower, you can extend the length of the start by 50 meters.

The middle of the race is the longest part and also the most important for reaching your goal. Be aware that your split times need to be two to three seconds slower than your target splits for the whole race. The challenge here is to race very efficiently.

Research has shown that it’s important to maintain a sufficiently high individual stroke rate so that you achieve the desired intensity with a good rhythm and a certain ease. Since you breathe twice per stroke, an appropriate stroke rate allows more air to circulate in your lungs. Too low a stroke rate requires higher force per stroke, which tends to produce more lactate.

At what point you begin your finishing sprint depends on how hard you’ve worked and how motivated you are. If you’re happy with your performance and want to approach the finish conservatively, begin your sprint 250 meters before the finish. If you’re highly motivated and want to challenge yourself, begin at 750 meters before the finish.

In either case, you need to increase your stroke rate and power output. At this point, it helps to count strokes again and to lower your split for each stroke sequence you begin counting. The ideal is to have tried out a particular sequence in training so you know the stroke rate and power output you need to achieve.

When you realize your process and achieve your goals, the feeling of accomplishment will be amazing.

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