All You Need to Know About Aerobic Capacity

Aerobic capacity is how well your body can take in, deliver and use oxygen to fuel exercise. In rowing it matters a great deal, because even a 2k erg draws mostly on aerobic energy.

Aerobic and anaerobic energy

Your body produces energy in two main ways.

• Aerobic. Uses oxygen. It powers steady work and recovery between efforts, and it can run for a long time.
• Anaerobic. Doesn’t rely on oxygen in the same way. It supplies a fast burst of energy, but only for a short time before you must slow down.

At any pace both systems contribute. The harder and shorter the effort, the larger the anaerobic share. A 2k race uses both, with the aerobic system doing most of the work. A 10-second sprint relies mostly on the anaerobic side, while an hour of easy rowing is almost entirely aerobic.

What is VO2 max?

VO2 max is the highest rate at which your body can use oxygen during hard exercise. It is often used as a measure of aerobic fitness. It is influenced by training and by other factors, including genetics, age and sex. A higher VO2 max helps, but pace at a given effort, technique and mental strength matter too. Some people improve it a lot with training, others less, and you cannot predict which group you are in. See VO2 max and rowing.

How to build aerobic capacity

Steady-state rowing

Long, easy, consistent rowing builds the base. Aim for an effort at which you can talk in short sentences, typically at a stroke rate of 18 to 22. Add time gradually. If you row 30 minutes three times a week now, you might lengthen one session to 40, then 50 minutes. See how much steady state is enough and engine building for rowing.

Intervals

Harder intervals, such as 4 x 4 minutes at a strong pace with 3 minutes easy between, push your upper aerobic range. Keep these to one or two sessions a week. The effort should feel hard but controlled, around 8 out of 10, and each interval should be at much the same pace. See rowing machine workout for aerobic performance.

Anaerobic work

Short, fast efforts improve your sprint and your top-end power. Examples are 10 x 20 seconds hard with 40 seconds easy, or 8 x 500 m with generous rests. These are intense, so use them sparingly. See rowing machine workout for anaerobic performance.

A sensible mix

Most rowers do best with a lot of easy work and a smaller amount of hard work. A common rule of thumb is that around four-fifths of your weekly time stays easy, with the rest harder. Treat it as a guide, not a law. Our training plans show how to blend these.

A worked example week for someone who rows five times:

Day	Session	Effort
Mon	40 minutes steady	Easy
Tue	4 x 4 minutes, 3 minutes rest	Hard
Wed	Rest
Thu	30 minutes steady	Easy
Fri	Rest or light cross-training
Sat	60 minutes steady	Easy
Sun	30 minutes easy	Easy

That week has about 185 minutes of rowing, including the 25 minutes of the interval session (16 minutes hard, 9 minutes easy). Adjust it to the time you have.

Cross-training helps

Rowing is not the only way to build an aerobic base. Walking, cycling, running and swimming all contribute, and they can give your body a break from the same movement pattern. See cross-training: the benefits for rowers.

Measure your progress

• Pace at a set heart rate. If you can row faster at the same heart rate, your fitness is improving. See heart rate zones for rowing.
• Repeat tests. A 2k or 30 minute test every 8 to 12 weeks is enough. See how to do a 2k erg test.
• Notice how it feels. If your usual steady pace gets easier, you are getting fitter.

Common mistakes

• Making every session hard, which stops your body from adapting.
• Increasing volume too fast, which raises the risk of overuse.
• Ignoring rest. Fitness improves during recovery.

If you have a heart or health condition, check with your GP before increasing the intensity of your training.