A Rowing Workout for Strength and Speed

Rowing fitness comes from hours of practice, but strength and speed work can speed up the process. The best approach for most rowers is simple: one gym session built on heavy compound lifts, and one rowing session built on short, fast pieces, with the rest of the week spent on easy steady rowing. This page lays out both sessions, how to fit them together and how to progress.

If you are new to lifting, learn the movements with light weights or a coach first. If you have an injury or health condition, check with a GP or physio.

Session A: strength

The aim here is to get stronger, not bigger. That means lower repetitions, longer rests and good technique. A common way to write a set is “3 x 6”, meaning three sets of six repetitions.

Warm-up: 10 minutes of easy rowing, then a lighter set or two of the first lift.

Exercise	Sets x reps	Rest	Why
Bent-over row	4 x 6	2 minutes	Pulling strength
Lat pulldown or pull-ups	4 x 6 to 8	2 minutes	Back and arms
Back squat or front squat	4 x 5	2 to 3 minutes	Leg drive
Deadlift or Romanian deadlift	3 x 5	2 to 3 minutes	Legs and back working together
Squat jumps	3 x 8	1 to 2 minutes	Explosive leg power
Plank	3 x 40 seconds	1 minute	Trunk strength

Pick a load where you could do one or two more reps than programmed, and leave the last rep of each set looking tidy. Do not train to failure on squats and deadlifts, because tired technique with a heavy barbell is how people get hurt. Use a spotter or safety bars for squats. Our guides on strength training for rowing and can squatting help you row faster give more detail.

Session B: rowing speed

Speed work uses short pieces with proper rest, so you can row each one quickly with good form.

Warm-up: 10 minutes easy, with three or four firm strokes at the end. Then do the pieces.

Session option	Work	Rate	Rest
Short sprints	8 x 250 m, fast but controlled	28 to 32 spm	1 minute 30 easy rowing
Power strokes	5 x (10 strokes max power, 40 easy)	24 to 26 on the hard ones	Easy rowing
500 m repeats	4 x 500 m at a pace slightly faster than 2k pace	26 to 30 spm	3 minutes

Rates are examples. A good test is that your pace stays level across all repeats; if the last piece is much slower than the first, you started too hard. For a worked example of 2k pace, if your goal is 7:30 for 2,000 m, that is 1:52.5 per 500 m, so the 500 m repeats above would be around 1:50 to 1:51. See how to do a 2k erg test and how to develop speed for rowing.

Cool-down: 5 to 10 minutes easy.

Fitting it together

The week below is one example for a rower with about five days available.

Day	Session
Monday	Session A (strength)
Tuesday	Easy steady row, 30 to 45 minutes
Wednesday	Rest or walk
Thursday	Session B (speed)
Friday	Easy steady row
Saturday	Longer steady row, 45 to 60 minutes
Sunday	Rest

Keep strength and heavy cardio on separate days when you can, because hard rowing beforehand makes your lifting worse and tired legs make squats riskier. The easy rows are important. They build the aerobic base that supports everything else. See engine building for rowing.

Progression

• Strength: when you complete all sets and reps with tidy form for two sessions in a row, add a little weight next time. Small jumps are better than big ones.
• Speed: shorten the rest by 10 to 15 seconds, or add one repeat, but not both in the same week.
• Every 4 to 6 weeks: take an easier week, with lighter lifts and no hard pieces, to let the body absorb the work.
• Test: repeat a 2k or a 5-minute piece every 6 to 8 weeks to see if the work is paying off.

Stop any session if you feel sharp pain. For a full programme, see our plans, or browse the training hub.