Rowing is one of the most traditional sports in the world, with origins dating back to ancient Egypt. Over time, it has evolved into one of the oldest Olympic sports, with competitive rowing races on the River Thames as early as the 10th century. The sport flourished in British public schools, culminating in the prestigious annual Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race. Since FISA’s founding in 1892, rowing has been shaped into a modern competitive sport with a rich history of endurance, technique, and teamwork.
Today, with the rise of indoor rowing, the sport’s popularity has soared, and distinct cultures have developed in indoor masters rowing, as well as in CrossFit and Hyrox competitions. While on-water rowing performance relies heavily on the combination of technique and metabolic power, indoor rowing—particularly on the Concept 2—is dominated primarily by raw power and metabolic conditioning.
The Key to Success: Tuning the Engine
Even with the technical demands of rowing, tuning the “engine”—the rower’s fitness and conditioning—is critical to success. Unfortunately, many athletes still rely on static training plans found online, doing their best to follow a one-size-fits-all program. These plans rarely account for individual fitness levels, experience, or physical capabilities, which can limit an athlete’s potential.
Traditionally, many coaches adhere to the philosophy that “miles win medals,” emphasizing long aerobic training sessions. While aerobic capacity is essential—particularly for the 2000-meter rowing event, which predominantly relies on aerobic metabolism—it is not the full story. Strength, anaerobic power, and red-zone capabilities also play critical roles in determining success.
Interestingly, not all rowers are built the same. Each athlete has a unique genetic makeup or phenotype—some are more “diesel,” excelling in aerobic endurance, while others may possess hybrid or sprint-dominant characteristics (see Figure 1). In this context, it becomes clear that a one-size-fits-all training plan is destined to fail for many athletes. What’s needed is an individualized approach, one that adapts to the athlete’s fitness profile and adjusts session by session.
Figure 1. Athlete phenotypes in rowing competition training: Some are slow-twitch dominant (“diesels”), others are fast-twitch dominant (“twitchy”), and many are hybrids. Each athlete requires a plan tailored to their individual characteristics (free educational course here). Modified from Chapter 16 of HIIT Science.
This is where Athletica’s AI-powered rowing plans come in.
Introducing Athletica’s AI Rowing Plans
We are thrilled to introduce the world’s first AI-powered rowing plans, fully integrated with Concept 2 ergometers and designed to adapt to each athlete’s individual needs. These plans reflect our commitment to advancing training methodologies in line with Sports Science 3.0—a concept where foundational sports science principles meet data-driven insights and adaptive technology.
Our approach moves beyond static, generic plans and allows athletes to train based on their unique capabilities, tailoring volume, intensity, and stroke rate (SR) to their specific fitness profiles. Stroke rate, in particular, is key in determining the intensity of rowing, much more so than heart rate or speed, especially when training on a Concept 2 rower. Athletica’s plans incorporate specific SR prescriptions, ensuring that each workout is aligned with the athlete’s goals and needs.
Built on Proven Science
Athletica’s AI rowing plans are based on the well-established principles outlined in Chapter 16 of HIIT Science, written by Dr. Dan Plews. These plans have been tested at the highest levels of the sport and are now available to a wider range of athletes—whether you’re training for a 2000m race, competing in CrossFit or HYROX, or simply looking to improve your rowing performance.
What’s New with Athletica:
- Tailored Rowing Plans: Select your rowing event, and Athletica will deliver a customized plan that adapts session by session, guiding you toward peak performance.
- Concept 2 Integration: Seamlessly sync workouts from your Concept 2 machine, enabling accurate data collection and real-time training adjustments.
- Rowing Power Profile: Our advanced power profiling system provides personalized insights to track progress, refine performance, and maximize your output across key metrics.
- Workout Wizard: Customize your sessions on the fly with Workout Wizard—because flexibility is just as important as consistency in a training program.
- Workout Reserve: Fine-tune your conditioning across all areas of the power and pace profile with Athletica’s Workout Reserve. Ensure you don’t miss crucial training elements.
- Load Response Assessment: Gain insights into your body’s response to training through resting heart rate, HRV analysis, and subjective feedback, helping you manage recovery and performance readiness.
Expanding Beyond Rowing
Our AI-powered plans aren’t only for traditional rowers. Athletes in sports like CrossFit and Hyrox, where rowing is a significant part of competitions, can also benefit from our adaptive approach. Whether it’s maximizing stroke rate efficiency or building the right combination of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, Athletica helps these athletes train smarter for the Concept 2 rowing segments of their events.
Used by World Champions
Our plans are already being embraced by world champion rowers like Martino Goretti, who has experienced firsthand how individualized training can make a difference at the highest levels of competition.
Try Athletica’s AI Rowing Plans for Free
Ready to elevate your rowing training? Whether you’re an elite rower, a CrossFit athlete, or a weekend warrior, Athletica’s AI rowing plans will help you reach your full potential. Try it now with our free trial and experience the future of rowing training.