Clark Performance Rowing

It's pretty simple - string together as many weeks, months and yearsnof good quality, consistent, periodised training as you can.

Unfortunately there is no secret sauce.

People who are smashing 2k PBs are just getting the basics right.

The further out from a 2k you can train, the better. But that doesn't mean doing specific prep sessions - building the base takes time.

There's just so many performance benefits to staying on top of your hydration levels.

But the thing I see that limits people being able to do this? Not having a bottle with them at all times!

Like so many things, making hydration a habit all stems from just actually owning something to drink from regularly. If you're an athlete who's training regularly then a 1l bottle is a very good investment.

Try and get on top of this for one week - I bet you'll feel and see a difference.

Stop seeing it as a test 🛑 start seeing it as an opportunity ✅.

Your score is a reflection of where you are physiologically, which is determined by the weeks and months of training you've done in the lead up.

If you get the training right, both physically and mentally, you can get yourself to the point you pick up the handle and you're excited to demonstrate what you can do rather than being scared of what's coming up. And dare I say it, even enjoy the moment 😵

Left in front of right might not be the best approach for a lot of scullers, especially in a boat type where symmetry really does make a difference.

I've seen differences in catch angles up to 20 degrees, not all just stemming entirely from the hand position, but it was definitely a contributing factor.

Think about this next time you're out sculling and see if you notice any differences between the hands.

I first read GB Olympic coach Robin Williams talking about the two parts of the recovery and it immediately made perfect sense to me.

You can particularly see this in the the GB W2- in the London and Roo Olympiads moved on the recovery.

Sometimes the simplicity is the hardest thing to achieve, but when you get the recovery right it feels like you are fully in tune with the boat.

Effective length = total arc - (catch slip + finish slip).

There's rowing long, then there's rowing effectively in a way the means you're actually connected to the water and pushing the boat.

If you want to measure your effective length, telemetry is going to give you the answers you want.

I've been lucky in my own rowing career to experience all of these things, but if I went back I'd have done all of them sooner.

In 2010 I started a 2 year stint in a squad of full time athletes that ended up producing an Olympic champion and multiple World champions and World medalists. I spent the first few months just trying to keep up but it was transformational both in the level of my training but also seeing what high performance was really about.

I did strength and conditioning when I was rowing, but if I'm honest I didn't properly buy in until after I'd stopped competing. I wish I'd done it sooner and I'm 100% certain I'd have been a much better athlete as a result of it.

What would you do if you started rowing again?

Getting the rockover right unlocks power and acceleration in the drive phase.

It also keeps speed on the boat on the recovery when the blades aren't in the water - this is the point in the stroke cycle where your bodyweight has a huge effect on how the boat moves.

As with all these things, being relaxed helps a lot!

Keeping the morale high is going to give you more productive sessions than arguing will.

Of course we want to have some standards, but try to enjoy reaching for them 🧘