UNDERSTANDING UT1 STEADY STATE [FOR ROWING] and How to Execute a UT1 Training Session

[@brendankieser1559]

Great video as always I just have a few questions. This first one actually is about your drag factor video from last week, I'm a 19 year old male 5'11" and 155lb and recently I've been focusing on training for a 5k distance instead of 2k so I don't have an up to date 2k time so I was wondering what drag factor I should be using for UT2 and 5k race pace? My most recent 5k time from last week was an 18:31.8 or 1:51.1 split at a 26 and 110 drag factor. My other question is should UT1 training be at the same drag factor as UT2 and if it should be different how much of a difference should there be? Thanks in advance

[@TravisGardner]

Thanks Brendan, great questions! There's no fixed answer to this but I find the drag to generally be 5-10 above that which I use for UT2. Interestingly, in my personal experience, UT1 is the least variable drag factor used in my training and UT2 is the most variable (depending on the goal of any particular session or just how I was feeling on any given day). Another good way to determine it would be to say it is about 1/3 to 1/5 of the way from your UT2 drag to your 2k racing drag. I would say that your race drag factor for mid-distance or distance events is probably going to be the same or VERY similar. The change in speeds there are going to come almost exclusively from cadence. So what you use for 2k and 5k will probably be the same. 110 drag factor is on the low end of the range I would expect for your 5k performance. Maybe experiment with up to 115. Don't take that to mean you should be higher though, it is possible that your legs prefer a quicker drive dynamic and 110 is the place to be for you. Good luck with the training!!

[@brendankieser1559]

@@TravisGardner Thanks a lot, I'll definitely keep that in mind during my UT1 days and I'll try out 115 or so for my next testing day

[@brendanfernandez5699]

Brendan Kieser fancy seeing you here

[@brendankieser1559]

@@brendanfernandez5699 Yeah pretty crazy isn't it

[@kianbarba]

I’ve never read the comments before, if the channel is gold your responses to the questions are diamonds, I finally understood I have to change the drag factor depending on the piece. I always row at 119 drag factor, because I heard dark horse rowing uses 119

[@TravisGardner]

Thanks for this comment Kian. It's nice to know the effort made to respond to comments is helping to educate along with the videos themselves.

[@markj7209]

Great explanation for me. This channel is gold. THANKS !

[@TravisGardner]

You're welcome! :)

[@rodhowellnetwork28]

Excellent video Travis.

[@MakingaStink]

This was incredible. It seems that this kind of training is focusing on lactic acid production in the muscles, however what is the role of the heart and lung capacity in this? -Chris

[@TravisGardner]

Everything will ultimately contribute to your performance. Heart and lung capacity in particular are going to be best targeted with Oxygen Transport training. UT1 is going to improve your body's efficiency at near-threshold aerobic intensity. Lactic acid is always being produced in the muscles, even now as I type this comment, so it's a misnomer to say any kind of training focused on lactic acid production. Perhaps you meant lactic acid accumulation? If so, the your intensities beyond UT1 will address those training adaptations.

[@hosamorfali3444]

so much knowledge in just 1 video, thank you very much brother. one question, is there a way to determine my anerobic threshold?? so i can target just below that intensity to train UT1, or should i base it on how im feeling (heaviness vs burning, etc)

[@TravisGardner]

Crossing your threshold has a clear physiological marker in that you will move from controlled breathing (however heavy) to uncontrolled breathing. If you experiment with some 20-30 minute rows at 22-24 spm (following an easy warm up) and staying within a 3 second split range, drop 1 second every 10 minutes and pay attention to when this breathing shift occurs. I recommend training about 2-3 seconds slower than that point for your UT1 volume. For example, warm up 10 minutes then start rowing a 1:58 for 10 minutes at 22, then 1:57 for 10 minutes at 23, and 1:56 for 10 minutes at 24, then paddle for 5'. Let's say you notice a shift in your breathing about 25 minutes in. We can estimate your threshold between 1:56/1:57 and you can target future UT1 rows at 1:59.

[@hosamorfali3444]

Perfectly well described, thank you Travis, I was wondering do you do any coaching sessions/programs/etc??

[@TravisGardner]

I do! Just swing over to gtsrowing.com for options. My email and phone are there too if you need to connect with any questions before committing to anything.

[@Upsidestrength]

Hey Travis great video as always. So if I understand this correctly: UT2 ≈ Z1/FatMax and UT1 ≈ Z2/ just below LT/VT1. Does that make sense? Thanks!

[@TravisGardner]

Neither is a HR based training zone so Z1/Z2 do not apply. UT1 is a touch slower than Aerobic Threshold pace. UT2 is not FatMax. I do not recommend training FatMax in rowing. UT2's closest equivalent in other methodologies is Lydiard's Maximum Aerobice Steady State.

[@themindgarage8938]

Would capacity of the bucket be some kind of anaerobic capacity?

[@TravisGardner]

You got it! Yeah so when the bucket is full you've reached the limit of your anaerobic capacity. The goal when pacing in competition is to find the rate of flow into the bucket (target split) that will get you right to the top edge on the last stroke of the race.

[@joannefagan2756]

Size of bucket is lactate tolerance

[@TravisGardner]

You're getting the idea. Anaerobic capacity is the term I'd use myself.

[@markj7209]

Forgot the Pop Quiz...capacity of the bucket is training volume at UT2.

[@TravisGardner]

Nope. Not sure if this hint will help, but training volume at UT2 cannot be measured in my analogy without bringing in (a lot of) additional data points.

[@sebc2s]

Would it be safe to say that your 10k time is around your UT1 pace?

[@TravisGardner]

No. It would depend on the athlete's training background as to how long they could hold a UT1 pace, but I wouldn't use a time trial to estimate it. An elite athlete would be able to complete a marathon at a pace which would be a touch faster than UT1. Any well trained youth varsity athlete should be able to hold it for at least 70 minutes, though I've never had any reason to test that hypothesis.