4-Week Rowing Machine Workout Plan

Programme Overview

The plan runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday with three rest days. Week 1 establishes your baseline with moderate steady state and a benchmark 2K test. Weeks 2 and 3 layer in intervals and threshold work. Week 4 tapers slightly before a retest. Total weekly volume rises from roughly 80 minutes to 120 minutes at peak before dropping back for the taper.

Week 1: Baseline

Monday — 20 minutes easy rowing at 20 spm to establish your comfortable pace. Wednesday — 25 minutes steady state at a pace you can hold a conversation. Friday — 2K benchmark test with a full warm-up protocol. Saturday — 20 minutes easy recovery row. Record every session in Watta so you have accurate training paces for the rest of the plan.

Week 2: Build Volume

Monday — 30 minutes steady state at UT2 pace (2K split +20s). Wednesday — 6 x 3 minutes at 2K split +10s with 90 seconds rest. Friday — 30 minutes steady state. Saturday — 4 x 500m at 2K pace with 2 minutes rest. Volume jumps to roughly 100 minutes this week, so prioritise sleep and hydration.

Week 3: Intensity Peak

Monday — 35 minutes steady state at UT2 pace. Wednesday — 5 x 1000m at 5K pace with 2 minutes rest. Friday — 35 minutes steady state. Saturday — 8 x 500m at 2K pace with 90 seconds rest. This is the hardest week. If you feel excessively fatigued by Saturday, reduce the intervals to 6 repeats rather than skipping the session entirely.

Week 4: Taper and Retest

Monday — 25 minutes easy rowing. Wednesday — 4 x 500m at 2K pace with 2 minutes rest (reduced volume). Friday — complete rest day. Saturday — full warm-up followed by a 2K retest. Compare your new time against the Week 1 benchmark. Most athletes see a 2-5 second per 500m improvement after their first structured training block.

Workout Plan

Tips

• +Test your drag factor at the start of each week and set it to 120-130 for consistency.
• +Log every session in Watta so you can compare Effort Scores across the four weeks.
• +Warm up for at least 10 minutes before every interval session.
• +Eat a light meal 90 minutes before harder sessions to fuel performance without discomfort.
• +If you miss a day, skip it and carry on — do not try to double up sessions.

Further Reading

• Concept2 Training Resources — Official training guides and workout of the day from Concept2.
• British Rowing — Indoor Rowing — Training plans and resources from the national governing body.
• Concept2 Rankings — Global erg rankings by distance, age, and weight category.