UT2 Training Guide

What Is UT2?

UT2 stands for Utilisation Training Zone 2, the lowest of rowing's training intensity zones. Heart rate target: 55-75% of maximum (or 65-75% of heart rate reserve). The effort should feel genuinely easy — you could maintain a conversation, read your phone, or watch TV while rowing. UT2 is the dominant training zone for elite rowers, making up 60-70% of total volume.

The Science

At UT2 intensity, your body primarily burns fat for fuel and develops the aerobic infrastructure that powers harder efforts. Mitochondria multiply, capillary networks expand, the heart grows larger, and fat oxidation improves. These adaptations are cumulative and take months to develop but form the foundation of all rowing performance. Without an adequate UT2 base, higher-intensity training produces diminishing returns.

Setting Your UT2 Pace

Method 1: Heart rate — stay at 55-75% of max HR (use a monitor). Method 2: Pace — add 20-25 seconds to your 2K split. Method 3: Talk test — you should be able to speak in complete sentences. All three methods should roughly agree. If they do not, trust heart rate over pace. Your UT2 pace will get faster over months as your aerobic fitness improves — this is the clearest sign of growing fitness.

Programming UT2

Target 3-5 UT2 sessions per week of 30-60 minutes each. Total weekly UT2 volume of 90-180 minutes is appropriate for most athletes. Variety helps: alternate continuous pieces (40 min), intervals (2 x 20 min with 2 min rest), and mixed-mode sessions (20 min row + 20 min bike). The key is accumulating time in the zone, regardless of format.

Tips

• +If it feels too easy, it is probably right. The biggest UT2 mistake is going too hard.
• +Use a heart rate monitor to stay honest. Perceived effort is unreliable at low intensities.
• +UT2 is where you perfect technique. Pick one technical focus per session.
• +Watch your UT2 split drop over months in Watta at the same heart rate — this is fitness improving.
• +UT2 is productive recovery. It does not create fatigue the way harder sessions do.

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.