Lots of Watts

Lots of Watts is an Indoor rowing guide - Topics covered include

• Goal setting

• Using the machine

• Training

• Race Day Execution

• Cross Training

• Managing Your Meat Vessel

• Resistance Training for Rowing

The insight contained within has led me to multiple World Records and many others to significant personal improvements. World records don’t necessarily validate my methods, but I've been around enough elite rowers to know that my performances are not due to my physiology, but to my work ethic and practices. This guide cannot do the work necessary for you to maximise your potential on the indoor rower, but it can point you in the right direction. You have to bring the drive, but the information contained within will help illuminate the path.

Much of what I've learned is heavily informed by all the mistakes I’ve seen and made over the years. Failure is a cruel teacher, but very effective nonetheless. More often than not I was able to overcome my personal errors with willpower and the gross balance of my decisions being generally in my favour, but my hope is to save you from making the same mistakes I have.

These miscalculations are a part of what's made me who I am, so I don’t begrudge the process, but it's my desire that you stride a more direct route to attaining your goals.

This guide is not is an academic paper. There are no footnotes, citations or anything of that ilk. I had plenty of experience writing in that manner when compiling my senior thesis in Anthropology (Princeton University '06) and although I understand the purpose of that format in the academic realm I find it stifles the creative process and doesn't add weight to the information contained within for most audiences. I will use statements such as “studies indicate" when suitable, but I will not necessarily reference said studies. I have read the studies mentioned, drawn conclusions and this is part of what I will present to you. Some will find this insufficient, but that I cannot help in this instance. Anyway, in the end proof is what happens on the machine and that I can prove.

Despite my palmarès and caveats, I do not expect you to be convinced by anything contained within this work. I encourage you to be skeptical. You may have already developed your own personal understanding of certain subjects that is discordant with my own and I see no problem with this. There are many ways to skin a cat and what I'm often suggesting is an alternate path.  It's not my responsibility to change your mind: it's up to you to do that, but if I can illuminate specific matters or prompt you to conduct further research, I’ll have done my job here.