UNDERSTANDING SPLIT + INTENSITY ZONES

Ready to get faster and get in the zone? This explainer will explore the core metrics used to convey your rowing power: Split and Intensity Zones.

WHAT IS SPLIT?

Split is your speed in the form of your pace. It tells you how long it would take you to row 500 meters. This is like a runner saying they’re at an “eight-minute mile” pace. A lower 500m split time means you are working at a faster pace, whereas a higher split would mean a slower pace.

Your ability to control split comes down to controlling how hard or how light you are pushing your feet into the foot plate. Note that the cadence or rhythm of your stroke should not be used as the primary means to control your speed. Focus on generating power by driving your heels into the footplate, rather than simply trying to pull with your arms or body faster.

WHAT ARE INTENSITY ZONES

To streamline your experience, Ergatta takes your Split ranges and separates them into four relatively different levels of effort to guide your workouts. We call these Intensity Zones. Each represents a range of Split times or general Intensity with which you’ll row:

• Paddle is a low Intensity Zone that can be used for a warm-up, active recovery, and cool down. Many beginners can find it hard to go slow, so focus on your form and a slow recovery.  
• Steady is a moderate Intensity Zone that you can comfortably maintain for a long period of time — up to 60 minutes. You should be able to have a conversation at this pace.
• Race is an aggressive Intensity Zone that can be maintained for 5 to 20 minutes. You should be breathing heavily and have a hard time talking.
• Sprint is the max Intensity Zone that you can only maintain for a short period of time, no longer than 5 minutes. You should not be able to talk at this intensity.

WHAT IS ACTIVE RECOVERY?

Active Recovery is the rest you get during your interval workouts, like Pulse and Meteor. It’s important to recover after high intensity intervals by stimulating blood flow to your muscles, which helps them recover from the stress. You have the option to row lightly at Paddle or take a complete rest if you really need it. For beginners, you may want to take complete rest, but try to step it up to Paddle as your confidence builds. If you find that you want to push harder during active recovery, then the workout is probably too easy for you and you are capable of pushing harder during the working intervals.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE ERGATTA EXPERIENCE?

Your personalized Intensity Zones affect everything in the Ergatta experience — from the targets given to you during Pulse workouts to the competition you’re automatically paired with during races. 

It’s only by calibrating your profile that your experience will be tailored to your unique fitness capabilities. Additionally, the more you work out with Ergatta, the more your zones will adjust to better reflect the progress you’ve made along the way.