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Aerobic and Anaerobic Training in Rowing: What Happens in the Body and how Do You Use both Areas Correctly?

22. November 2024

BY Flavio Holstein

Aerobic and Anaerobic Training in Rowing: What Happens in the Body and How Do You Use Both Areas Correctly?

Rowing is an effective full-body workout that combines both aerobic and anaerobic forms of training. But what exactly do “aerobic” and “anaerobic” mean, and how can you ensure that you are training in the right area? In this article, you will learn the differences between aerobic and anaerobic training, what happens in your body during each, and how to optimally control your training – especially when using a rowing machine such as the AUGLETICS Eight Style or AUGLETICS Eight Sport.

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Training: What Happens in the Body?

What Happens During Aerobic Training?

During aerobic training, your body provides the muscles with enough oxygen to generate energy. This energy is mainly obtained from fat reserves and carbohydrates. Aerobic training is less intensive and allows you to train for longer periods without tiring quickly.

Important Effects of Aerobic Training:

Improved Endurance: Your cardiovascular system is strengthened, and you increase your basic endurance.
Fat Burning: Your body uses fat as its main energy source.
Efficient Oxygen Utilization: Your muscles learn to use oxygen more efficiently, making you more powerful.

What happens during anaerobic training?

During anaerobic training, the load is so intense that your body can no longer provide enough oxygen to generate energy for the muscles. Instead, it resorts to carbohydrates, which are quickly converted into energy. However, this process leads to the formation of lactate (lactic acid), which quickly leads to exhaustion.

Important Effects of Anaerobic Training:

Strength and Power Development: The high intensity promotes muscle building and improves power.
Lactate Formation: The lactate causes your muscles to fatigue, which is why anaerobic training is only useful for short, intense intervals.
Rapid Energy Production: Your body obtains energy quickly, which is useful for high-intensity loads, but can only be sustained for a short time.

Focus on Aerobic Training – Why You Should Stay in the Aerobic Zone During Basic Training

In normal rowing training, you usually want to stay in the aerobic zone to improve your endurance and burn fat. Aerobic training allows you to train for longer periods without tiring. If you train too intensely and switch to the anaerobic zone, the body begins to produce lactate, which quickly leads to exhaustion.

Only with special training methods, such as interval training or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), do you specifically go into the anaerobic zone for a few minutes to increase your performance and strength. However, you should do this specifically in intervals and only for a short time.

The following table will help you stay in the aerobic zone during basic training. It gives you a rough guide to how high your heart rate should be during training at different ages:

Training Pulse for Basic Endurance – Orientation Table

These values are based on the formula:

Maximum Heart Rate (HRmax) = 220 – Age

The heart rate table is only a rough guide to ensure that you are in the aerobic zone. It is important that you feel comfortable during training. If you have any complaints or are unsure, have your fitness level monitored by a doctor.

Pulse Control with AUGLETICS Eight Style and AUGLETICS Eight Sport

The AUGLETICS Eight Style and AUGLETICS Eight Sport devices offer you valuable support to keep your heart rate in the aerobic zone. With a heart rate monitor, you can monitor your heart rate in real time and precisely control your training.

Heart Rate Display: Your pulse is displayed directly on the screen, so you can always see which zone you are in – aerobic or anaerobic.
Set Target Pulse: You can set a target pulse that keeps you in the aerobic zone. If your heart rate deviates by more than 5 beats per minute, the rowing machine automatically adjusts the resistance to ensure that you stay in the optimal zone.
Heart Rate-Performance Diagram: On the screen, you can see your heart rate in relation to your performance. This gives you direct feedback on the effectiveness of your training and prevents you from unconsciously switching from aerobic to anaerobic training.

These functions help you to specifically increase your endurance without training too intensely, and they protect you from performing too little or too much.

Accessories

AUGLETICS Heart Rate Monitor

59,99 EUR

What Does the "Threshold" Mean in Competitive Sports?

In competitive sports, the aerobic-anaerobic threshold is often determined by a step test. The power is increased every 4 minutes by, for example, 50 watts. Between the steps, blood is taken from the earlobe to measure the lactate level. This allows the threshold to be precisely determined at which the body switches from aerobic energy production to the anaerobic phase. This is particularly important for athletes who want to know their performance limit exactly.

This test is not necessary for normal training at home, but it can be carried out in a sports medical center if you want to know your threshold values exactly.

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Conclusion

Understanding aerobic and anaerobic training is crucial for effective rowing training. During normal training, you should definitely stay in the aerobic zone to improve your endurance and fitness. Only with interval training or HIIT do you specifically go into the anaerobic zone for a short time to increase your strength and performance. Monitoring your heart rate helps you to optimally control your training.

About the author

Flavio Holstein

Flavio Holstein ist Gründer und CEO von AUGLETICS, einem Unternehmen, das den Rudersport durch innovative Rudergeräte direkt ins Wohnzimmer bringt. Seit über 20 Jahren ist er begeisterter Ruderer und trainierte zeitweise sogar dreimal täglich, um es in die Nationalmannschaft zu schaffen. Er wurde zweimal deutscher Vizemeister im Vierer und Achter. Mit einem Master in Technischer Informatik bringt Flavio das nötige Hintergrundwissen mit, um modernste Technik und sportliche Effizienz zu vereinen und das Rudern für alle zugänglich zu machen. Seine Vision: Rudern als festen Bestandteil des Alltags zu etablieren und damit das wohl größte Gesundheitsproblem unserer Zeit anzugehen – den Bewegungsmangel. Flavio Holstein is the founder and CEO of AUGLETICS, a company that brings the sport of rowing directly into people’s living rooms through innovative rowing machines. He has been a passionate rower for over 20 years and at times trained up to three times a day in order to qualify for the national team. He became German vice champion twice, competing in both the coxless four and the eight. Holding a master’s degree in technical computer science, Flavio combines cutting-edge technology with athletic efficiency to make rowing accessible to everyone. His vision: to establish rowing as a natural part of everyday life and tackle what is arguably the greatest health issue of our time – lack of physical activity. Flavio Holstein est le fondateur et CEO d’AUGLETICS, une entreprise qui fait entrer le sport de l’aviron directement dans le salon grâce à des rameurs innovants. Passionné d’aviron depuis plus de 20 ans, il s’est parfois entraîné jusqu’à trois fois par jour dans l’objectif d’intégrer l’équipe nationale. Il a été deux fois vice-champion d’Allemagne, en quatre et en huit. Titulaire d’un master en informatique technique, Flavio dispose des connaissances nécessaires pour allier technologies de pointe et efficacité sportive et rendre l’aviron accessible à tous. Sa vision : faire de l’aviron une composante naturelle du quotidien et s’attaquer ainsi à l’un des plus grands problèmes de santé de notre époque – le manque d’activité physique. Flavio Holstein è fondatore e CEO di AUGLETICS, un’azienda che porta lo sport del canottaggio direttamente nelle case grazie a vogatori innovativi. È un appassionato canottiere da oltre 20 anni e in alcuni periodi si è allenato persino tre volte al giorno per riuscire a entrare nella nazionale. È stato due volte vicecampione tedesco nel quattro e nell’otto. Con un master in informatica tecnica, Flavio unisce competenze tecnologiche avanzate ed efficienza sportiva per rendere il canottaggio accessibile a tutti. La sua visione: rendere il canottaggio una parte integrante della vita quotidiana e affrontare quello che è probabilmente il più grande problema di salute del nostro tempo – la mancanza di attività fisica.

Flavio Holstein

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BACK TO OVERVIEW

Aerobic and Anaerobic Training in Rowing: What Happens in the Body and how Do You Use both Areas Correctly?

Aerobic and Anaerobic Training in Rowing: What Happens in the Body and How Do You Use Both Areas Correctly?

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Training: What Happens in the Body?

What Happens During Aerobic Training?

What happens during anaerobic training?

Focus on Aerobic Training – Why You Should Stay in the Aerobic Zone During Basic Training

Training Pulse for Basic Endurance – Orientation Table

Pulse Control with AUGLETICS Eight Style and AUGLETICS Eight Sport

Accessories

What Does the "Threshold" Mean in Competitive Sports?

Receive valuable training tips directly in your inbox!

Conclusion

About the author

Flavio Holstein

Flavio Holstein

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© Augletics GmbH

Aerobic and Anaerobic Training in Rowing: What Happens in the Body and how Do You Use both Areas Correctly?

Aerobic and Anaerobic Training in Rowing: What Happens in the Body and How Do You Use Both Areas Correctly?

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Training: What Happens in the Body?

What Happens During Aerobic Training?

What happens during anaerobic training?

Focus on Aerobic Training – Why You Should Stay in the Aerobic Zone During Basic Training

Training Pulse for Basic Endurance – Orientation Table

Pulse Control with AUGLETICS Eight Style and AUGLETICS Eight Sport

What Does the "Threshold" Mean in Competitive Sports?

Receive valuable training tips directly in your inbox!

Conclusion

About the author

Flavio Holstein

Flavio Holstein

You might also be interested in

Is AUGLETICS right for me?

Is AUGLETICS right for me?

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