Plyometric Training for Rowers
Programming tips and new video demos of jumping and throwing exercises
I wrote more about jump and throw plyos in the February “Five-Year Update” to my book. I also updated my plyometrics article from 2020, including an all-new video. Here are some key points from all of that, and the new video with the most up-to-date plyometric exercise progressions, variations, and cues from my coaching.
The Purpose of Plyos for Rowers
My goal of plyometric exercise for rowers is athletic coordination and improving rate of force production. My goal is not improving endurance by doing long-duration sets of plyos like 20+ reps of “jumpies,” burpees, box jumps, etc. That’s an old-school, “zombie” training method from a time before ergometers and year-round training, and it isn’t doing much for athletes besides making them tired and maybe giving them shin splints or another lower body injury.
I underrated plyos for a while because rowing is not a truly plyometric movement, with slower propulsion speed and lacking an element of absorbing and redirecting force. I changed my mind on them for their value in increasing rate of force production, even despite the slower speed of rowing, and enhancing general athleticism.
Jump and throw plyos offer truly dynamic, unrestricted force production. This is different than conventional, non-plyometric strength training, even with full explosive intent. In a squat or deadlift, there’s always some holding back from full power due to having to catch or decelerate the load at the end of the lift. In a jump or throw, we can focus entirely on acceleration during the propulsive (lifting) phase. This improves rate of force production. We also enhance general athleticism with the coordination elements of jumping, landing, and throwing. This improves long-term athletic development, offers rest-of-life benefits, and I think helps rowers be more adaptable when it comes to making stroke technique changes.
Using Plyos in Strength Training and Rowing
We always do plyos early in a training session. Train power and coordination while the athlete is fresh, not fatigued from immediately prior strength training, cross-training, erging, or rowing.
The main way I use plyos in my coaching is simply in a superset with our main work squat or deadlift exercise for the session. After the full-body warmup, we start with one plyo for 2-3 reps followed by the squat or deadlift, then our rest interval. Repeating this for all work-up and work sets of squat or deadlift gets us 5-8 total sets of plyos. I typically use a jump on squat day and a throw on deadlift day. I’ll also do a countermovement jump on squat day and a non-countermovement jump on deadlift day to pair the movements that way.
The other way way is starting with about 10 minutes of varied plyo training after the full-body warmup. Note that this is not 10 minutes straight through! Pick 1-2 plyos and do 5-8 sets of 2-3 reps with at least 30 seconds between sets. Then move on to the rest of the strength training session. This works well in a bigger group training environment when equipment or space might be restricted, or if we’re doing some outdoor plyos before going indoors for the rest of the session. I get rowers into groups of four: one rower does the plyo and goes to the back of the line, the next rower steps up and does the plyo, and repeat through all four. This achieves an inherent 1:4 work-to-rest ratio and keeps things moving.
Rowers training at the boathouse first need to make sure that a surface other than hard concrete is available for jumps to protect the lower body. Get some wrestling or gym mats, soft-topped plyo boxes, or use throws if you can’t soften the landing surface. Do a full-body warmup, the “10 minutes of varied plyos” option as above, then get into your erging or rowing. 20 minutes of warmup-and-plyos sets up nicely for high-intensity intervals or testing. Please avoid or stop the “rower plyo” errors of high-rep jumps, performed at the end of a training session, on concrete flooring. (Bonus error: as punishment.)
Plyo Variations
I use about a dozen different plyo variations in total when we consider types of jump or throw and combinations of 1-leg versus 2-leg jumps and countermovement and non-countermovement jumps and throws. I list these combinations out in my updated website article.
Jumps: Vertical jumps are easy to work into any training program. Rowers can at least alternate countermovement and non-countermovement jumps for variety. Do single-leg variations for more challenge. Include broad jumps for even more challenge if your training space permits. Use the seated jump in the pre-season and in-season phases for a “super-non-countermovement” jump.
Throws: Throws are great when the training space and equipment allows, especially if jumps are out due to lower body joint pain or concrete boathouse floors. Throws add a slightly more technical emphasis with the full-body power transfer. They also offer feedback for the athlete in throw height or distance. I find the backwards overhead throw has good carryover to stroke technique and power. The forwards overhead throw is similar to a vertical jump without, or at least with less, landing impact.
Want more about plyos? Read my updated article here, plus more in the $5 “Five-Year Update” (included free in any new book purchases).
These are great variations for training sessions. Would be great to do some hop jumps on a long haul flight to keep the circulation going!
Interesting article. Two questions:
1. Is plyometrics the good to improve impulse force or is it better to focus on weight training (in different part of the force/velocity curve)?
2. When in the periodization scheme is plyometrics most effective? After max-strength period or can it be used any time?