How ErgBuddy's Training Methodology Works

ErgBuddy doesn't generate random workouts. Every session is part of a structured, periodised program calibrated from your benchmark test. Here's how the methodology works and why it's built this way.

The polarised model

Our approach follows the polarised training model used by elite endurance athletes. The core principle: keep easy sessions genuinely easy and hard sessions genuinely hard. No "medium-effort every day."

Research by Seiler & Kjerland (2006) demonstrated that athletes following a polarised distribution — approximately 80% low intensity, 20% high intensity — showed greater improvement than those training predominantly at moderate intensity.

This is counterintuitive. Most rowers default to pulling at a "decent" effort every session. But that moderate zone is the least productive place to spend your training time.

Six-phase periodisation

ErgBuddy structures training into six distinct phases, each with a specific purpose:

1. Foundation (weeks 1–3)

Long, easy rows that build aerobic capacity. Volume is high, intensity is low. You'll spend 80–85% of your time in UT2 (conversational pace).

2. Build (weeks 4–6)

Threshold work is introduced while maintaining the aerobic base. Intervals at AT pace develop lactate clearance. Volume stays high but intensity distribution shifts.

3. Specific (weeks 7–9)

Workouts become more race-specific. VO₂max intervals and race-pace rehearsals appear. The intensity distribution shifts further toward hard sessions.

4. Race prep (weeks 10–11)

Sharpening phase. Short, intense sessions at or above race pace. Volume drops but peak session intensity is the highest of the entire program.

5. Taper (final week)

Volume drops 40–60%. A few short, race-pace openers maintain neuromuscular readiness. Recovery and sleep become the priority.

6. Race rehearsal

The final 2–3 sessions simulate race conditions — pacing strategy, warm-up routine, and target splits.

Benchmark-calibrated pacing

Every pace target in ErgBuddy is derived from your actual test result — not from generic tables.

When you enter a 2k, 6k, or 60-minute benchmark, the system calculates six pace zones as offsets from that split. UT2 is 20–26 seconds slower than your 2k pace. Anaerobic is 1–3 seconds slower. Race pace is your benchmark split itself.

This approach is grounded in findings by Ingham et al. (2002), who showed that VO₂max and lactate-threshold power — both reflected in your benchmark — are the strongest predictors of 2k erg performance.

Experience-level adjustment

The program adapts based on three experience levels:

• Beginner: Longer recovery periods, lower volume, fewer high-intensity sessions per week, wider pace zone ranges
• Intermediate: Standard parameters — the default training model
• Advanced: Higher volume, shorter recoveries, tighter pace zones, more frequent hard sessions

These adjustments change session duration, interval rest periods, and the overall intensity distribution — not just the number of workouts.

Adaptive recovery

Recovery isn't optional — it's programmed. ErgBuddy automatically inserts recovery sessions after hard training days based on the session's intensity and the athlete's experience level.

After every high-intensity session, the next day defaults to recovery or light UT2 work. After two hard days in a row, a full rest day is inserted.

This follows Halson's (2014) research on recovery monitoring, which showed that under-recovery blunts training adaptation more than under-training.

Goal-specific templates

Different race distances demand different training emphasis:

| Goal | Default pace | Volume emphasis | Key sessions | |------|-------------|----------------|-------------| | 2K | ~1:47/500m | Moderate volume, high intensity | VO₂max intervals, race-pace rehearsals | | 6K | ~2:00/500m | Higher volume, moderate intensity | Threshold intervals, sustained pieces | | 60 min | ~2:23/500m | Highest volume, sustained pace | Long steady-state, pacing practice |

Each template adjusts phase durations, interval structures, and intensity distributions to match the energy demands of the target distance.

The research base

ErgBuddy's methodology draws on six key studies:

1. Ingham et al. (2002) — Relationship between VO₂max and 2k performance
2. Seiler & Kjerland (2006) — Polarised training distribution
3. Plews et al. (2017) — Training periodisation and load monitoring
4. Halson (2014) — Recovery monitoring techniques
5. Kleshnev (2020) — Rowing biomechanics and performance
6. Steinacker (1993) — Physiological determinants of rowing performance

See all research references for full citations and how each study informed the training model.

Why this works

Structured training with benchmark-calibrated pacing eliminates the two most common mistakes: training too hard on easy days and not hard enough on hard days. The phase progression ensures your body develops each energy system in the right order, and the recovery logic prevents overtraining.

Try ErgBuddy free to see a personalised program built from your benchmark results.