So you just started on indoor rowing, but you are unaware of some terms associated with it?
The acronyms and abbreviations related to rowing can be confusing, especially for beginners.
Here’s a quick rundown of some essential abbreviations used in rowing to cut down your efforts.
An Erg or Ergo is an abbreviated term for an Ergometer. It is mainly a device that measures the amount of work done. Erg refers to a rowing machine that can provide a useful measure of the work.
An Erg Session simply means a workout on a rowing ergometer. It is important to have a good workout plan.
CTC stands for Cross Team Challenge. CTC or C2CTC refers to the website that organizes competitive events for those who have Concept 2 Rowing Machine. Remember that CTC is not affiliated with the Concept 2 company.
The Drag Factor is the numerical value at which the flywheel reduces the speed. Abbreviated as DF, it is primarily determined by the damper setting on the rowing machine, ranging from 1 to 10.
It refers to the Concept2 Personal Monitor, which comes with all Concept 2 rowing machines. If PM is followed by the number, it refers to the specific model of the monitor. The current and the latest model is PM5.
OTW stands for On the Water, which refers to rowing in an original boat instead of using an erg. Since OTW rowing requires lots of pressure and effort, it is more complex than indoor rowing.
The HM and FM in rowing stand for Half Marathon and Full Marathon, respectively. While the Half Marathon refers to 21.097 meters, the Full Marathon is about 42.195 meters.
HR refers to the Heart Rate. The machine uses the heart rate or beats per minute (BPM) as a guide to track the specific rowing intensity. This metric can be measured with a heart rate calculator.
The term “HRR” refers to the Heart Rate Reserve. Also known as Karvonen Method, it is mainly used to determine heart rate zones for training objectives. The formula to calculate HRR is Maximum Heart Rate - Resting Heart Rate.
HRM stands for Heart Rate Monitor. This device is required to record your Heart Rate (HR) every second. Ideally, an HRM must work with iOS (iPhones) and Android, display beats per minute (BPM) on PM5 and other brands, and override smartwatch heart rate monitor during a rowing workout.
MHR in rowing refers to the Maximum Heart Rate. This numeric value indicates the highest number of beats per minute that a person’s heart can reach. As a rule of thumb, the formula to determine MHR is 220 - Age. Our Heart Rate Calculator uses 205.8 - (0.685 x Your Age) to determine the maximum heart rate at better accuracy.
LWT and HWT in rowing stand for Lightweight and Heavyweight. LWT is a category of rowing where limits are placed on the maximum bodyweight of competitors.
| Gender | Heavyweight | Lightweight |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 165+ Lbs / 74.84+ kg | 165 Lbs / 74.84 kg |
| Women | 135+ Lbs / 61.23+ kg | 135 Lbs / 61.23 kg |
HWT stands for Heavyweight. It is also known as open rowing, which is not defined by weight. Bigger and stronger athletes fall into the HWT category. It is anything over those lightweight limits.
HD refers to Handle Down in rowing. It happens when a rower is unable to finish the distance, and he puts his handle down.
PB or PR in rowing stands for Personal Best and Personal Records, respectively. While PB is the best you have ever done to cover the distance, PR refers to the directory where your performance list is stored.
In rowing, SB stands for the Season Best. It refers to the best performance a person has given for a particular time or distance during the season.
WB stands for the world best (the best mark recorded for a non-IAAF world record event).
DPS for indoor rowing stands for Distance Per Stroke. It indicates how far you go for every single stroke to complete or how many meters are covered in a single stroke. At steady state ratings, 10-12m per stroke is pretty normal.
SPI in rowing refers to the Stroke Power Index. It is a useful metric to boost your rowing journey. SPI is all about calculating load distribution. It is the ability to do a significant amount of work within a given time frame.
LP stands for the Low Pull. It is the fastest Split (time for 500m) that you can achieve i.e your maximum speed.
SPM is Strokes Per Minute. It is also known as “Rating.” This number is mainly displayed in the upper right corner of the Performance Monitor (in the example of Concept2). r20 refers to the 20 strokes per minute in which the flywheel takes more time to speed up the rowing machine.
TT refers to Time Trial in rowing. This metric shows how fast you can cover a particular distance. For example, if a person sets a target of 2000m, the time trial is how fast he can row it to cover the distance.
The k in the rowing stands for 1.000m, 2k for 2.000m, and 10k for 10000m. A k is basically made up of 2 different 500m rows and each one has unique characteristics with different challenges. Similarly, 2k and 10k comprise 4 and 20 different 500-meters rows. The goal is to be consistent with your pace throughout.
