Faster with Bill Chambers Power Meter Series. How to use power meters to train for rowing. James Goodwin, head of sports science Swiss Rowing Federation.
Feb 7, 2025
James Goodwin, Head of Sports Science at the Swiss Rowing Federation, shares insights on using power meters to enhance rowing performance. He explains how wattage influences training and the importance of individualized wattage zones. Discover why power is a superior training metric, linking it to strength training for injury prevention and efficiency. Goodwin outlines essential power tests for rowers and discusses creating training zones from critical power. He emphasizes integrating power metrics with heart rate and RPE for effective training strategies.
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James' Swiss Rowing Background
- James has worked with Swiss Rowing for around eight years and expanded his role into physiology testing and physiotherapy.
- He completed a master's in physiotherapy and practices part-time in the UK.
Use Individual Wattage Zones
- Train on wattage zones derived from individual testing rather than raw splits to get consistent load control.
- Use the zone range so athletes can push toward the top on good days and sit the lower bound when fatigued.
Power Captures Mechanical Work
- Power measures mechanical work directly as force × time and gives a holistic continuous work-rate metric.
- James argues power is more reliable than boat speed because it is less affected by changing conditions.