Faster with Bill Chambers

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.

In this engaging discussion, Michael Naughton, Chief Operating Officer at Nielsen-Kellerman and a leading innovator in rowing technology, dives into the Empower Oarlock project. He reveals how this device provides real-time feedback on angles and force, revolutionizing rowing techniques. Michael explains the critical five-point stroke profile, illustrates the conversion of force into power metrics, and shares tips on enhancing crew performance. He also addresses setup concerns and discusses future advancements in rowing technology that could transform the sport.

Noel Donaldson is widely acknowledged as one of the world's most successful rowing coaches, building and leading teams to win multiple world championships and olympic gold medals over 3 decades in two different countries. As part of the series on using power meters in rowing, Noel shares the lessons learnt from using power meters with Gold medal international crews to school crews, and how they can help you to make the boat go faster.

In this chat, Michael Naughton, COO of Nielsen Kellerman and a seasoned engineer with nearly three decades at the company, shares his journey from novice rower to industry leader. He recounts the fascinating evolution of NK's iconic products like the Cox Box and the adaptation after the fallout with Concept2. Michael highlights the diverse markets for their Kestrel instruments, discusses customer-driven innovations, and teases future developments in rowing tech. His insights on product development post-COVID and the future of rowing gear are particularly engaging.

Pete King, an experienced rower and data advocate, and Dick Smith, a member of Wallingford's successful masters crews, dive into the transformative power of data in rowing. They discuss implementing NK power meters to enhance crew performance, detailing how data informs seating arrangements and technique adjustments. The duo shares insights on analyzing metrics like heart rate and power to predict boat speed and improve cohesion. They also highlight the psychological impacts of data, emphasizing its role in achieving practical wins on the water.

Join me as I speak exclusively with Vincent Gaillard, Executive Director of World Rowing, about the future direction of Rowing. In this episode, Vincent shares World Rowing's 15 year plan to transform the reach, the image and revenues of the sport. We discuss the expansion into coastal rowing, indoor rowing, plans to drive awareness and boost audience engagement. Vincent also talks about what we can expect after the 1,500m racing format at the LA Games. World Rowing's new partnership with Concept2 and the future of rowing in e-sports Games. For more information and to subscribe to my newsletter, go to ⁠⁠www.whchambers.com⁠⁠ and subscribe.

Join Greg and I, as we discuss how Greg uses power meters set the boat up, understand the effectiveness of the stroke and programme training with the power meter to help him go faster. Greg Benning, started rowing at the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and has been engaged in the sport ever since. Greg won the Head of The Charles regatta over 20 times and the Silver Skiff International Time Trial 9 times. For more information and to subscribe to my newsletter, go to ⁠www.whchambers.com⁠ and subscribe.

Join me as I speak with Matt Draper about his experience in rowing over the last 30-years that has taken Matt from High Performance Manager with Australian Rowing to organising Olympic and World Rowing Championship events.

Exploring key metrics for rowing performance like sleep, body composition, strength, and pace. Speaker's detailed approach to tracking and managing rowing training performance using heart rate, body composition, and training intensity. Importance of consistent monitoring, specialized equipment, lactate pro device, max heart rate testing, and data analysis to improve rowing performance. Comparing metrics like total weight lifted, force tests, and training volume for progress tracking. Emphasis on training stress scores, polarized training, and using tools like Garmin Connect and Excel for data analysis and performance enhancement.