Now that I'm back on the water, I'm putting the focus on two items:

1.  Keeping winter muscle but leaning down to racing weight (going from about 208 lbs to 195).

2.  Transitioning from static weight exercises to specific strength via in-the boat resistance training and plyometrics.

For item #1, the primary method is increasing training volume progressively through March to a goal of 600km per month row/run/inline/erg.

For item #2, the on-the water resistance takes 4 forms:

• Low-rate pieces with a single bungee cord attached from the stern of the rigger around the hull.  Example workout would be 2 pyramids of 10/20/30/40/50/40/30/20/10 strokes at full power, very low rating (14-16), with 10 strokes off in between.  Focus is on developing maximum applied power without ripping the water.
• One-stroke drills:  Sit at 1/2 slide, blades squared and buried.  Pull up on the slide using the hamstrings, essentially backing down until you are at full extension, pause about 1 second to allow pressure to build up on the blades and stretch the lats, then execute a full-power drive and clean finish, checking it down before doing the next one.  Continue until you can execute with no ripping water.
• One-arm sculling:  Arm+back, one side at a time until you can execute the catch and finish cleanly.  Swerving back and forth on the river looks silly but is effective in isolating each side and developing the correct feel at pressure in a stable environment.
• "Speed sets":  bungee on the stern.  4x (4 x (15" on, 45" off)), first 4 at arms only, 2nd set arms+back, 3rd set 1/2 slide, 4ht set full slide.  Full pressure, maximum possible speed of motion.  Then repeat as 4x (4x (10"on, 30" off)), trying to exceed the speed achieved in the first sets.  This is a favorite Larry Gluckman workout, and I find it to be instrumental in building explosive power at the start.  Especially important to focus on the speed on the RECOVERY - most of our training exercises focus only on the drive, but you need those quick hands away to race at high ratings cleanly.

For plyometrics:

• 1-leg squats, full range of motion (hamstring touches calf at full depth - contrary to popular belief, recent studies in trained athletes do not show knee stress due to this - think about it - you do this thousands of times during a rowing workout).
• "Jumpies" - Deep knee bends at high speed - full range of motion, feet close together, focus on quick turnaround at the "catch".
• Squat jumps - either on land or preferably in the pool to reduce knee impact.
• Pulley rows - using the pulleys in the gym, similar to pulling a lawnmower starter string, low weight high speed.  Mimics the motion of one-sided sculling in the boat.

2 great resources for plyometrics:

Technical discussion from Peak Performance magazine at http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0980.htm

Video of technique for 1-leg squats, etc. from Matthew Pinsent at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/video_and_audio/help_guide/4304501.stm

Again, I progressively and cautiously build volume and intensity of any of these workouts over weeks, and only as I feel confident enough in my core strength to avoid injury.  The only back injury I have ever had in rowing came doing squat jumps, of all things, even after a winter of doing heavy cleans and squats, so transitioning from strength to power and speed puts a whole new set of demand on the body.