Ergometer Training Pace and Zone Prescription Tool
Drop one 2k ergometer split into the box. The tool unpacks the full week: target splits, rate windows and watt guides for UT2, UT1, AT, TR and AN, plus a menu of interval blocks shaped for Aussie squad ergometer rooms and ready to copy onto the boatshed whiteboard.
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One Aussie ergometer anchor, five training zones, a whole week of sessions
A rowing training pace calculator turns your current 2k 500m split into suggested session paces. It shows split time, stroke rate and approximate watts for UT2, UT1, AT, TR and AN. These ranges help plan indoor rowing sessions, but they do not replace an individual training assessment.
Your current 2k 500m split
Target 500m split
Rate window
Watts (indicative)
RPE
Worked session menu off a
Hand it to your coach
Hit Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on a Mac) and the page lays out clean for the printer or the PDF dropbox. Or just copy the splits onto the boatshed whiteboard. The arithmetic is the same arithmetic that runs inside Row HQ when a coach blocks out a Penrith camp week or a pre-Yarra build.
How should you use rowing training zones?
Start with a recent, representative 2k 500m split. Training zones suggest a 500m split for each session, but heart rate, breathing and perceived effort still matter. Heat, fatigue and recovery can change the pace you can sustain. If steady state work feels hard, slow down rather than chasing a calculated split.
| Session type | What to check | When to adjust |
|---|---|---|
| UT2 steady state | Comfortable breathing and controlled technique | Slow down if the effort keeps rising |
| UT1 aerobic work | Sustainable work across every interval | Reduce pace if later repetitions collapse |
| AT threshold work | A repeatable hard effort | Use the prescribed recovery |
| TR / AN intervals | Quality at the planned stroke rate | Stop chasing pace when technique breaks down |
The offsets shown here are a coaching rule of thumb, not a lactate test or a universal training plan. Two rowers with the same 2k time can have different aerobic endurance. Use an agreed club programme to decide volume and recovery.
If your latest result is over 5k or 6k, the 2k prediction calculator can provide a provisional starting point.
Use the stroke rate calculator to compare strokes per minute and distance per stroke during steady state work.
For a quick conversion from pace to power, use the watts to split converter and keep the same average watts throughout the interval.
Method and further reading: Concept2 pace calculator and formulas
Frequently asked questions
What do the UT2, UT1, AT, TR and AN bands mean inside an Aussie ergometer week?
They are the five intensity bands every Rowing Australia, AIS and NSWIS programme structures the training week around. UT2 (utilisation two) is steady aerobic work at 18-20 strokes per minute, easy enough to hold a conversation across a 60-minute paddle. UT1 (utilisation one) is firm aerobic at 22-24 spm with focused breathing. AT (anaerobic threshold) sits at 26-28 spm and parks the body just under blood-lactate build-up. TR (transport) is 2k race pace itself, 30-34 spm. AN (anaerobic) lives above 36 spm and dips below 2k pace on short pieces. An openweight Penrith camp week usually places 60 to 70 per cent of total ergometer mileage inside UT2, the next biggest slice in UT1, with AT and TR sprinkled through and AN held back for the sharpening fortnight.
How does the tool work out each zone split off the 2k anchor?
This calculator applies fixed offsets to your 2k 500m split. UT2 is 12-16 seconds slower, UT1 6-10 slower, AT 3-5 slower, TR around 2k pace and AN 3-5 faster. These are illustrative starting ranges, not measured physiological thresholds. Check each target against breathing, perceived effort and advice from your coach.
What does a useful UT2 ergometer session look like for a senior Aussie crew?
The session menu includes continuous rowing and longer intervals with brief recoveries. Choose a duration that suits your current training. UT2 should feel controlled and conversational. If the effort keeps rising, reduce the pace or shorten the session rather than forcing the calculated split time.
Do lightweights, masters and schoolgirl rowers use the same zone offsets?
The calculator starts from your own 2k 500m split, but fixed offsets do not suit every rower equally. For a 7:00 2k, its UT2 range is 1:57-2:01. For 6:30, it is 1:49.5-1:53.5. For 7:30, it is 2:04.5-2:08.5. Use these as starting points and adjust for endurance, recovery and effort.
Anchor to zone: how an Aussie weekly programme falls out of a single 2k
UT2: the aerobic base every Aussie squad week is built on
UT2 is steady aerobic work. This calculator adds 12-16 seconds to your 2k 500m split and suggests 18-20 strokes per minute. Use comfortable breathing and controlled technique to judge the effort. The offset is a starting point; some rowers need a slower split time for genuinely easy work.
UT1: the firm aerobic gear that bridges volume into threshold work
UT1 is firmer aerobic work. This tool adds 6-10 seconds to your 2k 500m split and suggests 22-24 strokes per minute. Choose an interval length you can repeat without a large drop in pace. Reduce the target if fatigue turns the session into a harder workout than intended.
AT: where most race time gets won
AT refers to anaerobic threshold training. The suggested range here is 3-5 seconds slower than your 2k 500m split at 26-28 strokes per minute. Your actual threshold cannot be established from a fixed pace offset. Use repeatable efforts and the recovery prescribed by your coach.
TR: 2k race pace, the band most Aussie selection turns on
TR is transport or race-pace work. The calculator uses your 2k 500m split and suggests 30-34 strokes per minute. The sample intervals include substantial recovery. Match the session to your experience and stop forcing the target when technique or pace deteriorates.
AN: power and rate, used sparingly across the sharpening fortnight
AN is short anaerobic work. The illustrative target is 3-5 seconds faster than your 2k 500m split. The suggested stroke rate is 36 or more strokes per minute, but stroke quality matters. Short, hard intervals need suitable recovery and should fit within your wider programme.
Blocking the week off a fresh 2k anchor
Decide the balance of easy work, harder intervals and recovery with your coach. Training history, upcoming events and fatigue all change that balance. Keep the drag factor consistent when comparing erg sessions. The data-driven training guide explains how to record the work you actually completed.
The whole zone table leans on an honest 2k. Row one, or estimate it from a recent 5k via the 2k prediction calculator. Before the next test piece, the guide to pacing a 2k test is worth ten seconds a season, and the erg pace calculator converts the splits you land on into watts.
From the RowHQ shop
Printable PDFs written for club rowers. Buy once, keep forever.
Winter Base Builder
Build the biggest engine of your life over the off-season - 12 weeks of mostly-easy volume plus a strength routine, so you arrive at spring fast.
Masters Men's 8-Week Erg Programme
Eight weeks of structured erg training built around a masters body - science-backed, joint-friendly, and designed to protect your engine as you age.
The Club Session Library
52 rowing sessions for club coaches, with an illustrated coaching PDF, editable CSV plans, two seasonal blocks and a printable coaching cheat sheet.
One 2k is a calculator. A squad of forty across a Penrith camp, a Yarra block and a Schools Champs build is a database problem.
Knowing the zones is the easy half. The hard half is keeping honest records of which zones your squad has actually trained in across the last 12 weeks. Row HQ tags every session split against the right athlete and the right zone, so the coach catches the sculler quietly drifting into UT1 every UT2 paddle, the K8+ trial seat missing AN volume the fortnight before selection, or the M50 masters group sitting in AT every Tuesday for two months while the racing programme calls for TR. Have a look inside the coach toolkit, the automatic session tracking pipeline, and the OTRC flagship case study for how a real senior squad uses zone distribution to drive selection-night conversations rather than gut feel.
Companion tools in the Aussie ergometer suite
Ergometer Pace and Distance Tool
Drop a 500m split, lift out watt output, kilojoule rate, and projected splits across every Aussie test piece from a flying 500 to the marathon.
Ergometer Score Percentile Tool
Position any 2k against the percentile bands with bodyweight handicap and Concept2 age-grading factored in, sized for selection.
Rowing Pace Chart
Single-screen pace lookup across every test distance, colour-banded by intensity zone for camp and pre-Yarra prep.
2k Projection Tool
Back-solve a credible 2k goal off a recent long aerobic effort (5k, 6k, 10k or a 30-minute trial).
Stroke Rate Calculator
Calculate distance per stroke from rate and split, with training-zone references for rate discipline.
Drag Factor Calculator
Find the right Concept2 drag factor for your weight, experience and goal.