Rowing Training Zone Calculator
One 2k erg score in, five zone bands out. The form below returns target splits, stroke-rate windows and watt targets for UT2, UT1, AT, TR and AN, plus an interval menu a Kiwi coach can copy straight onto the boatshed whiteboard at Karapiro, Twizel or Hamilton before tomorrow's session.
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How a 2k erg score becomes a Kiwi squad training week
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
Stroke rate
Watts (approx)
RPE
Interval menu at
Print this for your coach
Use your browser print dialog (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P) to drop this page into a PDF. Or grab a marker and copy the bands straight onto the boatshed whiteboard. The arithmetic on this page is the same arithmetic Row HQ runs in the background when a coach programmes a squad session.
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 UT2, UT1, AT, TR and AN actually mean on a Kiwi training plan?
They are the five intensity bands Rowing NZ coach education and most NZURA and Maadi school programmes run on. UT2 (utilisation 2) is steady aerobic, 18 to 20 strokes per minute, the pace you can chat through for an hour. UT1 (utilisation 1) is firm aerobic at 22 to 24 spm, where breathing turns deliberate. AT (anaerobic threshold) sits at 26 to 28 spm, the sustainable edge of lactate clearance. TR (transport) is your 2k race pace at 30 to 34 spm. AN (anaerobic) climbs above 36 spm at splits faster than your 2k, used for short power and rate pieces. Through a winter Karapiro block UT2 and UT1 carry most of the metres, AT sprinkles in once or twice a week, and AN reappears only in the final sharpening fortnight before North Island Champs or Maadi.
How does a single 2k score translate into the five zone splits?
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 typical UT2 session look like in a New Zealand boatshed?
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 lightweight rowers and masters scullers 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.
The five intensity bands a Kiwi programme runs on
UT2: steady aerobic
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: firm aerobic
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: anaerobic threshold
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: transport (race pace)
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: anaerobic
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.
How to put the bands together across a week
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.
Everything above assumes your 2k is current. Estimate one from a 5k or 6k with the 2k prediction calculator if it is not. The 2k pacing strategy guide covers the test itself, while the erg pace calculator maps split to watts and back.
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 whiteboard scrawl works for one session. A full season is a database job.
Knowing the zones is one half of the work. Auditing which zones a thirty-athlete squad actually trained in across the last three months is the other half, and that is where a paper plan starts breaking down. Row HQ writes every athlete's session pace against the five-band framework as the data arrives, so a coach catches the Year 12 sculler grinding UT1 when the plan said UT2, or the open four arriving at the pre-Maadi camp at Lake Ruataniwha short on AN volume. The mechanics live in coach tools, the practice tracking features capture splits stroke by stroke, and the Oundle Town RC case study walks through how a working club applies the same zone audit to senior selection.
Companion tools in the Aotearoa erg suite
Concept2 Erg Tool
Convert a 500m split to watts, kcal and projected finishing times.
Erg Score Percentile Tool
Weight-adjusted, age-graded percentile placement for Kiwi rowers.
Rowing Pace Chart
Single-screen pace lookup banded by training zone.
2k Prediction Calculator
Back-solve a credible 2k from a recent 5k, 6k or long aerobic piece.
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.