Lockdown is over, and life is gradually returning to normal (the new normal, at least). These past months have undoubtedly been a huge psychological challenge for rowers across the country. Some of us would have found it nearly impossible to train at home, while others have been banging out 2k PB’s and marathons.
No matter where your fitness stands going into the new season one thing is for sure: all that missed time on the water would have halted any real technical progression, and perhaps even led to regression. Everyone’s in the same boat, so there’s no need for panic, but it does mean is it’s time to play catch-up. More now than ever, it is imperative that we get the most out of every session; gains must be maximised, and every stroke must be better than the last. The Empower Oarlock is the perfect tool to assist in this endeavour for technical advancement. A few years ago we covered this bit of kit. Still, now it’s time to delve a little deeper into the wealth of data it provides and why, in this writer’s opinion, it is the single best investment for a rower wanting to improve technically.
For those not familiar with the EO it was spawned through a collaboration between NK Sports and bio-mechanics company Biorow in 2016. Effectively a chunky gate to the casual eye, this small, unassuming device is packed full of sensors and strain gauges. In the modern age, it is data which drives change, and the Empower Oarlock certainly provides enough of that. The thirteen metrics this NK product can provide are: Catch Angle, Finish Angle, Slip, Wash, Power, Average Power, Force, Max Force, Max Force Angle, Average Force, Work, Stroke Length and Effective Length. These measurements may seem likely to cause data overload, but here the calibre of NK’s system creates a comfortable, integrated way to use the oarlock.
For those already embedded in the NK system, it’s plain sailing with the EO’s primary output being via a SpeedCoach GPS with Training Pack. This means you have unfamiliar readings being delivered to a familiar interface, so the EO very quickly becomes just another part of your session.
Once your off the water, your session syncs to the sleek NK Logbook App after a quick Bluetooth connection between a phone and speedcoach. It’s then that you fully appreciate the sheer scale of readings taken. The NK App allows you to view your session in varying levels of detail. For every metric you are shown session averages, 100m averages and exporting to excel will give you data at an individual stroke level. This means over a 16k Steady State session with thirteen metrics being recorded, you could end up with nearly 20,000 data points. Again this may seem like overload, but NK manages to avoid this issue by leaving it to you to choose what you want to see.
For the vast majority of us who train under a coaches’ watchful eye, it is they who are going to make the most use of the EO. Coaches will look at all the angles and numbers and tell us humble rowers what it all actually means. To that end, the EO has a standout feature – Live Streaming. This allows your coach, in real-time, to see your catch angle, power output and everything else the oarlock has to offer. If your coach has instant access to these stats, it immediately increases the effectiveness of the coaching being performed. “Row longer” becomes “catch at -65º” and “finish stronger” becomes “reduce your wash”. Technical targets can now be quantified and progress measured in absolutes. To enable this streaming, a mobile phone must be in your boat which may put some off, but a waterproof cover is a simple fix. NK also has a “Team” subscription meaning multiple crews/sculls stats can be viewed simultaneously by a single coach.
For decades, force curves have been a mainstay of rowing training and coaching. Those of you hoping the EO will provide a standard force curve will be disappointed as NK have chosen not to utilise one. In its place, the EO generates what NK calls a “Stroke Profile” based off all the critical measurements taken during a rowing stroke. This “profile” displays catch angle, slip, max force, max force angle, wash and finish angle all on one plotted line. It’s a new way to visualise a stroke, but one which allows coaches to understand the technical reasons behind the movement of the boat, rather than just flat wattage.
Another benefit of this graph is the comparison allowed between different rowers. It is an athlete’s ability to move a boat which is the predominant factor when it comes to crew selection; whoever makes the boat go fastest will get the seat. The NK “Stroke Profile” adds another weapon to the coaches arsenal for crew selection. Comparison of athletes’ Stroke Profiles can now complement doubles Matrices and seat racing. For example, let’s say a quad is being selected. Three of the seats have been filled; two athletes could take the final seat. There’s no apparent difference between the two, so the coach turns to their Stroke Profiles. The already selected rowers all show a max force angle of around -10º. Rower one also exhibits an angle of around -10º, but Rower two is showing +5º. Rower one is now the obvious choice. In this case, the EO has allowed the coach to make an informed decision based on real data of which athlete is going to make the boat move quickest.
The EO is a versatile bit of kit. Whether you row in an eight or scull, the EO can completely change the way you view, analyse and thus improve your rowing stroke. It gives you and your coach the tools to look deeper into how you row, allows for more effective, targeted training and means better-informed crew selection. It’s well worth the investment and should be at the top of your Christmas list.
For anyone who wants to find out more about any of the technical terms mentioned, take a look here.
To find out more about NK, and the services and products they offer, head over to our Commercial Partners page.
To take a closer look and purchase the EmPower Oarlock, head to Oarsport’s website.
If you’re hungry for more, check out any of our other pieces from The Catch, listen to the latest podcast episode, or flick through our race previews.
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Images by Roesie Percy
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