Training

Technique

Ergos

Outings

Learn to Row

Every year, we run a month-long, cost-free taster period for Lancaster Uni Students (Our “Learn-to-Row” course). In this time, we introduce you onto the rowing machines (“Ergo’s”) and into the boats on the river. It is designed very carefully for complete first-timers, developing the very basics of the sweep rowing stroke, and is compulsory for all looking to join the novice squads.

We typically have a cut-off date for joining a few weeks into the course – due to the nature of the sport and equipment, someone joining a crew in the middle of December would likely impede the progress of novices who started learning months earlier.

The Novice Captains may also set some quotas for the number of sessions you must attend in order to pass into the novice squads. This is usually reflective of the training expectations in the novice squads. All the details for these dates and expectations will be given in our Fresher’s talks and Facebook groups.

While this all sounds intense, there is good reason for it! No-one wants to be let down by their team when they have worked hard to improve. Setting this standard from the start ensures all our crews will be fully competent and capable of enjoying racing from the second term onwards. We strive to make sure our sessions are accessible and useful to a range of athletic (and non-athletic) backgrounds; from freshers who have never trained for competitive sport before, to postgraduate, experienced student athletes. We want you focusing on improving yourself, your fitness, and your mental toughness; not on where you are coming into the sport.