https://meataxerowing.com/2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/resources2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/about/shaun-kirkham2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/resources/topics/training2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/resources/topics/technique2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/resources/topics/crews-and-eights2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/free-downloads2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/erg-calculator2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/weight-adjusted-2k2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/news2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/news/kleshnev-stroke-rate-analysis-2026-world-championships2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/news/kiwi-eight-reunion-head-of-the-charles-20262026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/news/rowing-nz-2027-team-nominations-2k-standards2026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/news/la28-rowing-1500m-course-long-beach2026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/news/steady-state-podcast-shane-farmer-dark-horse-rowing2026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/resources/pause-at-the-finish-drill2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx62.jpgIan Wright's Pause At The FinishIan Wright had us spend exaggerated time around the finish, to the point where we fully paused there and then flowed away to the front, especially at the lower rates. It works because it brings the whole crew to one point, which makes rowing in time black and white. But everyone in the crew has to buy in.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/de71ffef-2944-4302-af3f-8874e6490957/play_720p.mp4782026-10-08T17:40:44+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx64.jpgWhat Made Ian Wright A Great CoachIan Wright had us spend exaggerated time around the finish, to the point where we fully paused there and then flowed away to the front, especially at the lower rates. It works because it brings the whole crew to one point, which makes rowing in time black and white. But everyone in the crew has to buy in.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/b1d2191e-f029-4e1b-afb5-03c4f167b298/play_720p.mp4892026-10-08T23:27:47+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/30-minute-rowing-workout-playlist2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/st01.jpg30 Min Erg PlaylistBe deliberate with your music, so it gives you what you want from the session. For a 60-minute UT2 erg at talking pace, about 140 heart rate, pick music with a steady rhythm. For a harder 30-minute, pick a playlist that builds. Mine starts off mellow and eggs you on to go harder, and my 6-minute splits went from 1:50.5 down to 1:44.5.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/675f704d-1955-4779-9c0e-ce4c8275a434/play_720p.mp4452026-10-26T06:30:00+13:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/nerves-and-optimal-arousal2026-10-26https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx25b.jpgTo Go Fast In Rowing, You Need To Be Optimally ArousedDon't try to kill the nerves. Aim for optimal arousal: excited and ready to go, but a little bit calm. Too dialled up or not switched on enough, and you perform badly. If your heart rate's too high for the work in your warm-up, box breathe: in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/4ccb9d02-4a89-4f4e-9515-48e95008b4b7/play_720p.mp4742026-09-28T22:04:57+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx49.jpgToo Dialled Up Before Your 2K, Box BreatheDon't try to kill the nerves. Aim for optimal arousal: excited and ready to go, but a little bit calm. Too dialled up or not switched on enough, and you perform badly. If your heart rate's too high for the work in your warm-up, box breathe: in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/52dcd3cb-32d8-4734-a3d3-28ae10dfa746/play_720p.mp4452026-10-02T22:48:28+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/m05.jpgThe nerves never went awayDon't try to kill the nerves. Aim for optimal arousal: excited and ready to go, but a little bit calm. Too dialled up or not switched on enough, and you perform badly. If your heart rate's too high for the work in your warm-up, box breathe: in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/92986a35-8c78-4ca8-bcfd-8aac9c5184c3/play_720p.mp4632026-09-14T23:56:48+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/6x2k-rowing-session2026-10-25https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx12.jpg6 x 2K, The Kiwi Eights Proving GroundThe 6 x 2k is six 2km pieces at capped rates, and you max every one. Piece one is rate 24. Each piece after that goes up two at halfway: 24 then 26, 26 then 28, 28 then 30, 30 then 32. The last runs 32, 34, 36, then open. We hammered it in the Kiwi eight before big events.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/1de431d2-07f4-485e-bec0-5f5fb5a51e82/play_720p.mp4772026-09-28T02:12:10+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/why-new-zealand-rowing-wins2026-10-25https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx20.jpgWhy Rowing NZ Punches Way Above Its WeightNew Zealand punches above its weight in rowing because a few outliers showed us what winning looks like, starting with Rob Waddell, the Evers-Swindell twins and Mahé Drysdale. That led to a centralised, well-funded programme with everyone in one place, and prognostics that show every crew exactly how far off gold it is.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/1a801002-d021-4a6b-a385-d3775660daed/play_720p.mp4732026-09-26T05:12:03+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/hang-off-your-lats2026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx24.jpgEric Murray Taught Me To Hang Off My LatsHang off the handle and feel that hang right in the lower part of your lats. Eric Murray gave me that tip when we raced together at national champs, and it stuck. It stops you loading up your shoulders, lets your arms just hold on, and hooks the handle up through your lats and core to your legs.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/ded49475-c3d7-45f9-a807-60f7f2a2fcbb/play_720p.mp4672026-09-28T02:26:22+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/2k-erg-warm-up2026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx52.jpgThe Exact Warm-Up Before My 5-45 2KGive it 20 to 30 minutes. Row 15 minutes steady, building through U3 into U2. Paddle, then get off for some stretching and box breathing. Ladder up through threshold and do one 3-minute piece at threshold pace. Paddle five minutes, then 4 x 30 seconds on, 30 off at rate 32, 34, 36 and race pace. Then go.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/278ed8c8-378e-4fc4-8ece-a3254a653ee3/play_720p.mp41022026-10-02T22:43:25+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx51.jpgYour 2K Warm-Up Should Panic You A LittleGive it 20 to 30 minutes. Row 15 minutes steady, building through U3 into U2. Paddle, then get off for some stretching and box breathing. Ladder up through threshold and do one 3-minute piece at threshold pace. Paddle five minutes, then 4 x 30 seconds on, 30 off at rate 32, 34, 36 and race pace. Then go.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/a66924e3-0ee4-4d52-b965-9e11226b2e5a/play_720p.mp4452026-10-04T20:52:11+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx48.jpgWarming Up At World Record Split, Settle DownGive it 20 to 30 minutes. Row 15 minutes steady, building through U3 into U2. Paddle, then get off for some stretching and box breathing. Ladder up through threshold and do one 3-minute piece at threshold pace. Paddle five minutes, then 4 x 30 seconds on, 30 off at rate 32, 34, 36 and race pace. Then go.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/1df94c38-610e-4b87-98c4-8ce66d82b73f/play_720p.mp4342026-10-04T20:51:18+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/rowing-seats-explained2026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/m04.jpgWhy three seat was harder than sevenEvery seat in a rowing eight asks something different. I rowed three seat for six or seven years, then moved to seven and we won the Olympics. Seven was easier: the momentum behind you makes it easy to lock on. Three seat is short on feeling, so you have to be sharp and vocal to make an impact.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/c4a43615-75e5-4e0a-829d-ea52452c4d78/play_720p.mp4622026-09-14T21:16:00+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/rowing-sets-you-up-for-life2026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx14.jpgStill Mid After All That Work, Youre Set For LifeRowing is good for you because it's so raw and so hard. It demands commitment, discipline and resilience every day, often just to be kind of mid. Even if you walk away without the result you wanted, you're setting yourself up for life. When you stop, you're so well equipped to take on the world.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/e829fe1f-1a41-429c-8843-a64e5c312863/play_720p.mp4592026-09-20T18:52:09+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx19.jpgNobody Warns You Rowing Sticks For LifeRowing is good for you because it's so raw and so hard. It demands commitment, discipline and resilience every day, often just to be kind of mid. Even if you walk away without the result you wanted, you're setting yourself up for life. When you stop, you're so well equipped to take on the world.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/541f1ecf-6785-4203-a844-90f3af194a62/play_720p.mp4472026-10-24T11:05:00+13:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/rowing-technique-what-makes-the-boat-fast2026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx10.jpgHamish Bond Rows Simple, Simple Isnt EasyThe best rowing technique is whatever gets your boat from point A to point B as fast as possible. Good technique looks pretty good, the boat goes fast and it feels easy to work hard. Hamish Bond keeps it simple: lock in at the catch, send the boat backwards, not sideways, and relax through the finish.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/6b143a62-bbaf-47e8-a782-1cd6834773f1/play_720p.mp41082026-09-20T23:39:50+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx11.jpgGood Technique Is Whatever Makes The Boat FastThe best rowing technique is whatever gets your boat from point A to point B as fast as possible. Good technique looks pretty good, the boat goes fast and it feels easy to work hard. Hamish Bond keeps it simple: lock in at the catch, send the boat backwards, not sideways, and relax through the finish.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/bb4e1a69-b8ba-484d-bb05-afd277c5df72/play_720p.mp4912026-10-24T11:05:00+13:00https://meataxerowing.com/resources/what-is-a-meataxe-rower2026-10-24https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx15.jpgMeatheads Are Stupid, Meat Axes Are SharpA Meataxe rower is a strong, fully committed rower with a good portion of meatiness who doesn't have that natural boat feel. It isn't a meathead, because a meathead implies you're stupid and Meataxes are sharp. I made the word up when I started @meataxe_rowing. Every rower sits somewhere on the Meataxe spectrum.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/633fd118-2f89-4705-b7a8-a758217c9c24/play_720p.mp4832026-09-22T04:28:00+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx16.jpgRowing Is A Meat Axe Sport, Were All Meat AxesA Meataxe rower is a strong, fully committed rower with a good portion of meatiness who doesn't have that natural boat feel. It isn't a meathead, because a meathead implies you're stupid and Meataxes are sharp. I made the word up when I started @meataxe_rowing. Every rower sits somewhere on the Meataxe spectrum.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/e09f5d1b-ca0f-4761-9179-f7608901e0b0/play_720p.mp4472026-09-28T02:18:58+00:00https://meataxerowing.com/assets/resources/mx18.jpgThe Boat Movers Are Scared Of YouA Meataxe rower is a strong, fully committed rower with a good portion of meatiness who doesn't have that natural boat feel. It isn't a meathead, because a meathead implies you're stupid and Meataxes are sharp. I made the word up when I started @meataxe_rowing. Every rower sits somewhere on the Meataxe spectrum.https://vz-ff177a6c-b37.b-cdn.net/a03a347e-b4f2-4046-b524-f8abf4590627/play_720p.mp4452026-09-20T07:00:08+00:00