Hey Docs.
I currently do (2) 35 minute liss sessions on a rower and (2) 20min HIIT (30 second on, 1:30 rest for 10 rounds) twice a week. Since the improvement in weather I wanted to get outside more and started pushing a Titan High/Low sled with 70lbs added to it for those 30 second intervals. I noticed that doing the rower for HIIT, even though I am putting in my max effort does not get my heart pumping like the sled does. But I also am getting annoyed with wasting money on replacement wear pads for the sled that don’t last but a few sessions anyway. So if I went back to the rower should I change the timing maybe? What do you suggest?
Yea, I think the cardiovascular response is attributed to the greater force production requirements from a large amount of muscle. You could almost think of it as a continuum across “zones”, whereby greater and greater force production requirements become more and more anaerobic, with lifting weights being zone 8 (as at least one author has said).
I think if the goal is to produce a similar physiological strain on the rower, you’d need to do flying starts (so the flywheel is up to speed), increase the stroke rate, resistance, and find a power level on the rower that corresponds with the HR zone you’re targeting. If you need to increase the work interval length, that’s reasonable too.