ROW? BIKE? SKI? RUN? SWIM? DOES IT MATTER?
Choosing modalities for the Year of the Engine
The bottom line: it doesn’t matter which equipment you use. Your heart, lungs and mitochondria won’t know the difference. The “magic” of YoE is the broad collection of optimally sequenced stimuli: the intensity, the duration, and the work-rest ratios. You can complete the entire program with a single modality. During the pandemic lockdowns, hundreds of athletes worked through months of the program with whatever equipment they had, or simply running. The training remained effective. Whether you do the entire program on the same equipment, or you mix and match, your engine will improve dramatically. Over the long term, it makes no difference. There are, however, some pros and cons to either approach.
If data analysis is very important to your training, be consistent in your selection of equipment. Each machine measures calories / meters / pace differently, so it is difficult to compare results between a bike, a rower and a treadmill. One idea is to align equipment with a day type. For example, you can row every endurance day and bike for max aerobic power. By being consistent over time, it is easy to track your improvement.
You get better at whatever you practice. If your goal is improving at a specific modality, then most of your training should be in that modality. For example, if you want to be a better rower, then most of your sessions should be rowing. While you will improve all modalities by generally improving your conditioning and capacity, your greatest improvements will be on the tasks you practice most often.
The bikes allow for more precise pacing. You can accelerate or decelerate almost instantly. On the rower or the ski erg, it takes 2-3 strokes for deceleration to take effect. Even on a treadmill, it can take several steps to change speed. Additionally, the bikes demand continuous motion, whereas the rower and ski erg have pauses built into the stroke. Because of the continuous motion, high intensity days on the bikes can be very stressful if you are not accustomed to this.