Workout Description
For time:
1500 meter Row
Why This Workout Is Medium
With a single, low-skill movement, this piece emphasizes aerobic capacity and pacing over technical complexity. Most athletes finish in 5–7 minutes, but intensity spikes quickly if you open too fast. The limiter is breathing and lactic accumulation, not strength. Managing damper setting, posture, and a consistent split makes this a solid mid-level challenge.
Benchmark Times for Row 1500m
- Elite: <4:15
- Advanced: 4:30-4:45
- Intermediate: 5:00-5:30
- Beginner: >9:00
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Endurance (8/10): 1500m row demands sustained aerobic output for roughly 5–7 minutes. The limiter is breathing control and maintaining a steady split under fatigue rather than peak power or pure strength.
- Speed (7/10): Competitiveness relies on maintaining a quick, consistent stroke rate (around 26–32 spm) with minimal fade and a late acceleration in the final 300–500 meters.
- Stamina (6/10): Lower body and posterior chain repeat consistent contractions for 150–200 strokes. The challenge is holding length and rhythm without technical fade, especially across the final 500 meters.
- Power (5/10): Each stroke benefits from crisp leg drive and hip extension. Peak power helps lower the split, but success hinges on repeatable power across the distance.
- Flexibility (2/10): Basic positions only: hip hinge, knee and ankle flexion, and upright torso. Adequate hamstring and hip mobility support full slide length without overreaching.
- Strength (1/10): No external load and submaximal force per stroke. Strength helps produce a powerful drive, but it is not the primary limiter for pacing or completion.
Scaling Options
Scale to: 1000m Row • 1200m Row • Bike Erg 4000m
Scaling Explanation
Adjusting distance or swapping to a comparable monostructural option preserves the aerobic stimulus and keeps most athletes within the intended 5–8 minute time domain.
Intended Stimulus
Steady, hard aerobic effort that feels uncomfortable but sustainable. You should settle into a controlled pace after an aggressive start, breathing rhythmically while holding a consistent split. Expect burning legs and lungs in the final 400–500 meters, where you’ll push the pace and finish with a strong, technical sprint.
Coach Insight
Open controlled—about your 2k split or slightly slower for the first 300–500m. Settle into a steady rhythm in the middle, then finish 2–4 seconds faster in the last 400m.
One tip: lock in long, consistent strokes—legs first, then hips, then arms; recover in reverse.
Avoid a fly-and-die start, overly high damper, and short choppy strokes. Breathe, watch your split, and hold posture.
Benchmark Notes
These times map typical 1500m outcomes. L1 is a beginner completion pace; L5 targets an average CrossFit athlete near 5:30. Higher levels demand sustained low splits and a strong finish. Estimate your target from your 2k PR—hold roughly 85–90% of your 2k pace and kick late.
Modality Profile
This is purely monostructural work on the rowing erg. There are no gymnastics or external loads, so the score is dictated by cardiovascular capacity, pacing, and stroke efficiency. Technique matters, but maintaining an appropriate split and managing fatigue across the distance drive performance.
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