Crunching for crew

Gliding over smooth waters bathed in early sunglow? Not so much. More like gasping and sweating in a nine-story stairwell, especially off season. Here’s Coach Jim Tucci’s outline for a typical week of crew training:

Monday, 60 min. on rowing machine at 60–70% of maximum heart rate
Tuesday, 3 x 25 min. of calisthenics (push-ups, crunches, lunges, etc.)
Wednesday, 10 x up Jonsson Tower stairs
Thursday, 3 x 15 min. on rowing machine at 80% heart rate
Friday, 6- to 8-mile run
Saturday, two “pyramids” on rowing machine (4 min. at 18 strokes per minute, 3 min. at 20 spm, 2 min. at 22 spm, 1 min. at 24 spm, 2 min. at 22 spm, 3 min. at 20 spm, 4 min. at 18 spm), with a 7-min. rest in between
Sunday, off
Plus the “crazy workout of the week”: 6 km rowing machine, then 1 campus loop road, then 5 x up Jonsson stairs; no rests in between