Elite Rowing Program in Seville, Spain

Wear athletic clothes, spandex, running shoes, hat, sunglasses. Bring a full refillable water bottle, and don’t forget your sunscreen!

The training is challenging, there are usually two sessions a day, one session on the water and one in the gym. The weights program is challenging and the water sessions include a mixture of tough sessions with hard pieces and more mileage focused sessions. The program will definitely push you and improve your fitness but there is also time for recovery.

The team is very friendly and welcoming. There are a lot of very good athletes in the team who are technically experienced and are very fit. The team is quite big so there is some depth in the squad which makes it easier to fit into.

The team rows in a variety of boats, there are opportunities to sweep in 8s, 4s or pairs, or scull in a single, doubles or a quad, this usually depends on how many athletes there are at the session. However the coach is very accommodating so if you prefer to sweep or scull there is usually the option to do one or the other. It is a good opportunity to gain experience in boats you don’t usually row in at home.

Usually we warm up by doing some mobility exercises on land and then we warm up from arms only on the water and progressively add bodies, legs etc. The sessions typically range in mileage and intensity, there is a training program for each week. Some sessions will be longer paddles with a more technical focus, whereas other sessions will be more intense with short or long pieces.

The Coach is a highly experienced coach who has coached at an Olympic level. He coaches in Spanish but it is quite easy to understand what he is telling you and he can also demonstrate what you are doing, some of the other rowers also speak English so they can help.

Usually there are weights sessions 4 times a week in the program, however this can change depending on the time of the season, for example there could be less weights sessions if there is a regatta coming up. The weights program is challenging and really improves your strength. Usually the exercises are organised in a circuit and the team tries to do this at the same time which means there is a good atmosphere in the gym with Spanish music etc.

There is also a mixture of ergometer training and some recovery x-train sessions, for example there is sometimes an hour long x-train (usually the rowers do this on the bike). There are sometimes days where there will be a hard erg on the program which the rowers usually try to do together.

This time of year is very hot in Seville, in the day the weather averages 90’s ºF and sometimes reaches 100’s ºF. Bring cool clothing.

Temperatures are generally into the mid 80’s and then around November they will drop to mid 50’s to mid 60’s. Finally in December it can drop up to mid 40’s but its generally around the mid 50’s.
In January the low will be around mid 40’s and the high mid 60’s. March and April the lows will be around the low 50’s and the highs will be the low 70’s but it can get to 80’s.

The club is quite close to SAIIE, it is about 20 min bicycle ride and public transport is very cheap in Seville, or it is around 30 mins walking. There is also the option to join the gym in the SAIIE building for a reduced price, which could be a convenient option to fit in gym sessions during the school day.

In the case you are not in walking distance and you have to catch a bus to trainings you will not spend more than $25 for the entire month. Around the city they are also bikes and motor electric scooters that can be use for a small fee (great to move around the city for students). The city of Seville has a great bike lane.

Students participating in this rowing program will row during the early mornings (8:00 am or 9:00 am) or evenings (4:00 or 5:00 pm) depending on class schedule.