Garmin Rowing FTP and VO2 Max Explained

Rowing performance depends on your ability to produce power and maintain it over time. Your aerobic fitness also plays an important role, particularly during longer rowing sessions.

Garmin uses two key metrics to help rowers understand their fitness and training: rowing Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and rowing VO2 max. Together, these metrics provide a clearer picture of your current rowing fitness, how hard you can train and how your performance is changing over time.

What Is Rowing FTP?

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest average power, measured in watts, that you can maintain for approximately 60 minutes.

For rowing, FTP provides a useful measure of how much power you can sustain during a hard but controlled effort. As you approach this level, fatigue builds more quickly, and your body relies increasingly on anaerobic energy production.

FTP is commonly used in cycling, but it can also be useful for indoor rowing. Because body weight has less influence on performance when using an indoor rowing machine, rowing FTP is generally measured as absolute power in watts. Your FTP can also be used to estimate equivalent:

• Heart rate
• Rowing pace, expressed as time per 500 metres
• Training intensity

Garmin can estimate your rowing FTP by analysing data such as power, cadence and heart rate during your rowing activities. As your fitness changes, your estimated FTP can change with it.

Why Does Rowing FTP Matter?

Knowing your FTP gives you a practical way to set training targets. It can help you:

• Set power targets for endurance workouts
• Set appropriate rowing pace targets
• Create personalised training zones
• Use heart rate alongside power to control intensity
• Track changes in your fitness over time
• Monitor improvements in your ability to sustain power

Your FTP will also vary between sports. The muscles and movement patterns used for rowing are different from those used for cycling, so it is normal for your rowing FTP to be different from your cycling FTP.

Garmin notes that rowing FTP is commonly 20–40% lower than cycling FTP, while cross-country skiing FTP is typically 30–40% lower than cycling FTP.

Rowing FTP Classifications

Rowing FTP classifications take both gender and body weight into account.

For indoor rowing, the lightweight classifications are:

• Women: 61.5 kg (135 lb) or less
• Men: 75 kg (165 lb) or less

The classification ranges are based on reference data from Concept2.

What Is Rowing VO2 Max?

VO2 max is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise.

For rowing, your VO2 max indicates your aerobic capacity — your ability to use oxygen to produce energy during exercise.

A higher rowing VO2 max generally indicates a greater ability to produce energy aerobically. This can help you sustain power for longer and delay the onset of fatigue during endurance rowing.

Unlike FTP, which focuses on the power you can sustain, VO2 max reflects your underlying aerobic fitness.

Why Is Rowing VO2 Max Useful?

Your rowing VO2 max can help you:

• Understand your cardiovascular fitness specifically for rowing
• Track changes in your aerobic fitness
• See whether your aerobic training is producing improvements
• Better understand changes in your endurance performance

Looking at VO2 max alongside FTP can give you a more complete picture of your rowing fitness.

In simple terms:

FTP tells you how much power you can sustain.

VO2 max tells you about your aerobic capacity to support that performance.

FTP and VO2 Max: How They Work Together

FTP and VO2 max measure different aspects of performance, so looking at both can be useful.

For example, your FTP may improve because you have become better at sustaining a high power output. Your VO2 max may also increase as your aerobic fitness develops.

Together, the metrics can help you understand:

• How much power you can sustain
• How strong your aerobic system is
• Whether your fitness is improving
• How your training is affecting your performance

This can make it easier to track progress over weeks and months rather than relying only on individual workout results.

How Do You Get Your Rowing FTP and VO2 Max?

If your Garmin device supports rowing power and advanced performance analysis, and you pair it with a power-meter-equipped rowing machine, Garmin can estimate your rowing FTP and VO2 max from your recorded rowing activities.

You can also manually enter known values in the Garmin Connect app.

Compatibility varies by Garmin device and rowing equipment, so check your device’s owner’s manual for specific requirements.

Using the Metrics to Train Smarter

Rowing FTP and VO2 max are designed to help you understand your performance, not just record how far or how fast you row.

FTP gives you a power-based reference for setting training intensity, while VO2 max provides information about your aerobic fitness.

By tracking both over time, you can see how your fitness develops and use that information to structure your training more effectively—whether you are training on an indoor rowing machine or taking your fitness into other forms of endurance exercise.

Summary

Garmin’s rowing performance metrics focus on two important parts of fitness: sustainable power and aerobic capacity.

• Rowing FTP measures the power you can sustain for an extended period.
• Rowing VO2 max measures your aerobic capacity during intense exercise.
• FTP can help you set power, pace and heart-rate training targets.
• VO2 max can help you track changes in your aerobic fitness.
• Using both metrics gives you a broader view of your rowing performance.

For rowers looking to understand their training beyond individual workout times, these metrics provide useful data for tracking fitness, setting training intensity and monitoring progress over time.

Last Updated on 25 August 2026 by the5krunner