Wilson specifies a 36 to 38 stroke rating for his eights. The crew first should be assured that there will be plenty of time to fully recover from the effort. Otherwise, they may hold back to save energy for the remainder of the work. The athlete must concentrate, estimate, and then apply her maximum effort for each stroke. Technique invariably falls apart, partly due to the increased tension of the effort, but the athlete learns what her maximum effort is.
Athletes notice how much less than their maximum they usually row at.
If they try to row at their maximum, they quickly become completely exhausted after 20 or 30 strokes. With this approach, athletes can take more responsibility to work harder. The coach is relieved of at least part of the burden of motivating his athletes and the possible ensuing resentment he may have for that burden. Interval training includes the same psychological learning. When a crew can row a second 500 at full power without fading more than 7 to 8 seconds, it is ready to tackle 1000 meter intervals.