Shane Farmer: The Humble Dark Horse
If you’ve spent any time online looking for indoor rowing technique, workouts, or training advice over the past decade, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve crossed paths with Shane Farmer, founder of Dark Horse Rowing.
From learning the fundamentals and building consistency to improving performance and chasing peak output, Shane has created videos and programs to help rowers at just about every stage of their journey. But Dark Horse didn’t start with a grand plan to build an indoor rowing empire. It started because Shane—a Concept2 Master Instructor and CrossFit coach at the time—couldn’t find the kind of rowing content he was looking for online, so he decided to make it himself.
These days, Shane is juggling content creation, family life, rowing with San Diego Rowing Club, and a new role as CEO of Sonoviv Medical Institute. We were lucky enough to steal some of his time for a wide-ranging conversation about finding direction in life, discovering rowing, embracing the suck on the erg, the evolution of indoor rowing coaching, building Dark Horse, and plenty more.
It’s a conversation about rowing, sure—but also about figuring out where you’re going, being willing to change course, and making something when you can’t find what you need.
GUEST
Shane Farmer, Founder of Dark Horse Rowing
www.darkhorserowing.com
FB: /darkhorserowing
IG: @darkhorserowing
YT: @DarkHorseRowing
This episode was made possible in part by RowSource and our Supporters.
QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Introduction
02:44 - Welcome
04:10 - Rowing Week on a scale of 1-10: 5 (post-summer / pre-HOCR training valley)
06:37 - The Huddle
08:01 - Hot Seat Q&A
11:22 - Rowing origin story: seeking “The Thing” and embracing structure
21:29 - Doubling down and committing with a focus on IRAs; and perspectives on post-college elite and masters rowing
24:23 - Cross training with CrossFit before it was cool
25:08 - Why CrossFit erg technique was “so bad,” and why Shane started coaching and stopped trying to convince CrossFitters to love rowing
28:20 - For the rowing curious, Indoor rowing can be a “gateway” to on water rowing, but shouldn’t be the focus
31:10 - Coaching Concept2 Instructor seminar burnout when “ Nobody ever follows up. Ever. Ever.” and how that motivated Shane to found Dark Horse
37:29 - Creating content and building a YouTube channel
39:44 - Dark Horse: designed to help people become fully competent on the erg by lowering the barrier to entry
40:34 - How indoor rowing has changed and what it needs to succeed
44:42 - The future of Dark Horse
47:41 - A day in the life of Shane Farmer
49:43 - Best 20-minute workout?
51:20 - Just what is “steady state”?
53:25 - Peak power, programming zones, and performance
55:40 - Embracing the suck to learn where your red line is
59:07 - Join Dark Horse for Rowvember and check out their new app
1:02:32 - Head of the Charles
1:04:58 - Steady State Network news and notes: Coffee Chat, HOCR, Allies with Oars
Episode Mentions
🎧 = Listen to a Steady State Podcast episode
APPS, HARDWARE & SOFTWARE
Dark Horse Rowing App
BUSINESSES
Globo Gym
Rebel Rowing 🎧
Sanoviv Medical Institute
CERTIFICATIONS
Concept2 Master Instructor
UCanRow2 🎧
CLUBS & TEAMS
Penn AC Rowing Association
San Diego Adult Baseball League
San Diego Rowing Club
COACHES
Angela Hart
EQUIPMENT
Concept2 🎧
REGATTAS
Dad Vail Regatta
Head of the Charles Regatta 🎧
IRA National Championship
RowFest
TRAINING
Craftsbury Outdoor Center
CrossFit
Training Tall
UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS
University of San Diego
Steady State Podcast is hosted and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering, books show guests, and is our sponsor and donor coordinator. Rachel writes our scripts and e-newsletter, and manages the website and social media. Our theme music is Open Mind by Soundroll.
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