Working with Neil Bergenroth as my rowing coach made a huge difference. In just a few months, I dropped nearly 30 seconds off my 2000m—a result I wouldn’t have thought possible in such a short amount of time. It definitely wouldn’t have happened without his help. It has energized me and I’m already looking forward to next season.
Neil’s even demeanor and consistency stood out from the start. He’s clear about his coaching philosophy, which is data-driven and focused on incremental progress. The video review part of his process was especially helpful, breaking down my technique in a way that made sense and drove real improvement almost immediately.
As a busy professional with four children and a hectic schedule, I valued Neil’s flexibility. He adapted to my availability without issue. The tech he’s developed was a key part of my training—I checked it every morning while preparing for my race, and it kept me on track. Neil’s focus on steady progress kept me motivated. After each session, he’d ask for feedback, blending that qualitative input with the quantitative data from the erg to adjust my training as needed.
Although I’d been using an erg for some time I had never raced before. Neil helped me prepare my mind and contemplate a plan for my race days. His race-day prep, including warm-ups and scheduling advice, was practical and effective. Neil’s approach is straightforward and worked for me, I rowed a personal best on race day. The best part about my experience with Neil is that now I have a new hobby (obsession) and a blueprint for steady, sustainable improvement. I’d recommend him to anyone serious about improving their rowing.
Ben Bianchino
To read more detail about Ben’s journey, check out the article Indoor Rowing Training Journey: achieving a sub-7 2K time.
