Hi all! I'm just beginning my first indoor season of rowing. I got a used Concept 2 B machine, and my husband and I did the necessary maintenance on it. It doesn't have a meter on it, and I'm happy about that because I tend to get obsessed by the little numbers on machines. Our rowing club has ergs with meters, so I will check my time/distance occasionally. Right now, having found that a relaxed pace at the erg room gave me a 2:25/2:30 split over eight K, I am just counting that every ten minutes is 10K. Twenty-five minutes in the morning before school is a reasonable goal for me.

It's nice to have found you. I'm signed up for the Concept 2 logbook, so I might not be here too often (looks as though you aren't all super regular; that's kind of nice!) but I want to keep motivated: my team is going to Torino for the World Masters, and I want to be in the best shape that is reasonable for me as a 54-year-old rower with an active teaching job (10-12-hour days).

I know that the team will be taking erg times at different points this winter. I will try not to obsess about it, but I do want to get into the best boat possible. For now, my plan is to start at 35K weeks, aiming for one 10K row a week and doing challenges when they come up on the Concept 2 site.

I am just about back on maintenance after having put on some extra pounds lately, and will keep reading the ideas about nutrition for rowers. Last summer when I was rowing a couple times some days, I had a hard time eating enough. Now I have had to adjust for a more sedentary lifestyle.

It looks as though there are some really experienced people here. I'm looking forward to asking some questions when I know what they are!

I had strep throat the last three weeks. Once I was diagnosed and on antibiotics, I decided that I'd probably better not be rowing. Or biking. Now I'm through the antibiotics, I am cautiously starting up again!

Yesterday during the election results, I put in 5,000 meters. Hurrah! The machine felt really easy. Maybe it's because I was sick the last times I was rowing, or maybe because I got a new rowing handle. It's one of the new plastic ones, replacing my old foam-covered wood one that gave me blisters.

6K this morning; going for 10 tomorrow at our erg to check whether I'm really being accurate with my unmonitored home rows.

Icon 699, Congratulations! That's awesome.

I love this machine too, even though I have a B and it takes some special care. It gives me a workout!

Do you know about the Concept2 logbook? I'm having fun posting my rows there.

Hello All,

I've been poking around on MFP for a month or so and just ran into this thread about rowing.

Great to see others enjoying rowing and using it to lose weight / stay healthy !

My experience with rowing was limited to a few workouts with the Crew team as a freshman in college (Univ of San Diego) many, many years ago. I dropped when I discovered they met at the bay at 5AM for workouts (I lived 40 minutes away and love my sleep!).

I picked up a used C2 model B rower 2 months ago and finally found an exercise I can do without feeling like I've been beaten with a stick after a workout. I started out slowly at just 5 minutes each workout to develop good rowing habits with a goal of getting to 2x20 minutes 5x each week. Still working on maintaining good technique throughout my workout and getting in that seat each morning, but it helps to have something to reach for.

Anyone on the forum from the West Coast ?

@JefferyJordin....as successful as you've been on the bike, I think you'll be equally successful on the indoor rower! It's a great workout and from a non-rider's perspective, it seems like the two activities are fairly similar in terms of the mindset needed to be successful, pace of workouts, aerobics, etc.

And from what little I know about time and distance on the rower, you're off to a great start.

The one piece of advice I would send your way as you get started on the rower is to check out the videos on technique. I'm still a newbie when it comes to rowing, but I found as my form and technique improved, so did my distance and time splits.

Thanks David !

I particularly like the videos from C2 as well, they're among the best out there.

I've referred back to this same video a number of times to remind myself of the proper form. I had lower back issues years ago and am especially conscious about keeping good form on the catch.

16,557 meters today.

20,567 meters today

Awesome, mcppsl! We needed you last month in the Challenge! Maybe next January?! I think we're going to be raring to go then...

Here's what I did yesterday. It was a workout that McRower sent me when I couldn't decide what to do one day. It nearly killed me.

You asked for a suggestion for a workout....why don't you try a steady state warm-up at 22 stroke rate....then get off the erg and do a few light stretches. Then set your damper on 7 and row at 28-30 sr for 2 minutes, crank down your damper to 3 and row 5 minutes at 24 and repeat 5 times. Get off stretch for 5 minutes and finish off with a nice steady state at 22-26 with damper on 3 for as long as you feel good and watch your total meters. Remember to keep your hands level and low during the recovery, lift and extend at the catch and strong legs and level hands on the drive. Keep your chin up and hard level. But most of all enjoy your row ( ^*^ )

Yesterday: 10km in an 8+.

First sprint regatta of the season March 2nd!