Rowing

http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/rowing-machine-mistakes/

I found this helpful and there's also some great vids on Youtube that have really helped me on form and the proper way to row. Check em' out.. Rowing is an amazing workout out when one learns the proper way to do it.

I can't address the burn perhaps someone else can?

Good luck & glad you enjoy rowing, I love it too! Such a great workout :

Your more than welcome.
I am focusing on lifting and being out doors right now, but in the winter I am considering getting into the challenges on the site.

I think there is a rowing group on MFP but haven't found it yet because I am just doing it casually.

Cheers, h.

cmuise19 wrote: »

So I just started rowing but not really sure what the average time and speed normally is. I used the rowing machine at the gym and the difficulty was on 7/10.
I rowed for 17 minutes
I had 35 spm
and my time was 2.47 minutes per 500 meters.
So is that good? or nah? lol
Also just wanted to make sure I was doing it right, what is the proper form?

Lots of things to comment about in this simple post.

I've used a Concept 2 Rower for years in various gyms but just bought one for myself a few months ago. Learned a lot that I didn't know about rowers in that time. My comments refer to the Concept 2 rower, which is all I know. So, if you have a different model, some the the answers may not be applicable to the rower you use but the general comments about rowing should still apply.

Here are a few things that I've learned that might help you.

First, the lever on the side of the fan sets the drag factor for the pull. The higher the drag factor, the higher the forced needed to complete the pull BUT the purpose of the drag factor is not to make the workout more difficult, it's to replicate the actual drag of a boat in the water.

Most people on the Concept 2 forum say that a drag factor of 130 most closely replicates the drag of a single skull and that's what they recommend you use. I've played around w/different settings but I ended up at 130 as suggested. You can determine the drag factor by using the PM (performance monitor) on the rower.

There are different Concept 2 monitors and different ways to access the drag factor info. You can find the instructions for doing that on Concept 2's site. The setting is closer to 5-6 but can vary due to the age/condition of the rower. I understand that a lot of people set the lever at 10 to increase the level of difficulty but that is unnecessary (see #4 below) and contrary to the design of the rower.

Second, a time of 2.47 min/500 meters is very SLOW. Don't take it personally. There are a lot of very FAST erg Rowers out there. So, I'd suggest not worrying about how fast you row compared with others. Just worry about how well you are rowing and the quality of the workout you are getting.

FWIW, I'm 65 and I post my rowing workouts online in a Concept 2 logbook which allows me to compare my workouts with other Concept 2 rowers my age/weight. My best time so far for 5k meters is 24:34.2 minutes which averages out to 2:27.4 mins/500 meters BUT when I compare my 5k meter time with other men 60-69 years old, I'm at the bottom of the list.

The fastest time posted for men in the group is 18:27.4 mins, which averages out to 1:50.7 secs/500 meters, which is incredibly fast for anyone, let alone the 60 year old man who posted it. BTW, the times posted in the Concept 2 logbook are verified results which are recorded to a USB flash drive or memory card from the PM on the rower. PS: when I do a 500m sprint, I can do it at just over 2 mins (around 2:05-2:10) but I could never sustain that rate for 5k meters.

Third, there are a lot of videos and articles online that tell/show you on how to row "properly." Some of them are right on Concept 2's site. There are certain mechanics that make your rowing form more efficient and it is important to do it "right" to make your rowing more effective. So, you should take the time to check them out. Just Google "rowing technique or form."

The main things I learned were: 1) do not "rush" the stroke -- it's a count of 1 on the pull and a count of 2 for the return before the next pull, 2) a "normal" SPM rate should be in the 20-25 SPM range -- this is not rushed and allows for a steady rate of exercise w/o getting winded and, 3) a faster pace at a HIIT level would be in the 26-30 range. A SPM of 35 is way too high and is likely to be every inefficient; ie., you're not getting the max force out of your pulls at that high a stroke rate.

Fourth, the power from the stroke comes from how hard (not how fast) you pull. You can measure the "force" of your pull just by feel but it is also measured in watts and/or calories on the PM. When I am pulling "normally, I am putting about about 550-575 cals/hr or about 90 watts and when I go into HIIT mode, the cals jump up to over 800 cals/hr or about 120 watts. The only thing I do differently is how "hard" (and how fast w/in the limits mentioned above) that I pull. Hard to explain it in words but you can easily experiment varying the force of the pull from the seat of any rower. Check it out.

Hope you find some of these comments helpful. Good luck!