Rowing Machine

Get a concept2 account log your work outs
This forum is useful http://www.c2forum.com/

OP: Your doc is wrong.

A rower does not "help" your back. However, you can use a rower w/a bad back because it is involved mimimally in rowing.

That said, IMO the C2 rower is the best piece of exercise equipment that I ever purchased. I currently row 10k meters/day and haven't used my spin bike in over a year.

If you use your rower regularly, you will get into the best shape of your life just doing that.

f77b wrote: »

Get a concept2 account log your work outs
This forum is useful http://www.c2forum.com/

This. I found it so helpful that I'm a pretty active member. There's a plan called The Pete Lunch Hour Plan that's pretty famous in C2 training spaces. It's useful for both preparing for races as well as for beginners. There's various versions of it. The Pete Plan Thread on the C2 site has become a very educational thread. I actually started the current thread around two years ago as a way to "pay back" all the people that helped me when I was looking for information.

There's a BPP (Beginner Pete Plan), there's a full PP (for 2K race prep) and other various versions of it. Pete Marston created the plan years ago (he was a very competitive British Indoor rower). We've had so much activity on there it's not funny. It ranges in experience from 60 year olds out of shape to several current WR holders on the indoor rower (C2 or "ergometer"). The nice thing is that people are very helpful about everything. I'd strongly recommend you check that thread out and not because I'm active in it. I'm currently not active because I'm not currently working the plan but I help out from time to time moderating it and keeping the thread positive.

Any questions, feel free to PM me. I'm certainly no world class rower myself, just a guy who really loves it and enjoys doing it an exorbitant amount of time!

@adamlambert1877 - I don't know what to say to that except you're not doing it enough I suppose or the right way to build a sweat. I typically lose 2 to 3 pounds in an hour of sweat. I could literally wring out my shirts. I'll usually have a puddle below the rower when I'm done with my long, slow rows. Each rowing stroke should feel like a mini "clean" if it's done right. There's an App called ErgData on the iPhone that tells you with each stroke what your peak power and your average power are. In a typical row, I average around 170 Watts to 230 Watts and from 90 avg lbs per stroke to over 100 lbs per stroke. In an hour, you'll average roughly 1000 to 1500 strokes. Try to do 1000 cleans in an hour with 100 lbs and not sweat! That's the equivalent of rowing if done right. Performed correctly, an average male should burn (minimum) of 500 calories an hour. I average around 700 to 900 an hour. When I ran, I was so slow I only averaged around 500 to 550 an hour, so I burn way more rowing than running.

I would agree that (indirectly) the rower can help your back. I have a bad lower back and a bad neck. Since starting rowing 4 years ago, the pain is much less in my neck (it really works the traps, upper back and neck) and my core is a lot more strong. It's hard to describe quickly (that's why I'd recommend you check out the PP thread) but if you row unstrapped, you will have to rely on your core more to go from the finish to the catch (the recovery phase). By not being strapped in (most in the gym cheat by having the straps hold them in), you use your core to keep you upright and move back into the catch position. I'm 53 and have a soft "six pack" and don't do any other core work, just rowing. You can certainly get better posture by rowing and correct electronics/computer neck.

Contrary to what you see in most gyms, too, the rower should be around 50% leg power, 25% torso/hip drive and 25% upper body. Most people I see in a gym are more like 75% upper body (and killing their spine) and the only leg they are using is sliding back to the catch (the initiation phase). Dark Horse Rowing and Decent Rowing on YouTube have some of the best form videos I've seen.

adamlambert1877 wrote: »

I love my concept2. I don't feel like it's a real workout though. I don't sweat. Any suggestions??

For some people, incorrect form is limiting their indoor rower workout.

Sometimes, people think you should set the damper on maximum in order to get a good workout. That's not correct. Even national team (Olympic) rowers uses mid-range damper settings (4-6 on a Concept 2) for most workouts. Also, some people think they have to move up and down the slide crazy-fast to get a workout. That's also incorrect. It's absolutely possible to get a sweat-drenched workout at strokes per minute in the mid-20s, or even lower. It's not about how fast you move.

With a rowing machine, you create the workout by how much intensity you can apply between the footplate and the handle. You're basically trying to slightly suspend your weight mostly horizontally between those two points (butt gets lighter/less compressed on the seat) while applying muscle strength, first from legs, then back, then arms (in gross body part terms). These things require good technique, or it can't happen. It's best to start at a relatively low stroke rating (strokes per minute) to groove in good technique, then gradually increase the strokes per minute as you're able to get more power into each stroke.

The Concept 2 web site has good beginner instructions and videos. (http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training). Even better is a knowledgeable coach. Way too many general trainers do not themselves know how to use a rowing machine correctly, sadly.

Nysportsred wrote: »

Do you do long durations then break or (example) 3 minutes then 1 min break. Then 2 mins then 3 mins, etc?

You'd barely get warmed up doing a 3 min rowing session. That's less than just 500 meters for most people.

FWIW, I usually row 4x2500 meter sets which take me 12-13 mins each, depending on how hard I want to work w/a 5 min rest period in between sets.

I can also break this up into two 2x2500 sessions w/a 15-30 min or 3-4 hr break in between depending on my schedule and how hard or little effort I want to exert.

Total workout time in either case is sbout an hr/day and much less time than I'd spend driving to/from and at the gym.

BTW, the standard rowing distances are 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10k meters.

My limit on the rower is usually 2500 meters because I cannot sit comfortably on the rower for more than 15 mins.

However, I rowed a 5k meter set in 25 mins today in order to try out a new seat cushion. It was better w/the cushion but still not my favorite time/distance.

I've done a 10k meter set once and swore ai'd never do that again. LOL!

This is a great video to see how a world class rower rows. This guy (Josh Dunkley Smith) is a retiring Olympic outdoor rower. This is one of his (failed) attempts at breaking the long standing indoor 2K WR. He smashed it this year (5:34, which is totally insane). He rows barefoot.

The wattage generated by this guy is in the range of 500W to 600W for the entire duration of the row, which is around 30 calories a minute. The fact that this guy can even smile during the row is just ludicrous.

This is just some context as to how hard rowing can be. His form, throughout, is amazing. Funny thing, his Olympic mates tried to talk him out of retiring after he broke the indoor record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyN9E417AIQ

I wAtched the videos. Thanks for the concept 2 site!!!! I'm doing damper on 5 but my form wasn't good. Appreciate the help. It was more difficult using proper form but still didn't sweat. The post about sweating was insightful!

Thanks Ann, that's a lot to digest. Let me give it a try. I'll report back.

Technique is very important, but even with perfect technique you need to exert yourself. Rowing is as easy or hard as you want it to be.