Rowing Machine?

ShakespeareFrost
ShakespeareFrost Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Like exercising, dislike diets!
I began CrossFit at 55 and love the programming. Expensive for me & I only stayed 3 years. For the past couple of years, off & on, I've been trying to get in a routine at the Big 24/7 gym. Very overwhelming.
I was wondering if I can get a good work out using only Water Rower or Elliptical.
Those machines are a bit intimidating.

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    Good advice above. I especially endorse the idea of learning good technique: Without it, it's harder to get a good workout, and injury risk can increase. Surprisingly few trainers, even, know how to do it properly.

    One thing I'd add is that rowing is unbalanced: All lower body push, upper body pull. Some other work with the opposing muscle groups is a good idea, for long term positive fitness/strength results and injury avoidance. Balancing strength around the shoulders is particularly important IMO.

    I'm an avid on-water rower (for 17+ years now), and use my Concept 2 regularly in off-season, as my river gets crunchy in Winter, so I can't row my shells.

    While pretty much all on-water rowers use Concept 2s for indoor training, and that's the standard for indoor racing, the Water Rowers are quality machines, and can provide a good workout. The Concept 2 technique info still applies.

    Best wishes!
  • SoulThriver88
    SoulThriver88 Posts: 27 Member
    Does a row machine count as an elliptical work out?
  • AriesFL
    AriesFL Posts: 810 Member
    I hear Olivia Jade is a beast at rowing.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    AriesFL wrote: »
    I hear Olivia Jade is a beast at rowing.

    I've never rowed Over the Water, but when you see high school kids' times and how many years they've worked on the water to get technique and times down, it's brutally offensive (to me) that someone that "doesn't really like school" could bump a deserving kid off a team with a bribe. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when that girl showed up for her first crew practice (if she ever did).
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    AriesFL wrote: »
    I hear Olivia Jade is a beast at rowing.

    I've never rowed Over the Water, but when you see high school kids' times and how many years they've worked on the water to get technique and times down, it's brutally offensive (to me) that someone that "doesn't really like school" could bump a deserving kid off a team with a bribe. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when that girl showed up for her first crew practice (if she ever did).

    While that whole debacle was disgusting, I'd observe that - to most people's surprise - a very large fraction of collegiate women rowers, usually the majority even on very competitive teams, are either walk-ons without any rowing experience, or recruits whose high school sport(s) was something other than rowing. I even met one successful multi-year rower from a competitive Div I program who had never rowed, and never pursued any sport at all in high school, but made the cut as a walk on (farm kid ;) ), though this is rare.

    They teach them to row. Some coaches even prefer that. (There are high school programs generously and enthusiastically coached by people who have no rowing experience, and it's a tecnical sport. I met some of them in classes while pursuing USRowing coaching certification. The average coaching level for juniors, especially in small or start-up programs, is very uneven. I've watched a bunch of juniors racing, and some of them are just grooving in bad habits, sadly.)

    So, this is a sport where a vile scam like Olivia Jade's parents' could more readily fly under radar. But things would likely go less well when she showed up, if she showed up. It's a tough sport, and teammates don't appreciate slackers.

    It's a strange feature of the sport. There just aren't that many junior rowing programs across the country, but many US colleges/universities have women's rowing teams, because it was a way to add large numbers of women athletes in one swoop when Title IX required gender equity. A div I squad will have 60 athletes, +/-.
  • amy19355
    amy19355 Posts: 805 Member
    My trainer likes to mix up rowing with body weight work. She'll have me switch back and forth between rowing for a couple of minutes, and doing 10-15 lunges, or crunches, or somesuch.

    Good form is really key on all exercises, and for some reason I find rowing much harder, but, very effective when done 'right',

    good luck to you!
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I've got over 5 million meters on my C2 and it's the only "exercise" that I've been doing for awhile despite having a full Olympic wt lifting set up and a LeMond RevMasterPro spin bike on hand.

    I agree rowing alone doesn't provide all of the benefits of lifting and other activities but rowing alone can do a pretty good job of keeping you fit, if you don't have the time or equipment to do anything else.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,615 Member
    I love my C2 and hope to start increasing distance in the new year. :)

    I also walk, hike, run, cycle and lift a few weights for variety.
  • Ocrgrrrl
    Ocrgrrrl Posts: 189 Member
    Oh man! I want a rower now so badly!
  • keepmelean
    keepmelean Posts: 28 Member
    Ocrgrrrl wrote: »
    Oh man! I want a rower now so badly!

    A Concept2 is actually not terribly priced compared to some other types of machines.
  • Lobsterboxtops
    Lobsterboxtops Posts: 92 Member
    I am a C2 evangelist. (I’m sure other ergs are good and will provide a great workout too). C2 has been the key to my fitness and weight loss journey. I started with it a little over a year ago with the goal of rowing at least 15 min a day on non travel days. A year later I’m now rowing 30 min a day , I only missed 13 non travel days last year, in October hit my first 1 million meter mark, and to sound like a cliche I really do feel like a new person.

    Their challenges are great to give motivation and goals to work toward and it’s a great workout for the time investment.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited December 2019
    Just a bit of a warning. I've seen Facebook ads offering a Concept2 for like $100. This is a scam. Never buy a Concept2 unless it's from Concept2 or Rogue Fitness. I've seen a lot of people on Facebook that can't believe their "good fortune" in finding one for $100. If it seems to good to be true...

    https://www.concept2.com/news/buyer-beware
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Just a bit of a warning. I've seen Facebook ads offering a Concept2 for like $100. This is a scam. Never buy a Concept2 unless it's from Concept2 or Rogue Fitness. I've seen a lot of people on Facebook that can't believe their "good fortune" in finding one for $100. If it seems to good to be true...

    https://www.concept2.com/news/buyer-beware

    Good mention, Mike!

    Even used ones may not be a good deal: They tend to hold their value very well, so the used price for a recent model that's in good shape, sold by someone who knows they hold value, may not be that big a discount over new. If it's been well-maintained, that can be great (since they're also extremely durable and long-lived); but if you're not a regular rower already, it may be somewhat difficult to assess condition, beyond some obvious things like rust or physical damage.
  • keepmelean
    keepmelean Posts: 28 Member
    I would also like to toss out there that routine maintenance on a C2 is required but not difficult.

    All machines require something. This machine doesn't require a whole lot and is not time consuming nor does it require special tools. All generic stuff.
  • Lobsterboxtops
    Lobsterboxtops Posts: 92 Member
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Just a bit of a warning. I've seen Facebook ads offering a Concept2 for like $100. This is a scam. Never buy a Concept2 unless it's from Concept2 or Rogue Fitness. I've seen a lot of people on Facebook that can't believe their "good fortune" in finding one for $100. If it seems to good to be true...

    https://www.concept2.com/news/buyer-beware

    I bought mine from amazon. Just to add to your list.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    Lobsterboxtops wrote: »
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Just a bit of a warning. I've seen Facebook ads offering a Concept2 for like $100. This is a scam. Never buy a Concept2 unless it's from Concept2 or Rogue Fitness. I've seen a lot of people on Facebook that can't believe their "good fortune" in finding one for $100. If it seems to good to be true...

    https://www.concept2.com/news/buyer-beware

    I bought mine from amazon. Just to add to your list.

    Better 2 buy it direct from C2, as I did, IMO.

    The price is the same - $900 plus $45 shipping - and no 3rd party vendors, like Amazon or Rogue, to deal with.

    Also, if you buy direct from C2, you are automatically registered in their database and there's no need to verify your purchase if any warranty or other issues arise.

    C2 also makes more $ on the transaction since it doesn't have to give a cut to the vendor.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    Lobsterboxtops wrote: »
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Just a bit of a warning. I've seen Facebook ads offering a Concept2 for like $100. This is a scam. Never buy a Concept2 unless it's from Concept2 or Rogue Fitness. I've seen a lot of people on Facebook that can't believe their "good fortune" in finding one for $100. If it seems to good to be true...

    https://www.concept2.com/news/buyer-beware

    I bought mine from amazon. Just to add to your list.

    Since Amazon acts as a distributor for other vendors, including some dodgy ones, I'd advise care with Amazon, even. May be fine, may be not. I'm glad you got the real thing.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited December 2019
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Just a bit of a warning. I've seen Facebook ads offering a Concept2 for like $100. This is a scam. Never buy a Concept2 unless it's from Concept2 or Rogue Fitness. I've seen a lot of people on Facebook that can't believe their "good fortune" in finding one for $100. If it seems to good to be true...

    https://www.concept2.com/news/buyer-beware

    Good mention, Mike!

    Even used ones may not be a good deal: They tend to hold their value very well, so the used price for a recent model that's in good shape, sold by someone who knows they hold value, may not be that big a discount over new. If it's been well-maintained, that can be great (since they're also extremely durable and long-lived); but if you're not a regular rower already, it may be somewhat difficult to assess condition, beyond some obvious things like rust or physical damage.

    It is not too difficult to assess the condition of a C2 and there is a lifetime useage meter built into the PM to assess total usage.

    However, most the the used C2s that I saw online (mostly on Craiglist) offered at $300 or less were extremely old versions that had obviously been heavy used and abused at a gym. The later model versions offered were usually offered at around $700-800 which was not enough of a discount to justify buying them IMO, which is why I bought mine new direct from C2.

    However, you could get lucky and find a newer lightly used model for sale for around $500-600 which would be an excellent price. You just have be in the right place at the right time.
  • Lobsterboxtops
    Lobsterboxtops Posts: 92 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Lobsterboxtops wrote: »
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Just a bit of a warning. I've seen Facebook ads offering a Concept2 for like $100. This is a scam. Never buy a Concept2 unless it's from Concept2 or Rogue Fitness. I've seen a lot of people on Facebook that can't believe their "good fortune" in finding one for $100. If it seems to good to be true...

    https://www.concept2.com/news/buyer-beware

    I bought mine from amazon. Just to add to your list.

    Since Amazon acts as a distributor for other vendors, including some dodgy ones, I'd advise care with Amazon, even. May be fine, may be not. I'm glad you got the real thing.

    Eh...it’s sold and fulfilled by amazon, price was comparable to the C2 site, and credit card used. Between all that I felt more confident going through Amazon with their customer service than I did going direct through C2, who I was not familiar with at the time.

    If my choice was Craigslist or C2, then I totally would go with C2, and now that I “know” C2 better, I would buy direct from them.

  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    You can get a good workout but ideally you should be lifting weights too, not just doing cardio.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    MostlyWater wrote: »
    You can get a good workout but ideally you should be lifting weights too, not just doing cardio.

    Lifting weights is unquestionably more efficient/faster for building muscle, but I think you may underestimate the value of rowing (when correctly done) by considering it to be purely cardio.

    It'd be best to do some explicit strength training alongside rowing, no question. But a person who does only rowing (with correct technique) won't be likely to end up a skinny noodle.
  • Jenpiddles
    Jenpiddles Posts: 44 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Lobsterboxtops wrote: »
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Just a bit of a warning. I've seen Facebook ads offering a Concept2 for like $100. This is a scam. Never buy a Concept2 unless it's from Concept2 or Rogue Fitness. I've seen a lot of people on Facebook that can't believe their "good fortune" in finding one for $100. If it seems to good to be true...

    https://www.concept2.com/news/buyer-beware

    I bought mine from amazon. Just to add to your list.

    Since Amazon acts as a distributor for other vendors, including some dodgy ones, I'd advise care with Amazon, even. May be fine, may be not. I'm glad you got the real thing.

    I also ordered mine from Amazon. I did check 1st to be sure, and the only vendor listed on Amazon is Concept2. I verified with Concept2 when I registered my rower as well, and Amazon is on their list of distributors. I've used Amazon for years with no issue, so I felt more comfortable ordering from them than a website I had no experience with. It was very easy to register on the Concept2 website, took less than 2 minutes and I got verification the next day. 👍 I do agree that people should always do their homework before making a purchase! Can't be too careful with all the scams out there.

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