"I love to Erg" --- No-one ever...

Jayco141
Jayco141 Posts: 221 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
SO end of last year I bought a water rower (Ergatta) Which is beautiful as just an art piece. After warming to it slowly, over the last 5 months I have gone well over a million meters and is my go to for working out. I am mid 50's so low impact was a priority. I now actually look forward to blasting my music and getting ready to seriously sweat. Amazing how much you sweat and calories burned during these sessions.. Anyone else feel the same?

Replies

  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2021
    Yes, it's my number one choice as well. I was injured for like two years (mid back disc injury) and barely rowed for a year, but just went over 10M meters this last month (officially, it doesn't include the 4 or 5M I likely did in gyms before I got my own Concept2).

    There's indoor rower communities. Mostly, though, for Concept2 users, unfortunately.

    I'm in a virtual indoor rowing club online called Sub7. To be honest, I don't really fit in other than being mostly a cheerleader for others in the group. When I started in that club, in my early 50s, I was closing in on a 7:00 2K, very hard to do over 50 for most, if not impossible. I thought I was crazy about rowing until I joined this group. At that time, I was winning most indoor competitions I competed in (for my age group and being a "heavyweight"). I'm actually light and short for being a rower -- 195 and 5'10". Most in my club are taller and much bigger, however there are lightweights too that are amazing and blow my times away. Many of the top American women rowers over 30 are in the group as well. One of our women, over 50, just pretty much smashed every single American record that she wanted to last year. I used to hold pace with her pretty well, not any more -- she's gotten better and I've fallen off.

    They hold around half the World Records for the Indoor rower at this point for various age groups and guys in their 40s and 50s are putting down beastly times in every distance category, from sprints to marathons on the rower. I solidly hold up last place most of the time unless one fellow (an over the water rower in his 60s) enters his times.

    If you ever upgrade to a Concept2 (nothing wrong with a WaterRower, they are great, but the online community just isn't there), I'd be happy to introduce you to the world of Indoor Rowing online. It's fun to see what others, that are serious world class athletes, do each day for training. They are all over Instagram and Facebook in groups where we all follow along. Most of them even give me kudos for my very mediocre "achievements", which many times just include finishing a harder set.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    I have a Concept 2. It gets quite a bit of activity in Winter. (I don't have good meter totals, because a lot of the time I don't log at C2, just jot stuff in a notebook. Many millions, for sure, though. I've been doing this since 2002-03 (I'm 65).)

    I 100% agree that it's a good workout, and a good calorie-burner, given adequate technique: Hard to beat.

    Most on-water rowers erg, IME, but most of us agree with your thread title. I don't love it, but it helps me not need to re-start conditioning from zero when the river thaws in Spring, and that's extremely useful.

    Unsolicited advice: If you're doing a lot of it, and plan to stick with it long term, it's a good plan to do something(s) complementary that involves upper body push/lower pull, to avoid imbalances. Shoulder issues are a particular risk, among long-term rowers.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    I wanted to see if there is an online group for you. There is on Facebook with 2700 members and it looks to be a quite active group of other Ergatta owners, which is great. No where near the number of Concept2, but it's great to share your workouts and vary them to stay interested.

    Ann also gave some great advice with mixing it up. I love to add in pushups and shoulder work, as well as other cardio in the mix and weights.
  • Back_4_more
    Back_4_more Posts: 92 Member
    I got my Concept2 rower this weekend. I'm hoping to enjoy it as much as you all do. I had an injury last year that prevents me from using an elliptical or bike so thought this would work. So far it hasn't bothered me but I've only gone though the basics.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    Back_4_more wrote: »
    I got my Concept2 rower this weekend. I'm hoping to enjoy it as much as you all do. I had an injury last year that prevents me from using an elliptical or bike so thought this would work. So far it hasn't bothered me but I've only gone though the basics.

    Dark Horse Rowing and Cassi Niemann (sometimes posts on YouTube under RVA Performance) have fantastic training videos. You are in great position to start out the right way. Form is a constant battle. Even for me after doing it seven years. When you think you have it, you don't. It's always a work in progress.

    If you learn the right form from the onset, you can avoid a lot of potential injuries later. For instance, I still have to tell myself to sit up straight, push with the legs (not pull with the arms) to start the drive. I have one shoulder that I have a hard time relaxing. I tend to bend my wrists down at the "catch" (a big no no). There are so many constant things that you can improve and if you build them into habit early, it's much easier later on. These videos will help with that.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    edited July 2021
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Back_4_more wrote: »
    I got my Concept2 rower this weekend. I'm hoping to enjoy it as much as you all do. I had an injury last year that prevents me from using an elliptical or bike so thought this would work. So far it hasn't bothered me but I've only gone though the basics.

    Dark Horse Rowing and Cassi Niemann (sometimes posts on YouTube under RVA Performance) have fantastic training videos. You are in great position to start out the right way. Form is a constant battle. Even for me after doing it seven years. When you think you have it, you don't. It's always a work in progress.

    If you learn the right form from the onset, you can avoid a lot of potential injuries later. For instance, I still have to tell myself to sit up straight, push with the legs (not pull with the arms) to start the drive. I have one shoulder that I have a hard time relaxing. I tend to bend my wrists down at the "catch" (a big no no). There are so many constant things that you can improve and if you build them into habit early, it's much easier later on. These videos will help with that.

    Great advice. ^^^

    One of the really enjoyable things about rowing is that there's always some additional detail to learn about, work on and improve. One of the really annoying things about rowing is that it's imperfectable. 😉

    ETA: . . . and for me, that's still true after doing it for 18 years. 😆
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 460 Member
    Meanwhile I'm over here with a super old machine with hydraulic metal arms and zero electronics. It's new-to-me, in good working order, and the price was right for an unemployed person (free). I'm taking it slow right now and just focusing on good form, so thank you for the videos, @MikePfirrman .
  • Back_4_more
    Back_4_more Posts: 92 Member
    edited July 2021
    MikePfirrman wrote: »

    Dark Horse Rowing and Cassi Niemann (sometimes posts on YouTube under RVA Performance) have fantastic training videos. You are in great position to start out the right way. Form is a constant battle. Even for me after doing it seven years. When you think you have it, you don't. It's always a work in progress.

    If you learn the right form from the onset, you can avoid a lot of potential injuries later. For instance, I still have to tell myself to sit up straight, push with the legs (not pull with the arms) to start the drive. I have one shoulder that I have a hard time relaxing. I tend to bend my wrists down at the "catch" (a big no no). There are so many constant things that you can improve and if you build them into habit early, it's much easier later on. These videos will help with that.

    I joined a couple Facebooks groups and 1 had a sign up for a beginners workout from Cassi. I had been doing that this weekend. I also downloaded a few Dark Horse workouts. I did a 20 min DH workout the last couple nights and really liked it. I did notice, even though I was following his pace, that my numbers we quite different than his. Could my PM3 be the problem?
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2021
    Back_4_more wrote: »
    MikePfirrman wrote: »

    Dark Horse Rowing and Cassi Niemann (sometimes posts on YouTube under RVA Performance) have fantastic training videos. You are in great position to start out the right way. Form is a constant battle. Even for me after doing it seven years. When you think you have it, you don't. It's always a work in progress.

    If you learn the right form from the onset, you can avoid a lot of potential injuries later. For instance, I still have to tell myself to sit up straight, push with the legs (not pull with the arms) to start the drive. I have one shoulder that I have a hard time relaxing. I tend to bend my wrists down at the "catch" (a big no no). There are so many constant things that you can improve and if you build them into habit early, it's much easier later on. These videos will help with that.

    I joined a couple Facebooks groups and 1 had a sign up for a beginners workout from Cassi. I had been doing that this weekend. I also downloaded a few Dark Horse workouts. I did a 20 min DH workout the last couple nights and really liked it. I did notice, even though I was following his pace, that my numbers we quite different than his. Could my PM3 be the problem?

    Most PM3s are fine. Very reliable. I would guess that you just are working on being more efficient. The guy from Dark Horse is a very, very strong rower. If you look at my numbers versus world class rowers, it's night and day (and not in a good way, LOL!). Just continue to work on form and your pace will slowly improve with time. Over the first couple of years I started rowing, my pace dropped dramatically. You may or may not have the same experience. A lot of pace is determined by form, strength, stamina and, quite frankly, training volume.

    Just glad you're enjoying it. If you continue to enjoy it, you might consider upgrading (eventually) to a PM5. The advantage being that the PM5 is Bluetooth and it opens up a whole world of possibilities for gadgetry. For instance, there's a new App called EXR for rowing. It's like Zwift for rowers. It's for phones or tablets or computers. It puts you in a virtual world, rowing on a river. It also has training programs that are interactive.

    There's another one called ErgData that will auto load your workouts to the Concept2 Logbook. Asensai is another new app -- a training site for rowers, made by real rowers. Has real world class rowers with advice, workouts and, I think, they are working on videos of rivers to go along with your coaching/rowing.

    RowPro is another that has been around for a while. You can actually race against others in real time on your computer. Those are just a few.

    There is a very active community on Facebook called the Concept2 Logbook. I'd highly recommend you make use of that site. Many world class rowers will offer endless, kind tips and advice for you. It's an open group. One of the best sites for learning. As is the C2 forums. Also filled with top class (and beginner) indoor rowers. There's also a huge contingent of us on Instagram as well.

    It's a great community that is incredibly helpful and generous with their time. I'm really glad that you're enjoying it!
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I row 10km/day 5 days/wk on my C2. A rate of about 2.5M meters/yr. I passed 7.5M meters a few months ago and expect to reach 10M meters by early next year.

    I have a full Olympic wt lighting gym in my garage but haven't been doing any lifting for over a yr, partially due to laziness and partially due to a bad (and unfixable) rt elbow wc prevents me from doing any lifts involving the elbow or from even doing pushups or pullups wc I often did b4.

    I can still do deadlifts and squats but those lifts mainly work the lower body (legs & glutes) and core (abs & lower back) wc is what rowing also does. I can also still do certain shoulder exercises that do not involve flexing the elbows, as well lower back lifts and hanging or sitting leg raises (that work the abs/obliqes) but, except for the obliques, rowing works all of these muscles too.

    Fortunately, rowing does not negatively impact my elbow. So, rowing has become my only regular method of exercise.

    However, based on what I see in the mirror every morning, my physique has not suffered much from the lack of lifting, although I'm sure that my body strength, especially upper body, has suffered.

    I attribute this to the involvement of almost all of the muscles in the body while rowing which makes it IMO the BEST form of home 'fitness" equipment available, bar none.

    Why more people do not buy rowers, instead of less effective types of exercise equipment (like spin bikes and treadmills) is beyond me.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2021
    @sgt1372 -- there's not a lot of grey area with rowers, to be honest. My wife and kids hate it. They much prefer my Assault Bike and the treadmill. Well, my daughter at least. The son is more into powerlifting. And I know a ton of over the water rowers that see the erg as a torture device now. Just different strokes. Pardon the pun!
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    @sgt1372 -- there's not a lot of grey area with rowers, to be honest. My wife and kids hate it. They much prefer my Assault Bike and the treadmill. Well, my daughter at least. The son is more into powerlifting. And I know a ton of over the water rowers that see the erg as a torture device now. Just different strokes. Pardon the pun!

    Yeah, I get that but on a functional basis, there really is no better piece of exercise equipment at home or in the gym.

    A Rogue Echo or similiar "assault" type bike doesn't even come close but it's good for a change of pace now and then.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited July 2021
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    @sgt1372 -- there's not a lot of grey area with rowers, to be honest. My wife and kids hate it. They much prefer my Assault Bike and the treadmill. Well, my daughter at least. The son is more into powerlifting. And I know a ton of over the water rowers that see the erg as a torture device now. Just different strokes. Pardon the pun!

    Yeah, I get that but on a functional basis, there really is no better piece of exercise equipment at home or in the gym.

    A Rogue Echo or similiar "assault" type bike doesn't even come close but it's good for a change of pace now and then.

    I'd be curious if you have one. Because for HIIT, it's just as hard. Both are brutal. I would say, honestly, the C2 works more muscles and makes better use of your core. Both work the quads exceptionally well but I'd say the Assault Bike works your glutes a bit more. You can do just legs or just arms on the Assault Bike and get a killer arm/chest workout. Doing legs alone at higher reps is brutal on your legs.

    I'd say steady state, it's much harder to maintain HR at lower levels on the rower, but I've done intermediate intervals on both and find both challenging. The C2 blows it away in terms of programming. Plus, interactive apps, the monitor is far superior.

    1 minute, all out, on an Assault Bike will destroy most people. So will rowing, but many will also hurt their backs on a rower because they don't know what they are doing.

    There is a reason most Cross Fit gyms have rowers (always C2s), Assault Bikes and now SkiErgs as well. Those three machines are all amazing and work a lot of muscles.

    I would say not that one is better than the other, just complimentary, in a big way.

Categories