Who rows? (Concept2)

**bad dancer** · 12-28-2011, 04:25 PM

Some of the machines will keep a history of workout. Every time it start stops etc...
You can scroll through the screen to see what was done on it for the last couple of days usually.
If it is a busy machine, it is tough to find you workout through the last few days though.

**PearlJam09** · 12-28-2011, 07:24 PM

Did a 'team style' workout at the gym a few days ago.

5x500 in pairs, your rest is as long as it takes for you to switch seats and your partner do 500m.

I did 1:37, 1:38, 1:37, 1:37, and 1:35. The roller on the seat had a flat spot and would sometimes stop resulting in hilarious, but painful results (balls to bar).

Felt good to be back on there. Once the gym fixes the roller, I'm looking forward to doing some longer workouts.

**hitek79** · 01-05-2012, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by iceman

Got my concept2 about a year ago, had some injury and general health issues that I have since overcome, and now I'm trying to kick it up a couple gears. I rowed stroke on what was unquestionably the best high school four in the country, and I was badass, but a lot of water has gone over the dam since then.

Now, 30 years later, I'm trying to get after it. My times really suck bad. Bad. But I'm moving up. And I'm feeling stronger than I have in years. I have bad elbow problems, I'm really hoping they don't derail me, so far it hasn't been an issue, let's hope it stays that way.

So anyways, right now in intervals I can lay down a 2:00 500, if I bust hard, can do ~2:15-ish average over 2000 and kept it around 2:25/ in the first 5000 I've done, which was 2 days ago. Yesterday I did some intervals, couldn't come close to my best times. So I took today off and I'm gonna bust out a 5000 tomorrow. 2:15/ over the 5000 is the goal. We'll see. Sounds hard.

Talk to me.

Which computer do you have with your Concept2. Looks like it might be worth the extra money for the PM4 computer.

**iceman** · 01-06-2012, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by hitek79

Which computer do you have with your Concept2. Looks like it might be worth the extra money for the PM4 computer.

PM3. Really can't address whether the PM4 is worth the money, never tried it. When using the PM3 it doesn't feel like anything's missing or that it's outdated or anything. Works fine for my purposes.

**DeeAre** · 01-06-2012, 06:17 PM

Feel like I took a step personally by (finally) switching the computer to a wattage display. Always thought about it, but was simple minded in gauging my progress in terms of the instantaneous 500m split. Had to dust off really old physics knowledge to remember that wattage = power.

Also, thanks to knowledge dropped on me by all yall east coast rower types in this thread, I feel like I'm in the know now, being that everyone else I see on the C2 at 24Hr has that damper cranked up to 10. Thanks!

**hitek79** · 01-15-2012, 01:46 PM

So in the interest of not being fat, this thread convinced me to buy a rower. Concept2's are really hard to come by used, but I found a WaterRower locally that was basically brand new for half price.

I've never rowed a day in my life but I've done pretty much every major road bike climb on the Front Range, and wow, I just got my butt handed to me. I rowed 1k and filmed myself, then made some tweaks to my form and rowed another 1k. Both really slow and deliberately. Reset the computer for a 500m sprint and posted a 2:41. Yeesh! My lats and abs are on fire too. I'm going to try to row 4 times a week, so I'll update times as they become less embarrassing.

**iceman** · 01-15-2012, 02:37 PM

Hard to say how the times translate from that machine to the Concept2, but if it's 1-to-1, yeah, you ain't exactly flying yet. But you'll get there, keep us posted.

Sit up straight, bend at the waist.

**back bowl** · 01-15-2012, 03:50 PM

How much do you all row? I got a concept 2 due to the children and wife making it impossible to get out and do my normal few times a week skiing and climbing... I'm just getting going on it and my current daily routine is 2500k at a 2:00-2:05/500m pace, then a 2 min break, then 5x500m as fast as I can with a 2:00 break in between each. Those usually start out at around 1:45 and finish up around 1:57... That's 5000m total. So far I haven't done more than that.... Also, damper on 4? Is that normal?

**shroom** · 01-15-2012, 03:57 PM

my sweetspot is right between 3 and 4. i generally do a 6k if its my cardio for the day, getting after it for the first 2k trying to stay sub 1:45/500m. lately its been a 2k after running a few miles, sweating like a fat man.

**hitek79** · 01-15-2012, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by iceman

Hard to say how the times translate from that machine to the Concept2, but if it's 1-to-1, yeah, you ain't exactly flying yet. But you'll get there, keep us posted.

Sit up straight, bend at the waist.

WaterRower isn't as big a brand as Concept2, but they do have sanctioned races so I'm pretty sure it's a 1:1 ratio.

**lionelhutz** · 01-16-2012, 09:07 AM

All those are pretty good workouts...I mean the simple point is there are 3 basic rowing workouts
Long slow and steady (45 min to 90 minutes straight, HR around 140, SR 18-22) don't worry about 500m pace. Just cruise.
AT threshold ..(10-20 minute pieces, or 3-5k HR 150-165, SR 22-26,) you are pushing the heart but not crossing over into the the unsustainable zone.
Anerobic 250-2k pieces. SR 26+ HR as high as you want. Goal is to crank that split down.

Ideally you mix them all...

Right now however I just prefer the long cruise. I like a good 10-14K at SR 14-18...just get on and zone out. It's most like rowing in my single.

**hitek79** · 01-16-2012, 02:15 PM

Hey Hutz, I plan on rowing m/w/f for thirty minutes each morning, and then I can go for a long row on the weekends. What's the best plan for the weekday mornings?

**lionelhutz** · 01-16-2012, 03:12 PM

Do a straight 30 minutes
that's the best plan. Focus on improving pace/splits while doing it at a lower and lower heartrate. So if you can hold 2:10 straight for 30 mintues and you take your HR at 10, 20, and 30 minutes and it's 153 on day 1, by day 30 you'll want to do 2:10 for 30 minutes at a 144hr.
Also throw in farleks...every five minutes take a "power 20" meaning take 20 strokes at the same stroke rating while upping the drive power to near race pressure. This will a) imrpove your slide to drive ratio...and b) pop your HR up and and then force you to settle it down.

Long steady application of power is the base core training for rowing.
Once you get comfy on the erg, start mixing in some other workouts 3/x8 minutes with 4- min rest at like 155-165hr. That would be a killer 30 minute routine.
For long weekend rows...do a 10k.

**Wes Mantooth** · 01-16-2012, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by PearlJam09

Did a 'team style' workout at the gym a few days ago.

5x500 in pairs, your rest is as long as it takes for you to switch seats and your partner do 500m.

I did 1:37, 1:38, 1:37, 1:37, and 1:35. The roller on the seat had a flat spot and would sometimes stop resulting in hilarious, but painful results (balls to bar).

Felt good to be back on there. Once the gym fixes the roller, I'm looking forward to doing some longer workouts.

I hurt my tailbone from flying off the seat trying to get an erg below 1:10 and it never healed the same, it still hurts when i sit for a while. Be careful!

**mobygrape** · 01-16-2012, 08:57 PM

just got off a 5k row, at ~35 strokes per minute. Maybe a bit fast?

Felt the muscles working a bit, but not even breathing hard. Damper set to 2. Going to dial it up to 3-4 next time, and do a bit of reading on the concept2 site about workouts. A bit rusty. Need to work on the catch/finish, my back was straight up and down thru the entire stroke.

**lionelhutz** · 01-17-2012, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by mobygrape

just got off a 5k row, at ~35 strokes per minute. Maybe a bit fast?

Felt the muscles working a bit, but not even breathing hard. Damper set to 2. Going to dial it up to 3-4 next time, and do a bit of reading on the concept2 site about workouts. A bit rusty. Need to work on the catch/finish, my back was straight up and down thru the entire stroke.

Dude- 35 spm is way fast. If your splits weren't like 1:30s or below you were just bouncing back and forth without applying any pressure. Stroke rate first comes up because the drive phase of the stroke is sped up (i.e. fulcrum the shell past the locked in blade faster) while keeping the recovery phase the same time. Then as the rating goes up and up you start decreasing the recovery phase time. People debate this but you never really should get past like 1.25 to 1. And then you are at like a 38-40. If you can't drive fast enough to keep that ratio, dial it down and drive faster. On an erg it doesn't matter as much. But on the water, the loss of ratio will result in both stern boat check (terrible) and a loss of boat run (Look if the boat has another 3 meters of run before you rnext stroke let it run and save the energy). That and the technique falls to shit and you wallow. Smooth is fast.

**jibij** · 01-17-2012, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by mobygrape

just got off a 5k row, at ~35 strokes per minute. Maybe a bit fast?

Reminded me of this:

...and does that dude look like Superstar Punani, or what?

**mobygrape** · 01-17-2012, 01:47 PM

I have some work to do, but I'd like to think it's not that bad. I get around to posting a video for laughs sometime.

**mobygrape** · 02-12-2012, 09:16 PM

starting to get it a bit dialed in. Still lots of work to do. Pace is closer to 27-28 s/m, and feel like I am working the drive more.
5k@ 2:15 500m pace,
A few 500m intervals, fastest at 1:58.
Did this after a few sets of weight lifting, so I was spent. Will have to try this again on a day I'm just rowing.

Bike riding by the river last week really made me want to get out on a boat, if not for all the ice. Just 2-3 more months.

**warthog** · 02-13-2012, 07:43 AM

I do a 4x500 set every time I am in the gym. Either do it first or last.
Best yet- 4x500 .40 second rests in between, 7:39 2000

I am at 5 on the damper.
Loving it. I am sure I will really feel it when I get back on the wakeboard in a couple weeks.

**StraightFlush** · 02-13-2012, 09:52 AM

I did my first ever 10k last week. Not fun. However, the fact that I finished means that I'll no doubt do it again in a couple of weeks.

My aim was to row 10k, but if I was feeling terrible at 8k I'd call it quits, as that would still be the furthest I'd ever been. I felt terrible at 6k, but was determined to reach 8 and at 8k I figured, what the hell, you may as well just grind it out for another couple of minutes and (try to) walk away happy.

**iceman** · 02-13-2012, 10:49 AM

Nice work SF.

Moby, are you in Boston? Sorry, I forget.

**lionelhutz** · 02-22-2012, 03:55 PM

Ahh the 10k straight....a great workout.

Sorta hurt my hip a few weeks ago and the erg doesn't bother it so...oh joy...i'm back on the pain train. Did a 12k yesterday holding my HR below 140 and SR in the 20-21 range and clocked a 2:04/500 with the screen down. I was happy with that.

Today I decided to see "where I was" compared to where I used to be. So I fired up one of my favorite workouts - 2x5k SR 24-26, HR low 150s and went at it.....erging sucks.