9 ms·

My indoor rowing tips after 15M meters

80 points by tnorthcutt 5y ago

anonymousDan 5y ago
Oh wow the description of the sedentary lifestyle at 40 is literally exactly what has happened to me over the last year or two, it's depressing. I've been planning on getting a squat rack though instead of a rowing machine - anyone any thoughts on which is better for home use?
- mateo- 5y ago
  Depends on your goals. I personally prefer weight-lifting and think it's a bit easier to do when I'm low energy/don't feel like doing it. But thankfully is easy to snowball and keep up the momentum because the progress is quite obvious (looking better, feeling better, slapping more plates on the bar).
- cinntaile 5y ago
  If you have the space it comes down to preference. If you're tight on space then a rower has the advantage imo since you can put it upright and roll it into a corner.
- hondo77 5y ago
  FWIW, you can do both. They're not mutually exclusive. If you need to choose, it comes down to your goals. If you want to build stronger muscles, choose the weights. If you're interested in a stronger heart and/or weight loss, go with the rowing.
- jerlam 5y ago
  Motivation is really the important factor, not the specific type of equipment. It depends if you want to get strong or you want to get lean. I'd personally get the squat rack because cardio is easily performed outside (running/cycling), whereas lifting very heavy but precise amounts of weight can really only be done with a rack, bars, and plates. If you want to get lean then I'd recommend a bike (Zwift/Peloton) setup over the rowing machine. The ability to do workouts along with the mild gamification makes a big difference in motivation. There are similar programs for rowing but they are drastically less mature.
- cannaceo 5y ago
  The Rogue Fitness ones have a lot of useful attachments that you can add-on down the line.
encoderer 5y ago
Three months ago I bought a Hydrow (Peloton of rowers, I guess) and have had a very positive experience. I didn't trust any of the reviews because they are all paid. If you're considering, AMA.
- inasio 5y ago
  I borrowed a Concept 2 at the start of the pandemic, it was great but they are pretty noisy (fan provides resistance). Eventually I returned it and bought a waterrower. I've been very happy with it. It's mostly wood, so looks nice, but more importantly (for me) it's much quieter than the concept2, and the performance is very similar (0). Highly recommend. (0) I've rowed a lot on Concept2 machines, even on professional competitions, I was expecting bigger differences.
httpz 5y ago
If you are looking for an indoor rowing machine, I highly recommend a Concept 2, especially if you can find a used one locally. It may seem expensive at first but if you decide you don't like it, you'll easily sell it for the price you paid. With any other rowers, you may have a hard time finding a buyer. Concept 2 is pretty much the gold standard for every rower around the world so you'll always find someone looking to buy one.
- short12 5y ago
  I second the concept 2. Definitely a great rower for a little less than a thousand on Amazon with free shipping. Warning make sure to measure the space properly. It's a beast
amelius 5y ago
For those who don't like indoor rowing nor the hassle of water, here's another idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMZSwYf7jxQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMZSwYf7jxQ Or, for some more challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ1VxvXeQdg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ1VxvXeQdg
- JadeNB 5y ago
  According to the Rowcycle website http://rowcycle.de/en/ http://rowcycle.de/en/: > It is the result of a feasibility study and a commercial implementation of the ROWCYCLE will not be pursued further.
  - amelius 5y ago
    Rowingbike has a store. It's in German however. https://rowingbike.com/de/winkel/ https://rowingbike.com/de/winkel/
- nradov 5y ago
  Yikes that thing would be a menace on public roads or bike paths.
  - notesinthefield 5y ago
    Our local cycling club has a subset of recumbent and rowbike riders who only stick to paths because they can quickly become "invisible" to cars in less than ideal conditions. On paths theyre just like anything else.
lfowles 5y ago
I'd love to watch something while rowing but inevitably I start to lose form while distracted.
- oh_sigh 5y ago
  Do you have a recentish concept2? If so, the performance monitor lets you connect apps to it and get live feeds of your performance data - you could do something like pause your stream/display a popup warning to remember your form whenever your force curve deviates far enough from ideal
- stefan_ 5y ago
  If form is an issue maybe try a bike trainer.
codingdave 5y ago
I'd make one change to the advice - instead of "Buy a rower", I'd say, "Buy whatever machine you will actually use." Whether that is a rower or anything else, the point is to do something, and do it consistently.
- drewg123 5y ago
  Exactly. For me its a rower, for others it might be a treadmill or a stationary bike or stair climber. The key is to make using it part of your routine. And, protip: If there are clothes hanging on it, you've failed.
  - kbenson 5y ago
    That the same advice I've heard and seemed to make sense for diets, the best one is the one you can actually follow. Anyone can attempt Dwayne Johnson's workout and diet, it's published all over the place. The reason we aren't swamped with ridiculously swole people isn't because it's a secret, it's because it take extreme dedication (and moderately good genetics, but nothing special).
    - x0x0 5y ago
      With the caveat that achieving results anywhere close to his requires, um, anabolic support. Which is not to discount the very hard work that goes into his exercise routine. But he's 50... as the saying goes, he's as natty as a microwave.
      - kbenson 5y ago
        Yeah, I don't think I have any argument against that. :)
- Terretta 5y ago
  Precisely. And if you're all about optimization and time, you could get a VersaClimber cross crawl club model and spend 8 minutes (2 mins warm up, 4 mins HIIT, 2 mins cooldown) for better (clinically proven more effective at causing a metabolic shift) results. Why doesn't everyone do this? For one, the intensity makes people ill when not used to it. That's why it's not in many clubs. For another, unlike rowers or cycles, you can't just sit on your butt or coast. (In addition to road cycles, I own water rower, versa climber, and hydrow. The VersaClimber kicks your ass.)
hprotagonist 5y ago
I’ve been enjoying The Pete Plan. Somehow, a 4x2k piece is much less psychologically taxing than one 8k, and pyramids are super fun. Lately i've been playing a game called "can you negative split a piece"; usually, the answer's yes! https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/ https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/
m00dy 5y ago
Rowing is also part of my lifestyle since beginning of Corona and it is one of best decisions I have ever taken in my life. (I'm just 32) Rowing itself is good but not enough. For those looking for low-impact cardio, I can suggest you to try battle ropes in gym.
drewg123 5y ago
I swear by indoor rowing. I've dropped 80lbs (from obese to my target weight) in the past 8 years, and most of that was from rowing I was running, but living in an area with seasons, there were just too many excuses (its too hot, its too cold, its too rainy, its still dark outside, its snowing, my BT headphones aren't charged, etc....) and I found myself skipping runs too often. I bought myself the rower as a no-excuses aerobic workout. No matter what the weather, its always there. I now row 15km at a 15km/hr pace 3-4 days a week (alternate with other exercise) and I have totally stopped running. Some knee and hip issues that were aggravated by running have ceased to bother me. I have a water rower. I highly recommend it, as draining it makes moving it quiet easy (its pretty light when drained). I never setup a tablet; I just listen to podcasts when I row, the same as I used to when I ran.
- DelightOne 5y ago
  Did you have issues with the water being too weak a resistance on the back-pull? I'm reluctant to go over 40-50% to still be able to stow it away vertically.
  - drewg123 5y ago
    I just filled it and forgot it. Whatever I have it set to matches some medium-ish setting that I've selected because it "feels right" on concept-2 rowers when I travel.
- xur17 5y ago
  > I have a water rower. I highly recommend it, as draining it makes moving it quiet easy (its pretty light when drained). I never setup a tablet; I just listen to podcasts when I row, the same as I used to when I ran. Which one did you buy?
  - drewg123 5y ago
    Here is the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A6QIMS/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A6QIMS/ref=ppx_od_dt_b... I think that corresponds to the "natural" on Waterrower's own site.
talawahtech 5y ago
I've been rowing twice a day, every day since the pandemic and it has been a game changer. A high intensity 2k (while listening to music) in the mornings before I start my day, and a low intensity 5k (while watching tv) at night. It is the most consistent I have ever been with at-home exercise and it has been perfect for managing stress and getting good sleep.
- S33V 5y ago
  Curious, what split are you going for your daily 2k? In college, I was doing semiregular 2k tests, and I could never imagine trying to uphold a regular schedule of them.
  - talawahtech 5y ago
    I don't go flat-out, but it is definitely high-intensity. I am always out of breath at the end, but not collapsed on the floor. When I started I was doing around 2:05/500m. Now I am down to around 1:56/1:57, but some days I will go slower if I didn't sleep great or something. It is more about the consistency than the pace. It is less than 8 mins total so it is enough to wake me up and get my heart pumping, but also allow me to recover quickly and feel ready to start the day.
- jonfromsf 5y ago
  How do you watch TV? I tried and just couldn't hear it / watch it comfortably.
  - gxqoz 5y ago
    I sometimes watch an iPad (velcroed to the rowing machine) with standard bluetooth headphones. I don't find it too loud. You don't even need noise cancelling headphones unless you have a really loud machine.
  - talawahtech 5y ago
    I wear bluetooth headphones which are connected to my Android TV player (Nvidia Shield).
FpUser 5y ago
I row as well. Started doing it after my back did not feel well due to sitting in front of computer all day. It is seasonal for me. In the summer I cycle, hike and also every day I swim in the open water every. Fall is transitional period. Cycling but no swimming. Winter is almost all rowing.
halfmatthalfcat 5y ago
I have a Concept2 that I’ve owned for three years now. I love rowing but I also love running and running gets you better kcal/min if you’re trying to optimize for weight loss. If my goals were just general cardio though, I’d 100% recommend rowing. Just make sure you really work on your form in order to get the most out of it. You should be using you’re core most, if not the entire time.
- nradov 5y ago
  Running is great, but it's higher impact. So some people can't keep it up as long or tend to get injured. For long term health it's probably best to rotate between multiple different cardio exercises and thus hit different muscles.
  - halfmatthalfcat 5y ago
    I agree, it is. Rowing is definitely more sustaining over the long term than running.
    - dumbfoundded 5y ago
      The biggest injuries I saw in rowing were grip related. I had a friend who probably could've made it to the olympics (D1 rower & 6'8 & lanky). He injured his wrists repeatedly to the point where we had to stop pretty much altogether.
- inasio 5y ago
  In my experience (both indoor and outdoor rowing), you can get much more cardio out of rowing than running. Rather than core the main muscle you use is your legs, if you see professional rowers they're not very bulky above the waist, but they typically have massive legs.
  - notesinthefield 5y ago
    My brain is having hard time processing this - im curious what your running history has been compared to rowing. This is an...interesting assertion.
hanoz 5y ago
I bought a rowing machine, not top of the line but still pretty expensive, and I was annoyed to discover the computed distanced rowed and all the rest of those stats were derived solely from the number of times the seat passed a sensor, with no account whatsoever taken of how much the flywheel was turning or any other measure of how hard you were actually pulling each stroke. Which all made it seem rather pointless.
- rattray 5y ago
  Yeah, I got one of those and sold it within a week. Bought a used Concept2 Model B (from the early 90's or so) and have loved it.
- pstrateman 5y ago
  That doesn't sound like it was a Concept2 rower. I don't think they even have a sensor for the seat.
  - drewg123 5y ago
    Same comment but with WaterRower. The sensor measures the speed of the turbine in the water tank.
  - hanoz 5y ago
    The sensor itself is in the rail with, I assume, a magnet in the seat. But no, not a Concept2, it's a Horizon Oxford IV. £600 new several years ago. Luckily I bought it second hand, but still, not the bargain I thought I was getting! I did wonder how common this ruse is on other machines. Anyway, doing something on the flywheel might make an interesting Raspberry Pi project one day I suppose, although calibrating it to any meaningful distance travelled might be a problem. Suppose I'd have to get a professional rower in to estimate what it felt like!
  - Someone 5y ago
    Indeed. https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/tips-and-general-info/damper-setting-101 https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/tips-and-gen...: “Between each stroke, the PM measures how much your flywheel is slowing down to determine how sleek or slow your “boat” is. This rate of deceleration is called the drag factor. On your next stroke, the PM uses the drag factor to determine from the speed of the flywheel how much work you are doing. In this way, your true effort is calculated regardless of damper setting. This self-calibration is what allows us to compare scores from different indoor rowers, making things like indoor racing and the online world rankings possible.“
CalChris 5y ago
Concept 2 has an app for both iOS and Android, ErgData. It is quite good for logging your meters to your Concept 2 logbook which you'll need for qualifying for your t-shirt. ErgData requires the PM5 monitor which has ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart wireless. There are other apps, but ErgData is sufficient for me. A downside is that an Apple Watch doesn't talk directly to a PM5. So your heart rate isn't displayed up on the PM5. Annoying. There are kluges but then they are kluges. On Youtube there are excellent channels for indoor rowing. Training Tall Dark Horse Rowing You also might consider gloves. If you're doing 5k sets, your hands will get kinda raw.
- bananabiscuit 5y ago
  Is there a way to sync the rowing log stored on the pm5 to the iOS app after the fact?
  - CalChris 5y ago
    There is a flash drive on the PM5 but I don't think you can get that into ErgData. The security of taking that data from the PM5 to the Concept 2 logbook is important for indoor rowing competitions. So I think no.
  - acoard 5y ago
    I sync data from my concept 2 bike that also uses the PM5 to apple health. The ErgData app just does it. I must have granted it permissions during setup. Now I just use ErgData during a ride and when I finish the workout it appears in Apple Health.
inasio 5y ago
One thing I enjoy about rowing is that you can get a lot of cardio in very short time. For example, 5 sets of 2 minutes on and one minute off aiming for 500 (or even 600) metres per set can leave you pretty drained.
bob1029 5y ago
I've got 3.8M on my C2. Easily the best purchase I've ever made. Rowing makes it so easy to get consistent with exercise, and it feels way better to me than treadmills or bikes do. The infinitely-variable pain levels make it super compelling for all ranges of training. 2k as fast as you can is one of the most harrowing experiences I've had. You can also go as slow as you want to and zone out on a podcast or something for a solid hour.
aaron695 5y ago
> 2014 - New Year's day House of Cards - 2013 If you need more proof VR doesn't work and won't for a long time this is it. Tight parameters, easy to make safe, sensors are easy. People still prefer to watch TV. TV is more immersive than VR and probably always will be, unless you are watching TV on VR, which is legitimately one of the best uses for VR so far.
Graffur 5y ago
Rowing can be performed very badly. In fact, I read a popular Reddit post where an experienced rower recommended _not_ using a rower. My WFH workout (which I haven't been sticking to) is dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags. And also walking outside.
aftbit 5y ago
>Every year or so I replace the batteries in the Performance Monitor (PM). Not because they are flat, but to reduce the chance of them leaking and killing the PM. Lithium (primaries non-rechargables, not Lithium-ion) batteries don't leak (or freeze, fwiw) and store a similar amount of energy as Alkaline batteries. They are considerably more expensive, but IMO a better overall choice for important applications.
preinheimer 5y ago
I originally read the title as "My indoor rowing tips after 15 meters" and was expecting a funny, sarcastic, take on advice given by founders extrapolating one quick failure into three pages of advice & cat pictures.
lightlyused 5y ago
I've followed the same path exercise wise. I'm already through ST:TOS and now on ST:TNG season 2. 30min a day, and so far 2M meters (1400 miles) starting in May of this year. Really want a rower to get more of a full body workout compared to just the exercise bike.
monkeycantype 5y ago
Oh I thought this meant something with the spinner tips the macine over
gullywhumper 5y ago
Below are my two cents as a former high school and collegiate rower, an occasional assistant coach since then, and someone who hopes to continue to erg until they dump my ashes unceremoniously in some river, lake, pond or even bog. Hopefully a couple tips that may be helpful for beginners: - If you can set up a mirror or some other way to watch yourself row, do it. It's not a natural motion for beginners and what it feels like you're doing can be very different than how it actually looks. Good rowing vs beginning rowing can be like watching a professional golfer or baseball player swing vs someone who has picked up a club or bat for the first time. It's fluid, controlled, and powerful vs awkward, jerky, and underpowered. It takes time, patience and persistence. - Rowing is mostly legs and it's an endurance sport. If you're doing longer workouts at lower strokes per minute, it might not feel like you're doing a whole lot until deeper into a workout. Your legs are effectively your strongest muscles. Guys especially have a tendency to try to use their upper body more, and frequently break their arms right away at the catch. Breaking the arms early is counterproductive because it weakens the leg drive. Let those arms hang on the handle and let the legs do most of the pressing. Think deadlift / hang cling. Legs do most of the work, upper body and arms finish what the legs started. - Don't squeeze the handle. You can even put your thumbs on top like a pull-up to help you get used to hanging on the handle with the upper body. - There should be an approximately 2:1 ratio between the recovery (the time you're moving up the slide to the catch and compressing your body) and the drive (when you're pressing with your legs and then opening up with your body - the part where you're doing the hard work). So at 20 strokes per minute that's a 2 second recovery, 1 second drive. That ratio is important whether you're rowing at 20 SPM or 40+ SPM. There's a tendency for newer rowers to go at more of a 1:1 ratio, which is inefficient. It's similar to being in the right gear on a bike. - On the recovery, the handle should come into the catch at roughly the same height it comes out during the drive. When coaching, we would sometimes put water bottles between a rower's feet on the erg so that they wouldn't let the handle/chain drop too far and knock the water bottle over. You'll get a stronger, more effective drive with a good catch. - On the recovery, don't break your legs until after the handle gets over your knees. So really let yourself stretch out of the finish. This is especially important as you get tired. If you break your knees before the handle clears, you tend to have to lift the handle and then it will drop after it's over the knees and you'll likely have a bad catch. - If you're on a Concept 2, don't set the fan at a 10. I've trained with Olympic rowers and have never heard of anyone going over 6. In the 3-5 range is perfectly fine. There is no glory saying you row at a 7+. - When I erg now, I watch soccer (45 mins with no commercial interruptions) or train POV videos on Youtube, and I use Airpods to listen to music. - And for what it's worth, I don't think I've ever heard of any HS or collegiate program using anything other than Concept 2 ergs. I've hopped on other rowing machines at gyms, but found they felt awkward and less fluid. I don't know what some of the newer, higher-end machines feel like. They could be great.
armagon 5y ago
I need some more exercise in my life. (Long pandemic + desk job = ailing mentally). Is a rowing machine a good way to go? (Like so many people, I have temporal, spatial, and monetary constraints -- I can't imagine spending $1500 USD on a piece of exercise equipment, doubly so given that I don't know whether I'd stick with using it.) I really, really wish something like BlackBox VR (https://www.blackbox-vr.com https://www.blackbox-vr.com) was available to me. It looks phenomenal. I've done Ring Fit Adventure, and I like it. I've tried some of the VR fitness games, and, well, they're okay. I had a running buddy (who has moved away), and that was good, but we're now entering the long season of cold, short days, and it was always hard to get enough umph to go out in frigid weather before dawn, but I need to do something again.
- totesraunch 5y ago
  A concept2 ergrower costs $800-900 shipped
- mizzack 5y ago
  FWIW, the Concept2 rowers break down very easily and can be stored in as compact of a footprint as you are going to find as far as stationary cardio equipment goes.

80 points by tnorthcutt 5y ago

Oh wow the description of the sedentary lifestyle at 40 is literally exactly what has happened to me over the last year or two, it's depressing. I've been planning on getting a squat rack though instead of a rowing machine - anyone any thoughts on which is better for home use?

mateo- 5y ago
Depends on your goals. I personally prefer weight-lifting and think it's a bit easier to do when I'm low energy/don't feel like doing it. But thankfully is easy to snowball and keep up the momentum because the progress is quite obvious (looking better, feeling better, slapping more plates on the bar).
cinntaile 5y ago
If you have the space it comes down to preference. If you're tight on space then a rower has the advantage imo since you can put it upright and roll it into a corner.
hondo77 5y ago
FWIW, you can do both. They're not mutually exclusive. If you need to choose, it comes down to your goals. If you want to build stronger muscles, choose the weights. If you're interested in a stronger heart and/or weight loss, go with the rowing.
jerlam 5y ago
Motivation is really the important factor, not the specific type of equipment. It depends if you want to get strong or you want to get lean. I'd personally get the squat rack because cardio is easily performed outside (running/cycling), whereas lifting very heavy but precise amounts of weight can really only be done with a rack, bars, and plates. If you want to get lean then I'd recommend a bike (Zwift/Peloton) setup over the rowing machine. The ability to do workouts along with the mild gamification makes a big difference in motivation. There are similar programs for rowing but they are drastically less mature.
cannaceo 5y ago
The Rogue Fitness ones have a lot of useful attachments that you can add-on down the line.

encoderer 5y ago

Three months ago I bought a Hydrow (Peloton of rowers, I guess) and have had a very positive experience. I didn't trust any of the reviews because they are all paid. If you're considering, AMA.

inasio 5y ago
I borrowed a Concept 2 at the start of the pandemic, it was great but they are pretty noisy (fan provides resistance). Eventually I returned it and bought a waterrower. I've been very happy with it. It's mostly wood, so looks nice, but more importantly (for me) it's much quieter than the concept2, and the performance is very similar (0). Highly recommend. (0) I've rowed a lot on Concept2 machines, even on professional competitions, I was expecting bigger differences.

httpz 5y ago

If you are looking for an indoor rowing machine, I highly recommend a Concept 2, especially if you can find a used one locally. It may seem expensive at first but if you decide you don't like it, you'll easily sell it for the price you paid. With any other rowers, you may have a hard time finding a buyer. Concept 2 is pretty much the gold standard for every rower around the world so you'll always find someone looking to buy one.

short12 5y ago
I second the concept 2. Definitely a great rower for a little less than a thousand on Amazon with free shipping. Warning make sure to measure the space properly. It's a beast

amelius 5y ago

For those who don't like indoor rowing nor the hassle of water, here's another idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMZSwYf7jxQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMZSwYf7jxQ Or, for some more challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ1VxvXeQdg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ1VxvXeQdg

JadeNB 5y ago
According to the Rowcycle website http://rowcycle.de/en/ http://rowcycle.de/en/: > It is the result of a feasibility study and a commercial implementation of the ROWCYCLE will not be pursued further.
- amelius 5y ago
  Rowingbike has a store. It's in German however. https://rowingbike.com/de/winkel/ https://rowingbike.com/de/winkel/
nradov 5y ago
Yikes that thing would be a menace on public roads or bike paths.
- notesinthefield 5y ago
  Our local cycling club has a subset of recumbent and rowbike riders who only stick to paths because they can quickly become "invisible" to cars in less than ideal conditions. On paths theyre just like anything else.

lfowles 5y ago

I'd love to watch something while rowing but inevitably I start to lose form while distracted.

oh_sigh 5y ago
Do you have a recentish concept2? If so, the performance monitor lets you connect apps to it and get live feeds of your performance data - you could do something like pause your stream/display a popup warning to remember your form whenever your force curve deviates far enough from ideal
stefan_ 5y ago
If form is an issue maybe try a bike trainer.

codingdave 5y ago

I'd make one change to the advice - instead of "Buy a rower", I'd say, "Buy whatever machine you will actually use." Whether that is a rower or anything else, the point is to do something, and do it consistently.

drewg123 5y ago
Exactly. For me its a rower, for others it might be a treadmill or a stationary bike or stair climber. The key is to make using it part of your routine. And, protip: If there are clothes hanging on it, you've failed.
- kbenson 5y ago
  That the same advice I've heard and seemed to make sense for diets, the best one is the one you can actually follow. Anyone can attempt Dwayne Johnson's workout and diet, it's published all over the place. The reason we aren't swamped with ridiculously swole people isn't because it's a secret, it's because it take extreme dedication (and moderately good genetics, but nothing special).
  - x0x0 5y ago
    With the caveat that achieving results anywhere close to his requires, um, anabolic support. Which is not to discount the very hard work that goes into his exercise routine. But he's 50... as the saying goes, he's as natty as a microwave.
    - kbenson 5y ago
      Yeah, I don't think I have any argument against that. :)
Terretta 5y ago
Precisely. And if you're all about optimization and time, you could get a VersaClimber cross crawl club model and spend 8 minutes (2 mins warm up, 4 mins HIIT, 2 mins cooldown) for better (clinically proven more effective at causing a metabolic shift) results. Why doesn't everyone do this? For one, the intensity makes people ill when not used to it. That's why it's not in many clubs. For another, unlike rowers or cycles, you can't just sit on your butt or coast. (In addition to road cycles, I own water rower, versa climber, and hydrow. The VersaClimber kicks your ass.)

hprotagonist 5y ago

I’ve been enjoying The Pete Plan. Somehow, a 4x2k piece is much less psychologically taxing than one 8k, and pyramids are super fun. Lately i've been playing a game called "can you negative split a piece"; usually, the answer's yes! https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/ https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/

m00dy 5y ago

Rowing is also part of my lifestyle since beginning of Corona and it is one of best decisions I have ever taken in my life. (I'm just 32) Rowing itself is good but not enough. For those looking for low-impact cardio, I can suggest you to try battle ropes in gym.

drewg123 5y ago

I swear by indoor rowing. I've dropped 80lbs (from obese to my target weight) in the past 8 years, and most of that was from rowing I was running, but living in an area with seasons, there were just too many excuses (its too hot, its too cold, its too rainy, its still dark outside, its snowing, my BT headphones aren't charged, etc....) and I found myself skipping runs too often. I bought myself the rower as a no-excuses aerobic workout. No matter what the weather, its always there. I now row 15km at a 15km/hr pace 3-4 days a week (alternate with other exercise) and I have totally stopped running. Some knee and hip issues that were aggravated by running have ceased to bother me. I have a water rower. I highly recommend it, as draining it makes moving it quiet easy (its pretty light when drained). I never setup a tablet; I just listen to podcasts when I row, the same as I used to when I ran.

DelightOne 5y ago
Did you have issues with the water being too weak a resistance on the back-pull? I'm reluctant to go over 40-50% to still be able to stow it away vertically.
- drewg123 5y ago
  I just filled it and forgot it. Whatever I have it set to matches some medium-ish setting that I've selected because it "feels right" on concept-2 rowers when I travel.
xur17 5y ago
> I have a water rower. I highly recommend it, as draining it makes moving it quiet easy (its pretty light when drained). I never setup a tablet; I just listen to podcasts when I row, the same as I used to when I ran. Which one did you buy?
- drewg123 5y ago
  Here is the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A6QIMS/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A6QIMS/ref=ppx_od_dt_b... I think that corresponds to the "natural" on Waterrower's own site.

talawahtech 5y ago

I've been rowing twice a day, every day since the pandemic and it has been a game changer. A high intensity 2k (while listening to music) in the mornings before I start my day, and a low intensity 5k (while watching tv) at night. It is the most consistent I have ever been with at-home exercise and it has been perfect for managing stress and getting good sleep.

S33V 5y ago
Curious, what split are you going for your daily 2k? In college, I was doing semiregular 2k tests, and I could never imagine trying to uphold a regular schedule of them.
- talawahtech 5y ago
  I don't go flat-out, but it is definitely high-intensity. I am always out of breath at the end, but not collapsed on the floor. When I started I was doing around 2:05/500m. Now I am down to around 1:56/1:57, but some days I will go slower if I didn't sleep great or something. It is more about the consistency than the pace. It is less than 8 mins total so it is enough to wake me up and get my heart pumping, but also allow me to recover quickly and feel ready to start the day.
jonfromsf 5y ago
How do you watch TV? I tried and just couldn't hear it / watch it comfortably.
- gxqoz 5y ago
  I sometimes watch an iPad (velcroed to the rowing machine) with standard bluetooth headphones. I don't find it too loud. You don't even need noise cancelling headphones unless you have a really loud machine.
- talawahtech 5y ago
  I wear bluetooth headphones which are connected to my Android TV player (Nvidia Shield).

FpUser 5y ago

I row as well. Started doing it after my back did not feel well due to sitting in front of computer all day. It is seasonal for me. In the summer I cycle, hike and also every day I swim in the open water every. Fall is transitional period. Cycling but no swimming. Winter is almost all rowing.

halfmatthalfcat 5y ago

I have a Concept2 that I’ve owned for three years now. I love rowing but I also love running and running gets you better kcal/min if you’re trying to optimize for weight loss. If my goals were just general cardio though, I’d 100% recommend rowing. Just make sure you really work on your form in order to get the most out of it. You should be using you’re core most, if not the entire time.

nradov 5y ago
Running is great, but it's higher impact. So some people can't keep it up as long or tend to get injured. For long term health it's probably best to rotate between multiple different cardio exercises and thus hit different muscles.
- halfmatthalfcat 5y ago
  I agree, it is. Rowing is definitely more sustaining over the long term than running.
  - dumbfoundded 5y ago
    The biggest injuries I saw in rowing were grip related. I had a friend who probably could've made it to the olympics (D1 rower & 6'8 & lanky). He injured his wrists repeatedly to the point where we had to stop pretty much altogether.
inasio 5y ago
In my experience (both indoor and outdoor rowing), you can get much more cardio out of rowing than running. Rather than core the main muscle you use is your legs, if you see professional rowers they're not very bulky above the waist, but they typically have massive legs.
- notesinthefield 5y ago
  My brain is having hard time processing this - im curious what your running history has been compared to rowing. This is an...interesting assertion.

hanoz 5y ago

I bought a rowing machine, not top of the line but still pretty expensive, and I was annoyed to discover the computed distanced rowed and all the rest of those stats were derived solely from the number of times the seat passed a sensor, with no account whatsoever taken of how much the flywheel was turning or any other measure of how hard you were actually pulling each stroke. Which all made it seem rather pointless.

rattray 5y ago
Yeah, I got one of those and sold it within a week. Bought a used Concept2 Model B (from the early 90's or so) and have loved it.
pstrateman 5y ago
That doesn't sound like it was a Concept2 rower. I don't think they even have a sensor for the seat.
- drewg123 5y ago
  Same comment but with WaterRower. The sensor measures the speed of the turbine in the water tank.
- hanoz 5y ago
  The sensor itself is in the rail with, I assume, a magnet in the seat. But no, not a Concept2, it's a Horizon Oxford IV. £600 new several years ago. Luckily I bought it second hand, but still, not the bargain I thought I was getting! I did wonder how common this ruse is on other machines. Anyway, doing something on the flywheel might make an interesting Raspberry Pi project one day I suppose, although calibrating it to any meaningful distance travelled might be a problem. Suppose I'd have to get a professional rower in to estimate what it felt like!
- Someone 5y ago
  Indeed. https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/tips-and-general-info/damper-setting-101 https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/tips-and-gen...: “Between each stroke, the PM measures how much your flywheel is slowing down to determine how sleek or slow your “boat” is. This rate of deceleration is called the drag factor. On your next stroke, the PM uses the drag factor to determine from the speed of the flywheel how much work you are doing. In this way, your true effort is calculated regardless of damper setting. This self-calibration is what allows us to compare scores from different indoor rowers, making things like indoor racing and the online world rankings possible.“

CalChris 5y ago

Concept 2 has an app for both iOS and Android, ErgData. It is quite good for logging your meters to your Concept 2 logbook which you'll need for qualifying for your t-shirt. ErgData requires the PM5 monitor which has ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart wireless. There are other apps, but ErgData is sufficient for me. A downside is that an Apple Watch doesn't talk directly to a PM5. So your heart rate isn't displayed up on the PM5. Annoying. There are kluges but then they are kluges. On Youtube there are excellent channels for indoor rowing. Training Tall Dark Horse Rowing You also might consider gloves. If you're doing 5k sets, your hands will get kinda raw.

bananabiscuit 5y ago
Is there a way to sync the rowing log stored on the pm5 to the iOS app after the fact?
- CalChris 5y ago
  There is a flash drive on the PM5 but I don't think you can get that into ErgData. The security of taking that data from the PM5 to the Concept 2 logbook is important for indoor rowing competitions. So I think no.
- acoard 5y ago
  I sync data from my concept 2 bike that also uses the PM5 to apple health. The ErgData app just does it. I must have granted it permissions during setup. Now I just use ErgData during a ride and when I finish the workout it appears in Apple Health.

inasio 5y ago

One thing I enjoy about rowing is that you can get a lot of cardio in very short time. For example, 5 sets of 2 minutes on and one minute off aiming for 500 (or even 600) metres per set can leave you pretty drained.

bob1029 5y ago

I've got 3.8M on my C2. Easily the best purchase I've ever made. Rowing makes it so easy to get consistent with exercise, and it feels way better to me than treadmills or bikes do. The infinitely-variable pain levels make it super compelling for all ranges of training. 2k as fast as you can is one of the most harrowing experiences I've had. You can also go as slow as you want to and zone out on a podcast or something for a solid hour.

aaron695 5y ago

> 2014 - New Year's day House of Cards - 2013 If you need more proof VR doesn't work and won't for a long time this is it. Tight parameters, easy to make safe, sensors are easy. People still prefer to watch TV. TV is more immersive than VR and probably always will be, unless you are watching TV on VR, which is legitimately one of the best uses for VR so far.

Graffur 5y ago

Rowing can be performed very badly. In fact, I read a popular Reddit post where an experienced rower recommended _not_ using a rower. My WFH workout (which I haven't been sticking to) is dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags. And also walking outside.

aftbit 5y ago

>Every year or so I replace the batteries in the Performance Monitor (PM). Not because they are flat, but to reduce the chance of them leaking and killing the PM. Lithium (primaries non-rechargables, not Lithium-ion) batteries don't leak (or freeze, fwiw) and store a similar amount of energy as Alkaline batteries. They are considerably more expensive, but IMO a better overall choice for important applications.

preinheimer 5y ago

I originally read the title as "My indoor rowing tips after 15 meters" and was expecting a funny, sarcastic, take on advice given by founders extrapolating one quick failure into three pages of advice & cat pictures.

lightlyused 5y ago

I've followed the same path exercise wise. I'm already through ST:TOS and now on ST:TNG season 2. 30min a day, and so far 2M meters (1400 miles) starting in May of this year. Really want a rower to get more of a full body workout compared to just the exercise bike.

monkeycantype 5y ago

Oh I thought this meant something with the spinner tips the macine over

gullywhumper 5y ago

Below are my two cents as a former high school and collegiate rower, an occasional assistant coach since then, and someone who hopes to continue to erg until they dump my ashes unceremoniously in some river, lake, pond or even bog. Hopefully a couple tips that may be helpful for beginners: - If you can set up a mirror or some other way to watch yourself row, do it. It's not a natural motion for beginners and what it feels like you're doing can be very different than how it actually looks. Good rowing vs beginning rowing can be like watching a professional golfer or baseball player swing vs someone who has picked up a club or bat for the first time. It's fluid, controlled, and powerful vs awkward, jerky, and underpowered. It takes time, patience and persistence. - Rowing is mostly legs and it's an endurance sport. If you're doing longer workouts at lower strokes per minute, it might not feel like you're doing a whole lot until deeper into a workout. Your legs are effectively your strongest muscles. Guys especially have a tendency to try to use their upper body more, and frequently break their arms right away at the catch. Breaking the arms early is counterproductive because it weakens the leg drive. Let those arms hang on the handle and let the legs do most of the pressing. Think deadlift / hang cling. Legs do most of the work, upper body and arms finish what the legs started. - Don't squeeze the handle. You can even put your thumbs on top like a pull-up to help you get used to hanging on the handle with the upper body. - There should be an approximately 2:1 ratio between the recovery (the time you're moving up the slide to the catch and compressing your body) and the drive (when you're pressing with your legs and then opening up with your body - the part where you're doing the hard work). So at 20 strokes per minute that's a 2 second recovery, 1 second drive. That ratio is important whether you're rowing at 20 SPM or 40+ SPM. There's a tendency for newer rowers to go at more of a 1:1 ratio, which is inefficient. It's similar to being in the right gear on a bike. - On the recovery, the handle should come into the catch at roughly the same height it comes out during the drive. When coaching, we would sometimes put water bottles between a rower's feet on the erg so that they wouldn't let the handle/chain drop too far and knock the water bottle over. You'll get a stronger, more effective drive with a good catch. - On the recovery, don't break your legs until after the handle gets over your knees. So really let yourself stretch out of the finish. This is especially important as you get tired. If you break your knees before the handle clears, you tend to have to lift the handle and then it will drop after it's over the knees and you'll likely have a bad catch. - If you're on a Concept 2, don't set the fan at a 10. I've trained with Olympic rowers and have never heard of anyone going over 6. In the 3-5 range is perfectly fine. There is no glory saying you row at a 7+. - When I erg now, I watch soccer (45 mins with no commercial interruptions) or train POV videos on Youtube, and I use Airpods to listen to music. - And for what it's worth, I don't think I've ever heard of any HS or collegiate program using anything other than Concept 2 ergs. I've hopped on other rowing machines at gyms, but found they felt awkward and less fluid. I don't know what some of the newer, higher-end machines feel like. They could be great.

armagon 5y ago

I need some more exercise in my life. (Long pandemic + desk job = ailing mentally). Is a rowing machine a good way to go? (Like so many people, I have temporal, spatial, and monetary constraints -- I can't imagine spending $1500 USD on a piece of exercise equipment, doubly so given that I don't know whether I'd stick with using it.) I really, really wish something like BlackBox VR (https://www.blackbox-vr.com https://www.blackbox-vr.com) was available to me. It looks phenomenal. I've done Ring Fit Adventure, and I like it. I've tried some of the VR fitness games, and, well, they're okay. I had a running buddy (who has moved away), and that was good, but we're now entering the long season of cold, short days, and it was always hard to get enough umph to go out in frigid weather before dawn, but I need to do something again.

totesraunch 5y ago
A concept2 ergrower costs $800-900 shipped
mizzack 5y ago
FWIW, the Concept2 rowers break down very easily and can be stored in as compact of a footprint as you are going to find as far as stationary cardio equipment goes.