How many meters did you row/erg today?

just out of curiosity. what do you guys have your drag factors set at? assuming you're rowing concept2 ergs.

Originally Posted by amnesiac

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just out of curiosity. what do you guys have your drag factors set at? assuming you're rowing concept2 ergs.

Most teams will keep their rowers at a 5 or so. 5 is roughly the equal to water.

Originally Posted by why

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Yeah, all my personal records in lifting were after drinking a lot the night before.

More than enough reason to keep it up then.

Have you ever tried lowering your spm on your 2k's? Try holding the same splits but don't go above 20spm, it will completely alter the feeling on the erg.

Originally Posted by rjmaiorano

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Have you ever tried lowering your spm on your 2k's? Try holding the same splits but don't go above 20spm, it will completely alter the feeling on the erg.

Yes, perhaps I should do that. I tried for a sub-7:00 2K today, was paced at 6:55 then got to 600m and mispulled a bit, lost momentum and couldn't get my wattage back up. I thought a day of rest would suffice, but apparently I either need stronger legs or more rest. I have pretty close to optimal form, but if I could just find a way to pull harder with my back instead of driving harder with my legs I bet I could speed up a lot more. My aerobic capacity isn't a problem at all anymore, now it's my anaerobic capacity that's limiting me and that seems to be from my quadriceps being constantly beaten.

It sucks not being able to run outside to recover, because I beat myself to **** then can't make steady progress. My legs are well-conditioned I think, but I can either a) not row or b) row and not recover. I keep choosing poison B, because at least that way I can keep my slow progress going until I can actually make decent progress again when the weather stops being absolutely awful. If I don't row, I feel like I lose a bit of aerobic conditioning and neuromuscular facilitation.

3rd 500 always sucks.

I think you should cut back on volume, and up the intensity with shorter pieces at this point with less rest inbetween.

8x500m
4x1000m
250m, 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 1000m, 500m, 250m

You will be doing less volume and hopefully trengthen your legs. If you want, go ahead and run on these days or do a 3k-5k at 75-80%. Taking a look at your 4x2k times you should be able to row a 6:55 easy. Mix up your training a little and I'd think you be there.

Originally Posted by rjmaiorano

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Most teams will keep their rowers at a 5 or so. 5 is roughly the equal to water.

5 is usually about right but the problem is varying levels of dust in the flywheel. to compensate, there's actually a drag factor adjustment setting on the computer under options. standard is around 110-120 i believe, which is roughly 5 or so on a fresh, clean erg.

also, i dunno about rowing a 2k at 20spm but varying your spm for your workouts changes a lot. i'll do 2ks for time at anywhere from 28-32 average and get up higher for sprints at the midpoint and last 250m.

there's a really good workout i like that goes like this if i remember correctly but you can tailor it however you want. it's a nice sprint build up and once you're warmed up it gets good and the short sprints are a nice fun change up.

5 min warmup at 70%
20 seconds 80% 40 seconds easy but still rowing x5
4 minutes 50%
20 seconds 90% 40 seconds easy x3
20 seconds 100% 40 seconds easy x3
4 minutes 50%
30 seconds 90% 30 seconds easy x2
30 seconds 100% 30 seconds easy x2
40 seconds 100% 20 seconds easy x2
60 seconds 100% x until absolute exhaustion

I might give that a try tomorrow as well as messing with the drag factors. I've been pulling around 130, which may be why my muscles tire out so much due to the extra tension.

Is there a machine as good as Concept2 by a european manufacturer? Concept2 prices are ridiculous here. The distributor has a price of 1650 euros ( about $2378 ) for the model D with PM3 monitor and 2000 euros ( about $2883 ) for the model E which has a PM4 monitor. Getting one new or used from the US is not an option due to shipping of course.

My current gym doesn't have an erg. I'm trying to get them to buy a Concept2, but no luck so far. I used to row alongside a friend who is a lighter heavyweight (~180 lbs, and long and muscular). I was a lighter lightweight at the time (153 lbs). I could not beat a 1:35 500m split to save my life, but he regularly ran into the 1:27, regularly kicking ******. We always set things at drag factor 8. Maybe I just sucked at this. I did do several 7:20 2Ks though. I dunno. I'm an indifferent runner as well (best 5K time was just under 18 minutes, but really, most of the time, especially these days, closer to just under 19:40). Well, my athletic abilities are marginal anyway

Originally Posted by why

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Yes, perhaps I should do that. I tried for a sub-7:00 2K today, was paced at 6:55 then got to 600m and mispulled a bit, lost momentum and couldn't get my wattage back up. I thought a day of rest would suffice, but apparently I either need stronger legs or more rest. I have pretty close to optimal form, but if I could just find a way to pull harder with my back instead of driving harder with my legs I bet I could speed up a lot more. My aerobic capacity isn't a problem at all anymore, now it's my anaerobic capacity that's limiting me and that seems to be from my quadriceps being constantly beaten.

It sucks not being able to run outside to recover, because I beat myself to **** then can't make steady progress. My legs are well-conditioned I think, but I can either a) not row or b) row and not recover. I keep choosing poison B, because at least that way I can keep my slow progress going until I can actually make decent progress again when the weather stops being absolutely awful. If I don't row, I feel like I lose a bit of aerobic conditioning and neuromuscular facilitation.

Perhaps I mispeak myself here, but It's easy to go to far with these kind of things and that can be bad for your back. I quite liked the following video for rowing technique:

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Rowing technique by Flip Luisi

One advantage of this technique besides being easy on the back is that it mimics rowing in a boat and thus may at some point be utilised on the water.

On the other hand, it's important to keep the back perfectly still in the beginning of the stroke. If you lunge some more when driving from the legs it may dissipate extended energy

(posted video before in another thread. You may have seen it, already.)

Thanks. I think I may be losing power from lunging forward. I tried reducing my SPM to 20, but I have a torn tendon in my finger (from carrying groceries...) that prohibits me from pulling really hard at the moment. I can maintain a good pace without too much pain, but if I pull really hard on a single stroke I get this wave of pain that shoots up my forearm. Anyway, today: 2K @ 7:16 2K @ 7:21 5K @ 19:21 I knew after the 2Ks I should've cut back on volume but I'm a dumbass and couldn't help myself once Pavarotti started La Donna ´e Mobile.

Haha the end of that video was pretty funny, and I think its really good for novice rowers. Lunging at the catch will definitly make you lose power. Set your body angle and the beginning of the drive is like a deadlift.

Did you row at 20spm for a 2k or just as practice?

Anyway today was the first time I've erged hard for a workout in years. After 4x3 Deadlifts I did 4x1000m with 3-4 min rest in between.

3:25.0
3:24.0
3:23.2
3:22.1

The first two felt easy since I had no idea how to pace myself and was hoping to be around 1:45 split, the third was pretty hard, and the last sucked. I'm still coughing. I think I could break 7 if I'm ever brave/stupid enough to pull a 2k hard...

Originally Posted by why

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Thanks. I think I may be losing power from lunging forward.

I tried reducing my SPM to 20, but I have a torn tendon in my finger (from carrying groceries...) that prohibits me from pulling really hard at the moment. I can maintain a good pace without too much pain, but if I pull really hard on a single stroke I get this wave of pain that shoots up my forearm.

I knew after the 2Ks I should've cut back on volume but I'm a dumbass and couldn't help myself once Pavarotti started La Donna ´e Mobile.

Lunging forward is pretty normal for rowers with less coaching. Rowing is ~80% legs so you want to keep yourself at an angle that engages as many leg muscles as possible. Go too far forward and you lose A LOT of power.. and leave yourself very injury prone when pulling hard.

... if you've got a torn tendon, lower spm's are a bad idea. rowing is also a pretty bad idea. but whatever. But as a climber, I'm kinda disappointed your tendon was torn by a grocery bag

Originally Posted by rjmaiorano

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But as a climber, I'm kinda disappointed your tendon was torn by a grocery bag

My hands were frozen so I couldn't feel it. I had five or so bags hanging from my finger and I guess the combined pressure on the tendon itself tore it.

I pulled my back windexing before.

Originally Posted by why

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My hands were frozen so I couldn't feel it. I had five or so bags hanging from my finger and I guess the combined pressure on the tendon itself tore it.

I pulled my back windexing before.

Thats fair I guess. I've carried a large amount of groceries in DC in the winter and it sucks. But to pull a tendon is quite crazy; as is pulling your back windexing....