Rowing

[Ninabike]

Hi girls,

I've just started rowing (sculling) with a coach. I am really impressed re: the cross-training benefits for cycling. Much of the work is done with the thighs and I have a pretty good advantage there. But the overall stroke seems to use the same muscle groups that we use when climbing out of the saddle and pulling on the hoods - but it is even more intense. I kind of got into this by acccident. One of my riding friends who broke her fibula a few months ago started rowing as a means of strengthening her ankle since she couldn't ride. She got "hooked" and now wants a rowing partner for a 2-person boat. The technique takes a while to learn but it sure is fun! Fortunately, we have access to the the Loyola-Marymount University Rowing Club which encourages outside membership as a means defraying the costs of supporting the student rowing program. They have rowing machines as well. I go again this evening and on Saturday morning, after which I plan to ride - that's assuming I still have any strength left!! Of course, this is all so that I can make myself a better rider!! My DH says, "you're not giving up you bike are you?" NO WAY.

Nina

[Trekhawk]

Hey Nina - good for you. Rowing will definitely keep you fit. Before I had kids I use to row and loved it. I started in an eight but ended up in a four as it was easier to coordinate training etc with less crew. We competed a little (masters events included) and also rowed the Murray River Rowathon which is a 92 km event down the Murray River.

Its a great sport.
Happy rowing and riding.:)

[Ninabike]

Hi Trekhawk. Glad there is someone else on this board who knows about rowing. I am totally brand new to it but, so far, I feal really great doing it. My cycling friend who got me into this and I might team up with two other friends of hers who have been rowing about 3 months, and form a 4 person crew. I don't know that we would ever be able to compete, but it sure sounds fun. Our instructor is competing in the San Diego Crew Classic on April 1,2. She's on the USC Alumni Team. She is very patient and really knows her stuff!! She is not letting us learn any bad habits. This evening should be great. We are having our first warm weather on the So. Calif. coast in 6 weeks. We meet in Marina del Rey. (That's where we start a lot of our bike rides as well).

Nina

[Selkie]

We have a concept2 rowing machine that I love. Unfortunately, I don't row that much any more I'd rather ride my bike. Rowing on a machine can be very very boring. I would LOVE to try "real" rowing sometime.

[Trekhawk]

We are having our first warm weather on the So. Calif. coast in 6 weeks. We meet in Marina del Rey. (That's where we start a lot of our bike rides as well).

Nina

Oooh Marina del Rey for once I know a spot thats mentioned in a post. Years ago I came to the States for a holiday from Australia and stayed at the Double Tree Hotel at Marina del Rey before hiring a car and taking off to see the rest of California. What a lovely place to start your rides from.

I hope you get some more nice weather down your way. It looks like ours up here in the North of Cal is getting yucky again. Oh well thats spring I guess.

Completely off track - how is your C50 going? Thats one beautiful bike.

[Googlie Wooglie]

I have a Concept 2 rowing machine as well and I love it. It's a great compliment to cycling, and my arms/core have never been stronger.

[Ninabike]

My C-50 is the "love of my life" other than my DH, of course. He has a C-50 too. My bike stays in my car at all times so if a chance to ride comes up, it's always there (with bike clothes, shoes, etc). I do worry if I have to park certain places, someone might break in and steal it. I don't care if my car gets stolen, just my bike. I keep it well covered. It is a size 45 cm because I am only 5'2''. It fits me like it was custom built and I feel like I can ride all day on it. About 7 weeks ago, my husband crashed and fractured his pelvis, and last weekend was his first ride since the accident. We did 16.5. miles and he felt good. I think he was really apprehensive before the ride. I had only ridden a few times since his accident since it is no fun alone, so I felt a little out of shape. When I got on the rowing machine though, I felt really good - like I was using all my biking muscles.

You said you were in Marina del Rey. Do you sail by any chance? We have sailed for over 30 years and have a boat in the Marina. That's why we start our rides there. We park in our parking lot near the boat and there are restrooms, showers, etc. In the Marina, rowing is only good in the early A.M. or in the evening when the water is flat and there are not too many boats out. We are really lucky that all our sports (sailing, cycling - and now rowing) are all located in one place and our weather is usually very good. It outweighs all the negatives you always hear about Los Angeles (traffic- I drive a minimum of 2 hours round trip to work each day). If you ever plan to be in the area, let me know. We can ride - or whatever!!

Nina

[Trekhawk]

My C-50 is the "love of my life" other than my DH, of course. He has a C-50 too. My bike stays in my car at all times so if a chance to ride comes up, it's always there (with bike clothes, shoes, etc). I do worry if I have to park certain places, someone might break in and steal it. I don't care if my car gets stolen, just my bike. I keep it well covered. It is a size 45 cm because I am only 5'2''. It fits me like it was custom built and I feel like I can ride all day on it. About 7 weeks ago, my husband crashed and fractured his pelvis, and last weekend was his first ride since the accident. We did 16.5. miles and he felt good. I think he was really apprehensive before the ride. I had only ridden a few times since his accident since it is no fun alone, so I felt a little out of shape. When I got on the rowing machine though, I felt really good - like I was using all my biking muscles.

You said you were in Marina del Rey. Do you sail by any chance? We have sailed for over 30 years and have a boat in the Marina. That's why we start our rides there. We park in our parking lot near the boat and there are restrooms, showers, etc. In the Marina, rowing is only good in the early A.M. or in the evening when the water is flat and there are not too many boats out. We are really lucky that all our sports (sailing, cycling - and now rowing) are all located in one place and our weather is usually very good. It outweighs all the negatives you always hear about Los Angeles (traffic- I drive a minimum of 2 hours round trip to work each day). If you ever plan to be in the area, let me know. We can ride - or whatever!!

Nina

Is bike envy a sin?:D :D If it is Im going straight to hell.:D :D
Glad to hear your husband is back on the bike. I hope his recovery keeps moving along well.

Do I sail....actually no. I like rowing, canoes etc but sailing always seemed a little scary to me. However I do love looking at boats and harbours,marinas etc...odd I know.

Sounds like you have a very fun and full life down there in the South and if I get back down that way I will be sure to let you know. I would love to catch up for a ride and oggle that bike of yours.

Happy riding, rowing, sailing...lol makes me tired just typing that.:D

[remigo]

Rowing and cycling have always complemented each other in my life! I believe they are excellent cross-training for each other. In Ireland, we've had several women being on the national squads for both sports!
Because you're in a sitting position for both, working-out heart-rates tend to be more similar than in running or swimming. And in both, the load worked by the leg is determined by hard you can drive the muscles, rather than the impact of your body weight in running. And they are both conducive to getting obsessed with the sport!
Differences: I think cycling favours the lighter woman, and in rowing, the taller and stronger the better. (Huge generalisation - I know!) Also, rowing is much more technically demanding. Starting out in a single scull is an excellent beginning - you have to have good technique, or you risk toppling yourself into the drink!
Have fun!

[Bron]

I´m another rower who also cycles. I agree that they complement each other well. At least with cycling I´m not always the smallest! In rowing I have to compete as a lightweight.
The other sport which seems to go well with both rowing and cycling is cross country skiing.

Bron

[KnottedYet]

Kayaker, here. Different set of muscles, but still works the core a treat.

I get the same "I'm moving myself" joy out of kayaking that I do out of biking. Putter around the same, too.

Bike to a coffee shop, kayak to a bar. Some of the bars and restaurants on the water in Seattle have docks, so boaters can park and come on in! Getting into kayaks from a high-ish dock after a couple beers is very entertaining for the folks watching through the windows. (we got some applause when we succeeded.)

[kiwi in oz]

Differences: I think cycling favours the lighter woman, and in rowing, the taller and stronger the better. (Huge generalisation - I know!)

Ha ha! As a short and heavy ex-rower and current cyclist - maybe I need to be finding myself yet another sport to have a go at...;)

[Bron]

Well I had my first rowing race of the year on Saturday. Considering that I have only been on the water four times this year, and on my bike a lot more than that, I was quite happy with how it went. Obviously the fitness from the bike and skiing last winter made some difference in the boat, so from that I would say that they complement each other very well.

Bron

[Bad JuJu]

Another kayaker here. I think I like the same things many rowers do and that Knotted Yet mentioned--moving myself through the water, esp. in the early morning when it's quiet and the water is flat. Just like a bike ride early on Sunday morning--little traffic, no wind, just me and my bike. Ahhh.....:)

[Bad JuJu]

So since there are apparently some accomplished rowers here, tell me this: I've read recently that rowing can be tough on the back. So, 1. Do any of you have any experience with rowing and back issues? and 2. Can anybody recommend anything to read about rowing technique? (I'm talking about rowing on a machine.) TIA!

[Bron]

Well, The other similarity between rowing and cycling is that they are both sports you do sitting down.....:D

Regarding back problems; I have rowed for over 10 years now (several of which at elite level) and have never had a problem. However, I was lucky to have some good coaches who spent a lot of time telling me to sit up straight. The key seems to be to make sure your back and stomach muscles are strong and then remember to use them while you are rowing. Often back injuries result from trying to pull hard with poor technique.

For technique while using a rowing machine, the conceptII website http://www.concept2.com/05/default.asp has some tips.
Try: http://www.concept2.com/05/rower/rower_alex_anim.html

http://www.concept2.com/05/training/training/gettingstarted.asp

The last link even has an address to send off for a free technique DVD.

One thing that I think of when training at lower intensities is to breathe in time with my rowing, so that as I push off with my legs, I start breathing out, at the same time using my stomach and back muscles to keep me sitting up straight.

I hope this helps.
Bron

[plantluvver]

I rowed for a little while. It really strengthened my core, and helped my back problems (well except for carrying the ancient, heavy wooden eight back to the shed:) ) But once, I tried a garbage home rower. This is not the same as an ergometer at all.

But technique is important, and did not come naturally to me. In fact, I found the coach's instruction to be very unnatural to what I would have done on my own.

Rowing and cross country skiing are the two sports where I have been able to work at my highest intensity. Other sports, I just haven't been strong enough, and I've never been quick at anything (well maybe crochet:D ). I think it is getting all the muscle groups going at the same time. Other sports, I run out of breath, or my heart rate gets too high, and I just can't keep going.

[hellosunshine]

i usually swim to complement the bike,and so my upper body keeps trim!!!due o all the germs in the pool etc etc im now wondering if rowing is a better alternative?the up and coming timetrialliss in this country all seem to be ex olympic rowers...........

[Bron]

Why now give it a go, but be warned, it can be addictive!

Most rowing clubs are happy for someone to turn up for a few sessions just to see if you like the sport and you could always try these people:
http://www.stratford-rowing.co.uk/index.htm

Alternatively, must gyms in the UK now have a concept 2 rowing machine. Like swimming, the corect technique takes a little practice, so get someone who knows what they are doing to show you. Also, like swimming, rowing is much kinder to your joints than running.

The rowing equivalent to a time trial is called a "head race" and they usually take place on rivers in the winter. One of the best known ones is the "Head of the River Race" over the championship course of 4 1/2 miles in London.

Have fun!
Bron

[Ninabike]

I started rowing with a club a few months ago. Unfortunately the time involved - the time of day when the water was good for rowing- just didn't fit into my schedule on a consistent basis. So I ended up getting a Concept 2 and that has been great. I learned the correct technique from the club instructor for erging. The on-the-water rowing is a whole other thing!! - takes a LOT of practice. Since my time is limited, I decided to spend what time I have on the bike, and erg at home on my C2. It is really great for strengthening the core.

Nina

[hellosunshine]

brilliant!im going to give it a go then,i will be limited to an indoor rower,aim to ge really stuck into it when the racing season is over.


just done a really naff race.:mad: ............maybe something to do wih racing when ive just had a dose of "delhi belly!"..........mood swings now

[tygab]

I have never rowed, but I was the coxswain (that's the boat yeller) for our uni's jv mens team for a year and it gave me an appreciation of the erg I will never let go of. The best thing is the new gym I joined has two and they are NEVER in use. Unfortunately, one appears to be in a state of disrepair, but the other is fine and now that I am already being forced indoors due to darkening days, I will be using it in my fall/winter training regimen, which will ultimately be some weirdo rotation of swimming-running-cycling-rowing. I have to figure it out exactly, lol. Anyway, used one for the first time in several years and clicked away.

The concept II is a great machine and I'd love to have one for my dream fitness room, someday. In the meanwhile, I will hoard it to myself at the gym. I don't know why more people don't use them, they are great! I love the allover workout it gives me. As for getting bored, between the ipod, my hrm, and the display telling me how fast I'm going and how far I've gone, I manage to stay entertained.

I was looking at the Concept web page and they do indoor erg racing! Sounds like something to keep things interesting.

Edit, and I should add I like to kayak too. There are run, bike, kayak tris now. I'm going to do one next year for sure, just have learned of them only recently. I think you can also make teams for them.

[Bron]

We've just moved house and at long last I have room for my concept 2! I also have much respect for these machines having spent far too much time on them over the last ten years.

The concept 2 webpage is a really good resource, for HelloSunshine, the British site is www.concept2.co.uk and there are diagrams of technique on there, training plans and details of indoor rowing competitions.

Obviously it doesn't beat actually being out in a boat, but it's an excellent workout. My tip for any beginners is not to set the resistance on the machine too high, especally when you are still getting familiar with the technique. I usually have it set at 3-4.

Bron

[hellosunshine]

the gal that won the british time trial championships this year was an ex olympic rower,rebecca romero,something like her third ever bike race!!!!!!BLIMEY,SO..............my last 2006 race was sunday and today was day one rowing,first 5mins were dullish mental struggle then BANG!i got hooked,just did 20 mins as wasnt too sure how id be after,oddly my thighs hurt more than upper body,but i do do weights and i had a bit of a shin strain for 6 hrs after,but fine now,fab!idea is to become mighty strong for the 2007 season.look up on the concept 11 website,theres pics of rowing technique,i did mine infront of a glass french door so i could check my reflection/position etc.


wow!sunday i was racing in shorts,but today,frost ans thermals,whats happened!?padded bra weather over here.

[Bron]

..my last 2006 race was sunday and today was day one rowing,first 5mins were dullish mental struggle then BANG!i got hooked,just did 20 mins as wasnt too sure how id be after,oddly my thighs hurt more than upper body,but i do do weights and i had a bit of a shin strain for 6 hrs after,but fine now,fab!idea is to become mighty strong for the 2007 season.look up on the concept 11 website,theres pics of rowing technique,i did mine infront of a glass french door so i could check my reflection/position etc.
.

Feeling that you have used your legs is good - you should be pushing off each stroke with your legs first so it sounds like you have everything right.
Do you have your own erg?
I always play music to erg to (the cheesier the better) and it really seems to help get into a rhythm especially during the first ten minutes.

Happy rowing,
Bron

[hellosunshine]

as ni do it in the garage i think my neighbours would be answering YES SHE DOES DO IT TO MUSIC!!!!!!:D

[hellosunshine]

do you lot find your max hr on a rowing machine is less than on a bike?i thought mine would be on par or even more...........its not BY ANY MEANS.........

[Bron]

do you lot find your max hr on a rowing machine is less than on a bike?i thought mine would be on par or even more...........its not BY ANY MEANS.........

Good question. My maximum heart rate is higher on the rowing machine although this could be partly because when I cycle I am generally trying to work on endurance and don´t spend that much time flat out. The other thing to remember is that if you haven´t been rowing for that long, you may still be working on getting the best technique - I´ve been rowing for over ten years now, so I don´t even need to think about how to row and can concentrate on really pushing myself hard.

I´ll wear my HRM next time I go cycling and let you know which is higher.

Bron

[summer]

the gal that won the british time trial championships this year was an ex olympic rower,rebecca romero,something like her third ever bike race!!!!!!BLIMEY,SO..............my last 2006 race was sunday and today was day one rowing,first 5mins were dullish mental struggle then BANG!i got hooked,just did 20 mins as wasnt too sure how id be after,oddly my thighs hurt more than upper body,but i do do weights and i had a bit of a shin strain for 6 hrs after,but fine now,fab!idea is to become mighty strong for the 2007 season.look up on the concept 11 website,theres pics of rowing technique,i did mine infront of a glass french door so i could check my reflection/position etc.


wow!sunday i was racing in shorts,but today,frost ans thermals,whats happened!?padded bra weather over here.


Watch that 'shin strain'. I used to have a similar problem from running (allegedly shin splints) and it came on real quick on the rower. I started to get a similar 'strain' in my shins during time trials and climbing on the bike. The verdict? Compartment syndrome. Wish I'd known that twenty years ago! I've now had it fixed surgically, am about to get back on the bike, row and even run again! If your shin pain persists on the rower, or you get it running, talk to your GP about compartment syndrome. Looks like there could be a lot of people oput there with shin strain/bruising/splints that have actually got compartment syndrome, and teh management of this is very different! In the meantime, enjoy your rowing; my husband rowed for Scotland and now seems to be able to do just about anything sporty successfully! Hate him!

[beetle]

I bought a C2 just after I had my son to get fit again and lose weight as I did a fair bit of on-the-water rowing at school and uni but can't commit to a OTW crew at the moment. I love it and though it can sometimes be a bit borring I've found the online forum (http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/index.php) (I use thhe UK one though the US one is good too) a fantastic motivating tool. There is also an online challenge (http://www.c2ctc.com/) every month that anyone can enter and suits middle of the road people like me. Or for another option the Nonathlon (http://www.nonathlon.com/) site adjusts times for varying distances for gender, weight and age to give a points score so that you don't always feel like you are comming last.

As a sort of experienced rower and new cyclist I am so excited to here that so many of you think that rowing helps your riding.

do you lot find your max hr on a rowing machine is less than on a bike?Mine is way higher on the bike but I think at the moment that is because I am pretty tense on the bike as trying to improve a lot oof technique flaws.

[Bron]

I was thinking about this again when I was erging last night, one thing that came to mind is that on the rowing machine I have pushed myself so hard at times that I fell off it at the end of a session; this just doesn't happen on the bike, so maybe it's just that I can cycle harder but haven't done so yet. Maybe my max hr on the bike would be higher.


In the meantime, enjoy your rowing; my husband rowed for Scotland and now seems to be able to do just about anything sporty successfully! Hate him!

Hey, that's cool. When did he row? I rowed for Wales in 1998 and 2000. We alway reckoned that rowers were the people who were too uncoordinated to do any other sport (watch a group of rowers doing aerobics and you'll see what I mean).

Bron

[missymaya]

Bron, I've been there too! I remember doing a piece with 2 of my rowing buddiesin college, a featherwiehgt and mens open, at 5 am. It was a 10k, 1 minute at 2k pace or faster and 30 secs off at paddle. I remember finishing and passing out along with my featherweight friend.
But with cycling, you don't pass out. Also, maybe I haven't pushed it all the way on the bike, but you don't quite feel the same pain either. I remember doing 6x 2k at race pace, or better yet, seat racing, where the pain and lactic acid was phenomanal and then fades out b/c your busting your butt to move. On the bike, it's not the same (maybe a good thing!).
I love both sports but right now, biking is much more convenient since I don't have the time to go out and row at the club. I love to bike and having a rowing background really helped me get involved. It's a great cross training tool as well. When I coached, I would bike about 15 miles to ergs, do a 30-45 min piece, coach the practice, and bike back. It definately strengthened my legs.

[summer]

I was thinking about this again when I was erging last night, one thing that came to mind is that on the rowing machine I have pushed myself so hard at times that I fell off it at the end of a session; this just doesn't happen on the bike, so maybe it's just that I can cycle harder but haven't done so yet. Maybe my max hr on the bike would be higher.



Hey, that's cool. When did he row? I rowed for Wales in 1998 and 2000. We alway reckoned that rowers were the people who were too uncoordinated to do any other sport (watch a group of rowers doing aerobics and you'll see what I mean).

Bron


It was before I met him...I think about the same time (95-99ish), when he was at Heriot's School in Edinburgh. He goes on and on about it, and they were UK champs one year as well. I'll find out more. He is hopelessly unco-ordinated (just watch him dance) but he did play rugby to a good standard, and even when he's done nothing for ages he still trounces me on the bike! He always said the rowing helped his rugby too!

[Pax]

Since I rediscovered rowing recently I thought I'd bump this up and see if anyone is erging?

I was having a hard time with my bad knee last month so I spied a Concept II in the corner of the gym and gave it a go...great workout and no knee pain!!

Yesterday I only got in 35 minutes since there are only two machines and the rowing team was using one of them, still enough to make me limp though. :D

[Velobambina]

I have been rowing, usually on days when I can't ride outside because of weather/pavement conditions.

Tracking your meters on the concept2 website is a great motivator. BTW, I'm a member of the "Million Meter Club"---I was really into rowing before I discovered cycling.

[Pax]

I have been rowing, usually on days when I can't ride outside because of weather/pavement conditions.

Tracking your meters on the concept2 website is a great motivator. BTW, I'm a member of the "Million Meter Club"---I was really into rowing before I discovered cycling.
Thanks for the heads up, I'll look at the tracking stuff tomorrow.

I found the concept2 forum today, lots of good info...it looks like my form is good but the damper on the machine at the gym was set on 10 so I'll try knocking it down a bit for now.

[VeloVT]

I rowed for a season the ahem, first time I was at school. I loved being so close to the water and going fast. Unfortunately some of the girls on the team were kind of catty and mean, and that just makes it hard...

I think people often think of rowing as primarily an upper body, "pulling" kind of motion, but so much of your power comes from your legs and core, and much of the motion is much more of a "pushing" motion. As far as back issues, it's pretty similar to the way you have to protect your back doing rowing exercises with freeweights or weight machines, by really engaging your core.

The one thing I did NOT like was the awful, painful callouses that would develop on my hands and then rip off at unexpected times, leaving raw, tender skin... We weren't allowed to wear gloves or anything on the boat, but I spent a lot of time with taped up hands on the erg.

I would love to try a single someday. I'll bet it feels like you're flying.

[Bron]

I'm still erging. Haven't done as much lately because of skiing, but I did a 30min test last night and managed to get a bit further than my last test.


I found the concept2 forum today, lots of good info...it looks like my form is good but the damper on the machine at the gym was set on 10 so I'll try knocking it down a bit for now.

I usually have it on 3-4. Even most of the heavyweight male rowers don't have it much higher than 5 or 6.

The concept 2 website also has workout ideas - varying the rate or doing interval sets which would give you more variety in your workouts.

Does anyone here use an erg with the fish game on it? Mine at home is an older model but our gym at work has it - a very silly way of warming up!

Liza, it's a shame you had a bad experience with your rowing team. I don't think it's rowing specififc - just one of those things where sometimes in life you meet great people and other times you aren't so lucky. I've had some good teams and others that have not been so much fun. Single sculling is like flying when it all goes well, but it's also a lot of work and of course there isn't the cameradierie of a crew. Quad sculling is good - the movement is all very fast and four rowers is enough to be a team but not too many that you can't organise yourselves.

[Pax]

Bron - I should have guessed about the damper setting since I followed mens rowing team. :rolleyes: The machines at the gym have that fish game, I'm going to give it a try!

[Pax]

I got a free vid from the concept2 folks, lots of good training ideas!

Had an excellent row yesterday, I finally joined the 20th century and got an i pod shuffle...now I can listen to music that doesn't utterly suck! They play mostly hip hop at the gym, it's gives me a headache (gawd I'm old). :D