Rowing

[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.

[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. 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).