I Row Ergo I Am

Get to be an internationally ranked rower

Elizabeth — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:59:09 +0000

By chance I rowed an even 4 min. and when I uploaded it to my online log via Concept2, I was informed that I was now ranked 16 (last) among age 40-50 year old women at the 4 min. dash. Actually I wasn’t dashing. So then I tried to dash and get ranked for something more interesting than “the 4 min.” so I went for “the 500m dash”. However, because I am not familiar enough with my rowing machine monitor options, I of course dashed a little past the 500 m. By my estimate if I can be ranked for the 500m it will be VERY close, although possible for me to just rank last at position 50. First I have to figure out how to set the machine to only record the 500m. Today was also a big record for me, in that I rowed the farthest in one day that I have ever rowed = 5452m. I am hoping to participate in the Halloween online challenge via Concept 2′s site.

Rowing is a great way to be with your body

Elizabeth — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:44:37 +0000

I am quickly learning that rowing is full body experience and a great way to be with your body. My fingers are even tired! I notice the muscles in my neck, shoulder, biceps, triceps, traps, obliques, abs, gluts, hams, calves and ankles. Seems like everything except my toes and face muscles are getting the very most fantastic subtle workout of their lives! Rowing is rhythmic and it is almost like a dance. There is a sweet spot like in tennis when everything is working together. And it is meditative as you think about all parts of your body – sitting up tall, relaxing and lowering your shoulders, not over reaching in the catch, keeping a lose grip, timing everything. My favorite things are you can get very focused on all of this, feel a whole body workout, without danger of crashing, and without having to work around weather or traffic. Another thrilling experience for me is my new found connection with the lake I walk by everyday. Someday I want to go on a real rowing boat on the water! It is nice to have this dream. I would enjoy rowing on a team and just rowing a big row boat with family and friends on our way to a picnic.

Sometimes I imagine I am on the water and then sometimes if my muscles suddenly feel very tired, I am so glad I am not out in the middle of a lake somewhere, I know I can just stop. I am hoping the next time I do get on the water I feel stronger and less fear like – oh my gosh we have to row all the way back to the car or home. Mostly I am just loving the feeling of confidence you get when you feel connected to your body in a good way. Everything is a little tired all day and I can notice that I must be getting stronger everywhere. And it’s so easy, the rowing machine is right there in the house and you pick your pace and how hard you pull. When you pull harder the resistance goes up. It also inspired the cleaning up of our spare bedroom, which is now the meditation-rowing-daybed spare bedroom.
Just have to mention the title of this post is a quote from some of the Concept 2 training materials-Thanks Concept 2 for all your great work!

the ergo is inclusive

Elizabeth — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:40:47 +0000

People living with disabilities row on ergs in competitions. Here is a link on adapting your erg. Apparently a three year old can even row on the Concept 2! Amazing, the foot adjustments fit her and she got going right away quite naturally. I don’t know yet if it is something she will want to do, still it apparently is an option. When you pull on the handle, if you pull lightly and slowly the resistance is very light. If you pull hard and fast it is increasingly difficult resistance and then you can also change the damper…oops I just had to retype “damper” over diaper. Anyway that must be why you also see both huge strong people on these machines and 7,000 kids show up for the BIRC. And of course there are tons of videos with seniors rowing away in competitions! This is an international, cross-generational, multi-ability phenomenon. The Mother of Women’s rowing, Ernestine “Ernie” (Steppacher) Bayer was still rowing at 91, see her story: http://www.row2k.com/news/news.cfm?ID=25792

Here is a great interview quote from a Concept 2 webpage:”My name is Ernestine Bayer, I’ll be 91 next month. I’ve been rowing since 1938. My husband was a silver medal Olympian (they were beaten by the English). Today I have an old ocean shell and I can row along and look at the scenery and eat my lunch. It’s been a wonderful life. Everybody should exercise—I know it gets harder as you get older. But I still exercise four times a week. Women are smarter in this way. A man thinks that if he’s strong in his 20′s, 30′s and 40′s that he’ll be strong forever. But they aren’t, they go downhill. I saw it happen in my husband—it probably made me feel even stronger about exercising. [turning to the male interviewer] It goes in one ear and out the other doesn’t it?!

At the end of the interview our camerawoman comments “you are beautiful” and Ernestine laughs her off saying, “I would rather you say I was an excellent oarswoman”.

Concept 2 PM3 Monitor

Elizabeth — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:10:28 +0000

The monitor is crazy amazing. It even has training, how-to information. It includes an animation of a rower you can watch while you row and it will give you tips in text under the animation. The tips change while you row watching the animation. You can pick a language, contrast, text size, display format, routines etc. You can download all your workout data onto your computer with the cable that COMES WITH the machine. We can’t even get our cell phones to come with that and we pay big bucks monthly for the cell phone. Everything about this machine is smooth flowing and easy to use.

First Row on the Concept 2 ergo indoor rowing machine

Elizabeth — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:32:52 +0000

The Concept 2 showed up within a week (yesterday) and it is unbelievably quiet!! In fact in the very next room people didn’t even know I had started using it and the door was open. It is so quiet. I think the older models were louder. Visually it takes up very little space because it is so skinny and (I think) pretty. I watched some more training videos before my first row, on YouTube and decided Concept 2′s website had the best video for starting out. I followed their instructions about resisting the temptation to go 30 min. in one row and starting out by doing a few 3 min. rows with resting in between. The videos I have been watching over the past few days really helped. Everyone had something useful to say even if their technique wasn’t perfect. Sometimes the comments on their training video in YouTube helped by reaffirming for me that I wasn’t seeing things, that in fact that technique was a little off, etc.

When I sat down on the machine the technique really stayed in my head, however there was a lot to think about. You have to keep from grasping the rower handle to hard, keep your shoulders relaxed somewhat and down, don’t over reach, wait to bend your knees until your hands go past them on the recovery, shins perpendicular to the ground (no further) on the catch, pull the handle into your lower ribs (not too high or low), arms hand straight on the drive back until after the legs push, etc.

I had to stay focused and slow the whole three minutes. In that way it was a bit of a meditation. After the third three minute time I got the sense that I was only touching the tip of the iceberg in terms of flow and power and really I think there is going to be a sweet spot that it is possible to hit. When you hit the sweet spot on the tennis racket the entire swing is transformed, something kind of magical happens, I don’t know how to explain it. I get the sense this can be the case with a good row. I also could see it all happening on the water too. Maybe I will discover it as a kind of art, like painting a brush stroke with your body.

I didn’t want to imagine trying to learn all of this for the first time while I was on the water in a sinking racing rowboat (I hear they sink easily, is that true?). That seems impossible to learn enjoyably, even for me, and I have always been a natural athlete. Maybe that is why boat houses for rowing always have ergs.

While I have read rowing is 85% legs, for me, just getting my back in shape for the first time, it feels like ALL back and arms. I am touching muscles I didn’t know were there. Just as years ago when I worked out in the gym – it is the exact same feeling for my back right now (the next morning). Like I had a very even back workout that didn’t involve any straining and reached the tiniest muscles all over the back, shoulders and arms. Rowing is not like free weights where variation does happen, at least when you lift the weights to get started. Rowing on an erg you pull the handle and the seat moves in the identical space every single time. It is much more difficult to get an injury with an erg.

It was amazing how gracefully and fluid the machine itself flowed and quietly. It also put together in a snap and weighs about 60 pounds. It has wheels and is very easy to move. Unlike our monster elliptical which stays where it stays. It came with manuals and a dvd. It is a very impressive machine that feels very very solid and solid in a nice friendly gentle way. The wheel motion is safe, it would be impossible to even stick a pencil in the thin slats on the side.

Rowing on it reminded me a little of spinning wool on a spinning wheel. Except instead of using a peddle to spin the wheel you pull. It is a lovely experience and I can see how it could get anyone’s back, arms and neck very strong.

Maybe I can join the million mile club. Lastly, the Concept 2 erg came with mac friendly software that includes a logbook and a cable for downloading data from the erg (erg or ergo is a nickname for rowing machine) monitor onto your computer – great : ). You can even swing it into a Excel spreadsheet. Happy erging!!

Scull rowing videos

Elizabeth — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:58:03 +0000

Sculling in the city (on the escalator, subway, parks, squares, etc.):

Sculling on ice:

Training resources in PDF: http://www.concept2.com/us/training/resources.asp

Favorite Technique video: http://www.concept2.co.uk/company/videogallery.php?video=technique

Concept 2 video collection

Welcome

Elizabeth — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:33:56 +0000

I ordered my first rowing machine (Concept 2) early August 2009 and am brand new to it all. I frequently see rowers in the morning on my walk by the lake to work. RIght now I am doing some research and posting it here to help get started. I want to send out a big giant thanks to everyone for publishing their videos, pdfs, training resources online for free, they have been very helpful and fun.