Shifting Rowing Machine @ 500M

[TurboMcKwek]

Yesterday I did an attempt to beat my personal best at the 500 meter.
Ik was on a schedule for 1.24 and I am sure this time would have been on my screen if the following thing didn`d happen:
when I wanted to accelerate in the last 200m the rowing machine started to shift a little bit on the ground! This happened when I really added some extra power to my stroke. Due to this I lost power in my stroke and I got out of my rhytm. So `only` a disappointing 1.26.3 was the result.

My question: is it recommended to pin the Concept 2 machine stuck to the ground? (when you are going really fast on the 500m). How is this at your gym? Of course for the 2000m, such a thing isn`t necessary.
It was the first time it happened to me.
Or is it maybe just wrong technique?

Hope to hear from you...

Best regards,

[Citroen]

Short term fix: wrap gaffer/duck/duct tape round the feet, give it a twist so that the sticky side is out, two more turns then rip. Put the rower on the floor and stand on it. The gaffer tape is good enough to stop it moving too much (as long as the floor isn't too dusty when you stick it down).

Long term fix: learn not to shove your mass into the front as you row. The rower moves because of your momemtum at the transition from recovery to catch/drive. If it's going backwards you're losing power on the drive and shoving your mass into backstops again a technique trouble. You and the handle should be stationary at the end of the stroke as you start the recovery.

Folks like Rob Smith (1:15.9) gets someone to stand on the front and back of the ergo for the first few strokes but then his technique for 500m (and shorter distances) doesn't make the ergo move too much at all once he's off and sprinting.

[NavigationHazard]

What Citroen says is valid. Still, if the floor under the erg is sufficiently slick, even the best technique may still yield some sliding.

Simple recommendations:

1) depending on the gym and the floor, temporarily duct tape the erg in place.

2) try putting a rubber non-stick shower or under-carpet mat under both ends of the erg. You can get them at Ikea.

3) borrow a couple of 25 kg weight plates from the free-weight area and use them (flat) to brace the back leg of the erg.

4) get someone to hold the erg down the next time you try for a sprint PB.

[TurboMcKwek]

Thanks for your reply and interesting tips, guys

I was wondering: what resistance (or drag factor) is Rob Smith using? It looks like it`s heavy since he doesn`t do full strokes(his knees aren`t that high when he moves forward?) and his freqency isn`t that high.

For the 500m I use a drag factor of approx. 125 (which is resistance 4 at the Concept 2 at my gym). I am 97kg. Is this an optimal setting?

Best regards,

[Citroen]

I was wondering: what resistance (or drag factor) is Rob Smith using? It looks like it`s heavy since he doesn`t do full strokes(his knees aren`t that high when he moves forward?) and his freqency isn`t that high.

At Basingstoke for the 300m and 100m competitions it was a clean machine on damper 8 around 180df. He pulled 13.8s for the 100m having done 41.6 for 300m.

You're welcome to come to Basingstoke for the next competition I'm running on 9th April 2011 (we're not that far from Heathrow or Southampton airports ash clouds permitting).

[PaulG]

when I wanted to accelerate in the last 200m the rowing machine started to shift a little bit on the ground!

I'm interested, was the erg shifting forwards or backwards? I sometimes have a forward shift in sprints. Somehow I think a forward shift is less detrimental to your time, as long as it happens at the start of the drive. At least in a forward shift the flywheel is accelerating away from you as start the drive. Sort of like erging on very sticky slides. However, you are expending energy overcoming the friciton between the erg and the floor that would be better spent in just accelerating the flywheel.

[TurboMcKwek]

At Basingstoke for the 300m and 100m competitions it was a clean machine on damper 8 around 180df. He pulled 13.8s for the 100m having done 41.6 for 300m.

Wow! So maybe I can go even faster because 125 as drag factor isn`t that optimal for a 500m (altough for a bit it`s a personal thing of course). What would be a general recommended setting for the 500m? (regarding my weight of 98kg)

You're welcome to come to Basingstoke for the next competition I'm running on 9th April 2011 (we're not that far from Heathrow or Southampton airports ash clouds permitting).

I would love to! A perfect goal to train for

when I wanted to accelerate in the last 200m the rowing machine started to shift a little bit on the ground!

I'm interested, was the erg shifting forwards or backwards? I sometimes have a forward shift in sprints. Somehow I think a forward shift is less detrimental to your time, as long as it happens at the start of the drive. At least in a forward shift the flywheel is accelerating away from you as start the drive. Sort of like erging on very sticky slides. However, you are expending energy overcoming the friciton between the erg and the floor that would be better spent in just accelerating the flywheel.

The shifting was in a forward direction. The most detrimental thing in my opinion was the loss of concentration and rhytm.

Best regards,

[TurboMcKwek]

Yesterday I was rowing in a gym where 4 Concept 2 machines were lined up in a row. I took place on the one most to the right. The underground was a kind of parquet flooring. I started rowing a 2000 meters, just at average speed, nothing special. But I soon discovered that at every stroke the rowing machine was moving slightly to the front. Just a centimeter or something.
After five and a half minutes I noted that my rowing machine had moved 2 and a half meters to the front! The machine came to a standstill to the wall in front of me.

Any suggestions for a recommended drag factor for a 500M race?

Best regards,

[heptasyllabic]

For 1min, 100m, and 10stroke tests, my coach just lines the ergs up facing against the wall so they can't fly forward at all. For longer tests we just have someone stand on the front for the first few hundred metres. I officiated an ergatta last weekend for high schoolers and some of those teenage boys would have gone flying forward if someone hadn't held them! Some of them even seemed to be moving backwards...?

[hjs]

Yesterday I was rowing in a gym where 4 Concept 2 machines were lined up in a row. I took place on the one most to the right. The underground was a kind of parquet flooring. I started rowing a 2000 meters, just at average speed, nothing special. But I soon discovered that at every stroke the rowing machine was moving slightly to the front. Just a centimeter or something.
After five and a half minutes I noted that my rowing machine had moved 2 and a half meters to the front! The machine came to a standstill to the wall in front of me.

Any suggestions for a recommended drag factor for a 500M race?

Best regards,

Nothing is, if you are strong and can handle a high drag use it, but to high is not good for your back and often makes you slow down to much in the latter stages.
You have to find out yourself, in general most people use a higher drag on the short stuff compared to there normal 2k drag.

[pushandpull]

Oh yes, the curse of the 'kangarooing' rower!

As a 500m sprinter I had mulled this over and I thought I had the answer, and placed a 20K weight on the front to stop it, but then realised it was still going forward and the weight was heading over the balcony and onto the muscle men below!

I take note of the replies to this problem ~ thanks.

As a side issue, can anyone tell me about the awesome Rob Smith ~ age, height, weight, please?

And weight training exercises/reps I could do specific for the 500 please?

Richard.

(51 yrs, 5'10", 1.34.6....dreaming of sub 1.30!)

[hjs]

Oh yes, the curse of the 'kangarooing' rower!

As a 500m sprinter I had mulled this over and I thought I had the answer, and placed a 20K weight on the front to stop it, but then realised it was still going forward and the weight was heading over the balcony and onto the muscle men below!

I take note of the replies to this problem ~ thanks.

As a side issue, can anyone tell me about the awesome Rob Smith ~ age, height, weight, please?

And weight training exercises/reps I could do specific for the 500 please?

Richard.

(51 yrs, 5'10", 1.34.6....dreaming of sub 1.30!)

http://concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=20559