Just Started Rowing Yesterday!

[[old] Montclair Vagabond]

Hello everyone, I just bought a model d on a semi-impulse (3 days of perusing these forums helped me pull the trigger) and received it yesterday. I have no prior rowing experience and have a few questions. <br /><br />Quick background: 30 yr old male, 185lb, 5'11", long arm span (monkey arms), in average shape but with very athletic quadriceps. I weight-train 3 times a week with what for me are heavy weights. I have at best average CV ability (on a 3 month jogging kick last year my best aroebic run was 3 miles in 30 minutes). Rowing is hopefully going to be a way for me to improve myself in that regard.<br /><br />1. As noted above, I have long arms for my height. Will or should that affect my form?<br /><br />2. After two sessions on the rower at damper setting 3, I'm having trouble giving my legs a workout. I don't bend my arms until legs are almost fully locked (and vice versa), but still feel like my arms are getting more of a workout here. I might simply need more time to get a proper "feel" for initiating a powerful stroke with my legs but wonder if perhaps my legs are too strong for damper setting 3?<br /><br />3. My back's always been suspect. It goes "out" to varying degrees once every few months. Anytime I shovel or even rake I worry greatly about getting a kink the next day. After each of my two sessions on the rower, my lower back developed a minor dull ache, the kind you get if you've been sitting with bad posture for a long time. I'm pretty sure I've been keeping it straight though. Is this just a matter of my back getting used to the machine perhaps?<br /><br />That's it for now, sorry for the rambling length of this post!<br />

[[old] Citroen]

<!--QuoteBegin-Montclair Vagabond+Oct 2 2005, 08:29 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Montclair Vagabond @ Oct 2 2005, 08:29 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->That's it for now, sorry for the rambling length of this post! <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />We've seen longer posts.<br /><br />These are the links we normally give to the noobie folks on the UK C2 Forums:<br /><br /><a href='http://www.concept2.com/05/training/tra ... factor.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.concept2.com/05/training/tra ... asp</a><br /><br /><a href='http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7179' target='_blank'>http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... 179</a><br /><br /><a href='http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... 027#115027' target='_blank'>http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... 027</a><br /><br /><a href='http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... light=drag' target='_blank'>http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... rag</a><br /><a href='http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7045' target='_blank'>http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... 045</a><br /><br />Hope that helps.<br />

[[old] Montclair Vagabond]

Thank you very much. Those links are very informative and have given me a lot to digest. Plus I didn't realize there was a completely separate UK forum! I could probably spend weeks on these two boards alone, but can anyone tell me if there are any other significant indoor rowing forums out there?

[[old] Byron Drachman]

<!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I'm having trouble giving my legs a workout. </td></tr></table> <br /><br />This was discussed recently, but I don't remember where the thread is. Mel submitted a posting that really helped me. I saved it so let me paste his posting here:<br /><br /><!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Ok, well, my take is probably a bit contradictory with some bits of what Pete wrote, so hold onto your hats!<br /><br />Agree about getting the recovery right - body needs to be prepared before you reach the catch.<br /><br />It really then depends on what the problem is that you're having with the leg drive. In order to complete the diagnosis you need to understand the concept of connection. When you are in the drive phase of the stroke, you are basically attached to the machine by two points: your hands and your feet. Your body forms a linkage between the two. The instant this strong linkage is destroyed, you will no longer be getting power out of your leg muscles effectively into the handle.<br /><br />You need to feel this connection all the way through the drive therefore.<br /><br />Anyway, if you are getting connected correctly, but feel that you aren't driving strongly enough, then follow Pete's advice. However far more likely is that you are not getting connected. A few ideas:<br /><br />Use a length of rope wrapped round the handle and chain guard (vertical bit below the monitor) to fix the handle at the catch. Then push with your legs to lift your bum about an inch off the seat (no more). Now hold the position for up to a minute. Do not let your bum rise any higher, or let your bum move backwards away from your heels. This is what being connected feels like. Leave your arms straight - if you bend your arms you will sit back down.<br /><br />Then put the damper right up on 10 and row at quite a low rate (16-18). Don't hurry out of frontstops. Try and get the feeling of being light on your seat before you let the seat move away from your heels. You'll need to time the change of direction quite well to do this. Don't worry about being quick through the drive - it's not important.<br /><br />Then drop the damper back to 3-4 and try and row without using any muscular effort at all. Just hook your weight onto the handle and then let your bodyweight take you backwards. As an extension to this, when you get to 2/3 of the drive done, just put a tiny blip of muscular force in to accelerate the legs and back through to the finish of the stroke together.<br /><br />Then just build it up from there, but always keep connecting first! No matter how fast you're going (other than a 100m sprint!) it's very rare that you see people coming out of frontstops too slowly.<br /><br />Mel<br /> </td></tr></table> <br /><br />If you are new to rowing, Xeno Muller (at gorow.com) has some nice training DVD's. They're all different and they are great fun. You row along with Xeno or Lucas. A friend of mine who has been erging for about half a year watched Xeno's technique DVD while using a C2, and I could see his technique improve as he rowed along and did the drills.<br /><br />Xeno suggests watching yourself in a mirror that is placed in front. The only thing I would add is that every once in a while you could put it to the side and see if you are holding your back well supported and straight, and if you are bending at the hips, not waist, and if you are keeping your forward lean during the first part of the drive. If you start the body swing too early in the drive, you can strain your lower back. <br /><br />Byron<br /><br />

[[old] michaelb]

Turn on the force curve on the display on the PM3. You want a nice sudden acceleration at the start of the pull (all with the legs) that should result in what is called here a "left leaning haystack". In addition to the other tips, that should give you a clue if you are engaging your legs quickly enough.

[[old] Montclair Vagabond]

I'm quickly discovering that there's a lot more to this exercise than I initially thought, but suspect that after a week or so of consistent use I'll have a much better feel for stroke power. Thanks for all the replies.

[[old] Yeischkob]

I thought I would add a reply here since just today (after a few weeks of rowing) I finally got that "connected" feel that Mel's post to Byron explains. I was actually thinking about that post (which I had read last week or so) while I was rowing, and on one recovery, I just said to myself, "Self, stay 'up' on the next drive." <br /><br />I kept my posture better and envisioned myself standing myself up on the footrests at the beginning of the next drive and WHAM--7 or 8 seconds off my pace without even really trying. I have the sensation that I am letting my body weight take the chain. Or that I am "hanging," as one post once put it.<br /><br />Also, for the first time I feel like I finally got my legs into it. That is a good sign, I figure.<br /><br />Much work on technique to go, but it feels GREAT to have hit this part of it all the sudden.<br /><br />The best part about being a beginner is the huge gains you make. <br /><br />Nick<br />

[[old] c2jonw]

Regarding the back question (I used to have trouble with mine going "out" on occasion), keep in mind that rowing is an activity that works your back muscles. So it will provide you with improved strength in that area, but early on you may have soreness simply as a result of working muscles that have been relatively dormant. So take it easy, stretch, learn the technique and keep the drag factor low. Welcome to the group and good luck........JonW @C2