New Guy-need Feedback

[[old] 52inlawschool]

Hi,<br /><br />New guy here. Proud owner of 3 month old Concept 2D PM3. Bought it in August-got used to it in September, and got serious in October. Love the machine. Here is my current weekly routine and average time for the last two months-all my work outs are on the 7 setting for resistance (or whatever function it serves):<br /><br />Weekly routine:<br />5km once-average time-2:17.8/500m<br />8km twice-average time-2:21.5/500m<br />11km twice-average time-2:25.6/500m<br /><br />Total meters rowed per week-43kmeters per week.<br /><br />I am 52 years old. Just had a rather complete physical done, with two body mass tests done-one in the water, one electric. Consensus is that if all my muscle was put in a wheelbarrow, it would weigh 220 pounds. The problem is I weigh 320-thus the rowing machine. I used to row a lot 10 years ago, and am used to long distance work outs (competed in double century masters bike rides-my fighting weight was 264. Still 6'2" tall, but interestingly, used to be 6'3". Age, sigh.<br /><br />My question of you rowing afficianados is this: I have the resistance on 7 already, and am operating within about 80% of my heart beat maximum range. Well, how am I doing, given the above. All the posts I read about times and performance stats on races don't show resistance, or I am just not used to the vernacular. I am sure that if I set the machine on 5 I could be below 2 minutes on all my workouts. So, how does one measure against others? (type A personality coming out here-I love competition, especially against myself-thus going to lawshcool at 52 after I retired.)<br /><br />I live in Northern- California-Petaluma-where all the happy cow commercials are filmed.<br /><br />I ultimately want to get back to competing in my age, weight and class (whatever the criteria is) after I lose some weight. How do i find out what the benchmarks are for strong old farts like myself?<br /><br />Anyway, thanks for reading. Anyone who rows knows the real nature of working out. The only thing more fun than rowing is cross country skiing in Jackson Hole Wyoming in a blizzard on a 25k trail. Only one way home-work!!!!<br /><br />Best wishes and good rowing,<br /><br />Dave

[[old] Citroen]

<!--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 have the resistance on 7 already, ... </td></tr></table><br /><br />The damper lever is nothing to do with resistance and everything to do with drag factor. It simply controls the amount of air that goes through the fan and therefore the speed at which the fan accelerates and decelerates during the stroke and the recovery.<br /><br />You are <u><b>NOT</b></u> trying to work up from damper lever 1 to damper lever 10 (in stages). I've been rowing <u>everything</u> with the damper set around 3 (drag factor 105). I've just started experimenting with moving it up to 5 (drag factor 124). I may just stick where I am after my experiments are complete.<br /><br />Take a look at the Row Pain, Row Gain team thread. Those folks are the 320 pounders trying to make large losses in weight. <br /><br /><a href='http://concept2.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=2008' target='_blank'>http://concept2.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=2008</a>

[[old] 52inlawschool]

<!--QuoteBegin-Citroen+Dec 3 2005, 03:37 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Citroen @ Dec 3 2005, 03:37 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--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 have the resistance on 7 already, ... </td></tr></table><br /><br />The damper lever is nothing to do with resistance and everything to do with drag factor. It simply controls the amount of air that goes through the fan and therefore the speed at which the fan accelerates and decelerates during the stroke and the recovery.<br /><br />You are <u><b>NOT</b></u> trying to work up from damper lever 1 to damper lever 10 (in stages). I've been rowing <u>everything</u> with the damper set around 3 (drag factor 105). I've just started experimenting with moving it up to 5 (drag factor 124). I may just stick where I am after my experiments are complete.<br /><br />Take a look at the Row Pain, Row Gain team thread. Those folks are the 320 pounders trying to make large losses in weight. <br /><br /><a href='http://concept2.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=2008' target='_blank'>http://concept2.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=2008</a> <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Hi,<br /><br />Thanks for the prompt and thoughtful reply. I appreciate that. <br /><br />I guess my question now is-what feedback do you get from changing the damper and raising or lowering the drag. <br />I just checked my drag at my normal 8km workout pace, and it hovers around 140-144 when damper set at 7. When I move the damper to 1, the drag at the same reps and pace goes down to 83, and the workout feels much easier. So, am I missing something here, or is there a relationship between the energy required, given a set pace, to row with a drag factor of 140 then 83?<br /><br />Hope I am sounding like a dummy, but after reading about drag, I still have this feeling that the higher the number setting, the harder the workout given a set pace. Thanks for your help, and I will switch over to the heavy weights. I am actually built like a linebacker, but never really like team sports. Strictly a solo competitor.<br /><br />Dave

[[old] Citroen]

<!--QuoteBegin-52inlawschool+Dec 3 2005, 05:31 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(52inlawschool @ Dec 3 2005, 05:31 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br />Hope I am sounding like a dummy, but after reading about drag, I still have this feeling that the higher the number setting, the harder the workout given a set pace. Thanks for your help, and I will switch over to the heavy weights. I am actually built like a linebacker, but never really like team sports. Strictly a solo competitor.<br /><br />Dave <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Think about the Tour de France. There's two elite cyclists Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong. They are both going to climb L'Alpe D'Huez in double quick time. <br /><br />Armstrong will do it in a small gear (maybe even his middle ring) with a cadence of 105 revs per minute on the bike. Ullrich will have it in a big gear (big chain ring, small sprocket) and climb the same hill with a 75 cadence.<br /><br />If they were on an erg; Lance has the damper set on level 3, Ullrich has the damper on 10. (Assuming we ignore things like weight and height.)<br /><br />To pull 2000m in seven minutes takes the same number of watts of energy regardless of drag. So you choose whether you want it to feel light and row with a high cadence (which is strokes per minute) or feel heavy and row with a lower strokes per minute. <br /><br />You have to experiment, to find the drag that is comfortable. It depends on your height, weight, fitness, endurance vs strength.

[[old] Galt]

That is a really good analogy.<br /><br />In short, the computer on the erg compensates for whatever damper setting (drag factor) you row at.<br /><br />Just like the gears on those bikes, you get less credit for a spin of the fan (spin of the pedals) at a lower damper setting than a higher damper setting.<br /><br />You can row easier and faster or harder and slower. A drag factor of 140 is on the upper end of the generally recimmended range as far as I know. You miight try going lower, as it should help you to develop a better rowing technique.