Concept2 Forum

Hi all, <br /><br />How does everyone do it? Even a quick 20 minute erg workout balloons in size to at least double that when you factor in warm-up, stretching, cool-down, more stretching. Then if you want to add in just a couple strength training sessions per week, you have to do the same for those. And then, if you want to get adequate rest and plan meals at the right times before and after exercise, a simple routine can quickly consume all the waking non-work time in the day.<br /><br />Any one have tricks they found have helped when fitting it all in with spouse, house, work, etc?<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Rich

<!--QuoteBegin-richkrz+Mar 28 2005, 12:50 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(richkrz @ Mar 28 2005, 12:50 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi all, <br /><br />How does everyone do it?  Even a quick 20 minute erg workout balloons in size to at least double that when you factor in warm-up, stretching, cool-down, more stretching.  Then if you want to add in just a couple strength training sessions per week, you have to do the same for those.  And then, if you want to get adequate rest and plan meals at the right times before and after exercise, a simple routine can quickly consume all the waking non-work time in the day.<br /><br />Any one have tricks they found have helped when fitting it all in with spouse, house, work, etc?<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Rich <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Try fitting it into "dead" time -- a lunch break at work, time between the end of work/school and dinner, after dinner before bed, early in the morning before work/school. Another option -- instead of that ever-lengthening 20 minute erg -- why not just hop right into a 40 minute piece? Warm up through the first few minutes, settle for 35 into a good rhythm, and cool down at the end of it. You feel sooo much more productive, and get a comparable physiological benefit.<br />

I started first-thing-a.m. workouts a week and a half ago, and so far that's worked brilliantly. I looked at my training log this weekend and realized I'd rowed more in Week 13 than I had in any other week all season, but it feels as though I've been taking it easy. One thing about morning workouts, though: I'm slow as a slug at 5:45a.m., and my heart rate is higher for a given pace than it does in the evening (or that's my impression, anyway — I don't have an HRM). No matter; I've decided to do slow, steady, put-in-the-meters sessions in the morning. I add a little interval work in the evening if I'm so inclined.<br /><br />I'm perfectly happy rowing on an empty stomach, which makes mornings easier. I know some on the board don't approve of that approach, but rowing before breakfast beats NOT rowing after, in my book.<br /><br />I'm not exactly sunshine and pep in the morning, which probably works to my advantage: my brain is too tired to protest the physical activity. It was the same when I used to swim a couple miles every morning. I swear I'd doze off mid-lap. Never crashed into the wall, though, so I guess I must've been partially conscious...

My workouts are as essential as daily grooming in my life. I'll let other obligations go before I let my workout go. An hour a day. It's the biggest gift I give myself. Most days, it's the hour between work and whatever happens next (grocery shopping, or community meetings, or cooking dinner) about 3:30 PM. Somedays it's first thing in the morning (5:30 or 6:00 AM), if I am looking at a fearsome schedule for the rest of the day. I've even come home late from a meetings at 8:30 or 9:00 at night, and pulled a gentle 8K (ok, not an hour, but something, anyway.) <br /><br />

Just thank goodness that you get to have a machine handy. A bit different than having to get to a body of water for the real thing. But hey, no-one said it was easy. <br /><br />The great suggestions here are to include your warm-up, get to it right away, and don't forget the personal grooming. <br /><br />Not sure on the "dead time" one, as I'm not exactly sure what "dead time" is, if I did, maybe I wouldn't have much trouble fitting in the workouts.<br /><br />Oh and finally, get the family involved and workout together if possible, then everyone is busy and not waiting for you.<br /><br />Cheers!

i've dropped the personal grooming. now i can row all i want, and no one ever seems to bother me....<br /><br />af

Of course, it's not easy. Being dedicated is important but being a bit selfish is as well. <br /> <br />My goal is five workouts per week. I do three before work (T, W & F) and one on each day of the weekend. I wake up early (6:25)and get into the clothes I laid out the night before [a visual incentive to not roll over]. I have the erg set up in the basement which makes the commute a snap. I erg 1250 meters to warm up and then do a 15 minute stretching routine. I usually erg 5K and then cool down with another 1250 and quick set of core exercises. I'm generally out of the house by 8:15 and at my desk around 9:00.<br /><br />On the weekends, it is more flexible with workouts during any free block of time and sometimes structured around watch sports on TV. These workouts have the same warm-up, cool-down and stretch but the "piece" is usally 7500 meters plus.<br /><br />Importantly, try to set up a scheduel for yourself and don't beat yourself up if you can't get a workout done. You need to develop something that work for you over the long term. I've been adhering to mine for nearly 5 years.<br /><br />BTW, the integrated warm-up/cool-down is a big time saver. I tend not to do that because I don't like to stretch cold. It also makes measurement and tracking of the core piece more difficult.<br /><br />Good luck,<br /><br />Neil<br />M/LW/US/38

I just skip that sleeping thing <br /><br />David<br />

Finding time in your life to erg depends on what you do for a living and what other priorities you have in life. If your retired, a student, run your own business, or working in a cruisy job with a government or educational institution, then generally you would have more time to erg than everyone else.<br /><br />Those that have time, can afford to do junk meters, usually getting hooked and wasting it chasing numbers which for them just seem to get bigger and bigger. It can be 100,00 meters in one session or begin with 1 million meters in one season and ballooning from there, it matters not, because they have gone beyond the necessity of erging for fitness or weight loss.<br /><br />Then there are those with demanding jobs, young families or more varied interests or imagination in life than to spend too much precious time on a machine that inflicts pain and goes nowhere. For them every meter counts, so rowing intensity is high with a view for quick results with quality rather than quantity.<br /><br />I myself haven't erged for about a week now due to other sporting interests, some of which involved my young family, but from past experiences my erg fitness would not have suffered. Also for over a week I haven't turned on the computer to check this forum. I made an attempt last week but while I was "booting up" my two year old son jumped on my back wanting to play wrestle on the floor. Hearing the noise it wasn't long before my seven year old daughter joined in. Somehow spending precious time on the computer visiting this forum didn't seem important anymore.<br /><br />Despite all my varied interests and duties in life I eventually find time to erg and make the most of those opportunites.........and love it.<br /><br />However, I must go now because I can hear my wife yelling at me if I've finished painting that fence yet.<br /><br /><i>Keep it smooth, keep it relaxed<br />Roland Baltutis</i>

Hey Roland,<br /><br />Don't go getting judgemental on us!<br /><br />It matters not what people do for a living, how many kids they have or if they turn the computer on once a day or month. If they fork out the money to buy or access a C2 erg, it matters that they actually get on it and row.<br /><br />Motivation and commitment are the keys to long-term routine change. Some people get hooked on it, sure. There are a whole lot of worse things to be hooked on than a rowing erg.<br /><br />I'm on the erg to improve my health after years of neglect working in my own business 12+ hours a day for 30 years. It's the first success of many failed attempts to introduce routine exercise into my day, and long may it continue. I'm enjoying it, and the results are great. I've lost weight, gained fitness and a bit of muscle. <br /><br />C2's motivational program is not pitched 'too hard' for anyone (Holiday Challenge, March Madness, etc), but is a motivation to plug in an extra km or two for a lot of people. It's one of the reasons I bought a C2 over the other brands - there is a culture of after-sales support and motivation at C2 that is an example for the sports equipment industry.<br /><br />Isn't it great that we both get what we want/need out of our rowers? <br /><br />Michael

if you have kids and other home responsibilities, i think the key is getting in your rows either early in the morning, instead of taking a lunch break, or perhaps just before you go home. i get up at about 430 and drink coffee and have a little bit to eat. then i can usually get on the erg by 545 or so and be off by 630, doing a 10K with no warmup. i work at a university hospital, right near the university gym, so i ride my bike in to work and then shower and change. sometimes i will ride in and then row, which always gives me better times. maybe 3 times/week i will go at lunch time for a quick 10K or 30 minute piece- including showering etc this takes just over an hour. then i eat at my desk. i find that it is almost impossible to tear myself away from my wife and kids to row if they are around. what keeps me motivated? well, i've lost about 30 lbs since i started this, and now have times that are respectable enough that i can post them without embarassment. and the rowing has done great things for my endurance in the kayak (my main outdoor activity). this has got to be the best "bang for your buck" exercise-wise, if you have real world obligations as well.<br /><br />andrew

I'm really struggling with fitting everything in right now. This whole year I've found that really the only time that works for me to row is in the evening, because I'm on the run too much during the day, and first thing in the morning I'm not flexible enough to row without hurting my back. My youngest kid is 15 and I'm only home schooling her for 3 courses now, so in the time that freed up I'm now working 25+ hours a week. My other passion is violin and trying to keep up with the music for two orchestras. So now I get up at 6:45, do school with my daughter until she goes off to her other classes, run to work (supposed to be 12--4:30) but never get home until around 5:30, then have to dirve my kids to places to be there at 6:00, so dinner is usually gobbled frantically, get myself to rehearsal or whatever I'm supposed to be doing (4 nights a week), then home around 9:30 and practice until midnight, then row. So I'm getting about 4 or 5 workouts in a week. Sometimes they are junk meters ("mixed junk" which means I do about 10K at various speeds and with stops) but at least twice a week I do real planned thing, intervals or a set distance for time. Usually bedtime ends up being well after 1 AM.<br /><br />I'm pooped, but I'll take it a bit easier when the season ends and start doing some outside stuff--biking mostly, and lighten up on the erg during the summer.<br />

Thanks for the advice everyone!<br /><br />I guess my big problem is that with my OCD tendencies, I let a simple workout routine consume most of my non-work and non-sleep hours. Early morning workouts work best for scheduling for me, but I still struggle for the energy to do them with decent intensity/duration most of the time (sleep problems). <br /><br />I guess I have to learn to cut myself some slack and realize it's ok to have a subpar workout once in a while, and just come back again the next day to go at it again.<br /><br />~Rich

<!--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-->run your own business </td></tr></table><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-->then generally you would have more time to erg than everyone else. </td></tr></table><br /><br />Obviously Roland does not run his own business, it is certainly not a 9 to 5 job!<br /><br /><br />GW

But!! Either exercise is a priority or it is not, there is no such thing as "not enough time to exercise".