Looking for a Plan........

[mike.letour]

After many false starts, I am ready to get rowing and get fit.

Background: Male, 55, 6'4" 260 lbs, waaay out of shape, but basically intact (no chronic health or joint issues).

I used to row for fitness, the last time I did it regularly was maybe 18 years ago. I was not fast, but I enjoyed doing 5ks, and my PB at the time was 18:20. I weighed about 215 back then.

So, I need a plan to start rowing. I was thinking of just trying for 3 5k rows a week at a gentle pace. Does this make sense, or should I set my sights lower and start with 2k? My cardio fitness is probably about 2.5 out of 10.

Thanks for any suggestions. Sorry if this has been asked before. I have been going through threads, and I haven't found anything quite on point yet.

Also, are there any groups that I might connect with with members in similar situations? I'm an ex US Army Paratrooper, and I think finding a group would be a great motivator for me.

Thanks again.

Mike

[Ombrax]

Hi Mike,

Congratulations for your decision to get "back in the saddle."

My first comment is that you should do whatever your body allows, but with that in mind, if your primary goals are to 1) lose some weight, and 2) improve overall fitness (in whatever order you care to put them) then I think you should try to go for longer distances than 5k.

The key to weight loss on the erg is kilometers, and plenty of them. Start at 2k-5k if that's where your body is now, but do your best to push that (gradually over time) to at least 10k. Slow your pace, if necessary, but the more time you put on the rower the easier it will be to do 5, 7.5, then 10k. And that's what it takes to burn the calories.

And don't forget, diet is just as important, and probably even more important - it's easier to not have to burn off an extra, say, 750 calories a day, than it is to burn them off via exercise.

Good Luck

[mike.letour]

Thanks for the tips. I agree about the eating, and have been on a weight loss plan for about two weeks now. I knew I wanted to get that straight before starting to row.

And you're absolutely correct, I think, that 10k should be my goal distance, at least until I lose the weight.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

Mike

[mict450]

Great that you've made the choice to a healthier lifestyle! With your background & your height, you should do well on the erg. Agree with everything Ombrax said. Separate in your mind "fitness" from "losing weight". They can be one & the same, but as we get older they are distinct & discrete. Otherwise, we have a tendency to either consciously or otherwise, reward ourselves for being such good boys for all the K's we're erging. For a workout plan, I would recommend the WOD on the Concept 2 website. Good luck on your journey.

[mike.letour]

Thanks, Eric! I'm looking forward to my fitness journey. I will check out the WOD.

[Slothful1]

Hi Mike

You're making all the right moves to turn this into a regular habit, so good luck with the long and rewarding journey ahead.

If you can't find a specific enough training group for your needs, you're welcome to join the Forum Flyers team. We're a diverse group at a variety of levels, and with a range of training goals. We participate in whatever monthly challenges are on the go, which adds some interesting variety to the base training sessions.

You can check out some of our past posts on our team thread to see if it might work for you.

Dave

[estragon]

If you're looking to end up at 10K, you're the perfect candidate for the Pete Plan for Beginners (PPB), which starts with 5K rows and gradually takes you to 12K sessions over 24 weeks, with an extended stay at the 10K mark. https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/beginner-training/

As for where to start, it makes sense to take it easy for the first 2 to 4 weeks to gauge your fitness, then move on from there. With your previous rowing experience, I'd expect you to pick it up again quite quickly but no point in forcing it too soon or you can easily get demotivated by how hard it's all become! One of the things I like about the PPB is that there are just 3 mandatory rows per week, with 2 optional sessions added for you to do if and when you feel you've progressed enough. In that sense it's a nicely flexible plan that you grow into. It keeps things simple.

[winniewinser]

I would second the Beginner Pete Plan....worked really well for me when I started last year.