help Shortie!

[makerr]

Hello All , apologies if this has been covered before. As a new rower I'm struggling to come anywhere near the times many others have shown. As a lifelong mediocre endurance athlete (cycling and nordic ski) I'm still in decent condition for a 68 year old. My question is does my physique limit my ability to put out power on the erg? I am 66 inches tall and weight is 135 pounds, my reach or "wingspan" is also 66" current cycling FTP is 230w if that helps. I am using a model B and my technique is sound though I'm sure has lots of room for fine tuning.
Thanks in advance for your valued insights!
Makerr

[ShortAndStout]

Been asking that same question myself since I started, let me give you my 2c. Most people who exercise do so casually, a smaller percentage take it seriously, and an even smaller group make an account on a forum dedicated to a specific type of workout equipment / exercise, usually for competition. You've found yourself in the latter group and so you'll be met with a lot of good advice that is 1) suited to people who put in a LOT of time on the erg and 2) people whose physiques compliment rowing re: being tall

So by reading the information in this forum and other sites like it, you're likely to end up comparing yourself to people who are younger, taller, and more elite, and this community has a higher baseline for that sort of thing just based on the fact that it's a specialized community.

Having said that, there are plenty of 50 / 60 / 70+ on here that hold records in various events, so age isn't as big of a factor perhaps. Height is, but it just means you'll be competing against yourself (like me, @ 67 inches) and have to take some of the paces people throw out with a grain of salt.

Someone who is 80 inches can put out a 2:00/500m 5k in a few weeks or months (or even sooner), and I've been training for almost a year and that time is remarkably close to my 2K pace. It's all about perspective. That said, I'm making progress in the things I care about relative to my own goals and abilities, so it's not a big deal.

[gvcormac]

Can you do 230W on the rower? If you can on the bike you can probably work up to that on the rower.

Modern PMs allow you do display watts. Not sure about what's on your Model B. Here's a converter: https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/ ... calculator. 230W is 1:55 pace which is pretty fast for more than 1km.

You might find it useful to calculate your percentile for your age in the rankings: https://log.concept2.com/rankings

These are self-reported of course, but it gives you a gauge of your progress at various distances.

[makerr]

Thanks for the replies folks. The PM on the model B does display watts, but at this time I can't match my cycling watts. ShortandStout hit the nail on the head with his observation about the high quality and standard of performance for many of the people posting here, so for now I'm content using perceived exertion as a guide and letting the numbers fall where they may.
Thanks
Makerr

[hikeplusrow]

In absolute performance terms, size, it it's various manifestations, makes a huge difference - bigger is better (well, certainly faster) in the world of rowing. I'm a 63 year old male lightweight (70kgs) and only ever 'compare' my performances to other lightweight males in my age group. Ultimately though, I have only one competitor - me.

[hikeplusrow]

In absolute performance terms, size, it it's various manifestations, makes a huge difference - bigger is better (well, certainly faster) in the world of rowing. I'm a 63 year old male lightweight (70kgs) and only ever 'compare' my performances to other lightweight males in my age group. Ultimately though, I have only one competitor - me.

"....in its various manifestations...."

[jcross485]

I do believe that one's build (height, weight, strength, and proportions) all contribute into how much power you can generate on the erg, more so than in cycling. 230w is a strong number which indicates that you have a good engine! But, that engine might be more developed than the rest of you or more developed to cycling than it is to rowing, which is very common whenever trying something new. I would think that cycling and running tend to attract "smaller" athletes whereas other endurance modalities like swimming or rowing attract bigger frames because you're naturally a bit better. That doesn't mean you should give up trying, just have to look at it more from a you vs. you perspective first and if the bug bites you, keep an eye on people in your age / weight class.

[p_b82]

As others have said be very careful about comparing yourself to what some folks post - some folks here are upper 90's percentiles.

I'm a 6'4 HWT but new(ish) to erging - my HM pace is the max I can sustain consistently for ~90mins; which I think is potentially maybe similar to ftp in cycling and it's only ~135W.

rate, strength and overall aerobic fitness really plays a big part in what a person can do, before you then get the nuances of technique efficiencies.

I've made some big gains in the past 12 months - most of them from technique improvements - which has meant less wasted effort so higher sustainable pace (plus aerobic fitness improvements + strength too).

If you're curious, use the ranking for age group and LWT, and see where you stack up if you feel like some additional motivation, or see if you're completely off. The latter might highlight technique issues - as you've obviously got a decent aerobic base from your cycling.

[Ombrax]

Welcome to the forum!

I'll echo what's already been said above: Once you're confident that you have a decent technique, the simplest thing is to compare yourself to your previous results. A good thing about being new to rowing is that at the beginning you should see significant gains, which will encourage you to press on. That will of course taper off over time, time, but it can take over a year to reach your "true" potential in any given age bracket. Every now and them you may want to check the applicable C2 rankings, but don't let that get you down - some of the numbers in there are by truly world-class athletes. Sure, if you like use it for motivation, but don't feel like you need to be in the top x%.

Good Luck

[Cyclist2]

My question is does my physique limit my ability to put out power on the erg?

At 68 years old, you can't compete with even the lightest lightweight elite 30 year old. I'm 73, and have been rowing and erging for almost 40 years. I never even considered my short height (68") or light weight (140+ lbs) a factor, but I knew I wasn't going to win against the bigger, taller guys. So what? If you enjoy it, do as already suggested, and compare yourself to your previous self, or use the C2 rankings, to get a rough idea of where you stand.

I also had a span of cycling in there, and actually won or placed high in a few races. Eventually. It took a long time to get there. The same with rowing - it takes time to develop the specific muscles and technique.

So keep working, enjoy the process, and don't worry about your size. Have fun and good luck!

[jamesg]

More muscle can produce more power, if the supply and waste removal systems allow, as they should if larger.

Technique is also a problem, as is the fact that we do nothing for at least 2/3 of the time on the erg, between strokes; so repeat peak force also plays a role.

[elpaca]

I’ve been interested in this broader topic for some time - does anyone know of any legitimate comparisons of height vs 2k times and if there’s a clear correlation between average split times and heights?

I’ve been on the 7min 2k journey for about 6months now - (7.08 on my last attempt, about 1M meters rowed via the Pete Plan) and am definitely on the shorter end of the spectrum (5’6”), but am constantly amazed by folks who mention that they hit that mark after 1-2months training.

I feel the study would be an interesting one, but also imagine it might be hard to control, as I’m sure the rowing community in general errs to the taller side.

[mict450]

So keep working, enjoy the process, and don't worry about your size. Have fun and good luck!

Great advice from Mark! We natural-born munchkins will never match a taller, heavier person on the erg!

[Mike Caviston]

I’ve been interested in this broader topic for some time - does anyone know of any legitimate comparisons of height vs 2k times and if there’s a clear correlation between average split times and heights?

You might be interested in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=141563

[Elizabeth]

I’ve been interested in this broader topic for some time - does anyone know of any legitimate comparisons of height vs 2k times and if there’s a clear correlation between average split times and heights?

You might be interested in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=141563

Mike, thanks for linking this thread. I have been trying to talk myself into gaining weight and seeing these numbers was helpful.