New to rowing and getting beat up by the C2

[carlb]

The one thing I notice with beginning rowers is that the stroke length and pace are too short and too many.

You reminded me I recently saw the below post in a Retirees forum. To row at 40 SPM and only output 85 watts must be some short strokes!

In the middle section of my 1:10 workout today I was going at 38-42 SPM, depending on the music, and keeping good form and doing 2:40 splits with enough breath left over to sing along with Chuck.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/ ... 58380.html

[bepah]

The one thing I notice with beginning rowers is that the stroke length and pace are too short and too many.

You reminded me I recently saw the below post in a Retirees forum. To row at 40 SPM and only output 85 watts must be some short strokes!

In the middle section of my 1:10 workout today I was going at 38-42 SPM, depending on the music, and keeping good form and doing 2:40 splits with enough breath left over to sing along with Chuck.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/ ... 58380.html

your post made my point for me......once people decide to get serious about technique their stroke lengthens and their SPM goes way down....... Have a good row tomorrow!

[kayakr]

The tips that were really working for me:
- slow down to 20 SPM and set damper low
- pretend you are in a boat and trying to push the footstretchers horizontally away from you
- try to row with legs only and just use back and upper body to arrest your momentum at the end of the stroke
- focus on "hanging off the handle"
- watching myself in a mirror directly in front, to look for my shoulders rising to early during the leg thrust

[Brianerz]

Hi,
I rowed competitively in my distant past and have just bought an ergometer in the past month. It's fantastic !! Difficult at first but here are three things I think will help...
1) Put time into getting your technigue right at the start, in particular make sure that your legs are working as you move back the slide. This will happen naturally if you ensure your shoulder leads the seat, i.e. lean slightly backwards. Otherwise you may end up moving back the slide but moving your shoulders towards the flywheel which takes up the slack, moving all of the effort to your upper body and tiring you out sooner. Remember that your largest muscles are in your legs.
2) Set yourself a long-term goal and break it up into smaller sub-goals. Progress takes time and every journey starts with a single step. Setting short-term targets will help maintain focus and direction.
3) Use previous rows as your paceboat. I find this hugely motivational. You can race against your previous rows on PM3/4 (or RowPro?) with the paceboat in the adjacent racing lane. Aim for gradual improvements in small increments. Build up your endurance gradually.
Good luck.
/Brian