Concept2 Forum

So over the last week I've tried to see how I can do taking my first few cracks at the 5000 meter workouts. I did go without stopping which was something in and of itself, but I just can't below that 23 minute mark. I started laughing the second time I did it because I tried to make up 2 minutes worth of time in the last minute by rowing myself sick. Smart plan huh?

Anyways, I did try and get my form correct versus a good time, but being new to rowing, that 5000 meter really leaves me tired. I can tell I am getting my legs more into the mix because they are "noodly" afterwards and my arms aren't as much.

So, how is that time for a new guy? Is that just piss poor or decent?

Thanks.

just started in sep 09. was at 22:24 took 2 months to get below 20. now at 19:15. it will happen.

well I'm at least within reach of your times which are pretty impressive to me. I'm sure it's like anything, the more you do it the better you get.

Thanks for the reply!

rykertest wrote:well I'm at least within reach of your times which are pretty impressive to me. I'm sure it's like anything, the more you do it the better you get.

Thanks for the reply!

Yep. I started last Oct 1 with a 5000k time of ~23 min. I'm now rowing that distance in just under 20 min from week to week. I'm following the Pete Plan (keeps me focused) and my speed and endurance interval times have decreased considerably as well - new personal bests for each piece over the past few cycles (it's a 3 week cycle). I've also lost ~15 lbs since I started. The more I do the better I get. At least for now...

No such thing as a bad time for your first whack at a distance row. If you really want to get steadily better, one of the plans like the Pete Plan is a great way.

If you're like me, and you lack the self discipline to work out and push yourself 5 days a week consistently, get Row Pro and row online with the rest of us!!

free evaluation copy at http://www.digitalrowing.com/downloads/

More on the Pete Plan here: http://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/

My method to this madness: 1) do not use the pre-set 5000m on the monitor, go to new workout, single distance & set it up for your 5000M but set the splits at 200M, this will give you 25/200M splits to review after your row 2) row your best time 3) next 5000M row, use the re-row function app, then change your screen to the pace boat screen, then resolve to beat each 200M split
4) the pace boat splits will change with each 200M split from your previous row.
This is a great use of the PM3/4 for improving your times.
I hope this makes sense.

rykertest wrote:So, how is that time for a new guy? Is that just piss poor or decent?

Thanks.

Everything counts!

Keep in mind there is a huge advantage to height and weight on the erg, especially torso and arm length and weight.

Congratultions, I was rowing for a while before I completed 5k at one sitting. Done all out the 5k is second only to the dreaded 2k in being a hard timetrial. It needs to be on the ragged edge of what can be sustained and will feel impossible from 2k in. the good news is that as a result few people do these often. If you do longer intervals these are mentally easier but will give a better training effect. The PP 5x1.5k, 4x2k and 3k, 2.5k, 2k waterfall are good workouts. PP recommends 5' rest between each, but people use anything from 4' to 8' (this latter should be done paddling gently in the rests or you risk cooling down). I recommend that you start several seconds slower than your 5k pace the first time, try and be a little quicker on each interval than the last (preferably only 0.1-0.2S/500m), row the penultimate one faster if this is comfortable, but keeping something in resrve so that the last can be significantly faster with an all out sprint at the end. Then work out the average for each session and the next time you do it, start at that pace.

The Pete beginner's plan has helped many people and is flexible (3-5 sessions a week) see: http://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/beginner-training/ .

Happy training

- Iain

iain wrote:
The Pete beginner's plan has helped many people and is flexible (3-5 sessions a week) see: http://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/beginner-training/ .

Happy training

- Iain

Iain, thank you for that link. I had looked at the basic pp and the wolverine but they seemed a bit much for a beginner. I had not seen this link however and that is a good plan for me to start with. I will start this program this afternoon in fact.

Kudos!

Iain, (or anyone here)

Would the pp for beginners be a good plan to follow for fat loss? I would imagine decent eating and that amount of rowing (especially if one is new to rowing) would produce a good amount of fat loss.

Would doing any of this on an empty stomach in the morning be smart of no? Maybe the short intervel ones? I wouldn't think doing anything distance wise would be smart on an empty stomach.

Thanks!

Ryker,

Any exercise combined with a healthy and balanced diet will produce the results you want. You probably have heard about how interval training is the godsend workout that burns so much fat. It's not. It's no different than doing cardio work. I mean, what do you just stop burning energy (from any source) because the treadmill says your HR is out of the "fat burning" zone?

As for the empty stomach issue, your body has a huge amount of energy in reserve (glycogen) that is recruited when you deplete what is available. I've heard there's up to 10,000kCal available to burn through. So doing distance work on an empty stomach won't negatively affect your progress - definitely eat afterward.

Remember, to lose weight it's not about just burning off the most recent meal, it's a weekly and monthly process of putting out more kCal than you consume. Row hard and stick with a plan and you will see results!

bloomp wrote:Ryker,

Any exercise combined with a healthy and balanced diet will produce the results you want. You probably have heard about how interval training is the godsend workout that burns so much fat. It's not. It's no different than doing cardio work. I mean, what do you just stop burning energy (from any source) because the treadmill says your HR is out of the "fat burning" zone?

As for the empty stomach issue, your body has a huge amount of energy in reserve (glycogen) that is recruited when you deplete what is available. I've heard there's up to 10,000kCal available to burn through. So doing distance work on an empty stomach won't negatively affect your progress - definitely eat afterward.

Remember, to lose weight it's not about just burning off the most recent meal, it's a weekly and monthly process of putting out more kCal than you consume. Row hard and stick with a plan and you will see results!

Hi Bloomp, thank you for the reply. I won't comment on the interval training thing because I've seen that debate go 3,198 pages in other threads with no sign of stopping. lol I had no idea that there was as much kcal's in reserve. I know I have plenty of fat in reserves so I'm not concerned about not having energy after sleeping all night! lol

I work shift work so I have 2 days to do any workout needed. The 3rd day is when I get up at 4:30 to get 30 minutes of cardio in. I HATE to start changing a plan before I've even started but I may have to rearrange things when the longer rows show up on that morning.

I have noticed that with rowing, carb cutting doesn't lend itself to long rows, at least I'm not used to it yet. I need to pay special attention to the type and time of these carbs to work best for my rowing.

It's all a work in progress so thank you all for your continued help.

rykertest wrote:

bloomp wrote:Ryker,

Any exercise combined with a healthy and balanced diet will produce the results you want. You probably have heard about how interval training is the godsend workout that burns so much fat. It's not. It's no different than doing cardio work. I mean, what do you just stop burning energy (from any source) because the treadmill says your HR is out of the "fat burning" zone?

As for the empty stomach issue, your body has a huge amount of energy in reserve (glycogen) that is recruited when you deplete what is available. I've heard there's up to 10,000kCal available to burn through. So doing distance work on an empty stomach won't negatively affect your progress - definitely eat afterward.

Remember, to lose weight it's not about just burning off the most recent meal, it's a weekly and monthly process of putting out more kCal than you consume. Row hard and stick with a plan and you will see results!

Hi Bloomp, thank you for the reply. I won't comment on the interval training thing because I've seen that debate go 3,198 pages in other threads with no sign of stopping. lol I had no idea that there was as much kcal's in reserve. I know I have plenty of fat in reserves so I'm not concerned about not having energy after sleeping all night! lol

I work shift work so I have 2 days to do any workout needed. The 3rd day is when I get up at 4:30 to get 30 minutes of cardio in. I HATE to start changing a plan before I've even started but I may have to rearrange things when the longer rows show up on that morning.

I have noticed that with rowing, carb cutting doesn't lend itself to long rows, at least I'm not used to it yet. I need to pay special attention to the type and time of these carbs to work best for my rowing.

It's all a work in progress so thank you all for your continued help.

Just try to cut out 100-200kCal per day. It doesn't have to be one pure source of it. Energy is energy regardless of where you get it from. Carbohydrates are especially important with erging as that IS where you get the vast majority of your energy. Sometimes I've noticed that my sweat smells like ammonia, which I've read is the result of amino acid breakdown when you can't find enough carbs to keep sustaining the work done. Ideally you could eat an apple before your morning workout, do it, then have eggs, oatmeal or whatever else you like.

As for rearranging, don't worry about it. Everyone has a schedule besides their fitness, so switch up what you need to. The progression of the PP isn't so specific as to require X workout only on Y day. Mixing it up to fit your needs ain't a bad thing.

Just try to cut out 100-200kCal per day. It doesn't have to be one pure source of it. Energy is energy regardless of where you get it from. Carbohydrates are especially important with erging as that IS where you get the vast majority of your energy. Sometimes I've noticed that my sweat smells like ammonia, which I've read is the result of amino acid breakdown when you can't find enough carbs to keep sustaining the work done. Ideally you could eat an apple before your morning workout, do it, then have eggs, oatmeal or whatever else you like.

As for rearranging, don't worry about it. Everyone has a schedule besides their fitness, so switch up what you need to. The progression of the PP isn't so specific as to require X workout only on Y day. Mixing it up to fit your needs ain't a bad thing.[/quote]

Ammonia huh? Well if you shower afterwards, you can clean the shower and bathe at the same time. lol

The apple thing is a good idea. That morning is a bit tough because I am already getting up so early, and don't go to bed until 10-11 that night, I refuse to get up any earlier. I literally get up, put on my workout clothes and walk downstairs. From the time I wake until the time I start working out is about 2-3 minutes. I'm an animal I tell ya.

If you wouldn't mind, are you able to clarify something for me? In the beginner pp link that Iain sent, it shows this for week one.

"5000m
6 x 500m / 2min rest
5000m
[20min]
[2 x 10min / 2min rest]"


Lets say I do this mon, wed, fri. Would my schedule look like this?

mon - 5000 m

wed - 6 rows of 500 m each with a 2 min rest inbetween.

fri - 5000 m - 2500 m then rest 2 minutes then the second 2500 m.

Is that correct?

Being new to all this should I do the "optional" 2 additional workouts? I would like to lift some weights or at least have a day where I do pull ups, pushups, etc and prefer that to be on a NON rowing day.

Thanks for the feedback.