New User Experience

[tahiles]

Just got my rower late last week and "learnning" how to row correctly.

Yesterday I only did 500 meters and today 1000 meters.

The muscles holding me back right now are located in the very top of my thighs, like where you'd feel for something in your pocket. Either I've never used these before or it's been a very long time. After 1000 meters this morning I have acheieved about 90% exhaustion in this area.

Did anyone else experience this when they first started? Or am I just a wimp?

Thanks in advance......Tim

[Bob S.]

Just got my rower late last week and "learnning" how to row correctly.

Yesterday I only did 500 meters and today 1000 meters.

The muscles holding me back right now are located in the very top of my thighs, like where you'd feel for something in your pocket. Either I've never used these before or it's been a very long time. After 1000 meters this morning I have acheieved about 90% exhaustion in this area.

Did anyone else experience this when they first started? Or am I just a wimp?

Thanks in advance......Tim

With no other data, the distances don't tell much.

Pace?
Age?
Weight?
Condition?

Bob S.

[tahiles]

I'm 55, 230 lbs and yes fairly out of shape.

But honestly....you need this information to tell me if your upper thighs hurt when you started?

That was my question...................

[Bob S.]

I'm 55, 230 lbs and yes fairly out of shape.

But honestly....you need this information to tell me if your upper thighs hurt when you started?

That was my question...................

You left out the key question, pace. Or it could be in the time taken for each - or the watts or the calories/hr.

The reason I asked is that it might be a result of going all out for these short pieces. If you made really hot times for your age and weight, then that could be the cause.

For a direct answer, no - I haven't had sore thighs for short pieces, but I haven't gone all out max for them either.

Bob S.

[tahiles]

Pace is 20 or less Strokes/Minute (proper terminology?)

No real speed yet, just trying to learn proper technique. Anyway the very top of my thighs get all "rubbery" and fatigued in less than 10 minutes. Went 5 minutes yesterday and then 10 today, starting very slowly.

After I get off the machine it seems almost impossible to lift my foot from the ground at first.

I'm suspecting this is the muscle used to "pull" my body back to the catch position and I haven't been using these for anything else lately?

Sound plausible?

[Bob S.]

Pace is 20 or less Strokes/Minute (proper terminology?)

No real speed yet, just trying to learn proper technique. Anyway the very top of my thighs get all "rubbery" and fatigued in less than 10 minutes. Went 5 minutes yesterday and then 10 today, starting very slowly.

After I get off the machine it seems almost impossible to lift my foot from the ground at first.

I'm suspecting this is the muscle used to "pull" my body back to the catch position and I haven't been using these for anything else lately?

Sound plausible?

Whoops, yes there is a terminology problem. Sorry, I was taking too much for granted. The number of strokes per minute (spm) is called the rate. In C2 terminology, pace is used for the time that it would take to do 500m going at the same intensity. I think that it is an odd use for the term, but that is how it is.

To see how you compare with others, you can go to:

http://www.concept2.com/sranking03/rankings.asp

If you took about 5' to do 500m and 10' to do 1k, then you were, indeed, going at a very low intensity. If this caused pain, I would suspect a technique problem. Here is a video that addresses that issue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqVmMd7FdAA

I hope that this is more helpful.

Bob S.

Edit: I see that the ranking page URL came up with the wrong settings, but they are easy to change when you have the page up.

[Bob S.]

Here's some other URLs that might be useful:

Damper Setting & Workout Intensity:

http://www.concept2.com/us/training/bas ... ensity.asp

Understanding Drag Factor:

http://www.concept2.com/us/training/adv ... factor.asp

The decoder:

http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=38


Bob S.

[goblin]

My guess is that your body isn't used to stopping all of your inertia at the finish of the stroke. Try some leg raises (both hanging from a pull up bar, and laying on a bench) to build the strength there. Also, I'd guess that you might be heaving your body into the finish of the stroke too much. Do the work in the first 2/3 of the stroke, and finish a little easier until you build up your strength.

I'd imagine flexibility comes into play, as well. Here is a good video on how to stretch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0j9kHFUZyQ

[Citroen]

I'm 55, 230 lbs and yes fairly out of shape.

But honestly....you need this information to tell me if your upper thighs hurt when you started?

That was my question...................

If you're using a good technique then it's your quads that are doing most of the work. We find that most newbies tend to use upper body more than they should (often caused by having the damper too high and not having a good lesson from the folks in the gym).

Without all those other funky numbers from the monitor it's difficult to tell what you're doing and whether you might be doing it wrong.

As Bob said http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqVmMd7FdAA is a good video to start with.

[enrage]

Yes, i'm a newbie to rowing and when I first got my c2 rower last year. The first thing i noticed was that my hip flexors and inner thigh muscles were not used to rowing.
It took a few weeks and with constant stretching, my hip flexors eventually got used to it.

[tahiles]

Nine days later and here's an update..........

I pulled 4000 today and my legs were pretty spent afterwards. Still going at a leisurely pace to acclimate to the machine. Very soon I need to go for the weight loss regimen....

Definately needed to "break in" my hip flexors. Seems as though they had just been along for the ride the last several years and required a serious wake-up call.

For some reason I don't seem to be getting the 11:00 to 1:00 back movement during the stroke. When I try to force this movement it doesn't feel natural at all. Everything else about my stroke is exactly the way it should be but this.

Do you think it might be caused by a weak core (which I DEFINATELY have) or something else? My back just does not want to share in the pull, just wants to stay stationary through the motion.

Digging the rower, quiet enough to watch TV but it does give a workout. My 14 y/o son and 8 y/o daughter get a kick out of it too!

[NavigationHazard]

I wouldn't worry overmuch about the degree to which you're getting back 'swing' at this point. First of all, you're probably getting more than you realize as it's actually pretty hard to row absolutely bolt upright. You can check what you're doing by having someone look at you from the side (video is great). Second, exactly how much layback to strive for at the finish is partly a matter of style. Canadian OTW rowers coached by Mike Spracklin historically have been famous for what most of the rowing community regards as extreme layback. German sweep rowers traditionally have tended towards a more upright finish. There is no one correct way to do it.

[Byron Drachman]

In his indoor rowing DVD's, Xeno Muller says after the finish to get the arms forward, then think of the hands and arms pulling your body into a forward lean, hinging at the hips, and once you have the forward lean then you slide forward. Because of the tilt of the monorail, it is easy to relax and slide to the catch once you have the forward lean. Actually the motion is more blended, but you think of them as three separate events. He warns you that if you don't get the forward lean before sliding forward then you use your hip flexors to pull yourself forward and you are setting yourself up for an injury. I found his DVD's very helpful when I first started erging. I hope this helps.

As Nav says, a big body swing is not for everybody. This is on the water, not the erg, but it shows Michelle Guerette applying lots of power but not doing much of a body swing:

[carlb]

Nine days later and here's an update..........
I pulled 4000 today and my legs were pretty spent afterwards. Still going at a leisurely pace to acclimate to the machine. Very soon I need to go for the weight loss regimen....
Definately needed to "break in" my hip flexors. Seems as though they had just been along for the ride the last several years and required a serious wake-up call.

You're new to rowing and new to exercise so started very out-of-shape. Rowing can be darn hard work. It is normal to discover lots of muscles that are weak and be very sore. I would tell you to focus on gradullay building up your time so that you can do 20-30 minutes/day for 5-6 days/week at any pace you can. Take it easy and give your body time to adapt so you don't irritae ligaments,tendons,muscles and joints. Since you report doing 4000m you are probably going 20+ minutes. Do that for 3 months and your strength will improve and so will your speed, then you might try some intervals.

It is fine to take a break during your workout if you feel uncomfortable. Go for 1000m, then walk/stretch for 1 minute, repeat. After a quick break you can feel amazingly better and row stronger.

As others have said try to focus on good technique. As you say you might not have the muscles for it. I'd say it's most important to try to not have _bad_ technique. Here are 2 pages showing problems and corrections. Be sure you're not doing this stuff:
Stills http://concept2.co.uk/training/faults_corrections
Video http://concept2.co.uk/training/faults_corrections_video
Show them to your kids and let them critique your style. Print the stills.

Good luck.

Carl

[tahiles]

You're new to rowing and new to exercise so started very out-of-shape.

Whoa......I'm not a complete slob now!

Even at 5'11" and 230 I was playing Racquetball last fall for an hour at a time. My frame will NEVER fit the Insurance Guidelines for what they consider to be a "fit" man. If I were to go to 170 ~ 180 pounds I'd look like I had Aids!

I wear a 48 jacket because of my shoulder width and my legs have always been VERY strong. I had Cardiac Catheter Abaltion Surgery in October to correct SVT problems I've been fending off for over 30 years. After coming off Beta Blockers my heart needed to find a new "normal" rhythm on it's own without any meds in my system.

So since October I've been just taking it easy. I'm no stranger to exercise and LOVE getting the endorphins kicking in!

Rowed 8000 meters yesterday and today. Around 25 to 28 SPM and just getting where the sweat is starting to roll. Another month or so and I'll start burning it in.............