Concept2 Forum

When I do vigorous exercise I usually expect to feel it the next day, though previously my exercise regimes have been few and far between.

With my recent introduction to indoor rowing (1 month in) I feel that I put a lot of effort in and am gasping for breath and dripping with sweat at the end, (although at the moment sessions are max 30 minutes), and I was expecting to ache the next day but I don't... I have been (relatively for me) good at stretching before and after which may have something to do with it but I was wondering if other Ergers ache after their sessions or the next day?

I guess I am wondering whether I am working hard / long enough!

Since your legs are doing anything between 60 & 80% of the work on the ergo why wouldn't you expect them to ache (if you're not used to the new form of training you're doing).

If you work, but don,t feel your legs at all the next, you should check your technique, you proberly are very upperbody dominant and don,t use your legs much.
Try rowing strapless, as a test, if you can,t at decent pace, technique is off, you need a good legpush rowing with the straps not on.

Btw, every session certainly does not need to be tough. Longer relative calm sessions are best.

I only really ache the day after a really hard speed interval session. Ultimately, the actual force your legs are producing during most rowing sessions is relatively low compared to their maximum, so once you're used to the movement of rowing your body shouldn't ache all that much.

This doesn't mean you aren't getting any benefit from your workouts. Remember, aching isn't the aim of exercise, improving your physical fitness is. If you're able to row for longer, or row faster, then it doesn't matter that you don't ache afterwards: in fact it's probably a bonus.

They should also ache if you do a max effort for a particular distance. This is related to muscle fibre breakdown (and IMO to glycogen depletion) and depending on the session duration is down to a differing combination of force and time. Try doing a long, slow session on successive days....and keep upping the pace and/or distance... u will ache from this (and not just HIT) as you learn your current limits and overload the body. In time u may get adaption.

Basically it's normal, even if you do specific training for a session, for muscles to ache if you then do try a hard or max test for the target distance.

My legs have never ached once from erging. Must be down to my sh!# technique!!!!!!!

Anth_F wrote:My legs have never ached once from erging. Must be down to my sh!# technique!!!!!!!

do a HM and empty the tanks...then report back

I've got better things to do with my time thanks

Whats with all the picking at my posts btw? Seems you have some kind of agenda to poke away at me lately.

About a year or so ago I discovered that a CD or Cool Down for like 2km or so after a hard 30 minute prevented sore legs the next day. The legs felt a bit fatigued but not sore.

So probably add at least 10 to 20 seconds to your 30min pace and give it a try.I think what this does is keeps the blood circulating and prevents and build up in the muscles.

Anth_F wrote:I've got better things to do with my time thanks

Whats with all the picking at my posts btw? Seems you have some kind of agenda to poke away at me lately.

Not in the slightest. It's a forum and things are up for discussion. I am always happy for others to convince me otherwise if they think I am wrong...not least so I can improve someway myself!! I was simply surprised you said u never get sore/achey legs from the erg. I strongly suspect you've got alot more in you than u realise.

As Watts above mentions (fatigued) Yes, I have had fatigue enough times... but never sore from erging. I also do a good CD after each session as well. Plus I do lots of leg strength training so thats a big factor to take in to account.

As for emptying the tank,

Quote: Jim Wendler "I've always made my best gains when I left just a bit in the tank."

This^^, goes for me as well.

Anth_F wrote:My legs have never ached once from erging. Must be down to my sh!# technique!!!!!!!

No lack of hard training, not needed, but do a max 1k or 2k and your legs will scream and not in a good way.

From normal aerobic training musclepain is rare.

My legs have been tired, but never ached if that makes any sense!

muscle fibre damage ?
often confused with lactic acid build up..
when muscles are required to work harder than they're used to, or in a different way, it's believed to cause microscopic damage to the muscle fibres, resulting in muscle soreness or stiffness , often beleived to be caused by lactic acid build up, but lactic acid isn't involved in this process....

hjs wrote:

Anth_F wrote:My legs have never ached once from erging. Must be down to my sh!# technique!!!!!!!

No lack of hard training, not needed, but do a max 1k or 2k and your legs will scream and not in a good way.

From normal aerobic training musclepain is rare.

I have done a max 2k and my lungs hurt more than anything else from what i remember.

However, skip forward 7-8 months and i done a 500m flat out test and my legs did scream on that one a lot. I suspect because at that time i had learned to use my legs much much better.

But again, i never experienced any aching later on after the training. The only muscle soreness or aching i ever get has nothing to do with the erg!! In my upper outer chest area from after heavy weight lifting. But now not so much, because i train that area more often now.