Concept2 Forum

Do you use gloves when rowing the C2?

Never have, and I've never had a blister.

I do have a tiny little callus on each ring finger, just below the middle knuckle, but that's it.

An easy grip on the handle helps.

I get blisters. Some people don't. I've been erging/rowing for a long time and know how to hold the handle/oars. So, yes I wear gloves on the erg until the calluses get established. I don't row OTW much anymore, so it's not a problem there. On longer workouts I may do half without gloves, and then put them on. I've tried different grips (smooth, knurled, different materials) and it makes no real difference. I don't consider wearing gloves to be "bad", it makes it more comfortable and I get a better workout. Go for it!

I wear weightlifting gloves for longer rows.

I have tried the new D handle and I did not like it. It was bad for me. I cut a closet wooden rod, (it is the same diameter as my Dreissigacker Oars), to a comfortable lenght and use the hardware from the "D" handle. Over a short time my hands and elbows stopped hurting. The wood smoothed too. It slips in my hands and I am able to return to the don't kill the bird grip.

I bought the C2 foam grips from the UK C2 website, they fit in the palm of the hand and have 2 elastic clasps for he index and middle finger. Once my hands have toughened up I can row without them without any further problems.

They're great for doing pullups too !

I've been using Valeo weight training gloves for about 4 years. They have a mesh back so they don't get hot. Grip is good.[/img]

Had a few blisters on one of the 42,915m marathon rows I did, but normally just row with bare hands and a light grip. Got lots of callouses but they're not a problem.

Just a case of hardening up and lightening the grip.

I have both used gloves and not used them. I don't generally have a blistering problem but occasionally when I do several days of extended rowing I'll put gloves on. The one thing I will mention as I've made this mistake is to make sure your gloves are dry before putting them on. More than once I've just thrown them in my gym bag and next day worn them while damp which led to more blistering.

I wear weight gloves with a mesh back but not to protect my hands (they are like tanned leather after 13 years of erg rowing). My problem is sweating. I perspire profusely and the handle starts to slip so the gloves solve that problem

I've never used gloves while erging and have never had a problem. It may be because I very gradually increased my distances and callouses had a chance to build up.

I may have tried them once OTW, but if I did, they bothered me more than helped. Yes, I did get blisters back then--at least if I hadn't been rowing for a long time, but eventually the callouses grew and I didn't have a problem (other than having to shave down the callouses on occasion).

Of course I wear gloves! I also try not to break a sweat when rowing, as that would just be unpleasant, especially because I like to row in the clothes I wear during the day -- usually a nice pair of ironed khakis, a dress shirt, and a tie. I mean some people would say that's just not right and that I should man up and get myself some spandex, but I'm not too sure about that! I also bring a small pillow to sit on while I row, because my little bum just gets so tender from all that moving around. There's this one nice young man who says he spent some time overseas in some kind of a... boat race... well anyway, he says I shouldn't "bum-shove," whatever that means, but I say he's just silly and what I'm doing just makes it more comfortable for me. Anyway, I then have my personal trainer stretch out my legs for awhile, because I just get so tight, and that's soooo unpleasant. I don't really like stretching out myself, because it's just such a... well, yes, it's an unpleasant experience. Luckily, I'm good at pacing myself so as to minimize exertion and I don't get a whole lot of that nasty burning sensation -- ouchy! After my daily 15 minutes on the rower, I hit the sauna for half an hour and then get my massage. The gym/spa where I pump iron and meters just started this new thing where for an extra $75 I can get a manicure during and an exfoliating facial after my massage!!

Best of luck keeping those hands soft ladies!
Philly, a closet rower