Is a Concept 2 "good enough" ??

[climber511]

All training should be targeted towards reaching "your" goals and MUST be something you enjoy enough that you will look forward to your workouts - otherwise you simply won't be able to maintain them over a period of years or decades. The Concept 2 is a tool like any other - very good at some things and not so good at others. I don't feel that anyone who has lifted weights for many years will be satisfied by the rower alone - but in combination the two fit extremely well together.

[Dickie]

I started lifting when I was 15 and continued into my early 40's, mostly powerlifting, but I dabbled in Olympic Lifting from time to time. When my joints could no longer handle the strain, I gave it up and started rowing on the Concept 2. I have been rowing for 16 years and I will pass 23,000,000 meters next week. I like the Concept 2 a lot, It's well more than good enough.

Fred Dickie
58 yrs 175cm 102.5 kg 1 hour - 15104

[wittengenstein]

It really depends on the question what for it is good enough.

Personally I think that Nautilus-training-style (or machines in general) aren't as good as free weights because of many reasons (balance, smaller muscles, coordination, variable angles,etc etc.). The c2 is designed to make you a faster rower, and it certainly does. Note that rowing is one of the most athletic sports in the world, one that makes your xardiovascular system incredibly strong and creates a very balanced, eduring body. If you look at elite-rowers sixpacks you probably won't see very impressive results, but much more "functional" cores/abs than those of a gym-user. Perfect combination in my eyes and by far the most motivating one is rowing on the water + C2 + free weights and stabilization.

[ericredaxe]

I think you can accomplish a lot at home with the concept 2 erg. As others suggested, supplement with calisthenics. Push ups, pull ups, sit ups, burpees, walking lunges etc etc. throw a set of dumbells or kettle bells in the mix and there isn't much you can't accomplish.

[chris5150]

Well I jacked in my Gym membership couple of years ago. I have a road bike , a mountain bike & a stationery bike ( wattbike ). I am 50 years of age. Perfectly happy that I have a full workout with what I have. Not bothered about weights , I find at my age etc it is far more important to be cardio fit, I love a good workout on the Erg, I chop my grip about a bit sometimes, so I can do some curls as I bring the bar in, workout on 10 quite often for the resistence factor, but most of the time 4/5 with a df of 140 ish.
The wattbike is a killer, training in watts on that really gets me going..likewise I have power meters on my roadbike. I make a point of finishing off my exercise with 30 or so pushups,I do this regardless of if I have rowed hard for an hour or returning from a 3 hr fast bike ride...I am not done until the pushups are done, and that is the only other resistence exercise I do. I find I have enough variety splitting my workout between those disciplines, I am more keen on keeping visceral fat down , staying lean & working my heart & cardio. I think the Concept 2 does an excellent job of a good all over workout, as I say especially if you mix it up a bit with the resistence settings & speed.THe weather in the UK helps to mix it up as well, as not interested in cycling in adverse weather, so all three get plenty of use, just over a 1million mtrs in 8 months, so done quite a bit. Also found it quite addictive working towards a good half marathon time etc
I have not missed the gym one bit & am ( relatively ) happy with my physique...obviously as a cyclist you don't really want to build too much upper body muscle anyway, but still want to look fit & toned. In fact the only thing I miss about the gym is the swimming pool & steam room post workout!!

[RogerR]

Go and check out navyfitness.org. Their NOFFS program can be downloaded for free and is the most comprehensive trainig program I have come across. The rower fits in well and there is not much equipment needed. Ir's perfect for all around fitness for the aging body.

[Tim K.]

Resurrection!