It’s been 20 years should I buy an erg

[Kanusport]

Hello everyone I am happy to have found this forum during my search to buy a concept 2 erg. My background is I rowed in high school in the late 80’s where our team eventually won the Midwest championship in the four man. I rowed in college for a year before transferring schools too. I’ve rowed 8 man and pair as well as four man, all sweep no sculling. That was then this is now. I am 46 and still in shape but have managed to stay in shape by being active with sports such as mountain biking, hiking, white water paddling and dirt biking. All that said I’m not getting any younger and was lookin for a way to get a good cardio workout plus stay fit in general. Thats why I am here, I’m getting ready to buy a concept 2 model d but in the back of my mind I feel like I should at the very least jump on one and give it a test drive before I buy. I live in a small town so that might now be an option though. If and when I do buy one my plan is to follow some of the Pete plan and get my base rowing fitness up. Anyhow thanks for the great forum there are a lot of good resources here.
Sean

[Ombrax]

Thats why I am here, I’m getting ready to buy a concept 2 model d but in the back of my mind I feel like I should at the very least jump on one and give it a test drive before I buy.

Hi Sean,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm not an OTW rower, but with the obvious differences of not having to control the oar(s), from what I've heard, the C2 ergs are pretty good simulations of OTW workouts, so given your past history of rowing I'd guess that you pretty much know what you're getting into.

I'd say that if you can find a C2 erg to try out great, but in your case if you can't, it's probably no big deal. As I'm sure you know they are a great product, quite reliable over a long, long time, and if you're the type who's looking for a cardiovascular challenge, just about the best thing out there.

Good Luck.

[jamesg]

The erg is the best choice and will last you for ever. A big advantage is that it can keep you fit and ready for everything else at short notice and will integrate perfectly with kayak, freestyle and bikes.

Have fun with your test drive; it won't be the machine you're testing. For an oarsman who's been off the water for years, it's like coming home; just as tough as it was then, if you like.

[hjs]

If you don,t like it in the end, 2td hand it keeps its value well...

[c2jonw]

http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/finder
Here's our Indoor Rower Finder tool.........C2JonW

[Kanusport]

Thank you for the replies everyone. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Regards

[Anth_F]

Well, from your background info it's obvious you like rowing so i would say it's a no brainer to purchase an erg tbh!!! And especially from a cardio workout perspective. There is no better training tool out there for that than the erg, rowing also seems to carry over great to mountain biking, from my own personal experiences. My brother who goes to the gym 3-4 times a week tells me the ergs there are never in use... he does cardio work but won't use their rowers!! I keep telling him forget all the other cardio machines, get yourself on those rowers they will blow all that other cardio equipment out of the water, and will actually do something noticeable and significant for you. He's never rowed before though so he likely doesn't want to look out of place trying to learn how to in a gym with lots of people around. I have even invited him to have a go on my C2 but he seems reluctant

Anyway all the best, and i say go for it

[Erik A]

even in the short time ive been back at the gym using the erg its obvious they dont get much use. when i look at the logs the biggest rows are only 2k and most are down around the 500m to 1k.

[Kanusport]

Well here I am back here almost two years later. Only this time I’ve got the erg on order and now I’m “studying” up for its arrival. Part of me has angst over how my form is going to be. I have done a lot of on water rowing in my life, about 29 years ago. A little background on me I’m 5’11” and weigh @174 lbs. I’ve stayed fit though my life by staying active. So I’m not out of shape per say. I’m just not in erg shape which I know. I’m really looking forward to getting my machine and starting this amazing journey. My plan is to start slow and revisit my form. I anticipate my experience in my youth will allow me to tell when it doesn’t feel right and I’ll also video my form to check. I’m excited and happy to be here. There is a lot of great information on this site and for that I’m thankful.

I’ll add a story of adversity to this as I have been thinking back to my rowing days in high school and college. One race in college our coxswain steered to close to the only bouy on the whole course. I was bow in an 8 man and the rower in front of me had his oar strike the bouy causing him to get flung into my lap. This caused a lot of problems at the time but our team recovered and went on to win a different race and post the fastest time for an 8 man for that day. That’s a good memory for sure.

Anyhow, happy to be here and looking forward to rowing again.

[Ombrax]

Welcome back, Sean.

If you're really worried about your technique you can always take a video of yourself erging and post a link to it on the forum. Knowledgeable folks will be glad to provide constructive feedback. Or you can just look at it yourself and compare it to "good" examples that are available on the C2 site. When watching a video of yourself it's much easier to catch mistakes than when you're actually rowing.

[mict450]

My plan is to start slow and revisit my form. I anticipate my experience in my youth will allow me to tell when it doesn’t feel right and I’ll also video my form to check.

Wise decision to work on your technique. It'll keep you healthy & add speed and power down the road.

[Brewster]

Kudos on ordering your C2. I doubt you’ll ever regret having done so. Here’s hoping you receive it before another wave of Covid lockdowns shuts down C2 production and distribution again.

[Bob Evans]

I finally bought a Model D two years ago when my health club wouldn't or couldn't maintain theirs, rendering them terrible to row on. Now, not only do I get on a sweet erg every time (but there is some basic maintenance you'll need to keep up with), my annual meters have easily doubled since it's so convenient having an erg at home ... and a joy to use.

Yes, technique is crucial. My son rowed for Purdue Crew some years back -- the mantra he was taught: straight back -- (drive) legs, body, arms - straight back - (recovery) arms, body, legs - straight back. Yes, there's a bit more to it than that but that's the big picture!

I've found that I can listen to music but cannot watch TV because I lose focus on my technique, sometimes resulting in a sore lower back. An exception is to watch regattas like the Royal Henley Regatta ... then my form seems to improve!