noob questions

[test]

Hi,

I am an older (43yo), larger (189cm, 135kg), gentleman (male). I have been lifting weights for a few years so have some gym strength but no cardio as I get older I can see the benefits of adding more cardio.

For the last four weeks I have been working towards rowing 5km non-stop. I have reached this goal the last two training sessions and I am now looking for my next step. I row 5km in 20 minutes using damper setting 10. I tried a lower damper setting breifly early on but didn't like it (probible due to my lack of cardio ability). Since I started rowing a long standing upper back pain has improved but after the two 5km sessions I have a bit of lower back pain I expect from pushing myself to much.

Over the weekend I have been reading a bit about damper settings and drag factors. It sounds like rowing on 10 might be too much.

My current thoughts on my future workout plan is to row for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week.

Questions:
What drag factor should I be using?
Is it reasonable for a beginner to use a high drag factor or should I start low and work up?
Is there a 30 minute workout program to follow or should I just mix it up with HITT and steady pace as I see fit?

Thanks

[MPx]

Welcome to the world of indoor rowing. Sounds like you're doing fine - everything takes time and cardio improvements the longest of all - think in terms of months and years rather than weeks. My take on your questions:

Rowing on "10" is nearly always wrong. Of course the damper setting doesn't really tell you anything. On a new/clean machine it will be a Drag Factor of about 220, but could be sub 100 on a poorly maintained dusty public access machine. DF is very personal and there is no right. The best for most people most of the time would be a DF between 110 and 130. Personally I use 145 which most consider too high. Some use 100 or less... It doesn't really matter though if you're not intending to row on the water and particularly not with others. The lower DF will enable you to learn and maintain a better stroke with better form which will ultimately be more efficient and therefore faster over distances greater than 1k. Making changes to drag change the feel and you cant make a proper assessment in one or two outings. Stick with something for say a week before trying something else and only make your choice at the end of the process not on the first row.

Most beginners start on max drag because they mistakenly think its better and all the elite rowers must use it. In fact I understand that no elite rowers use max drag for the vast majority of their sessions. I'd suggest you get used to 120 for a week or two. Then try 110 for a week and/or 130 for a week and see how they feel in comparison.

Many people use the Pete Plan Beginner Program, 2k program, or 5k program to give a bit of structure to their rowing training. Once you've done a couple of cycles you'll get to know what works for you and what doesn't and can make up something for yourself. Search on here for the PP - there's loads of threads on it and its freely available if you google it. Pete Marsden is still around and may even personally coach you if you approach him with funds!

Enjoy!

[elvistcb3577]

What drag factor should I be using?

Whatever you want. Overtime you will learn what rating and drag factor works for you, especially when going for PB at different time/distances. Generally speaking a good beginners pace as a starting point is about 4-6 and around 18-22 rating.

Is it reasonable for a beginner to use a high drag factor or should I start low and work up?

Beginners should be almost exclusively be focused on good form and learning to have strong strokes. And just putting in the time/meters without too much worry about split time. Using an ultra slow rating (14-16) as an exercise will really help you develop good form. Majority of injuries are a function of bad form and/or over training. The only time I even came close to an injury was when I did a 45 min row at 1.

Is there a 30 minute workout program to follow or should I just mix it up with HITT and steady pace as I see fit?

There is so much out there. But I would suggest initially just doing steady pace for the first couple months and build a core fitness and muscle memory form. If you plan to do this long term its worth the initial effort. HIIT on the erg is risky for a beginner.

[Dangerscouse]

Welcome to the forum

Not much else to add other than your lower back pain is probably a consequence of having the drag factor too high, assuming it's a well maintained rowing machine.

A high df will put more pressure on your lower back, especially if you're a newbie as your technique will still not be perfect. It will feel strange if you try to lower the drag too quickly, so you should definitely reduce it over a number if weeks. I will also add that some people do still prefer, and row better at a higher drag so don't feel that it is absolutely essential, as it is just a means to an end after all.

[jamesg]

Be careful with high drag, it will push you into a slow short stroke at high rating, and puts the accent on force rather than work. Erging is supposed to mimic rowing, which needs technique, speed, sequencing and length of action, is mostly based on legs, and offers endurance. Training is done at low ratings, below 23, so that we can work hard and fast in the stroke, and so train it, but have time to recover between strokes. High drag can block all this, defeating the main object of erging.

Thirty minute workouts might be 6 x 5 minutes, 3 x 10' or all 30' at rating 20. You decide your ratings or power levels, but it's usually best to start at low power to loosen up.

If you use ergdata, you can see, among other numbers, your average force, stroke length and drive speed, which together characterize your stroke.

[MrCrlhm]

Hey there,
Another noob here, have only been at it for a month and a half and have my DF at 120, not for any particular reason other than that was where I started and have stuck with that so far.
Just watched a video on this yesterday, Dark Horse Rowing on Youtube and name of it was ”The ULTIMATE Drag Factor Workout - 15 Minute Rowing Machine Workout for Power” (not sure about the rules on linking stuff here). Why not go through that exercise where he has you go through the different settings while explaining the differences.
It kind of made it click with me when he explained that the high damper setting(that you are using) makes the catch easier since the flywheel slows down faster making it easier to get a good catch while lower settings will have the flywheel keep its speed longer making it ’harder’ to get a good catch. So in a way lower settings requires your technique to be sharper(that is my noob take on it anyways).

Found another video from RowAlong on Youtube named "What is Drag Factor on Concept2 rowing machines? - I tell you." excellent explanation also.