Concept2 Forum

New to this machine.

Use it twice and have blisters on my hand due to the hard handle.

What have you done to prevent this form happening to your hands when you use this machine?


ROmper

Try not to grip the handle so tightly, the grip should be relaxed, your fingers used as a hook, your thumbs resting on the top. During the recovery (going forward motion), you can actually stretch your fingers a bit as the handle returns. Any blisters will eventually callous, but if you look at any erg videos on form, they can better explain how to properly grip the handle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD9aWaxmBg0

Many thanks RoidbotPR.

Do you know of any users who wear gloves of this purpose?


ROmper

Don't pull so hard. More work is done by low force and long strokes (and plenty of them) than by a few short hard strokes with a death grip. Use fingers only and no grip at all, just as hooks. Hard skin will appear under the first joints, but you need that to show your examiners that you've done the apprenticeship.

If you go afloat in very cold weather, gloves might help at the start, but they get very slippery, damp and smelly.

Romper wrote:New to this machine.

Use it twice and have blisters on my hand due to the hard handle.

What have you done to prevent this form happening to your hands when you use this machine?


ROmper

You better het used to them, people row a lot get very best up hands. Gloves can, but is also very uncomfortable. Tight grip is nonsense, during the drive you simply have to hold the handle.
One plus point, new handles have some sticky layer, this will go away.

Romper wrote:Do you know of any users who wear gloves of this purpose?

Using gloves could make it worse, there's lots of sweat when you go hard. Just loosen the grip and accept that your hands will develop callouses in a short time.

Many thanks guys.

I see this pro had his thumbs wrapped around the bar during his 2km stint..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd4Qmd-tN78



Romper

Romper wrote:I see this pro had his thumbs wrapped around the bar during his 2km stint..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd4Qmd-tN78

I don't think that's a good example. He's an elite rower (looks like he's in Leander colours) pulling an average 1:27 split for 5 mins 48 secs. There's no way he's going to want to let the handle go at that sort of pace.

I'd be happy if I could still pull that split for six strokes.

Romper wrote:Many thanks guys.

I see this pro had his thumbs wrapped around the bar during his 2km stint..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd4Qmd-tN78



Romper

127 is not fast for a strong guy, he has no trouble at all holding the handle. Tall people peope also have a longer drive, so the same strokepower will give them a faster stroke.

Romper wrote:Many thanks guys.

I see this pro had his thumbs wrapped around the bar during his 2km stint..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd4Qmd-tN78



Romper

The thumbs have to go somewhere. They can be on the top of the bar or out straight along the bar as well as under. For me, those alternatives are uncomfortable, so I keep them under, but that does not mean that I am using a tight grip on the handle.

Bob S.

Thanks Bob