Bob S. wrote:The handiest term for forum use is "time trial."
I just sent this on another thread and realized that it might be appropriate here as well:
To start with, it helps to know some of the jargon. This is a bit out-dated, but still useful:
http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=38
Next, learn about the damper setting and the drag factor:
http://concept2.co.uk/training/guide/damper_lever
(Note that there is one error there. The lowest damper setting is not 1, it can be moved to one mark below that to an unlabelled zero.)
Ahh, Time Trial! Got it.. makes sense when you think about it.
Also thank you for the other links. A lot of it doesn't apply to me since I purchased a Waterrower. The Concept 2 did seem very attractive but, with my size, my options were limited and the Concept 2 machines I found had only a 500lb user capacity, which i handily exceed, compared to Waterrowers 1000lbs.
Like the OP, however, the same principles seem to apply regardless of platform, I just can't run the same workout programs that the Concept 2. But, ive found myself here in the C2 forums because there doesn'tn seem to be a similar community dedicated to Waterrower, which is disappointing after spending so much money.
Bob S. wrote:Finally, work on technique and keep at it indefinitely. There are many good videos around and this is one of the best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqVmMd7FdAA
Even better is to get advice from a competent rowing coach (not a fitness center instructor, although there are some out there that know about rowing). Failing that, have a side view video made of yourself on the erg and send it to this forum for a critique.
Bob S.
Thanks, I had actually seen that very video and studied it many times before I got my rower. It is not easy to maintain as usually i'm just struggling to get through it and then i remember that my form is incorrect and I make that correction, even if it costs me speed and strokes/min. But I am trying my very best to keep my form, and I am getting better at it. Also, like OP, the footrests are too narrow for me so i've been rowing with my feet on the floor until I can build a base board extension to rest my feet on.
But again, thank you for the info and for the support, it really is great to connect with others who struggled with their fitness in one way or another.
jeremycfr wrote:
Wow! Great work!! I am glad I my sharing was able to motivate you. I am finally down to a weight I can live with (5ft10in, 162 lbs down from 267 and a 29 in waist down from 47). I still keep challenging myself. Last night I rowed a 6k in 24:15.8 (2:01.3/500), but last may my best was 6k in over 31 minutes (2:39.4/500). I remember I would almost fall off of the machine afterwards, but I just kept plugging away.
It is exciting to see others on here (and we each have our own method) support each other and improve ourselves. Keep in touch and keep up the good work. It gets hard at times, but just keep plugging away.
Hey, I'm glad you found your way back here!
Thanks again for the support and for posting your story. Your workout routine and how you struggled at first really helped get me dedicated. In fact, it helped to ground me after I had ordered my rower and was waiting for it to arrive. Before reading your post I thought to myself, "I'll start off easy and only go for about 12 minutes at a time." HA! But when i read where you started off and seeing that you were, literally, half my size I lowered my expectations considerably and helped soften the blow after the disastrous first day on the rower. After that, my first goal was to slowly match your starting split time because I felt like if I could, at my size, match your worst, even after some work, that rowing would work for me. I was really excited to catch up with your starting times after less than a week and it really helped motivate me to start rowing for time trials in the evenings as you had.
Saying that you almost fell off the machine is hilarious to me because my first time on the rower I fell off it before AND after my first row. The first time i didn't sit right on the seat and it slid out from under me, and down I went. Then, after my grueling first 3 minutes on the machine, I fell off again just trying to get up off of the machine! haha.. glad to see i'm not the only one that had such a tough time my first go 'round.
So thanks again for posting your story, after fatrower got me seriously interested in rowing, your story gave me a solid starting goal to shoot for and a simple method to follow for getting better. Honestly, I was hesitant to post my story because I was still so new to it and because after many past failures at losing weight (sometimes even after losing hundreds of pounds) I didn't want to, once again, put my foot in my mouth. But I saw that both you and fatrower had stopped posting so I wanted to say something before you and the rest of the participants in this thread were gone for good.
I feel like this time around will be different for me because this is the first time in all my attempts to lose weight that I am following a fitness program at the same time. I lost weight solely by dieting in the past as I just could not find the motivation or muster up the courage to get out there and get moving. So while fatrower got me going initially and helped me decide to buy the rower, I found something you said really resonated with me, and that was "I row first and then everything else happens afterwards."
I've taken that on as a mantra of sorts and it has helped me, so far, do my best to make rowing a habit. That alarm goes off and I tell myself immediately that rowing has to come first, and add that it's ONLY 8 or 9 minutes, and it HAS to come first so just get it over with and you can get on with your day. This past weekend after having rowed 5 days straight I sat in my living room and glanced over at my rower and actually wanted to get on it and row. I was very sore and knew that I needed the time off to let my muscles recover so that I could improve, but it was the first time in my life that I can ever remember actually, genuinely wanting to work out. Your words were a big part of that, so for that I thank you, and if you're ever in the south texas area, the beers are on me. Same goes for you, bob!
