Rowing Programme for Weight Loss

[Johnny6162]

Hi,
I used to be on here many years ago under a different name but I can't remember those login details. I can remember there being a section where you could input your availability and fitness and it would make a programme for you. Is that still available?

[jamesg]

There's a weight loss schedule here: http://3.8.144.21/training/interactive

[iain]

Good to see you back. There is no magic to losing weight on the rower. The biggest impact will come from reduced eating as burning significant meals takes a lot of rowing! That said, any regular rowing should maintain your metabolism when dieting and start to build muscle that uses more energy than the equivalent weight of fat cells, so slowly your metabolism should increase and so reduce the calorie deficit required.

However, as all this takes time, by far the most important is that you keep rowing, so the most important thing is to row in a way that you enjoy so that you are motivated to continue. My experience is that after a significant break, any rowing is tough, so just trying to build up the distance is probably the best option. Whether you prefer to do intervals or continuous is a personal preference. Later it comes down to whether you want to "compete" against previous times in which case a cycle of distances or interval sessions will be best, or row longer (perhaps to music / films etc) in which case just setting slowly lengthening distances building to >30mins per row would be optimum, or a mix.

Best of luck and let us know how you get on.

[dabatey]

Long and slow on any exercise is best for calorie burn.

It's mainly diet though, all exercise does is allow you to diet without cutting down so much you feel like you are starving yourself.

[Tsnor]

Exercise also makes you feel better, allows you to do things you wouldn't otherwise be able to do, improves your health and quality of life. Exercise (both long/slow and high load exercise) is especially critical as you get older (50+). In the US many medicare advantage health plans will even pay for membership to health clubs as a way to reduce the plans health care costs...

Rowing for weight loss sometimes confuses people -- their weight stays the same as they replace fat with muscle so they think it's not working. Trust your mirror as much as you trust you scale when you add a good exercise program.

[iain]

Rowing for weight loss sometimes confuses people -- their weight stays the same as they replace fat with muscle so they think it's not working. Trust your mirror as much as you trust you scale when you add a good exercise program.

I think much of the initial increase is increased blood volume, muscle is a slower build. However over time the increased metabolism from that muscle has an impact on calorie usage and exercising while reducing calories maintains metabolic rate when it would otherwise drop to "starvation mode", so it does have an important part to play. But a modest calorie deficit will take a few weeks before you start to see a sustained weight loss.

Long and slow is certainly the usual prescription, but only if it is done long term and not stopped due to boredom. If you prefer to increase speed, better to do that than risk losing motivation!

[Tsnor]

I think much of the initial increase is increased blood volume...

new news to me, makes a ton of sense. ty. Wish there was a +1 on this forum - so many excellently posts are quietly, invisibly appreciated.

[Mrmouse]

Rowing can help with weight loss, but diet is key. Start slowly, find a style you enjoy.

[Dave Neve]

Hello

I too didn't know about blood volume increases.

As for muscle replacing fat, that would be wonderful but unless you are taking testosterone, it is very hard to put on even 100 grams of pure muscle, so when you need to lose say 20kg of fat, there is no way you're going to put on that much muscle to replace it.

[Ombrax]

As I've said here before, the best thing rowing does in a weight loss program is to show you how hard it is to burn off the calories from say, a single chocolate chip cookie, and therefore your best bet is to 1) redouble your efforts to a) don't eat the bad stuff, and b) eat the good stuff, and 2) continue to row, because it's good for your body and does burn some calories.

Or, put simply, a good weight loss program is based primarily on what you eat. Of course, if your body and life schedule can also handle you running for 6 hours / week, or cycling for 10 hours / week that will also help.