Struggling

[mitchel674]

Be aware also that posters on this forum hold world records, are in the top 10% of people who rank pieces (top 1% of erg rowers). Your stats are as good or better than most of the people rowing in the gym (pre-covid), and your technique could not possibly be worse than the people hopping on the erg with their hands going up and down to get around their knees.

Consider training with HEART RATE and go long and slow. A good HR setup (polar h10 belt, rower pm5 monitor, your smartphone) is $80 US. Keep heart rate low, etc.

For less than a year you are doing fine. Your goals are your own... in your shoes my goal would be getting a solid aerobic base which is long rows (45 mins or longer) at slower than a 2:30 split until your heart rate supports faster long rows. You may be looking at 2:45 or 3:00 split pace.

This is the way. Many here are master rowers with times most of us could never emulate. Your goal really should be to put in the long, steady meters at a sustainable heart rate. This combined with proper diet will help you gradually lose weight while becoming more fit and eventually more powerful on the erg.

Comments like "something is wrong because when I started erging I could easily do a 5k in 20 minutes" are not helpful and can be particularly discouraging. After 3 years of rowing pretty steadily, I cannot do a 5k in 20 minutes. If you look at the concept2 rankings, fewer than 65% of males in our age group cannot row a 5k in 20 minutes. And those are just the blokes who think enough to post their times. Imagine the rest of us average rowers!

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

Hi,
Just looking for some guidance really
Stats
Male 54 yrs
18st big frame
Fairly fit, 4-5 day a week gym goer ( prior to Covid)

Home gym with free weights
Been using the Concept 2 rower since Feb but really struggling,
30 min row -5,900 m pace 2.33
20 min row- 3,900m pace 2.31
10 min row- 2,150 pace 2.19

No weight loss and below average numbers
Technique seems ok, following Dark Horse.

Any thoughts ?

Thanks

Hello, in March 2020 i was 6ft 2 and 19 stone 10. I have rowed 20km per day and have now rowed 7500 km.

In the first three months i lost about a stone a month and then i got stuck at 16.10 as i built muscle and technique. i've lost inches of fat but maintained weight.

I did not in anyway moderate my diet.

This week , i've started a new job , rowed before and after work and not eaten much. I've lost 3 pounds.

Across the whole period , i've rowed slow whilst measuring my heart beat. I keep my heart beat under 120 bpm , sometimes as low as 107 bpm.

The key thing to note is 3 minute splits at the start for 10km had a heart rate of 120bpm , now 2.20 to 2.30 min splits are 120 bpm.

My best 5km is 20 minutes at 163 bpm as a one off with no HIIT training.

The first 30 days of 20km were painful . I rowed fasted and could feel my life drain after 15 mins. This doesnt happen now. 6 months in i started rocking back in the stroke. 9 months in i rowed strapless. A year in, i'm rowing on 10 , at 2.30 with bags of power.

I guess the conclusion is - you cant achieve anything lasting and meaningful without sustaining it plus you need consistency and everytime you over eat - its a rowing session lost.

I lose no weight at 10km per day. I lose weight at 20km but only if i restrict my diet.

[mict450]

OP, Rob (middleagecrisis) gives good advice. He's been there, done that & got the t-shirts to prove it.

Since you posted in the weight loss forum, I assume fat loss is your numero uno goal. As such, forget about your splits & time. Be like Rob...go slow, easy & burn as many cals as you can. But always remember diet is king. Exercise is secondary.

[New2row]

Thanks again guys, happy to take advice from all sources.
The goal is not necessarily to drop loads of weight just to stay healthy, I also do free weights a lot of walking as I live near mountains and bike riding.
So I’m no novice.
Appreciate the input.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

OP, Rob (middleagecrisis) gives good advice. He's been there, done that & got the t-shirts to prove it.

Since you posted in the weight loss forum, I assume fat loss is your numero uno goal. As such, forget about your splits & time. Be like Rob...go slow, easy & burn as many cals as you can. But always remember diet is king. Exercise is secondary.

Thank you Eric! I'm still waiting for my second t shirt from concept ! I've had a day off due to my covid vaccine stopping me today. I need to do 23km per day till the end of the season to hit my goal! Hopefully back on it soonest. Best regards Rob

[mict450]

The goal is not necessarily to drop loads of weight just to stay healthy, I also do free weights a lot of walking as I live near mountains and bike riding.
So I’m no novice.
Appreciate the input.

Okay, gotcha. Then disregard what I said in my previous post about dieting & training. Make sure your technique is solid (important for achieving the speed you desire and vital to staying injury-free) and then go for a training plan like the Pete Plan or Wolverine. You'll need a mix of steady state & faster, sharper work to get faster splits.

I you're okay with your weight, then no need to change anything in diet.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

Thanks again guys, happy to take advice from all sources.
The goal is not necessarily to drop loads of weight just to stay healthy, I also do free weights a lot of walking as I live near mountains and bike riding.
So I’m no novice.
Appreciate the input.

Strapless rowing smashed me even though id rowed 5m metres by that point. You get a lovely heel plant and your abs are butchered.

[iain]

I would also recommend posting a video if you dare as the quickest solution. But absent this, the most common faults that lead to significantly slower times are:

starting the stroke with bent arms so some of the leg acceleration is lost in straightening the arms

starting the stroke with hands too low so in a weak position and some of the movement lost in rotating rather than pulling on the chain

bending further forward when legs are driving ("shooting the slide") so movement of body doesn't move the handle as much

not realising the increased work required relative to continuous exercises. When rowing at lower ratings you are doing all the work in 25%-30% (sometimes less) of the time. As a result you need to exert yourself proportionally higher than on a bike or walking when most of the time you are doing useful work. This is sustainable as you get to rest between strokes, so each stroke wants to feel like a significant exertion.

Hope that helps

[Boomer]

If you’re 18st and 5’10” gym goer and fairly fit these times are pretty slow therefore it can only be technique. Even if you don’t row much, with a basic technique and not much rowing you can be around 2:10-2:15 pace for these longer distances. Definitely worth posting a video for advice.