Concept2 Forum

Hi I started rowing again over the past two weeks to try and lose weight. I am really struggling to understand how to row at a lower strokes per minute. I am at 33-35 for 30 minutes but I keep reading I should be rowing at 24-26.I am really confused as when I row at this rate I feel like I am not working at all. Any advice appreciated.

carronblue wrote:Hi I started rowing again over the past two weeks to try and lose weight. I am really struggling to understand how to row at a lower strokes per minute. I am at 33-35 for 30 minutes but I keep reading I should be rowing at 24-26.I am really confused as when I row at this rate I feel like I am not working at all. Any advice appreciated.

Your stroke is to short, try lengtening it, with a full stroke you really can,t rate 33/35. Try rowing strapless, that will help using a stronger stroke with more legs involved.

Body size is relative.
Short legs terms to lead to sorry drive phases.

Try and get used to a recovery phase after the drive.
I use a1:3 ratio

On 20 spm - the drive takes 1 second. Recovery 2 seconds...
Similar at 26 spm (1:3).

carronblue wrote:Hi I started rowing again over the past two weeks to try and lose weight. I am really struggling to understand how to row at a lower strokes per minute. I am at 33-35 for 30 minutes but I keep reading I should be rowing at 24-26.I am really confused as when I row at this rate I feel like I am not working at all. Any advice appreciated.

Depends on your pace, try rowing at the same pace at 24-26 as you were at 33-35. Your SPM is not directly related to your pace for example someone could be going 2:03 pace at 30spm and another person could be going the same 2:03 pace but only rating 18spm. Rating lower makes it harder not easier if the pace is kept constant.

Thanks for the feedback that really helps. Will put it into practise today.
Checked my rowing stroke and its definitely not short but I do think I have to improve my technique.

Overall stroke length should be about 75% of your height.

jamesg wrote:Overall stroke length should be about 75% of your height.

Huh? I'm, 1.7x m tall, and mostly manage to pull around 10m / stroke. That's not anywhere near 75% ...


George

Stroke length is the distance the handle travels, not the boat.

To row effectively at low rate means a real dissection of your technique and requires you to really generate some power behind the handle. I would call r24-26 mid rate too. Low rate is around 18-20 and you need this in your arsenal if you really want to get down your erg scores.

You need to ensure that your sequencing is correct: Legs, Open Body, Arms (and reverse on the way back).

One of my favourite videos showing some low rate rowing is of the Washington crew - just watch some of the people in this and see generally how they pace it e.g. very powerful drive, measured recovery. Obviously some of them are leaning a bit too far back, but it gives you the idea of how a low rate stroke should look.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQP3wsGbPXk[/youtube]

It’s important that you know when to apply a lot of power and when to keep it down. Keep your ratio of drive to recovery at 1:2 – meaning you take two times more time at the recovery than the drive. Keep most of your power in the drive, and slow down at the recovery. Take time, don’t rush it, and perhaps watch your form. Then push back with most of your might at the drive again. That should make you work harder and decrease your spm.

georgeed wrote:

jamesg wrote:Overall stroke length should be about 75% of your height.

Huh? I'm, 1.7x m tall, and mostly manage to pull around 10m / stroke. That's not anywhere near 75% ...


George

Yes this is different its DPS or distance per stroke. Typically your aiming for double digits but of course its rating and pace dependent. For low rates and decent power on your 30 minute you can be in the 13 to 14 meters per stroke area, the more the better. No idea on my stroke length, not sure it really matters but I could look at the wear marks on the slide.

I've just got back into indoor rowing after quite a break. I'm looking to loose weight and not to bothered about times.

I'm 6ft , 48y and 18st 9llb. My own stroke rate is about 18/min with a drag factor of 125 and <2:20 /500 over 2k. This is an easy pace and keep this pace * 4 with 1 min rest. If I row <2:10/500 for 2k my stroke rate stays the same I just pull harder for the first set anyway.

If I try to increase stroke rate then my form goes all over the place.

Am I ok to row at this rate or should I make a real effort to increase my stroke rate.

You don't need to change anything; just follow your own fitness, with increasing distances and/or more continuity.