New Rower looking for training partner and program pointers
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New Rower looking for training partner and program pointers
Hello,
I'm just starting out with the C2 and would like to partner with another novice to share strategies, get feedback and help with overall motivation. I'm a 45 year old male that is looking initialy to bring my weight down from 210 to 175 and to continue on with strength and endurance training. Also very interested in training program advice.
All the Best
Gene Wilson
I'm just starting out with the C2 and would like to partner with another novice to share strategies, get feedback and help with overall motivation. I'm a 45 year old male that is looking initialy to bring my weight down from 210 to 175 and to continue on with strength and endurance training. Also very interested in training program advice.
All the Best
Gene Wilson
Welcome to the forum Gene!
Keep posting and reading the fora!
I'm not your training partner because I'm not the weight loss type, but I will try to motivate you in anyway I can!
For starters:
Row Gene Row!
In my opinion it's all about motivation, seeking a trainingpartner is a great idea, logging your times in the online logbook is another, also reading ( and posting ) this forum will help you to stay motivated!
Keep posting and reading the fora!
I'm not your training partner because I'm not the weight loss type, but I will try to motivate you in anyway I can!
For starters:
Row Gene Row!
In my opinion it's all about motivation, seeking a trainingpartner is a great idea, logging your times in the online logbook is another, also reading ( and posting ) this forum will help you to stay motivated!
Tyn
M42H
"We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well and live."
"Nobody move! I've dropped me brain!"
M42H
"We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well and live."
"Nobody move! I've dropped me brain!"
Gene,
I'm about your age and also working on losing weight (down 23.5 lbs., about 30 to go), also looking for a training partner for the same reasons. The first 20 lbs. I always find easy then it gets harder. We could do emails, online logs or I can throw up a web site to track progress. Let me know....
Peter
I'm about your age and also working on losing weight (down 23.5 lbs., about 30 to go), also looking for a training partner for the same reasons. The first 20 lbs. I always find easy then it gets harder. We could do emails, online logs or I can throw up a web site to track progress. Let me know....
Peter
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You can set up training partners on your C2 profile page. If you PM me your Ranking ID#, I can set you up as a training partner and you me.maximoburrito wrote:Would anyone be interested in putting together a weight loss group here? Maybe even a team for the online rankings? My concept 2 just arrived today and I've verified that I can upload my stats. I think it would be great to have some virtual workout partners to help push me on.
I've been toying with this notion of training partners, but it's tough to commit. (All the more reason to do it, I reckon.)
For the challenges, I have been rowing with TIMBUK2.
Good luck and enjoy.
Its not really work
Its just the power to charm
Its just the power to charm
First, I need to say how happy I am to have discovered rowing! I was inactive/overweight/prone to injury for over 20 years. After having surgery on my back for 3 severely herniated discs three years ago, I looked high and low for a way to get some good activity and not hurt myself. I began spin classes in March of this year and somehow discovered rowing at my local Y. I never looked back.
I began my weight loss journey in January and have lost nearly 35 lbs. on a popular plan. I am eating mostly whole foods and lots of variety. I am active on a very motivating message board on this plan's website and I'm happy with my progress. HOWEVER...
I've worked my way up rowing and I now do 6440 meters (4 miles) 3-4 times a week. I row at about 24 spm with my resistance at 10. It takes just about exactly 40 minutes. I usually sprinkle in some sprints of about 30 spm for a minute at a time here and there. Metallica on my MP3 player helps!
My question is, is this a good routine to stay with for long term weight loss? I keep reading about shorter workouts with lower resistance than I'm doing. I seem to have reached a standstill on the scale. I have however noticed some nice toning in my legs and shoulders.
There seems to be a lot of expertise in here and I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!
I began my weight loss journey in January and have lost nearly 35 lbs. on a popular plan. I am eating mostly whole foods and lots of variety. I am active on a very motivating message board on this plan's website and I'm happy with my progress. HOWEVER...
I've worked my way up rowing and I now do 6440 meters (4 miles) 3-4 times a week. I row at about 24 spm with my resistance at 10. It takes just about exactly 40 minutes. I usually sprinkle in some sprints of about 30 spm for a minute at a time here and there. Metallica on my MP3 player helps!
My question is, is this a good routine to stay with for long term weight loss? I keep reading about shorter workouts with lower resistance than I'm doing. I seem to have reached a standstill on the scale. I have however noticed some nice toning in my legs and shoulders.
There seems to be a lot of expertise in here and I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!
If you're smiling, you're doing it wrong.
- BrianStaff
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Pennosh,
I highly recommend the Interactive Weight Loss program on the UK site which will give you a very varied workout.
http://www.concept2.co.uk/weightloss/interactive.php
Brian
I highly recommend the Interactive Weight Loss program on the UK site which will give you a very varied workout.
http://www.concept2.co.uk/weightloss/interactive.php
Brian
M 65 / 6'3" / 234lbs as of Feb 14, 2008...now 212
Started Rowing: 2/22/2008
Vancouver Rowing Club - Life Member(Rugby Section)
PB: 500m 1:44.0 2K 7:57.1 5K 20:58.7 30' 6866m
Started Rowing: 2/22/2008
Vancouver Rowing Club - Life Member(Rugby Section)
PB: 500m 1:44.0 2K 7:57.1 5K 20:58.7 30' 6866m
Support
I would also be interested to some degree. I am currently using a row plan from the UK website and got the idea to also use thedailyplate.com to determine the number of calories I need to eat to lose weight from someones posting here. I have lost about six pounds. I've used the dailyplate site for about two weeks and I am finishing week five of the rowing plan today. I don't have a body fat monitor, but I can tell my fat is being replaced with muscle. I'm planning to go on vacation starting the 18th and intend to add three resistance band workouts weekly after that. I would like to lose about 50 lbs.
Unfortunately, I do not have a concept 2. I had no idea that I would love rowing as much as I do. I couldn't cost justify buying one since it could have just collected dust. What I have is doing the job, but I wouldn't be able to participate in some activities. My plan is to work this one until it falls apart or until I lose about 35 lbs. At that time I will reward myself with a concept 2.
Unfortunately, I do not have a concept 2. I had no idea that I would love rowing as much as I do. I couldn't cost justify buying one since it could have just collected dust. What I have is doing the job, but I wouldn't be able to participate in some activities. My plan is to work this one until it falls apart or until I lose about 35 lbs. At that time I will reward myself with a concept 2.
Intensity
Congratulations on a great start. With the added interest of the IP I hope you continue to develop.pennosh wrote:I've worked my way up rowing and I now do 6440 meters (4 miles) 3-4 times a week. I row at about 24 spm with my resistance at 10. It takes just about exactly 40 minutes. I usually sprinkle in some sprints of about 30 spm for a minute at a time here and there. Metallica on my MP3 player helps!
You do not give details about yourself (height, weight, age etc.) or the extent of any ongoing back problems so it is difficult to assess, but , if the 40 mins. is spent in continuous rowing, this is 3:00+ / 500m. There would be around 2 per 100 50+ ladies who logged a 6k on the forum rowing at or below this pace. I appreciate that you are not and should not be pushing yourself to your limits for these rows, but, many people rowing in this pace range, with no physical reason restricting their pace, have technical issues with their rowing.
I suggest that you review the many technique videos on this site or U-tube for ideas. Common faults would include:
Breaking your knees before finishing the arm stroke (and thereby using the final power of the stroke to come up the slide not accelerate the fly wheel)
Allowing your body to bend forward &/or arms to straighten after starting your leg drive (similar loss of part of the stroke)
Not pulling the handle right up to your body (losing the end of the stroke) &/or
Not straightening the legs before the start of the stroke (losing start of the leg drive).
In addition, it is generally thought dangerous to row with high drag unless you have considerable core strength and conditioning. The drag is dependant on 2 factors, where the lever is (10 being the highest) and how dirty the flywheel is. You need to check the drag factor to find what drag you are pulling. On a PM3 or 4 this is found by choosing "Other options", then "drag factor" and rowing until the number settles down. For someone with your background of back issues, Iwould have thought this should be around 110-115. On a clean machine 10 may be double this! Lowering the lever until the drag factor is in the appropriate range will both protect your back and make rowing a smoother experience as the flywheel will not slow as much between strokes. However, you should row at the same pace (time per 500m, calories/hour or Watts). This will mean accelerating the handle to a faster speed. Technique failures will show up more at lower drag, but the mens world records are usually set at 140 or so drag, so you can row very fast at teh lower drag.
Hope your training continues to go well.
Iain
Iain, thanks for the great tips. I'm 44, 5'7" and still around 200 pretty solid pounds. I've lowered my damper setting to 7-8 in the last week or so. I read several times that having it on 10 was not necessary and not really even recomended. Due to my past back problems, form is of the utmost importance to me and I am constantly thinking about it through every stroke. I struggle with back pain at times, but my neurosurgeon is happy with my exercising and has told me to just listen to my body, which I do. I've viewed the Concept2 training DVD several times, as well as several other online video clips. The machines at my Y have older PM2 monitors. I know there is a section on this site that tells how to access drag factor, so I will definitely explore that. I always try to sit tall, rock from my hips, and I've found that holding the handle with my thumbs on top helps to keep my wrists level. If I'm using my legs like I should be, I don't need to have a death grip on the handle. I pay special attention to when my arms or legs are bending, not stopping on my finish, and trying to pull the handle to just above my belly button (precisely where the pause button is on my MP3 player!) If my form starts to falter, I know I need to slow down and regroup so as not to hurt myself. I want to enjoy this for a long time!
Today I had a 30-minute pyramid workout (5>1>5+1) working in intervals of increasing spm with a 1 minute sprint in the middle at 30 spm. Instead of feeling like I was dying during that 30 spm minute, I felt like I was LIVING! I was so stoked! I find difficulty in maintaining a slower cadence, but I'm working on it.
Your tips are very specific and I appreciate them very much. I knew I'd find great advice here! Thanks again!
Today I had a 30-minute pyramid workout (5>1>5+1) working in intervals of increasing spm with a 1 minute sprint in the middle at 30 spm. Instead of feeling like I was dying during that 30 spm minute, I felt like I was LIVING! I was so stoked! I find difficulty in maintaining a slower cadence, but I'm working on it.
Your tips are very specific and I appreciate them very much. I knew I'd find great advice here! Thanks again!
If you're smiling, you're doing it wrong.
There really shouldn't be any problem maintaining a slow cadence. It is really just a matter of taking it slow and easy on the recovery. I regularly start my morning wake up row with 2 minutes at 12 spm. I count out the seconds mentally and check them against the monitor clock — one for the drive and two, three, four and five for the recovery. The rest of this daily piece is 2' at 15 spm, 2' at 18 spm, 2' at 20 spm, and 2' back at the 12 spm. I keep a count for the 15 and 20, since they work out nicely at 4" and 3" strokes. For the 18m spm, where I can't do this, I just go by the clock taking 3 stokes every 10", starting the drive at zero, seven and a slight pause, four and a long pause and then right at the next zero.pennosh wrote: I find difficulty in maintaining a slower cadence, but I'm working on it.
There is no big deal about rowing at as low a rate as 10 spm, but below that, the monitor doesn't function properly. The rate readings will be gibberish.
Bob S.