Concept2 Forum

Hi.

I'm 5"10 and 15 stones - so quite overweight. I want to lose weight and get into shape. I work from home so I get very little exercise. I've got a barrel like body with thin arms and legs - I want to get more in proportion.

I've had a couple of rowers, but ended up breaking them - just invested in a serious machine and want to really dedicate myself this time.

I can row at 30spm for an hour with no problems, it's tiring but I don't quite get out of breath.

What sort of regime should I do to lose weight? I have made changes to my diet - lots of fresh veg and fruit, very little processed food, normal portions sizes.

I was thinking of doing something like this:

morning - first thing before eating - 5kms in 30 mins (slowly getting faster/further over time)

evening - 5 or 10 KMs or HIIT training.

Aiming to do 70 kms or more a week.

Ideally to lose weight to get down to 12.5 stone or so. Will this work? I'd like to lose it fast - but 2lbs a week seems realistic. Any advice appreciated.

What do you mean by a serious machine? If it is a concept 2, you can get a lot of good advice on this forum, but the members would not be able to say much about a machine made by another manufacturer. On the concept 2, the work is done by blowing air. On other machines it might be done against a magnetic drag, by friction, or by moving water. Advice for one would not necessarily apply to another.

Bob S.

One other point. The stroke rate alone is not a good measure of the work done on an air resistance machine like a concept 2. It is a combination of how hard you pull and how long a stroke you use, as well as the stroke rate.

Bob S.

Thanks Bob.

I used the concept 2 at the gym - obviously the best machine out there.

I got a waterrower for home - due to size/noise constraints.

I appreciate they aren't identical but any advice appreciated.

I keep reading people saying that it's best to go low SPM and more power ends up rowing further - something I need to work on.

I just need to know if my overall idea (70kms a week, 30 mins first thing in the morning, mainly long distance but some interval training) is the right way to go to lose the gut/love handles.

Cheers

Porky lad wrote:Thanks Bob.

I used the concept 2 at the gym - obviously the best machine out there.

I got a waterrower for home - due to size/noise constraints.

I appreciate they aren't identical but any advice appreciated.

I keep reading people saying that it's best to go low SPM and more power ends up rowing further - something I need to work on.

I just need to know if my overall idea (70kms a week, 30 mins first thing in the morning, mainly long distance but some interval training) is the right way to go to lose the gut/love handles.

Cheers

Thats fine, but I hear nothing about diet, that is always number one. Low carb, high fat is the most easy way. Excercise ofcourse helps.

hjs wrote:

Porky lad wrote:Thanks Bob.

I used the concept 2 at the gym - obviously the best machine out there.

I got a waterrower for home - due to size/noise constraints.

I appreciate they aren't identical but any advice appreciated.

I keep reading people saying that it's best to go low SPM and more power ends up rowing further - something I need to work on.

I just need to know if my overall idea (70kms a week, 30 mins first thing in the morning, mainly long distance but some interval training) is the right way to go to lose the gut/love handles.

Cheers

Thats fine, but I hear nothing about diet, that is always number one. Low carb, high fat is the most easy way. Excercise ofcourse helps.

Sure. I don't eat anything processed, I'm avoiding carbs too.

nutribullet for breakfast - kale, banana, spinach, other fruit.

lunch - stir fry - lots of veg, a bit of noodles, chicken or beef.

Dinner - either something light (hummus and pitta) or a steak and greens.

No soda, and cutting back on the beer (beer is probably my biggest issue)

So they rowing schedule makes sense then, combined with diet changes? What would you say is a good source of fat?

Thanks

I would say, focus on your diet first. Exercise helps and should be performed regularly but your diet is responsible for at least 75% of your weight loss/gain.

edit: After looking at your post the first thing that comes to mind is...eat more!
Also try to change some of your habits. Noodles aren't that nutritious, and are best avoided. If you really must eat some carbs during lunch try some whole wheat wrap or some brown rice.

Also try to eat something between meals. For instance, take some egg white and/or chicken between breakfast and lunch, some canned fish (Tuna or mackerel) and nuts (cashews are great) between lunch and dinner. Just before bed you could also try to eat some low fat quark although that is still up for debate.

Porky lad wrote:[

Sure. I don't eat anything processed, I'm avoiding carbs too.

nutribullet for breakfast - kale, banana, spinach, other fruit.

lunch - stir fry - lots of veg, a bit of noodles, chicken or beef.

Dinner - either something light (hummus and pitta) or a steak and greens.

No soda, and cutting back on the beer (beer is probably my biggest issue)

So they rowing schedule makes sense then, combined with diet changes? What would you say is a good source of fat?

Thanks

Your breakfast is only carbs, no protein/fat. Always make protein number one. After night out body burns fat mostly, feet it with carbs and you stop that. Better not

All fats are ok, but limit omega 6, those are cheap and be found everywhere. Omega6 is the one we often don,t get enough from (fish). For the rest don,t worry, as long as its natural its ok. Only the combination of lots of carbs and omega6 cause trouble. Both to find in lots though.

If you eat carbs better after training in the evening.

The water rower is closest relative, in that it also is based on the physics of fluid dynamics, and, like air resistance machines, takes an 8x increase in power to double the speed. What I have heard about the indoor water rower is that the monitor doesn't really provide much data about the amount work done. I have never seen one, so I don't really know.

Bob S.

Bob S. wrote:The water rower is closest relative, in that it also is based on the physics of fluid dynamics, and, like air resistance machines, takes an 8x increase in power to double the speed. What I have heard about the indoor water rower is that the monitor doesn't really provide much data about the amount work done. I have never seen one, so I don't really know.

Bob S.

It's not bad. It's not as well designed as the concept two - but it shows strokes per minute, calories burnt (can't be accurate - doesn't know my weight) and the usual stuff.

Update.

Got some advice on foods to eat from a buddy. Lots of fish, eggs, high protein meats and berries and veg. Stuff you'll all know about.

Rowed 41 kms so far.

Got my fitness pal also - realise it's not a silver bullet but it makes you think about what you are eating. Feels fine - clocking in loads less calories but not hungry and eating some great meals. Biggest problem is working in office one day a week - temptation to eat crap is very high, and logging it has made me aware I need to avoid the frothy coffees etc.

scales said I was 14 stone 10lbs yesterday, so I'm already losing weight at a decent speed - feel better physically already and look a bit different - Shoulders a bit bigger, collar bones visible and arms a bit less like pipe cleaners, losing chub off the face too.

Realise these are noob gains though!

Not sure why I'm posting this really - just to say it's been fun so far, I'm not hungry all the time even though I'm on loads less calories and I'm still eating tasty meals (steak, sweet potatoes and mange touts etc) and I'm not aching or feeling battered from the rowing.

Going to keep this up for a month then start looking at getting better 2km times and start taking the speed serious once I'm a bit fitter.

thanks for advice and encouragement.

Good to hear you are making progress. Just be sure not to drop to much calories on your diet. The body will eventually enter into "starvation mode" making it harder and harder to loose weight by eating less.
The best way is to calculate the amount of calories needed for your maintenance (based on lean body mass and activity level) and cause a deficit by doing exercises. Most "normal" men will end up somewhere between 2300 and 2600 calories. If you must, cut a maximum of 500 calories from your maintenance amount.

I can highly recommend the book: Burn the fat, feed the muscle. It will give you all the information you need to develop a healthy lifestyle.

Aeschere wrote:Good to hear you are making progress. Just be sure not to drop to much calories on your diet. The body will eventually enter into "starvation mode" making it harder and harder to loose weight by eating less.
The best way is to calculate the amount of calories needed for your maintenance (based on lean body mass and activity level) and cause a deficit by doing exercises. Most "normal" men will end up somewhere between 2300 and 2600 calories. If you must, cut a maximum of 500 calories from your maintenance amount.

I can highly recommend the book: Burn the fat, feed the muscle. It will give you all the information you need to develop a healthy lifestyle.

Cheers buddy. Will read that book.

Had a blow out with some socialising - can see why this stuff is a problem now after logging what I'm eating! A big session on the booze is a killer and I need to stop it.

I'm eating loads still - but it's stuff that is good for me rather than stodgy rubbish.

I feel properly in the habit of rowing now - it's still really tame in terms of speed but for long times, feels fine - no pain at all afterwards.

Just remember that diet influences weight and exercise influences body composition. People often assume the reverse.

Dr. Hamwi's method is a good guideline to aim for.

The Hamwi method is used to calculate the ideal body weight of the general adult. For men, the Hamwi method ideal body weight is 106 pounds (48 kg) plus 6 pounds (2.7 kg) for every inch (2.54 cm) over 5 feet (1.5 m). For women, it is 100 pounds (45 kg) plus 5 pounds (2.3 kg) for every inch over 5 feet.

ChrisPBacon wrote:Just remember that diet influences weight and exercise influences body composition. People often assume the reverse.

Dr. Hamwi's method is a good guideline to aim for.

The Hamwi method is used to calculate the ideal body weight of the general adult. For men, the Hamwi method ideal body weight is 106 pounds (48 kg) plus 6 pounds (2.7 kg) for every inch (2.54 cm) over 5 feet (1.5 m). For women, it is 100 pounds (45 kg) plus 5 pounds (2.3 kg) for every inch over 5 feet.

Height is not enough, we have three dimensions.