Doc wrote:
I am 73 years old, 5'8" tall and weigh 100 Kg
. I have already lost almost 4 kg in the past 2 weeks at the gym doing a 4 day a week program that I set up with the interactive tool. My maximum heart rate (220 - 73) is 147 and my resting pulse is 60. While rowing at a reasonable pace (I have gone up to 40 minutes at a time) my pulse is between 120 and 128. Is this too high for an MHR of 147 or just right for a heart rate reserve of about 90? I am at UT2 which suggests 50-70% of MHR.
220-age isn't hard and fast. It's an approximation that doesn't work for everybody (it's off by more than 30bpm for me). So you may want to ditch the HR monitor and go by how it feels. Use the HR data after you've finished to see how you're doing but don't use it to restrict your performance.
My 83yr old friend Gordon did a 2K under nine minutes at BIRC last year, he doesn't use a HR monitor.
Doc wrote:
Also, I notice that when I push back at the start of a stroke, I don't feel real resistance until I am leaning back and pulling with my arms. Am I really getting much help from my legs? Is this normal? I noticed this at the gym and on my new machine.
Where do you have that lever on the side of the machine set. If you feel like there's no pull then you may need to move it up a notch or two. Gordon rows on a much higher drag than I do, because he's always done it that way and it works better for long slower strokes. Remember that rowing isn't an arms-only sport, most of the power should come from your legs.
Technique is most of rowing. So search on here for the multitude of technique threads. There's some good videos on YouTube and on
http://concept2.co.uk that demostrate good technique.
