Rockin Roland wrote:It it well documented by various rowing organizations that stationary ergs are a great injury risk. There are many elite rowers in Australia with excellent rowing technique still getting injuries that can be directly attributed to use of the stationary C2 erg.
I have to again agree with Rockin Roland, this time about injuries on the stationary erg.
I've probably rowed more meters than 99.99% of those who've used a C2 rowing machine, and have been injured much less. In fact I have never missed any rowing due to injuries. I first got a model B in 1994, later a model C and now model D. I have usually completed in all 10 ranking events each year, plus often have done the max velocity test, have rowed 110 kilometers in a day, nearly 300 kilometers in 3 days, 465 km in a week, and 1 million meters in 19 days during the 2007 holiday challenge, almost always on a grounded erg, and yet have still not missed any rowing due to injuries.
In regards to injuries, there is a major difference between using the slides and the stationary erg, as on the slides the erg moves when you push with your legs, but does not move when the erg is grounded. The latter is conducive to bad form and injuries. I have been coming to the forum for the past 7 years, and have seen those most often suggesting that form be a reason for injuries on the stationary erg, are those who have been most often injured, in some cases not being able to row any more than 20 minutes due to injuries to their wrists, elbows or back.
As pointed out earlier, on the slides you are moving a balance between the erg and your body, also the bungees help to reverse your momentum on each end. You don't even need straps on the slides, as the bungees toss the erg back towards you at each end. Contrary to this, the grounded erg does not move, and the payoff is excessive trauma to the body. Many people who've come to the forum in the past 7 years have gotten INJURED because of taking bad advice about low ratings and jerking the handle hard at the catch. And most of them have since disappeared, though a few still hang around but can't row much due to bad wrists, bad backs and so on.
Leveling the railing by raising the back does not change the angle of the slope between the railing and the flywheel, and it certainly does not make the erg dynamic. The higher the flywheel vs the level of the railing, the more trauma, the more injuries.
Summing up, the grounded erg does cause rowers to have more injuries, as compared to an erg that's dynamic.
It is interesting that grounded ergs have been shunned by the Australian team, and it makes good sense that serious rowers would not use them.
bikeerg 75 5'8" 155# - 18.5 - 51.9 - 568 - 1:52.7 - 8:03.8 - 20:13.1 - 14620 - 40:58.7 - 28855 - 1:23:48.0
rowerg 56-58 5'8.5" 143# - 1:39.6 - 3:35.6 - 7:24.0 - 18:57.4 - 22:49.9 - 7793 - 38:44.7 - 1:22:48.9 - 2:58:46.2
(but strapless does requires better technique particularly on a grounded erg)