Getting HR up on Concept2

[Nosmo]

Another possibility is "shooting the slide."...

This is likely the biggest technical problem. You don't have good connection with the legs to the handle. However there are likely many others. Take a video.

You should be able to row almost as fast without pulling much with the arms at all. You legs should hurt more then your arms.
A drag factor of 118 is plenty high if you have good technique. Heavy weight world records have been set at a lower drag factor.
Drag factor changes should only make a difference of a few seconds per 500m.

I don't think there is any great merit in low pull rates.

There are a lot of very good coaches who disagree with this. Most world class rowers do most of their rowing at low ratings. If you are a masters athlete doing low to moderate mileage then maybe you can get by with out it, but rowing at low ratings with powerful strokes builds muscle endurance as well as developing mitochondria and capillaries. A slow relaxed recovery also gives one time to think about technique and prepare for each stroke. It is much easier to change a bad habit at low ratings.

[kayakr]

low rates

The idea being if you can pull strongly at low rates you can then pull strongly at high rates to go even faster?

[Carl Watts]

Yes low rate training is excellent for getting your performance up. 17 to 18 spm at 2:00 pace for longer "Training" rows at low heartrates has worked well for me. The idea is you get you body used to a higer level of power per stroke and when you then rate up you do not have to do do silly high ratiings to get good times. Perhaps this is of less benifit to lightweights but as a heveyweight you just don't want to be racing up and down the slide for anything other than short sprints and after all if your trying to assist your OTW performance (not that I have ever rowed OTW, but hey ) it must be better if your rating is roughly inline with a boat.

[kayakr]

try this, which was just posted on the "incline" thread:

If you want a good "power" workout try the following exercise with the ergo flat on the floor (you only need a medium drag factor, e.g. 120-130):

Do not have a break between segments.
Row for 10 minutes at 24 SPM, using a pace that you could easily maintain for 40 minutes.
Row for 4 minutes at 22 SPM whilst maintaining the same pace as used in the previous step.
Row for 4 minutes at 20 SPM whilst maintaining the same pace.
Row for 4 minutes at 18 SPM whilst maintaining the same pace.
Row for 2 minutes at 16 SPM whilst maintaining the same pace.
Row for 2 minutes at 14 SPM whilst maintaining the same pace.

By the time you get to the lower stroke rates you should be finding it quite hard on the legs. With any low rate/high power exercises you must use good technique (early, strong leg drive and good sequencing of the stroke), and protect your back by ensuring that the core muscles remain powerfully engaged - especially at the catch and the finish. If you are pulling hard with your arms you are doing it wrong - rowing is a pushing sport.

I was just giving this a go and the wierd thing is... I tended to go "too fast" at the 18 SPM. 16 SPM started to get tough. After doing this, my natural SPM for the last 3k went to about 22 instead of 26 at the start.

[jasperm]

Much progress -- I had been focusing on my arms, and definitely most of the effort was coming from there. Legs weren't getting at all tired. So I increased DF to 138 so I could push fast with my legs and still feel like there's something there. As one of you had suggested, the problem might be that there wasn't enough drag at the beginning of the drive for my legs to have something to push against. Huge difference - getting my power and my HR up significantly. Still need to work on technique a lot but I think I'm on the right track. Will still try to put up a video when I can for your input.

Here's a question:
I've been watching the force curve on the PM3. Before, when I was focusing on my arms, the curve was very symmetrical, peak right in the middle, perfectly rounded.
Now, with the increased drag and focusing on a big push from my legs at the beginning of the drive, the shape of the curve has changed dramatically. The peak occurs left of center with a much longer tail. It also tends to have a sharper peak rather than a smooth curve - ie a couple inflection points. Some of the time there's a secondary, smaller peak when I pull with my arms.

What should the force curve look like ideally? Haven't found anything on this anywhere.

THanks again,
Michael

[Carl Watts]

http://www.concept2.com/us/support/manu ... p10_13.pdf

[jasperm]

Never mind about the force curve - I found stuff all over the place including this forum. Lots of opinions.

[Nosmo]

Never mind about the force curve - I found stuff all over the place including this forum. Lots of opinions.

The differences of opinion refer to how broad the peak should be, and how fast it should increase and decrease.
What ever you do it should be smooth and not have a secondary peak or look like a Volkswagen Bug. The references at the end of the C2 article that Carl linked to are outdated. Try:
http://web.archive.org/web/200803171946 ... stroke.htm
and
http://www.biorow.com/RBN_en_2001_files ... News12.pdf
instead. However the bio row newsletter does expand on this in more detail in later issues (sorry about not looking them up).

[kayakr]

This is a great point and focusing on form does seem to be much easier at 22 SPM than 26 for me.

A slow relaxed recovery also gives one time to think about technique and prepare for each stroke. It is much easier to change a bad habit at low ratings.