Nice PR for Concept2

[SaBhava]

Hi,
just saw the pictures in one of Germany's most important magazines (Der Stern): the German eight trains on the model D for Olympic gold! A lot of the training regime had been described in the article as well and it involves apparently a lot of erging on the Model D

I read a lot in this forum that erging on the Model D destroys balance, the feel for OTW rowing, is bad for the back etc. Well, it can't be that bad since the German eight has been undefeated in the last 34 runs...

Cheers,
SB

[hjs]

Technical training will be done in the boat, training on an erg or bike or via weight will certainly not ruin youir technique, rowing is not rocket science, people on the forum often make it way to difficult. Of course you need technique, but being able to learn that is part of the talent you need. Besides that rowing in a top 8 means you need to have a very big engine and for that a lot of hard work is needed which can be done on any erg.
The lastest erg seems to be not a solution, it makes it possible to rate way to high, something that is not possible on the stationary erg. So I don't think it will replace the current ergs.

[Cyclingman1]

The lastest erg seems to be not a solution, it makes it possible to rate way to high, something that is not possible on the stationary erg. So I don't think it will replace the current ergs.

Can you explain this distinction? What is stationary? What is latest?

[hjs]

The lastest erg seems to be not a solution, it makes it possible to rate way to high, something that is not possible on the stationary erg. So I don't think it will replace the current ergs.

Can you explain this distinction? What is stationary? What is latest?

The latest (dynamic) is the erg with a moving flywheel and a the rower stays more or less stationary.

The models before A/E had a fixed flywheel.

Search on youtube, there have been set some very impressive results on the dynamic, but done with a very high rating that is not used on a static one.

[NavigationHazard]

What erg are you talking about? The C2 Dynamic has a fixed flywheel, as do all the other C2 production rowing ergs to date. It's in back of the rower rather than in front but it doesn't move during the stroke. The footstretcher is not fixed, thus allowing the rower to simulate better the feel of floating in a sliding-seat boat.

http://www.concept2.com/us/indoorrowers ... cintro.asp

On the RowPerfect the footstretcher and flywheel are part of the same moving assembly.

[hjs]

What erg are you talking about? The C2 Dynamic has a fixed flywheel, as do all the other C2 production rowing ergs to date. It's in back of the rower rather than in front but it doesn't move during the stroke. The footstretcher is not fixed, thus allowing the rower to simulate better the feel of floating in a sliding-seat boat.

http://www.concept2.com/us/indoorrowers ... cintro.asp

On the RowPerfect the footstretcher and flywheel are part of the same moving assembly.

The dynamic erg

Yes I had the wrong idea, been a while since I saw, is indeed the footpart and not the flywheel that is not fixed.
But the point remains that on this erg a rower does not move much and can rate higher very easily and that helps someone who can handle that.
When I tried it, I rated high without trying to and could not rate low. Rating 30 or more for longer pieces is not difficult. Just the legs bend and the backangle movement. Not the going back and forth on the slide.

[Cyclingman1]

I wonder if Concept2 is not undermining themselves a bit with the variety of products: std erg, slides, dynamic erg, etc. People like to compare times. Can you really do that across all of these products? I would be skeptical.

[Bob S.]

I wonder if Concept2 is not undermining themselves a bit with the variety of products: std erg, slides, dynamic erg, etc. People like to compare times. Can you really do that across all of these products? I would be skeptical.

There really isn't any "etc." involved, unless you go back to the model A. There are just the three categories - static, static mounted on slides, and the dynamic. No, the times are not strictly comparable and the online logbooks and rankings show which was used, although the slide designation is at the option of the person who sends in the data. The dynamic designation is now automatic. There has also been mention here that there is also some PM differences, in that the older ones (PM, PM2, and PM2+) had a different protocol than the PM3 and PM4, but I don't remember what those differences where and there was no electronic data entry for the older PMs. The online data submitted was entirely up to the person submitting it.

While data comparison is a strong feature (and incentive) for the Concept 2 indoor rowers, it is not the primary concern and the moves to slides and to the dynamic are major improvements both for back strain concerns and for closer OTW simulation.

Bob S.

[SaBhava]

Technical training will be done in the boat, training on an erg or bike or via weight will certainly not ruin youir technique, rowing is not rocket science, people on the forum often make it way to difficult.

Thanks for the comment, hjs! I just felt good that the money I spent for my Model D (and it did cost more than the car I currently drive) was money well spent. When one of the top 8 teams in the world uses the Model D they must be top notch and are certainly good enough for me who just wants to row to stay healthy, slim and strong.

[Bob S.]

Thanks for the comment, hjs! I just felt good that the money I spent for my Model D (and it did cost more than the car I currently drive) was money well spent. When one of the top 8 teams in the world uses the Model D they must be top notch and are certainly good enough for me who just wants to row to stay healthy, slim and strong.

Did the article say whether or not they used slides? Many elite training programs do, especially in Australia, and I believe that it would be very likely that they are used in Germany as well.

Bob S.

[NavigationHazard]

FWIW, here's a tweet from British Olympian Pete Reed showing his erstwhile pair/four partner Andy Triggs Hodge "on his favourite ergo" on 25 June. It's definitely a static Model D:

[Nosmo]

.....
I read a lot in this forum that erging on the Model D destroys balance, the feel for OTW rowing, is bad for the back etc. Well, it can't be that bad since the German eight has been undefeated in the last 34 runs...

I think what people really mean is that the erg is more stressful on the back then a dynamic erg or slides and especially a boat. Rowing can be hard on your back period, no matter how you do it. It is not necessarily hard on one's back, but if you have had problem be careful.
As for technique, again it can, and often is bad for OTW rowing, especially if one does too much of it. It doesn't hurt eveyone's technique equally. As long as I put significantly more OTW miles then OTE it is no problem, but I have to be really careful if I'm erging exclusively for weeks or months on end.
Yes it is a very good machine, there is a reason why just almost every club and team use them.

[SaBhava]

Did the article say whether or not they used slides? Many elite training programs do, especially in Australia, and I believe that it would be very likely that they are used in Germany as well.
Bob S.

No, just the ergs and no slides. There is no picture online of them erging and scanning the magazine is probably a bad idea copyright wise.

[Cyclingman1]

Just saw a prelim heat for the eights at Olympics. It certainly seems that a std erg would be a great training device in tems of the action in the boat. The dynamic would seem less so, though I've never tried one.

[jamesg]

Training is not a problem for oarsmen. The time spent afloat is more than enough to get fit. The problem is technique and getting the crew together: the better the stroke, the faster the boat goes and the harder the work, so the fitter we get. But if the stroke is not good and the crew is not together, it's impossible to work hard, so the boat goes slow and we don't get fit.