Weight Loss

[[old] pilmart]

Hi there<br>I'm very much a newbie where rowing is concerned, my main sport being squash, but having let my weight balloon by 10kgs I am trying to address the issue by using the rower. I guess have been using the machine for about 5 weeks now and am up to a nice 2 x 40min and 1 x 25min interval (3 mins w/up followed by 1 min hard/1 min easy) + weight sessions.<br><br>I am mainly interested in using the rower as a tool for weight control and so far have made good progress dropped 3 of my target 10kg's so far. I am wondering where people stand on the type of exercise that should be done in order o maximise weight loss.<br><br>As you can see I have tried to cover both long/steady & short/harder sessions in my regime.<br>Any advice gratefully received.<br>

[[old] R S T]

Hi Pilmart.<br><br>I use the erg predominately for weightloss and fitness. I have achieved good results in both. <br><br>My routine generally consists of longish sessions e.g 2X30 mins or 3X5k. I aim to do that four times a week at least. <br><br>One thing that my erging regime lacks is interval training. General advice is to incorporate that at least once a week. I plan to do more on that after losing a bit more fat. <br><br>Remember that you may gain weight as you gain muscle and offset fat loss - so best to get your fat loss % measured accurately if you can. <br><br>I am sure there is loads of advice on the archive here. Also - make sure you look at the UK web site - I recall reading loads of good motivational stuff there.<br><br>Cheers<br>RichardT

[[old] LacticAcid]

I did a 10K every other day, now I'm under my ideal BMI.!!

[[old] Cran]

I've found 90-120+ mins a day at moderate (not easy) pace, with 1 or 2 harder sessions a week (fast 5k's or fast 10k's) thrown in works best.<br><br>Mix in some spinning or running or whatever to mix it up a bit if you like, I find a 45 min erg followed by a 45 min spinning class easier than a 90 min erg.<br><br>And make sure you eat lots of carbs. low GI mostly, but high GI after training. It's important to get at least 1g carb per Kg body weight straight after training (within 2 hours is recommended).<br><br>I recently put on 10Kg when I was off training for 6 months... the first time I went from 82kg down to 74Kg it took me about 8 weeks, this time getting from 85kg back down to 75kg took me only 5-6 weeks... did it the same as before by 2+ hours a day cardio, eat loads of carbs, was eating at least 3500-4000 cals a day.<br><br>I also drink loads of beer, not really sure if that helps though

[[old] Nick]

Have a look at the UK concept 2 site.....concept2.co.uk in the training section is a detailed breakdown on BMR: Basic Metabolic Rate .<br><br>It explains in detail how not only does your training regime matter BUT also your diet related to your weight AND you level of exercise. It is a bit daunting to start with but download it and read it carefully and it makes good sense. Basically make sure you are eating quantity of the right proportion of carbohydrates, fats and proteins to feed your body's core requirements and an addiotnal exercise being taken.<br><br>Nick

[LindaM]

I use the erg mostly for fitness and weight control too. But I wasn't actually able to lose extra pounds I'd put on (about 25) over the past 30 years, until I combined it with a good carb, good fat diet. I cut out all high glycemic carbs, sugar, fruit juices, fatty cuts of meat and processed foods. My carbs are limited to whole fruits, whole vegetables, high fiber bread (like pumpernickel and rye), whole wheat pasta and brown rice and portions of the starches are tightly controlled. No limit on fruits and veggies. My rowing hasn't changed in years. But the diet helped the erg do it's magic. I do mostly 10 - 12K steady state workouts at a conversational pace, which means lots of sweat, lots of endorphins, and not much pain. When I don't feel up to 50 - 60 minutes of continuous exercise, I do 8 x 5:00 minutes with 3:00 rests, the work parts at a pace about 5 seconds faster than my steady state workouts. I dropped the 25 pounds over a 4 month period, and my body fat dropped from 31% to 17.9%. Now that I'm trying to maintain weight rather than lose, strength is returning, and body fat is still dropping. <br><br>

[[old] bergie]

I’m in the “rowing for weight loss” camp as well. The approach spelled out on the C2 web site pretty much covers it – lots of time in the saddle & eat fewer calories than you burn. I currently row 55-70K a week, most of that in the form of 8-12K rows (that’s all I have time for after work). I also mix some 2, 5 & 10K pieces in to shoot for personal best times to put on the online ranking, but not so much lately.<br><br>I’m pretty new to rowing as well. I bought a used model C in April from a nice old lady – the machine looks like new. My other “sport” is hiking & backpacking in the Mt Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest, which means I haven’t had any real regular exercise since I graduated from College in 1992. After a couple of weeks of using it and liking how I felt, I set some attainable goals for the year:<br><br>Go from weighing 235 to 200 lbs.<br><br>Record times for 5 and 10K on the online rankings board that are ahead of the 25th percentile (which currently are 21:02.2 and 42:10.0 respectively for my age & weight category)<br><br>The second goal was easier than the first goal – both times already beat. The fact that it happened in just three months surprised me. I’ve combined a calorie deficit plan with the rowing to aid in the weight loss. Nothing drastic, just a bagel & cream cheese for lunch instead of the usual comfort food, and ice water in place of a few beers & sodas. I figure it’s good for 3500 fewer calories a week. Since I spend my days as a desk jockey, it’s not like I’m missing the extra food. I’m trying to not lose too much weight too fast, maybe a pound or two a week at the most. At the rate I’m going I’ll make my weight goal by the end of October – no big hurry.<br><br>Cheers, Gary<br>