Rowing to Regain Myself

[livingkennedy]

Hello Concept 2 Forum World,

I'm new to the forum as a poster, but I have spent the past few days reading through some of the threads and I'm excited to join such a vibrant and encouraging community.

The reason for my post is that a few weeks ago I turned 30 and stepped on the scale for the first time in what seems like years. At a height of just over 6' I weighed in at a staggering 267 - a solid 30 lbs over the maximum I've seen on a scale, and about 60 lbs over the weight I really think of myself as being. In the 240 range I could convince myself that I was healthy, just a little husky - at 267 I know I'm staring down the barrel of health and joint issues.

How did I get here? Well, throughout high school I was involved with sports all year - weightlifting before class, practicing football/wrestling/track for 3+ hours a night 5 days a week. I could eat whatever I wanted, and I'd be right around 200 lbs. Going to college, I didn't really lift weights but I would do aerobic exercise, so with the loss of muscle mass and me being relatively health conscious I went down to about 190. It was at that point I went abroad to study in Italy for a semester, during which time I did not do any exercise beyond walking around as a tourist and ate like it was Thanksgiving just about every day. Over a four month period I gained about 40 lbs (impressive, no?) and basically maintained a body weight of between 230-240 lbs for a number of years. When I was around 27 I got really into Crossfit for about 6 months and made some great gains, got down to around 225 lbs, but an injury sidelined me for about two months and I never got back to form.

Since that time I've basically become sedentary, and my eating and drinking habits have deteriorated. I just felt apathetic about my deteriorating physique, and I could always look at somebody fatter than I was to feel a sense of normalcy. I was OKAY - that guy's the one with the weight problem. Well... that guy has diabetes and needs a knee replacement. Is that what I'm waiting to have happen? I step on the scale and see that number - 267 - and it hits me that I'm a grown man struggling with obesity (and maybe functional alcoholism, but I don't go to meetings so....), and regaining my fit self is a matter of life and death.

__________________________________________________________________________________

About two weeks ago my brand new Concept 2 arrived, and since that time I have been approaching exercise like a prescribed medicine. I did the week long beginner workouts from the Concept 2 website, and now I'm three days into the 24 week Pete Plan. I haven't weighed myself since starting since with the holidays I'm frankly not too sure I've improved my diet and drinking habits all that much, but I have exercised just about every day and I'm feeling stronger and healthier than I have in a couple years.

I'm still breathing like a smoker after a flight of stairs every workout, and my self confidence is not where it used to be when I was in better shape, but I do feel like having an erg at the house is an approachable and sustainable way to get back what I've lost. I'm already finding myself impatient, wanting immediate results, but it took years of neglect for me to get here and it will take years to get back. This is my journey, and at the end of the day only I can determine the outcome. I hope to post here every couple weeks as I weigh in and track my progress.

Please share any input/advice/commiseration here! I get inspired learning about what others have accomplished in their own lives.

[Erik A]

HI

i am in a similar boat... took me untill not long ago to make the decision that something needed to be done.
good for you for making that decision and remember that good weight loss is a journey. as others have said on posts here the start is the hard bit.
I was at 280lb when i started my comeback to health and was at the stage where little things were starting to go wrong. so i did a cross fit 6 week program and now doing the BPP like yourself. even in the short time ive been back doing rowing and the cross fit the change in how i feel is far better than where i was. i am slowly losing the lbs and it never seems fast enough BUT any negative is better than a plus where i am concerned.

Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing you progress

Erik

[livingkennedy]

Thanks for sharing, Erik! Glad to know you're finding success.

I'm right there with you - stopping the gain and getting the weight loss ball rolling. Do you still do cross fit type workouts or are you 100% on the rower?

Right now I'm focusing exclusively on rowing, but once my fitness level increases I plan to work in some weight training, and maybe a few months down the road get into some circuit training to really maximize the HIIT benefits.

- Brandon

[Erik A]

the cross fit was a 6 week program and i really enjoyed it. particularily as it was a 50+ group so no young monsters flexing LOL. they also kept that group for over 50s going when the 6 week finished. I may go back a bit later on but at the moment i do a 10-15 min on the bike then a row (whatever the BPP says) then finish with another bike for 10 -15 mins 3 days a week sometimes 4 . after i get back from my hols i will start doing circuits and weights at the gym as well and doing the 5 or 6 days.
after starting back doing fitness work i realised how badly unfit i was and its going to be a long slow process. i was pretty active as a young fulla being ex military and very sports orientated. when i got to about 40 ish that slowed down (i mean stopped )and i slowly put on the weight after being a pretty static 100kg since i was about 18. so onwards and upwards.....or downwards for weight anyway

[smwoodburn]

Hello Concept 2 Forum World,

I'm new to the forum as a poster, but I have spent the past few days reading through some of the threads and I'm excited to join such a vibrant and encouraging community.

The reason for my post is that a few weeks ago I turned 30 and stepped on the scale for the first time in what seems like years. At a height of just over 6' I weighed in at a staggering 267 - a solid 30 lbs over the maximum I've seen on a scale, and about 60 lbs over the weight I really think of myself as being. In the 240 range I could convince myself that I was healthy, just a little husky - at 267 I know I'm staring down the barrel of health and joint issues.

How did I get here? Well, throughout high school I was involved with sports all year - weightlifting before class, practicing football/wrestling/track for 3+ hours a night 5 days a week. I could eat whatever I wanted, and I'd be right around 200 lbs. Going to college, I didn't really lift weights but I would do aerobic exercise, so with the loss of muscle mass and me being relatively health conscious I went down to about 190. It was at that point I went abroad to study in Italy for a semester, during which time I did not do any exercise beyond walking around as a tourist and ate like it was Thanksgiving just about every day. Over a four month period I gained about 40 lbs (impressive, no?) and basically maintained a body weight of between 230-240 lbs for a number of years. When I was around 27 I got really into Crossfit for about 6 months and made some great gains, got down to around 225 lbs, but an injury sidelined me for about two months and I never got back to form.

Since that time I've basically become sedentary, and my eating and drinking habits have deteriorated. I just felt apathetic about my deteriorating physique, and I could always look at somebody fatter than I was to feel a sense of normalcy. I was OKAY - that guy's the one with the weight problem. Well... that guy has diabetes and needs a knee replacement. Is that what I'm waiting to have happen? I step on the scale and see that number - 267 - and it hits me that I'm a grown man struggling with obesity (and maybe functional alcoholism, but I don't go to meetings so....), and regaining my fit self is a matter of life and death.

__________________________________________________________________________________

About two weeks ago my brand new Concept 2 arrived, and since that time I have been approaching exercise like a prescribed medicine. I did the week long beginner workouts from the Concept 2 website, and now I'm three days into the 24 week Pete Plan. I haven't weighed myself since starting since with the holidays I'm frankly not too sure I've improved my diet and drinking habits all that much, but I have exercised just about every day and I'm feeling stronger and healthier than I have in a couple years.

I'm still breathing like a smoker after a flight of stairs every workout, and my self confidence is not where it used to be when I was in better shape, but I do feel like having an erg at the house is an approachable and sustainable way to get back what I've lost. I'm already finding myself impatient, wanting immediate results, but it took years of neglect for me to get here and it will take years to get back. This is my journey, and at the end of the day only I can determine the outcome. I hope to post here every couple weeks as I weigh in and track my progress.

Please share any input/advice/commiseration here! I get inspired learning about what others have accomplished in their own lives.

Livingkennedy,

Congratulations on purchasing a C2 rower and committing to lose weight and improve your health. I am 47 years old, 5'8" tall and found myself weighing just over 240 pounds at the end of September, 2016. I had tried many diets and exercise plans over the years, but nothing stuck for very long. I was happy with just about every aspect of my life except how I looked in the mirror and how my clothes fit. One night, I got online, bought a C2, and the rest is all good news. I did exactly as you did, rowed the workouts recommended on the site, and then started the Beginner Pete Plan. I rowed every workout, incorporated some treadmill walking, and eventually started some bodyweight exercises using a TRX trainer. After I completed the BPP, I was down 40 pounds. I started eating better, feeling better, continued rowing, although with no specific plan. I continued working out about 5 days a week. Some days harder than others. I eventually started the BPP again, just because I like having a structured (tell me what to do) workout plan. I have incorporated intermittent fasting (16/8), some light dumbbell workouts and weighed in this morning at 186 pounds. My goal is to get to 170 pounds. I am on week 11 of the BPP for the second time, feeling great and not disgusted with who I see in the mirror anymore. Keep up the good work. I feel the C2 is the best piece of equipment that I have ever purchased. I am creeping up on 3 million meters in just over 15 months. I have completed 2 half marathons and one full marathon. Keep us posted on your progress. Good luck to you.

Steve

[livingkennedy]

Steve,

Those are some amazing results - congratulations! 24 weeks seems like a long time, but to drop 40 lbs it's incredibly fast. I'm like you in that I need to have a plan to follow to really be successful. If it's anything else I'll start to barter with myself and cut corners, but with the BPP I'm motivated to work because I don't want to get to those 12k rows and fall on my face.

[smwoodburn]

Steve,

Those are some amazing results - congratulations! 24 weeks seems like a long time, but to drop 40 lbs it's incredibly fast. I'm like you in that I need to have a plan to follow to really be successful. If it's anything else I'll start to barter with myself and cut corners, but with the BPP I'm motivated to work because I don't want to get to those 12k rows and fall on my face.

livingkennedy,

Yes, 40 pounds in six months was quite a bit. I was concerned that I had lost it too quickly and would just see it come back. It has not. I guess that goes to demonstrate how much gut I had to lose. As you continue with the BPP, consider getting a heart rate monitor if you do not already have one. I was able to vary my workouts by rowing easy to a constant heart rate -vs- rowing hard and really pushing the limits. I saw that a great indicator of my conditioning was how quickly i could recover my heart rate. Anyway, Keep rowing and best of luck you you in your journey. Happy new Year!

Steve

[livingkennedy]

Whew!

So yesterday was my first go at doing the 4x750m intervals on the BPP, and that extra 250m really killed me!

Last week, when I did my first set of 6x500m intervals, I had just been doing some research on what a "good" 500m split was and saw that anything above 2:00 is considered more of a warm-up pace. So naturally, when I started the 500m intervals my goal was to hit 2:00/500m pace - which I somehow, miraculously, was able to accomplish. It did leave me basically shaking on the ground, but I felt great about hitting the pace.

Yesterday rolls around and the BPP tells me that I should maintain that pace for 750m intervals, so I went into it expecting something similar: I'd just put 100% into it, and get the time.

This time around was different, and right around 500m into the intervals I would consistently hit a wall. Like my body was doing EVERYTHING it could, but there just wasn't anything left in the tank. I'm pretty mentally tough and I was able to at least average 2:05 for the four intervals, but I could not have improved on that time yesterday - my tank was absolutely empty.

That's one of the tough things I'm finding about this journey - my physical capabilities just don't align with my competitive mindset and it kills me! I'm only on week 2, so obviously lots of gains yet to be had, but I was totally humbled at the time. I didn't wear my HR monitor for some reason, but I'm curious how close I got to my max. When I did the 6x500m intervals I was in the 170 range, so for a 30 year old fat guy I don't think I could have done all that much better.

Today it's back to the 5,500m steady state - should be a nice, relaxing "break" from the interval madness. Until next week, when it comes back with a vengeance.

My log is at https://log.concept2.com/profile/1171015 for those who may be curious - if the link doesn't work let me know!

[livingkennedy]

I checked out some of the free videos from Dark Horse Rowing today, really informative and detailed.

Has anyone done one of their courses that are available for $48 as a one shot deal? They all seem much more geared for specific performance goals as opposed to weight loss or general fitness.

I'm still trucking through the BPP and plan to finish it, just trying to get an idea of what can come after.

- Brandon

[hjs]

For now don,t kill yourself, slow the intervals down with 5 seconds. Nmr 1 at this stage is volume, if you keep the current pace and increese the meters you are doing fine. The last 25% of a row can be a bit faster.
It should not be to uncomfortable, if you stay at it your current paces will soon be easy!

[jbhop5857]

Good For You,
I started this round of my journey at 267lbs as well. I have lost a lot of it, but as a side effect. I have just been doing the work and eating properly. Usually I focus on the weight and it hasn't worked.

Sprints - for the regular Pete Plan, he suggests starting your pacing at an interval you can achieve. So, if its 4x750, do the first 3 intervals at the same pace you would a 3k session. Then let it all hang out on the last. Then, the next time you do it, use that average to do the first three and empty the tanks on the end.

Anyway, that has helped me keep pacing while not burning myself out. It will feel easy at first, maybe, but it catches up to you quite quickly.

Also, come join us on the Pete Plan Thread, its helps a lot to see others doing what you are. I know Dreadfish is over there and a couple other who are starting the BPP.

Good for you,

David

[Dangerscouse]

Livingkennedy, it's great that you have got a grip and are turning things around. Results will follow quickly if you keep going the way you are going. It's a very tough place to be when you're not feeling up for It, but the results are so much more satisfying when you get there.

For my story I have erged on and off for 17 years and 12 months ago I was going through the motions I.e. doing 25 mins or 8k when I would always do a minimum of 10k 3 or 4 times a week. In June last year I then decided to do a 12hr erg charity challenge, with absolutely no idea of if I could do it I had done about 8 HMs over the years prior to this so it was most certainly uncharted territory.

Over the course of the next six months I gradually increased the distances and did my first FM at the end of July up to 100km in early December, and eventually reaching just over 153km in 12 hours on Dec 20th for the charity session.

I honestly believe that someone with a decent level of fitness and good mental strength is capable of the same thing as I was far from in prime physical fitness to start with and I lost circa 20lbs over the six months.

Maybe you should set yourself a goal of a HM or even a FM by a certain point this year, whenever that is, there's no rush. The discipline required to keep building the metres is useful and keeps you focused, and the feeling of reaching these milestones is well worth the effort.

[lorih]

Congratulations on rowing. I'm right behind you. I just bought mine today and can't wait for it's arrival. I'm on week 2 of the BPP while using the one at the gym.

[livingkennedy]

Over the course of the next six months I gradually increased the distances and did my first FM at the end of July up to 100km in early December, and eventually reaching just over 153km in 12 hours on Dec 20th for the charity session.

I honestly believe that someone with a decent level of fitness and good mental strength is capable of the same thing as I was far from in prime physical fitness to start with and I lost circa 20lbs over the six months.

Maybe you should set yourself a goal of a HM or even a FM by a certain point this year, whenever that is, there's no rush. The discipline required to keep building the metres is useful and keeps you focused, and the feeling of reaching these milestones is well worth the effort.

153k over 12 hours is unbelievable! I've been rowing just about every day since getting the machine and I'm approaching 100k slowly but surely, doing it in a 12 hour stretch must have been an amazing feeling of accomplishment. Just thinking about a FM has my legs hurting, but I agree that it's a great goal to have. After completing the BPP I should have a good base to jump start my FM training, so realistically I'm thinking sometime around October/November would be a good time frame to shoot for.

I started this round of my journey at 267lbs as well. I have lost a lot of it, but as a side effect. I have just been doing the work and eating properly. Usually I focus on the weight and it hasn't worked.

Sprints - for the regular Pete Plan, he suggests starting your pacing at an interval you can achieve. So, if its 4x750, do the first 3 intervals at the same pace you would a 3k session. Then let it all hang out on the last. Then, the next time you do it, use that average to do the first three and empty the tanks on the end.

I've got another round of sprints this Thursday, I'll give that a try - going for 2:15ish on the first 5 and then push hard for the final round. My SR usually hovers around 22-24 SPM, even on these intervals, so saving a little energy for the final push should be a fun way to see what I can hit if I bump up to a 30 SPM rate. I'll hop over to the Pete Plan thread as well, I picked it up as a guided means to achieve fitness/weight loss and it has not disappointed.

_______________________________________

To boost my weight loss I've also started doing the Mediterranean diet along with a 16/8 intermittent fasting plan, both of which are new for me. I'm about half way through my first week of following this plan and it feels great! I was anticipating that my muscles would not respond all that well to increased exercise along with reduced calories/reduction in meat consumption, but so far I'm not experiencing any downside to it. Down about 5 lbs so far, but that partly feels like maybe just some lost water weight as I have abstained from beer (my favorite, beloved vice) and any added salt (oh salt...absence makes the heart grow fonder). I'm a little leery of making too many changes too quickly, but when I work out as hard as I do on the rower it just feels better to have the right fuel in my body and the fasting has been pretty easy to follow so far.

[Dangerscouse]

The 12hr session was easier than the training, but that was always the plan, and I know it sounds daft but all I could think was I wish I had done 161km I.e. 100 miles. With hindsight or was possible.

Let me know if you want any advice on training for FM or above. I made enough mistakes to probably help you out. Oct/Nov is a good target to aim for and you might surprise yourself and get their earlier.