Introduce yourself

[jackarabit]

Welcome to the forum! Saw your question regarding the role of modulated recovery in producing drive+recovery times which in turn produce rating (strokes/minute) answered elsewhere.

20 to 30’ continuous on the rower at 45 to 65% of your current 2k power (50-86W) would complement cf wods. Start by alternating cf and rowing days if possible. If not, downsize the same day rowing workout.

[jcjenn]

Welcome to the forum! Saw your question regarding the role of modulated recovery in producing drive+recovery times which in turn produce rating (strokes/minute) answered elsewhere.

20 to 30’ continuous on the rower at 45 to 65% of your current 2k power (50-86W) would complement cf wods. Start by alternating cf and rowing days if possible. If not, downsize the same day rowing workout.

Thanks! I'm trying to also incorporate what I'm learning in the wods. I dont run because of so much arthritis(!) so I end up on the rower quite a bit. For example today I did 600 m intervals and tried to lengthen the drive and slow the spm. I did ok until after the wall balls. Haha.

I'll try adding in the steady state. Do you think that alone will improve my times? Or would I need to do a little more?
Thanks for responding!

[jackarabit]

I'll try adding in the steady state. Do you think that alone will improve my times? Or would I need to do a little more?

I look at the slow stuff as the intensity that best builds a productive rowing stroke, tends to maximize power per stroke, encourages conversion of fat rather than carb as prime fuel for cellular metabolism, and develops dogged aerobic endurance. Continuous LIT sort of faces in the opposite direction from pace or iteration-maximising HIIT, doesn’t it? Therein lies the complementarity to cf work.

Given the performance priorities of cf (speed, power, and phrenetic circuit training) and the arthritis-induced necessity of subbing erg or stationary bike workouts for cf, LICT on the erg is not the obvious or immediately useful choice for you. I don’t believe it will act as a cf performance accelerator short term. It will give you the benefits of a low-impact training which enables high volume combined with low incidence of game over injuries which are the common scenario in resetting or reducing physical training goals. Your call of course. And also your history with arthritis. File it away against the day when a new game is needed.

[jcjenn]

I'll try adding in the steady state. Do you think that alone will improve my times? Or would I need to do a little more?

I look at the slow stuff as the intensity that best builds a productive rowing stroke, tends to maximize power per stroke, encourages conversion of fat rather than carb as prime fuel for cellular metabolism, and develops dogged aerobic endurance. Continuous LIT sort of faces in the opposite direction from pace or iteration-maximising HIIT, doesn’t it? Therein lies the complementarity to cf work.

Given the performance priorities of cf (speed, power, and phrenetic circuit training) and the arthritis-induced necessity of subbing erg or stationary bike workouts for cf, LICT on the erg is not the obvious or immediately useful choice for you. I don’t believe it will act as a cf performance accelerator short term. It will give you the benefits of a low-impact training which enables high volume combined with low incidence of game over injuries which are the common scenario in resetting or reducing physical training goals. Your call of course. And also your history with arthritis. File it away against the day when a new game is needed.

LoL @ phrenetic. That is definitely the most appropriate word choice. Love it. Us crossfitters are a little nuts.

Agree. I think if I'm going for crossfit performance enhancement low intensity may not be the best, however, I'm wanting to improve my stroke and efficiency so that when it gets all looney in a wod I'll be better. Additionally, I am not young, so developing as you say with low incidence of game-over injuries definite bonus. Also my endurance fitness could be improved for sure.

It's also good just to have something to focus on - I mean these workouts are hard to have any solid goals with other than "try not to die".

Thanks for the help!

[jackarabit]

It's also good just to have something to focus on

It is! I would take up parkour, krav maga, and ventriloquism but I’m focused on clearing out the numchuks, k-bells, and seashells

[jcjenn]

It's also good just to have something to focus on

It is! I would take up parkour, krav maga, and ventriloquism but I’m focused on clearing out the numchuks, k-bells, and seashells

[Nono]

Hello! Just as a quick introduction - My name is Norine and I just started rowing this year after having a “small” stroke and quitting smoking after too many years. I started really slow - 5 min a day then up to 10, 15, 20. Since May 1 is the beginning of a new season I thought I would up it to 30 min. Well I almost was unable to complete this since somehow I broke the sensor wire - but Thankfully I ordered a replacement and my husband fixed it last night - I was ready to go this morning. Well - 30 min or 5000 m - I ended up going for the 5000 which in the end I made 5012 in 31:25. Not record breaking that’s for sure - but it is the first time I made it this far - hopefully this gives me a lot of room for improvement!!

[jackarabit]

That’s super! Stay with it.

[mjlawton]

Welcome to the forum Nono. It has been a bit quiet on here of late...hopefully will pick back up with the new season starting. I was gungho when I got my rower in October and stuck with it thru January pretty consistently, but travel and focusing more on my triathlon training has reduced my rowing time significantly. Now I am back to having to build up the endurance again. 5-10 min and my heart rate is cranking! Good job getting up to 30 minutes. I need to refocus on slow and steady instead of these sprint sessions for the monthly CTC contests. Keep up the good work!

[loopy]

Hi, I am new here. Bought a new rowing machine a couple of weeks ago after my now ex husband took mine with him. I wasn't using it at the time (have had a few health issues in the last three years).

Anyway, now I am feeling better I felt the need for another rowing machine. My tennis club gym has got a couple but they are older than the one I bought in 2004 and not as nice to row on so I took the plunge and bought my own.

I am loving it, doing about 20 mins five days a week which is 3500m for me right now. I have signed up for a beginners rowing course at the nearest rowing club to get back on the water (used to row a fair bit 30 years ago), foolishly, I have also signed up to row a marathon in October subject to my 50 year old knees holiding up.

Rowing has been the only form of exercise I have truly enjoyed for most of my adult life so I am really happy to be back. I bought the C2 seat pad ... it is a revelation - much better than the bubble wrap I remember using (and popping).

That is amazing Norine - giving up smoking and rowing after a stroke.

[djcc63]

Do you feel the injured knee seems to be strengthening up in it's own way at all? Or do you try to avoid all pressure on that leg during rowing?

I hope someone else might have some tips/suggestions that you haven't thought of, I can't imagine rowing without my kneecap >.<.

Apologies for the lack of response and thanks to you and others for the welcome. And yes, my quads in my bad knee do seem to be getting stronger, which is great. But I think that pain in the back of the knee I mentioned was a dodgy hamstring, which finally gave way - ouch! But I'm back on the erg and did my first 10K row today, which I am very pleased with myself about! Might even post it in that PB thread- even though I find what those guys post in there rather intimidating

[hels_t]

Hello,
I've had a browse around the forum for a bit and just decided to join. I've had a rower for about 6 months and use it about 3 times a week. I got it so I could fit exercise in around working from home and kids. I started off by just rowing 5000m each time but then started doing one of the the workout of day options to mix it up a bit.

[jackarabit]

The Welcome Wagon unwomanned atm so I’ll fill in. Good on you! 5k is no joke. By any and all means keep the fitness habit. If you get complaints, tell em Mom’s a jock so deal with it.

[mjlawton]

Yes, sorry, the women's thread posters seem to have gone missing in action for the most part lately. I have moved back from our florida home to michigan and had to leave my rower behind, so I will only be able to row at the gym now. Also getting heavily into my Triathlon training which is taking priority over rowing, but hopefully we can get the forum active again in the future.

[Bronze]

Hi,
I’m very new to this. Very new, I had to google erg.

My husband recently decided that he needed to lose weight and get fit and settled on rowing as he had done a bit at school umpteen years ago and enjoyed it. He justified the cost because our middle son is on his school rowing team.
So I decided to make use of the c2 during the day because I’ve recently also put on a bit of weight and started to feel unfit.I’ve always been fairly active, I walk a lot and work on a farm one day a week but don’t do any actual sports and have never been in a gym in my life.
Now my challenge is to work out what I’m doing and secretly get fitter than the husband
I rowed four days in a row the other week and then got the mother of all colds so have just done my first row since then. I’m not entirely convinced I’m doing it right though I’ve watched numerous videos, I also don’t know what’s good to aim for. Any hints or tips would be very welcome. Is there the rowing equivalent of couch to 5k?
Hello and thanks in advance