I found my holy grail

[SirJazz]

Hello world!

Introduction:

30 years old
78 kg
178 cm
Main sport: bouldering - side sports: biking, swiming, jogging (once a week... if I feel like it)

My main problem over the years was, that my motivation to do sports is linear to how warm it is outside and how much sun my body is absorbing. During summer I have no problem training daily, swiming outside, biking etc. But there was big decline in my activity starting from November and hitting low bottom during January/February.

I tried indoor spinning (maybe Zwift could cure me?), swiming indoor pools (depressing), martial arts or even just do more climbing... All failed at some point.

So I went all-in and bought a new C2, although I never sat on a rowing machine. But this forum, all information on the web and youtube pushed me to this decision. I am reading silently here since last year and after 4 weeks of C2 rowing, here is my result:

This is it.

Out of all things I have tried during winter, nothing gave me such a pleasure after training. Right now, i am following petes plan and doing all 5 workouts every week. To be honest, I went climbing only once during 4 weeks, which is somewhat rare for me. I did not want to "lose" one day on which I could row. This is so crazy.

I would consider myself as fit and, because of climbing, having a strong core, but man, the C2 is kicking my ass. Before a workout I'm like, ok lets roll easy for 30 min, but afterwards I am laying on the floor. And it is not even boring. Indoor cycling was always so boring for me, my mind wandered through time and space, but during rowing the only thought I have is "how am I going to survive this now?".

So here I am, thanking you guys for all the good input writen on this forum. I dont know if I will keep this regiment when summer comes around, but for the next 3 months, I am hooked.

Thank you!

[Dangerscouse]

Great to hear. I'm the same with indoor cycling, I just get bored way too easily if it's not a spin class, but I can row for hours.

Like every other sport, the more you do the better you get but it's quite a unique type of fitness, and it fades all too quickly when you're not on the rower even if you're doing other stuff

[Zuman]

I also get it. I was a serious cyclist for decades, but indoor rowing for me hits the sweet spot in terms of the combination of time and effort spent and value received.
Another advantage I've found is that it is that rarest of exercise forms in which I haven't managed to injure myself yet!
You are FAR younger than me, but one thing I've learned is the importance of stretching. For me, it's the legs that need it the most, and I even traced a tiny bit of knee pain I was experiencing to not stretching properly before a row (gradually warming up on the rower wasn't enough...).

[SirJazz]

"Another advantage I've found is that it is that rarest of exercise forms in which I haven't managed to injure myself yet!"

Haha, this could be me! I have to be so careful of my rotator cuff (swiming + climbing) or other stuff I collected over the years. It is nice to have a sport that is not so taxing on your body. The only little soreness I get is in my upper back, but I think my body has to accustom to rowing.

[smokersteve]

Great to hear. I'm the same with indoor cycling, I just get bored way too easily if it's not a spin class, but I can row for hours.

I love to ride inside on rollers...gotta stay focused and definitely don’t get bored

[Carl Watts]

I think most people start out on the rower with good intentions but I have to be honest, it got pretty boring after 6 months.

Yes its great while your fitness improves but sooner or later you plateau and the motivation goes right out of it.

The good news for me is when RowPro arrived on the scene as without it the rowing would have been gone 10 years ago. There is no substitute for live online rowing, doesn't matter what pace your rowing at.

[Ombrax]

I think most people start out on the rower with good intentions but I have to be honest, it got pretty boring after 6 months.

My solution to this is to make indoor rowing only a part of my workouts. I have two basic routines, one where I do the erg then a mix of weights and core exercises, and one when I do the erg followed by a variety of kettlebell exercises.

On the plus side, I'm never bored with erging, but on the minus side, I don't do it enough to truly become "fast." I can live with the trade-off, because the time I spend doing other things has it's own benefits.

Good Luck to the OP - I hope you find rowing to be a long-term part of your exercises.

[Anth_F]

I think most people start out on the rower with good intentions but I have to be honest, it got pretty boring after 6 months.

My solution to this is to make indoor rowing only a part of my workouts. I have two basic routines, one where I do the erg then a mix of weights and core exercises, and one when I do the erg followed by a variety of kettlebell exercises.

On the plus side, I'm never bored with erging, but on the minus side, I don't do it enough to truly become "fast." I can live with the trade-off, because the time I spend doing other things has it's own benefits.

Good Luck to the OP - I hope you find rowing to be a long-term part of your exercises.

I'm with you Ombrax.

The erg has never gotten boring, EVER. Probably because like you it forms only part of my weekly workouts, which means i row 2 times per week on the erg as opposed to basically living on the thing. This makes me look forward to my erging sessions on the majority of occasions. Suppose the only downside is i'm not really getting faster, but not getting any slower either, so maintaining fitness is fine by me.

Oh yeah have fun OP. If you're like me you will find enjoyment and satisfying workouts from using the C2 machine

[mitchel674]

I think most people start out on the rower with good intentions but I have to be honest, it got pretty boring after 6 months.

My solution to this is to make indoor rowing only a part of my workouts. I have two basic routines, one where I do the erg then a mix of weights and core exercises, and one when I do the erg followed by a variety of kettlebell exercises.

On the plus side, I'm never bored with erging, but on the minus side, I don't do it enough to truly become "fast." I can live with the trade-off, because the time I spend doing other things has it's own benefits.

Good Luck to the OP - I hope you find rowing to be a long-term part of your exercises.

I do the same. I typically row only 30-40km each week. I'll never be a fast rower, but the combination of rowing with my gym workouts has gotten me in the best shape I've been in for decades.

[Zuman]

I do the same. I typically row only 30-40km each week. I'll never be a fast rower, but the combination of rowing with my gym workouts has gotten me in the best shape I've been in for decades.

If you're interested in kicking that up a bit, I found that participating in one of the challenges provided enough of a carrot to do bigger distances in a session. I started out with 30-minute rows, then moved to 45 minutes, then settled in at 60 minutes during the Holiday Challenge. And the next thing I knew, those 60-minute rows had grown from 10km to 12km! I was really surprised by how naturally that happened...and I'm 67!

[SirJazz]

Thanks for your posts guys. I hope I will stick to rowing longerm.

I have looked up RowPro before, maybe I will use it in the future.

Yesterday I did my first 10k in 47 minutes, week 4 of Petes Plan recommends only 6,5k, but I just cant get enough. Woke up today and first thing that crossed my mind was, lets do another 10k.

Is there any thread here where I can post a video of my technique?

Thanks

[Phobos]

Thanks for your posts guys. I hope I will stick to rowing longerm.

I have looked up RowPro before, maybe I will use it in the future.

Yesterday I did my first 10k in 47 minutes, week 4 of Petes Plan recommends only 6,5k, but I just cant get enough. Woke up today and first thing that crossed my mind was, lets do another 10k.

Is there any thread here where I can post a video of my technique?

Thanks

I kinda feel the same as you
I come from a family where EVERYONE runs (at least HM, up to ultra-marathon ) and bikes, and,... and I´m the only black sheep that´s never liked endurance sports, maybe besides mountaineering.
Now with the C2 I also feel that I finally found something I really do voluntarily.
About same age and height as you also.
Find myself going over the BPP lenght and hate it when I have to pause a day cause of travelling.

(at least, that´s how I feel after <2 months... let´s see how it is in half a year)

[nates]

I decided to try to start running. Just to give me another cardio option. I go upstairs at the gym this morning, and oh my word... There was about two open treadmills. I hop on one and spend six or eight minutes trying to figure it out, finally think I have intervals programmed, but alas no. So i end up trying to control my speed 0.1mph at a push. Never did figure out if it worked with an external HR strap. Finally got so disgusted with the interface I went back downstairs where I was the only person rowing yet again.

I suppose I could just try you know running outside like my buddy gives me a hard time about but it's dark dark when I work out, cold, and we have semi-free range pitbulls in the neighborhood (ok not exactly but they do get out quite A LOT), one of whom looks like Kerberos minus two heads. And as cool as summer biathlon sounds as a sport, the pittbull owners are well liked in the neighborhood.

Plus, I just like rowing. I can actually get winded, and stay that way for an hour, without feeling like I'm going to die in 5 minutes.

[Ombrax]

Is there any thread here where I can post a video of my technique?

Just start a new one for yourself and include a link to the video. I'd put it in the "Training" sub-forum, and give it a subject like "Please comment on my technique (video)" or something like that.

[SirJazz]

Hey guys,

still enjoying the C2. I am on week 10 on petes beginner plan and did a 3x2k today.

I rowed the first two intervals with 2:09/500m and was curious how fast I can go for the last (never did a 2k alone before) and managed to row a 7:56.

Now I want to ask for some tips: how fast should I pace myself for a "real" 2k, without doing intervalls before.

I know that my times are nothing special, but as a total beginner, it was quite the motivation to be sub 8.

Thank you.