new here

[4merRM]

Hi all, glad to be here and i have read some very interesting posts with great advice.

I recently started rowing again as a primary exercise. I rowed competetively (5k sprints indoor) in the military in my mid 20's but got burned out from the team training and didnt go near a rower for many years after leaving the service. I recently started up again purely for weight loss and toning, im now 53.

Im rowing 10k a day on 7 resistance which is taking around 52 mins without taxing me (aside from bum ache kicking in - and always at 48 mins). Due to time constraints i am driving to and from a gym early in the morning and have to keep the sessions within an hour, so this is how i plan to move forward, eventually increasing the resistance to 10.

Couple of questions please:

- I dont find 10k at all boring, and I am happy in my own world with a decent playlist - in terms of losing weight and toning up, is there any real benefit from interval training over the 10k distance or should i stay in a constant heart rate zone?

- I havent previously rowed longer distances, any tips for reducing the annoying bumache?

Many thanks in advance,

Chris

[Dangerscouse]

Welcome to the forum Chris.

First of all don't be fooled into thinking the higher resistance is better. It doesn't work like that, and Olympic rowers will train at resistance of circa 4 or 5, which more importantly equates to a drag factor of circa 130. It's important to note that the resistance figure is an unreliable metric, and drag factor is what you need to be using. 'More Options'- 'Display Drag Factor', then row a few strokes on a PM5, and a PM4 I assume. It's subjective but a drag of circa 115-135 is probably best.

I'd still suggest doing a variety of workouts, despite the slow 10k probably being the most beneficial. Maybe add some 4 x 2k intervals with 2 or 3 mins rest, and also do a 10k at a faster pace (I'd guess at your current pace -6 seconds average pace)

Bum ache is to some extent just one of those things that you can cope with or you can't. It will get easier as you adapt to it, or you can buy a cushioned seat: there are loads of options

[Ombrax]

Welcome, Chris.

I'll reiterate what Stu said about the damper lever / drag factor: Higher is by not necessarily better.

The simplest thing for the type rowing you're doing is to pick a DF between 110-130 (or in that ballpark) and just go with that. There are a few people who insist that they must have the lever pegged at "10" and nothing else works for them at any distance, long or short. Either they're freaks or they really don't understand how the rower works. Odds are 110-130 is the right range for you.

Good Luck

[4merRM]

Welcome to the forum Chris.

First of all don't be fooled into thinking the higher resistance is better. It doesn't work like that, and Olympic rowers will train at resistance of circa 4 or 5, which more importantly equates to a drag factor of circa 130. It's important to note that the resistance figure is an unreliable metric, and drag factor is what you need to be using. 'More Options'- 'Display Drag Factor', then row a few strokes on a PM5, and a PM4 I assume. It's subjective but a drag of circa 115-135 is probably best.

I'd still suggest doing a variety of workouts, despite the slow 10k probably being the most beneficial. Maybe add some 4 x 2k intervals with 2 or 3 mins rest, and also do a 10k at a faster pace (I'd guess at your current pace -6 seconds average pace)

Bum ache is to some extent just one of those things that you can cope with or you can't. It will get easier as you adapt to it, or you can buy a cushioned seat: there are loads of options

great aadvice, especially on the resistance - thank you so much.

[4merRM]

Welcome, Chris.

I'll reiterate what Stu said about the damper lever / drag factor: Higher is by not necessarily better.

The simplest thing for the type rowing you're doing is to pick a DF between 110-130 (or in that ballpark) and just go with that. There are a few people who insist that they must have the lever pegged at "10" and nothing else works for them at any distance, long or short. Either they're freaks or they really don't understand how the rower works. Odds are 110-130 is the right range for you.

Good Luck

Thanks again, i pushed a bit harder this morning and got the time down to 49.20 maintaining 116 - 118 most of the time without too much effort; i'll drop the resistance as Stu recommended and aim to reduce the time over the weeks.

[iain]

That's a good start. I think what you are quoting is the Watts you were rowing at. Most people in rowing use the "pace" setting which measures time per 500m rather than watts, 117W is 2:24 per 500m. Wha Stu was referring to is the "Drag Factor". This is what you set with the damper leaver on the side and doesn't vary much during a row. The other useful statistic is your average stroke rate measured in strokes per minute (SPM) and often referred to as your rating. For 10k you should try and slow this down to somewhere in the 18-24 range, preferably at the lower end although it may take some practice to get there. the trick is to row at a lower rating at a similar pace (time/500m). this requires a stronger / better stroke. The slowing is done by crawling back up the slide to give time for you to recover for the next strong stroke. Ie the stroke remains quick and powerful (thinking jumping back away from the foot plate).

Also you might find mixing it up with a few breaks makes it easier and eases the buttock pain.