People On Ergs At The Gym

[[old] R S T]

The weight training/bodybuilding types are probably the worst (shame, as with some traning they could probably pull a good erg score)....at my gym, it is not uncommon to see someone stray away from the weights, waltz over to the erg wearing their weight training gloves, sit on the erg and then to pull the handle with their palms facing up....just to get that good 'burn' on their biceps.... <br /><br />Cheers<br />Richard

[[old] Hal Morgan]

He doesn't seem to notice that the "slow guy" (who is probably rowing 10K plus) is still rowing when he has finished his workout.<br /><br /><br />I have seen him! And I got all the glory when he asked after a few weeks do you ever get off that thing? Next time I saw him in the hallway. I asked him, Are you going to row today. He first wanted to know how FAR, then how LONG will it take. At my rate 12k an hour. <br />Shucks, He sits for most of his weight lifting hour, geting psch'd up...<br /><br />I can't help but say to them as they burst out a few of the bad meters.. no, no, not like that, you look like an idiot doing that! do this, then this, ok now get some rythm and, flow with the machine. There now you look like an athlete <br />

[[old] PaulS]

<!--QuoteBegin-JCPC+Nov 28 2005, 02:27 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(JCPC @ Nov 28 2005, 02:27 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Just wanted to pass this along from last night.<br /><br />I was rowing a casual pace. watching the stroke power graph.<br /><br />I noted that longer stokes longer graph.<br /><br />Thought to myself: is the legth of the sceen the length of the longest possible stroke on a c2?<br /><br />I promptly pulled hard LEANED WAY BACK, PULLED MY HANDS UP OVER MY HEAD and found my rear intoduced to the rail!<br /><br />It gave even me a good chuckle.<br /><br />I haven't answered the question yet.<br /><br />John <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />The X scale is time, at last count, very close to 1.2 sec, so the flywheel has to cooperate to some extent if you are putting much force in. Funny story though.

[[old] H_2O]

At my gym the experience is totally different.<br />They hired a former OTW rower as rowing instructor and he has his people in FLAWLESS<br />position on the rower. Much better than myself. However they are not fast nonetheless.<br /><br />On the other hand the gym is located close to the Danube where all the Viennese rowing clubs are located. In an effort to draw new members the club is giving away free weekly memberships to all these rowers and some of them are very good.<br /><br />For example one is a 6:00 rower, very smooth and powerful. I have seen him at 1:36 with 22 spm<br />looking completely effortless. Another one in my age group is a fomer lightweight single sculler with two world championship titles to his credit.<br /><br />Can't complain about the company.

[[old] Spectre]

Years ago when I was in High school, our Highschool gym had a number of the orignal C2 ergs with the spoked wheels and plastic flaps that clipped on to the wheel for resistance. The rowers would work out on them while the rugby players did heavy weights on the other side of the gym. every now and then the Ruggers would try and prove they were stronger than us and have a try on the erg. At least every other time some strapping prop would get on the machine and bang up and down the slide like a madman. The chain would start to slap around like crazy and begin to knock the plastic flaps off the wheel. The flaps would go flying all over the place and almost always hit some other rugger who was standing around cheering his mates on. The rowers would all be safely beind the machines just waiting for this to happen.

[[old] The Dude Abides]

<!--QuoteBegin-prezidentv8+Nov 26 2005, 04:00 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(prezidentv8 @ Nov 26 2005, 04:00 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br /><br /><br />Ms. I-Am-So-Working-Out<br /><br />She is the lady who dresses to look cute in the gym (not that I mind) just to check out the guys.  On the positive side, she has phenomenal glutes.  On the other hand, she really doesn't have a clue what to do.  She is characterized by hopping on the last available erg and sliding back on forth on the seat with a split of about seven minutes.  She tends to do this for about a half hour while people that know what to do are waiting.  Cute, but very irritating.<br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Definitely want to help this one out and give her some tips

[[old] prezidentv8]

<!--QuoteBegin-The Dude Abides+Dec 1 2005, 10:06 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(The Dude Abides @ Dec 1 2005, 10:06 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-prezidentv8+Nov 26 2005, 04:00 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(prezidentv8 @ Nov 26 2005, 04:00 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br /><br /><br />Ms. I-Am-So-Working-Out<br /><br />She is the lady who dresses to look cute in the gym (not that I mind) just to check out the guys.  On the positive side, she has phenomenal glutes.  On the other hand, she really doesn't have a clue what to do.  She is characterized by hopping on the last available erg and sliding back on forth on the seat with a split of about seven minutes.  She tends to do this for about a half hour while people that know what to do are waiting.  Cute, but very irritating.<br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Definitely want to help this one out and give her some tips <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />I've definitely done that before. Also, "The Dude Abides" is a great message board name.

[[old] k-dawg]

I was waiting for a rowing machine at a gym I use when out of town. The individual using it looked like he was having a seizure with each stroke. His face grimaced like he was giving birth, and and his elbows flew up in the air around the height of his ears (come to think of it I'd probably hurt too).<br /><br />The amazing part was that he could keep this up for 8 minutes and then hop on a treadmill and knock out sub-7 minute miles!

[[old] cuserower02]

I remember once when I was at the gym and someone next to me told me I was "doing it all wrong." and he attempted to give me some tips on a "better workout". I think his "better workout" resided somewhere between having a seizure and giving birth, so I wasn't about to listen to him until he got completely obnoxious. I finally had to drop it on him that I was a rower on a Division I varsity team, and that I was *pretty* sure I was doing things right. <br /><br />Needless to say, this is by far some of the best free entertainment I've ever seen.

[[old] TabbRows]

I erg only at the gym. We have a couple of meatheads who try to do 10Ks on 10. The C2 memory indicates they can row it at around a 2:15 pace.<br /><br />Yesterday there was an older guy in khakis who sat at one of the ergs for about 3 minutes. Jolly pulling away. Then gets up and goes to an eplitical trainer. When I'm rowing my next recovery phase, he's off the et and on a mat doing side bridges. Must've been the latest circuit training scheme. Try everything in the store once.<br /><br />Typically, poor instruction for beginners comes from poor intruction from the personal trainers, who start every one out at 7 or 8 and incoorectly tell them how to do the movements. They're also the ones promoting the rowing curls. <br /><br />The most frequent setting on the display is calories. People row til they burn 100 calories and get off. <br />

[[old] BigFatFishy]

I think Neil may have something there, if I've read him right.<br /><br />While it's cringefully funny sometimes to watch how badly some gym-heads use the erg, it would behoove us all to drop a helpful hint or two to the abusers rather than laugh into our sleeves (I row in tank top, so no sleeves to snicker into).<br /><br />I've done this a few times, and have found that most people appreciate the help. Mostly its about the stroke sequence, so they don't have to constantly raise the handle over their knees and wag the chain so badly. A little technique goes a long way. Just ask first before passing along your finite wisdom.<br /><br />Not to be sanctimonious here, but it would be better for us to be ambassadors of the sport rather than snobs.<br />

[[old] akit110]

At the work gym today, I saw a tall lean athletic woman who looked to be in her 30s who had that fluid and powerful stroke on the Model D that suggested that she might be (or was) an OTW rower. <br /><br />It was a pleasure to watch her after months of watching people on that very same machine do 'rowing curls' or zig-zag the chain to clear their knees on the recovery. Not only did she row fluidly but she rowed for at least a half-hour (probably around 2:10-2:15/500m at 28spm). In watching her as compared to the people trudging along on ellipticals and stair climbers, you could really get a sense for how how much of a full body exercise rowing is.

[[old] prezidentv8]

<!--QuoteBegin-akit110+Dec 5 2005, 10:10 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(akit110 @ Dec 5 2005, 10:10 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->At the work gym today, I saw a tall lean athletic woman who looked to be in her 30s who had that fluid and powerful stroke on the Model D that suggested that she might be (or was) an OTW rower.  <br /><br />It was a pleasure to watch her after months of watching people on that very same machine do 'rowing curls' or zig-zag the chain to clear their knees on the recovery. Not only did she row fluidly but she rowed for at least a half-hour (probably around 2:10-2:15/500m at 28spm).  In watching her as compared to the people trudging along on ellipticals and stair climbers, you could really get a sense for how  how much of a full body exercise rowing is. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />See, that's always nice...then you have someone to talk to that knows whats goin on. But anyways, I'm with that other dude about teachin people how to row right. Also, back to what I mentioned earlier...correct rowing technique really impresses the ladies!

[[old] dmhayden]

<!--QuoteBegin-BigFatFishy+Dec 5 2005, 04:26 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(BigFatFishy @ Dec 5 2005, 04:26 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I think Neil may have something there, if I've read him right.<br /><br />While it's cringefully funny sometimes to watch how badly some gym-heads use the erg, it would behoove us all to drop a helpful hint or two to the abusers rather than laugh into our sleeves (I row in tank top, so no sleeves to snicker into).<br /><br />I've done this a few times, and have found that most people appreciate the help.  Mostly its about the stroke sequence, so they don't have to constantly raise the handle over their knees and wag the chain so badly.  A little technique goes a long way.  Just ask first before passing along your finite wisdom.<br /><br />Not to be sanctimonious here, but it would be better for us to be ambassadors of the sport rather than snobs. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Does C2 produce a wall chart showing proper rowing technique, suggested damper settings, and stuff like that that might be useful to a complete beginner? It would probably be a good idea. The folks in the gym with the terrible form aren't dummies, they just haven't been taught how to do it.

[[old] bgood]

<!--QuoteBegin-dmhayden+Dec 6 2005, 12:40 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(dmhayden @ Dec 6 2005, 12:40 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Does C2 produce a wall chart showing proper rowing technique, suggested damper settings, and stuff like that that might be useful to a complete beginner?  It would probably be a good idea.  The folks in the gym with the terrible form aren't dummies, they just haven't been taught how to do it. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />In the old days (1988 model the erg came with a Wall Chart.<br />Looks like they (C2) do have a free poster for Health Clubs.