Looking for general guidance for a newbie

[Bejzu]

Do you guys use Heart Rate monitors? How do you find them useful?

When you moved from 2:28@34 (108/34 = 3.2) to 1:30@24 (104/24 = 4.3) you improved your stroke by almost 35%: 4.3/3.2 = 1.343. Well done.. but it's not over yet.

100% - Now I am just going to repeat what I am doing until I am confident I can row without thinking about it. Then work on improving endurance and power.

I love seeing how you've seen the bigger picture and can see progress, despite a slower pace. This is really important and 100% the right way of thinking.

Yes. I only previously used the rower at my local gym as a warmup and just yanked at it. Now I am using it as my main workout vehicle I noticed I was doing something wrong. Got plenty of guidance in this forum.

I watch a lot of YouTube videos on how to row also. Dark Horse and Training Tall are my two favorites. I row while watching their videos to dial in my technique. Good luck!

Dark Horse rowing was immensely helpful for me.

As always, will keep you updated with progress.

[p_b82]

Do you guys use Heart Rate monitors? How do you find them useful?

Getting a Hr monitor for me was critical - I'm terrible at setting a pace at the start that I have any chance of maintaining; The first 10mins for me are my peak and being able to see what effort corresponded with what HR has enabled me to be able to pace myself more effectively.

Also learning what my max sustainable HR for long periods was very useful - in my case around 170bpm is hour+ effort and I can hold 180bpm for about 10 mins and then have a bit in the tank for the max speed sprint at the very end (peak rate of 189bpm atm).

Depending on the frequency you row and the duration, training in the right "zone" (either rowing based zones or HR zone) is important to avoid overtraining.

I bought a polar chest one (H10 in-case I pick up swimming again) rather than an arm based one

[Dangerscouse]

Do you guys use Heart Rate monitors? How do you find them useful?

I always use one, just to try and keep within a defined HR range and also give me some feedback on how a specific effort feels. It's also useful to track starting HR so you can gauge if you're possibly under-recovered.

It's not essential, and a lot of people don't use them, but I do find it useful.

[Tsnor]

I probably have to video myself to see if my form is right. Will do that over next sessions.

Video really helps.

If you have a TV you can see from your rower then you can watch yourself real time using the video camera on your laptop and casting your laptop screen to your smart TV (or 15ft hdmi cable). Seeing the video real time lets you match the rowing videos you've watched and see immediate feedback. Bit of a pain to set up, but will really help. (In the boathouse we use a big mirror for this in the tank room, but the video approach is much easier.)

[brians22]

I would recommend watching YouTube videos on using the force curve graph on the monitor. Dark Horse has a couple of them and that’s how I learned about it. The force curve shows you in real-time how well you are generating consistent power throughout the pull. Your force curve should look like a haystack or bell curve on each pull when done properly. I use the force curve every time I row and it has been my go to for consistent powerful pulls. Also I like to row between 17-20 SPM and my splits are around 2:25/500m. I have only been rowing for a couple of months now, but have watched many hours of how to row in the process. The force curve is what helped me the most with getting better and consistent. I am at the point now where I am ready to start putting a lot of meters on my rower.

[Bejzu]

I would recommend watching YouTube videos on using the force curve graph on the monitor.

Sounds interesting. Will look at that once technique is nailed.

[brians22]

Force curve will help you nail your technique in no time. Watch a couple of videos on it and you will see what I mean. I use it like a personal trainer. Below is a good video from Dark Horse on the force curve that really helped me.

https://youtu.be/eqPotv-nuDY

[Bejzu]

PROGRESS
2.28 / 34 spm / 4000m
2.30 / 24 spm / 4000m
2.24 / 22 spm / 4100m

I realize I will plateau at some point so this will be next point of experimentation.

Force curve will help you nail your technique in no time.

[p_b82]

I've also used the force curve to give me the real time feedback (without the video/mirror option as I've no practical way to set it up).

I also use drive length as well in combo - not to chase increasing the length - but in order to help me become more consistent and get the "feel" for the right length. Pretty much now it's ~70% my height being displayed give or take a few % either way each stroke regardless of rate. (I can push the length on bigger efforts, but I think that's more a calculation thing in PM5)

I did use it to identify what over compressing at the catch felt/looked like on the numbers too - 10cm gain in drive length & lower back pain after purposefully doing it; but importantly no extra power for RPE.

[brians22]

I will look into using drive length feature. Thanks for the tip.

[Bejzu]

So. after a few more days at it, I seem to have plateaued at around 2.30 split at 20 spm.

Force curve will help you nail your technique in no time

Today I took a look at this, and noticed my curve seems to be front loaded. Not as much as example below. but not symmetrical. Not sure how I will rectify this yet. I was thinking of moving the damper setting from 3 to 5.. If my theory is correct (maybe its completely bonkers), this will make my drive a little slower smoothing out the curve. Will experimenter and see.



Opinions on this?

After settling on this, I think the only further improvement on my numbers will fall down to my fitness level and training.

[p_b82]

front loaded is "exploding at the catch" - which I think means you've got your timings a bit wrong as you transition through the phases.

I think it means you're starting your back and arm pull before the end of the leg drive has finished.

I don't think a damper change would alter that - in fact this article suggests to do the opposite.
https://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/c ... rve-graph/

if you really slow your rate down without putting pauses in, that would force you to really slow your leg drive and have the clear phases of the stroke; legs back arms, arms back legs - when I go as low as r16 it feels like I'm crawling up and down the slide; but I used that to work on the timings myself.

[EastClintwood]

Question regarding the force curve:

When you're doing steady state sessions, does your force curve have such a high top?
My force curve basically looks like the good curve, but way more stretched and flatter...

I can only get such a force curve (+ maybe a little front loaded) when I'm very explosive and powerful from the start, but then my pace is so fast that it's not steady state anymore...

E: I just watched this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88ovL6KombI
Apparently my drag factor is to high to achieve that kind of curve during a SS session. I'm currently somewhere around DF 125. I'll give it a try tonight and drop the drag factor.

[nick rockliff]

So. after a few more days at it, I seem to have plateaued at around 2.30 split at 20 spm.

Force curve will help you nail your technique in no time

Today I took a look at this, and noticed my curve seems to be front loaded. Not as much as example below. but not symmetrical. Not sure how I will rectify this yet. I was thinking of moving the damper setting from 3 to 5.. If my theory is correct (maybe its completely bonkers), this will make my drive a little slower smoothing out the curve. Will experimenter and see.



Opinions on this?

After settling on this, I think the only further improvement on my numbers will fall down to my fitness level and training.

I would aim for a left leaning haystack shape so a cross between good and front loaded.

[Bejzu]

front loaded is "exploding at the catch" - which I think means you've got your timings a bit wrong as you transition through the phases.

I think it means you're starting your back and arm pull before the end of the leg drive has finished.

Yes this sounds like it is somewhat correct. However my curve would be more something between good and front loaded similar to what nick rockliff suggested below. I was thinking if the explosiveness is 'tougher' the peak would move more to the right, but now that I reflect a little, its possible it does actually more to the left. Have to test this out....

I would aim for a left leaning haystack shape so a cross between good and front loaded.