Older ergers

[johnlvs2run]

Nope. I'm NOT banned. So it goes.

Awesome. I'm cracking up. That's hilarious.

[ranger]

I will be DELIGHTED to report on the races that I do with my CONIBEAR stroke this winter.

The results, I think, will be ASTONISHING.

[mict450]

please consider not flooding the forums with unhelpful nonsense

You should take your own advice first.

Have you got any evidence to back up this comment? I've only seen good constructive advice from Penketh

Thank you for confirming my feelings, Stu. Based on my own search, I found nothing to justify the snarky reply above. Since I've retired, my critical reading skills have taken a nose dive & I needed someone's opinion I trust to validate my understanding.

[JaapvanE]

Anyone who has three WR 2K rows knows how to race, has nothing to prove, and is reliable.

Brian Shaw broke the 100m world record. Wouldn't take any rowing advice from him though. Having a WR makes you fast, not credible.

[ranger]

Anyone who has three WR 2K rows knows how to race, has nothing to prove, and is reliable.

Brian Shaw broke the 100m world record. Wouldn't take any rowing advice from him though. Having a WR makes you fast, not credible.

100m is not a rowing event. The ONLY rowing event, really, is 2K.

My three WR rows were 2Ks.

The racing done at other distances, both OTW and on the erg, are really just hard rows done in training for a 2K.

[Sakly]

Anyone who has three WR 2K rows knows how to race, has nothing to prove, and is reliable.

Brian Shaw broke the 100m world record. Wouldn't take any rowing advice from him though. Having a WR makes you fast, not credible.

Anyone who has three WR 2K rows knows how to race, has nothing to prove, and is reliable.

Brian Shaw broke the 100m world record. Wouldn't take any rowing advice from him though. Having a WR makes you fast, not credible.

100m is not a rowing event. The ONLY rowing event, really, is 2K.

My three WR rows were 2Ks.

The racing done at other distances, both OTW and on the erg, are really just hard rows done in training for a 2K.

Have to agree, that the 100m is so specific, that this argument doesn't count.
But I also have the opinion that being a WR holder in a standard distance, which is know to be the best coverage of strength and endurance part of the sport, does not automatically mean the individual technique makes your opinion a credible/reliable one for everyone. It only shows you have found a technique that works k best) for you. Nothing more.

[JaapvanE]

Have to agree, that the 100m is so specific, that this argument doesn't count.

Fair point.

But I also have the opinion that being a WR holder in a standard distance, which is know to be the best coverage of strength and endurance part of the sport, does not automatically mean the individual technique makes your opinion a credible/reliable one for everyone. It only shows you have found a technique that works k best) for you. Nothing more.

It is like my old ski trainer used to say: "You are just a fast horse, not the Jockey, nor their Trainer"

[ranger]

Have to agree, that the 100m is so specific, that this argument doesn't count.

Fair point.

But I also have the opinion that being a WR holder in a standard distance, which is know to be the best coverage of strength and endurance part of the sport, does not automatically mean the individual technique makes your opinion a credible/reliable one for everyone. It only shows you have found a technique that works k best) for you. Nothing more.

It is like my old ski trainer used to say: "You are just a fast horse, not the Jockey, nor their Trainer"

Sakly: Sure, I just use a technique that is appropriate for me. Have you done the same-- experimented with technique and found the best technique that works for you? I doubt it. And so do YOU have WR rows? Like everyone else who rows, I expect you are not an elite rower at all and you've done nothing about your technique to remedy that; technically, you've just done what you've been advised to do by someone you think is reliable. My only reservation about this is that, 100 years ago, rowing changed so that the technique used by elite rowers, and thus recommended by elite coaches and rowing pundits, neglects the back and core, the body weight, and the hams and glutes, relies exclusively on long strong arms and legs, especially quads, and is done at low drag and a low rate with a long drive time and so aims at a maximally high STROKING POWER to generate pace. So everyone who is anyone in elite rowing is now 6'5" 220 lbs., or bigger. If you are NOT that big, and I expect that you are not, then you are not getting advice that is appropriate for you.

[ranger]

Sakly: In fact, I see that you are 5'8", 170 lbs.

So, given how everyone is taught to row these days, you could NEVER be a recruited elite collegiate rower.

At places like the University of Washington now, no one much under 6'3" is allowed to row on the team, and many of the rowers on the team are 6'7" or taller.

Even if you make weight, as a 40s lwt, 6:45 for 2K is ENTIRELY respectable, but the 40s lwt WR is, I don't know, 6:16, 30sec faster.

If you DON'T make weight, the 40s hwt 2K WR is 5:48, almost a MINUTE faster.

[Dangerscouse]

Thank you for confirming my feelings, Stu. Based on my own search, I found nothing to justify the snarky reply above. Since I've retired, my critical reading skills have taken a nose dive & I needed someone's opinion I trust to validate my understanding.

Thanks, Eric.

We've got a great crew on here, and I don't want anyone to feel like they can't contribute. There's always a natural solution that prevails when there's enough things that are said that aren't correct.

I'm very even handed and always try to see others' points of view before I make any conclusions / comments.

[Sakly]

Sakly: In fact, I see that you are 5'8", 170 lbs.

So, given how everyone is taught to row these days, you could NEVER be a recruited elite collegiate rower.

And I don't want to be one, so I'm fine with it.
Started rowing Jan '22 to get more base endurance and for fun beside my gym strength training, so no ambitions to get a pro and get some world records. To do so I would have to cut down and restructure my complete gym training to focus fully on rowing, I don't want to.
A 6:45 2k with my body stats after a year on the erg isn't too bad.
And for the protocol, nobody told me how to row, tried it on my own and still looking for some improvement in my stroke as well as in my fitness, so absolutely open minded to anything that makes sense.

[JaapvanE]

Sure. Have you done the same-- experimented with technique and found the best technique that works for you? I doubt it. And so do YOU have WR rows? Like everyone else who rows, I expect you are not an elite rower at all and you've done nothing about your technique to remedy that

Your attitude that you are a (former?) WR holder and thus the rest of us are thus inferior is just rude and unbecoming a true sportsman.

When it comes to competition technique, my experience is that the more efficient technique always prevails. I've been around FIS when Mirosław Graf and Jan Boklöv popularized V-style ski-jumping. Everybody hated it, but their distances were impossible to ignore. And that is a jury sport where judges deduct points for lack of style. So when you are so convinced that your technique is so good, convince the world by winning races and setting new records. That is all it takes.

And you really should stop making wild assumptions. You don't know me, you don't know what I did and didn't do. I realize that my days that I was training 4+ hours daily to get to the Olympics are decades behind me. I have other more important goals in life. Let's say I won't be defined by "The guy that was fast once". For me, rowing is a nice way to relax. I think that doing sports just for the fun of it and enjoying the companionship of friends while doing that is the higher goal. I got by without rowing-induced injuries for decades. HR nicely in zone as the experts suggest. It prepares me nicely for my primary and secondary sport, so who cares?

[Sakly]

And you really should stop making wild assumptions. You don't know me, you don't know what I did and didn't do.

I think this was related to me, as I was mentioned in the beginning, but I absolutely agree to your point of attitude.

[JaapvanE]

So, given how everyone is taught to row these days, you could NEVER be a recruited elite collegiate rower.

And I don't want to be one, so I'm fine with it.
Started rowing Jan '22 to get more base endurance and for fun beside my gym strength training, so no ambitions to get a pro and get some world records. To do so I would have to cut down and restructure my complete gym training to focus fully on rowing, I don't want to.

I think that most are well past the age of being a "collegiate rower", so no changce of being recruited as one My kids get into that age though

I agree completely with Sakly here. And I would like to add: absolute no need to restructure work/life balance to facilitate rowing. And you can skip any training that doesn't fit your life's schedule or you are not interested in doing.

Don't get me wrong: I respect competitive rowers and the sacrifices they make. But competitive should respect recreational rowers as they simply have set other priorities, and not dismiss their points as not being invalid as their times aren't up to their ideals.

I've been on and off that hamster wheel for various sports, where the training took precedence over work and family life, just to get the required hours in. And to be honest, I am very happy those days are behind me. In retrospect, the goal oriented approach to these sports made them less appealing, and took quite some toll. Just being a recreational athlete, you can just focus on the stuff you like, without any consequences. For me, sport in its purest form.

I absolutely love the fact that I can jump on my rower when I want to, perhaps even meet some guys for a relaxed row (on EXR). No need for ego's and find out who's fastest. Just some guys having a relaxed row and some fun.

[deadlifting265]

Sure. Have you done the same-- experimented with technique and found the best technique that works for you? I doubt it. And so do YOU have WR rows? Like everyone else who rows, I expect you are not an elite rower at all and you've done nothing about your technique to remedy that

Your attitude that you are a (former?) WR holder and thus the rest of us are thus inferior is just rude and unbecoming a true sportsman.

When it comes to competition technique, my experience is that the more efficient technique always prevails. I've been around FIS when Mirosław Graf and Jan Boklöv popularized V-style ski-jumping. Everybody hated it, but their distances were impossible to ignore. And that is a jury sport where judges deduct points for lack of style. So when you are so convinced that your technique is so good, convince the world by winning races and setting new records. That is all it takes.

And you really should stop making wild assumptions. You don't know me, you don't know what I did and didn't do. I realize that my days that I was training 4+ hours daily to get to the Olympics are decades behind me. I have other more important goals in life. Let's say I won't be defined by "The guy that was fast once". For me, rowing is a nice way to relax. I think that doing sports just for the fun of it and enjoying the companionship of friends while doing that is the higher goal. I got by without rowing-induced injuries for decades. HR nicely in zone as the experts suggest. It prepares me nicely for my primary and secondary sport, so who cares?

Hi, what Olympics did you compete in and was this in rowing?