What is the ideal resistance setting for a rowing machine beginner ?

[Carlos19]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the world of indoor rowing and just got my hands on my first rowing machine. I'm super excited to start incorporating rowing into my fitness routine, but I'm a bit unsure about the ideal resistance setting to begin with. I've read that starting with the right resistance is crucial to avoid injury and to build up endurance effectively, but the variety of options and opinions out there is a bit overwhelming. Could any of you seasoned rowers share your advice on what type of resistance is best for a beginner like me? How did you determine the right setting when you were starting out, and are there any tips you wish you knew earlier? I'm eager to learn from your experiences and to start off on the right foot.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[jamesg]

Usually lever 3, which corresponds to Drag Factor 120-130 on a new and clean machine.

This level allows a good combination of force and speed so that we can deliver an ideal amount of Power, if using correct technique.

Plenty of detail is available here:
https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/ ... que-videos

NB the drag setting is not Resistance. Resistance = the Force we apply.

[MPx]

Basiclly what James said....

Try to get used to the idea of "Drag Factor" rather than lever position (which will vary in effect on every machine) or "resistance" which isn't really what's involved. DF is a constant feel across machines. Display it by pressing Menu; More options; Display drag Factor on your PM and then do a few strokes. For most people most of the time a DF in the 115-135 range will be a good. Its not a "rule" or a proficiency thing - I know some Elite rowers who prefer a DF around 110 ... and one who preferred it over 160.

What is actually changing with the lever position is how quickly the flywheel slows down - the bigger the number the more it will slow between strokes. The more it slows down, the harder it can appear to speed it up again - which sometimes gets referred to as resistance, but its not "resistance" its just needing to put more work into re-accelerating the flywheel. This tends to slow down the drive phase of the stroke (unless you're one of the world's strongest men) and a slow drive is a bad thing (for all those who translate their erging to On The Water rowing). Although the world's strongest men can do a fast drive at a high DF they can't do so for very long so you don't see any of them winning the erg competitions over 2k or more. If you have the DF very low (less than say 110) then the flywheel doesn't slow down much. The only way you can then put more work into it is to do a very fast drive from the catch. Fast drive is good. But until you've got your stoke properly sorted and ingrained it can be difficult to get the sequencing of it right (legs/swing/arms) if the drive is too quick. So going a little higher should help give you a bit more time to sequence the stroke correctly. Note we're talking about the drive part of the stoke, not the recovery (going forwards) which can take as long as you like. So that's the rationale of why you see a DF in the 115-135 range most often recommended - but at the end of the day it only changes what it feels like so you can chose to use whatever number feels right to you!

[JaapvanE]

Agree with what MPx said, with a small nuance:

This tends to slow down the drive phase of the stroke (unless you're one of the world's strongest men) and a slow drive is a bad thing (for all those who translate their erging to On The Water rowing).

It is a matter of preference, where heavier rowers typically tend to have a little lower strokerate (both in drive and recovery) to reduce the amount of moving up and down the rail, which is doable for a lightweight, but also consumes a lot of energy for a heavyweight. As heavyweights tend to be used to pushing a bit more weight with their legs, they tend to prefer a heavier stroke anyways and thus put a bit more drag on the Erg. For on-the-water rowing one could compensate with longer oars for this (in theory), but I'm not aware this is a practice commonly found in clubs/teams as you quickly run into practical issues.

[Carl Watts]

Depends on your age, weight and height as well as current fitness level.

Typically you start high as you don't have the leg speed in the drive and work you way down. Started at about 168 DF myself and worked down to 130 DF except for very short sprints where you need it higher.

[Sakly]

Depends on your age, weight and height as well as current fitness level.

Typically you start high as you don't have the leg speed in the drive and work you way down. Started at about 168 DF myself and worked down to 130 DF except for very short sprints where you need it higher.

Agree, this is my own experience, too.
Started with ~135, lower felt too light, couldn't get speed.
Now, after 2 years, I can easily get the same pace at much lower drag around 100 with no problem.

[ErgAddict]

I concur with the others.

Also, I don't know if you have experience with on the water rowing but a DF of 114-120 will give you the feel of the catch resistance on the water.

In high school I rowed with a DF of 125 but when it came time to be on the water I felt like I couldn't put down the same power as I did on the ergs. If you're just sticking to rowing on the indoor machine I agree with the others to have it around 120-130 range, any higher and you're not working your cardio capacity as much just the amount of power you can lay down with your legs.

Rowing with a lower DF allows you to put more of an emphasis on a fast turn around at the catch, this is the form scullers shy away from and sweepers embrace because of the mechanics of the oar when you're on the water.

This might be too much information but here it is anyway. The reason why you would want to have a faster turn around at the catch for a sweep style boat is because your gets the most mechanical advantage before the pin. The pin being the oarlock pivot point on the oar. In a sweep boat the further you extend the oar back the more length and power you'll produce. So on the ergs you want to have a swift turnaround at the catch and a power curve that spikes at the start in order to utilize the boat's efficiency on the water.

Sculling on the other hand is kind of the opposite. The sculler's oar when extended too far backwards becomes inefficient because of little of the oar's surface area is perpendicular with the motion of the boat. My coach called the sculling stroke a gathering of power. Being able to lay down peak power when the oar is directly perpendicular with the boat's motion. On the ergs it is easier to get away with having a higher DF when you don't have to lay down all the power when your legs are still in full compression at the catch. A sculler's force curve has the peak power output near the middle of the stroke like on the water.

This might be an over explanation of your question but hopefully it helps people understand the mechanics of the rowing machine. For everyone who has just used the rowing machine and has not gotten the chance to row on the water I am terribly sorry. Rowing on the water helps you know why you should row with proper form on the ergs, for erging is just a replication of rowing inside.