Weight Loss

[michelleleejones]

Hey,

New to rowing and just brought the rower, i had a go last night and rowed for 30 mins which was fine, i think i was rowing about 30sm (not that i know what this is!) then added in 40seconds fast then 20 secs rest i did only 3 of these (they were hard!)

can any one share any easy to follow programs with me i really dont understand about pace etc, i have read so much information but i still dont really understand.

[Negiarcian]

I found the Row20 program on YouTube by TrainingTall very useful as a beginner rower.

Lots of technique coaching and lots of variety in the program.

[p_b82]

I'd just suggest that in your early days you spend a bit of time working on your technique, and not trying to row as fast as you can to start with in short bursts.

There's lots of demo's online, the C2 site has good examples of form too - generally speaking it is better to have fewer more powerful strokes than lots of less powerful ones - purely from energy conservation and technique perspective.

pace is just a different representation of power - but the relationship is not linear so you need more power to increase pace; as power increases the rate of increase in pace diminishes.
eg 50W = 3:11/500m
100W = 2:31
150w = 2:12
200w = 2:00
250w - 1:52

ultimately the longer you can row the more calories you will burn and thus the better it will help with weight (in conjunction with any dietary adjustments as applicable)

[gvcormac]

There are many variables at play when trying to lose weight, and the optimal strategy is far from clear.

If you row slowly, you burn a larger proportion of fat. If you row faster you burn more fat, but even more carbs. Which may make you really hungry.

If you row in the morning before eating, you burn more fat.

Overall, you don't burn that many calories rowing, so you'd better not increase your calorie intake to compensate. Arguably, rowing slowly before breakfast stimulates your appetite less.

Make sure you do resistance training and eat enough protein, or you'll lose a lot of muscle. This is bad for you, and also lowers the number of calories you burn while you're not exercising.

How much protein? You'll find zealots that say 2.2+g/kg body weight. 1.2g/kg should be ample, spread equally over three meals.

What kind of protein? Doesn't matter. Look for 10g protein/calorie or better. Soy, beans, fish, fat-free dairy, and very lean meat work here. Fiber is good, too.

[michelleleejones]

Thank you for comments I was under the impression when I brought the rower it was great for burning calories and also toning as it works a lot of your body.
I will watch some videos on technique.

[gvcormac]

Thank you for comments I was under the impression when I brought the rower it was great for burning calories and also toning as it works a lot of your body.
I will watch some videos on technique.

It is great for your body, but not intense enough to count as a strength exercise. You need to do pushups, pullups, step-ups or equivalent. Maybe you could substitute really hard rowing sprints for the pullups. (And running sprints for the step-ups.) (10-20 pulls as hard as you can, several sets, with a minute or two rest in between). But that won't be sufficient to overtax your legs or your arm "push" muscles.

[Dangerscouse]

Thank you for comments I was under the impression when I brought the rower it was great for burning calories and also toning as it works a lot of your body.
I will watch some videos on technique.

It's definitely good for burning calories, but it's a very meritocratic machine. If you put in the effort, relative to what is enough for you, you will lose weight and by default tone up due to the weight loss.

Just to reiterate what you may already know, it's not a fast process. It could take many months to really see the benefits, but you'll probably see an initial improvement and then it will notably slow down. This is when you need to enjoy / love the process and not just the results, as far too many people give up at this stage, as they see it only as hard work.

It is without doubt hard work, which is why it's the unloved piece of cardio equipment in virtually every gym, but it's worth persevering.

[Moichel1438]

Hey everyone,

I'm in a similar situation as Michelle, having recently embarked on my rowing journey. I got myself a rower and tried it out for the first time last night. Managed to row for about 30 minutes, which felt pretty good, though I'm still trying to wrap my head around all the metrics, like what "30sm" actually means.

I attempted to mix in some intervals as well—40 seconds of rowing at a faster pace followed by 20 seconds of rest. I could only do three of these intervals because, wow, they were challenging!

Like Michelle, I'm finding myself a bit overwhelmed with all the information out there about pace, stroke rate, etc. It's a lot to take in, and I'm not quite sure where to start with creating a structured program that's beginner-friendly.

Does anyone have any simple, easy-to-follow rowing programs or tips they could share? I'm eager to improve and make the most out of my rowing sessions but could really use some guidance on understanding the basics and setting up a routine that works for a newbie.

Appreciate any advice you guys can offer!

[iain]

The best program is one you will stick to and enjoy. This varies for different people. If you like seeing progress and variety but don't mind working hard and can reliably row 5km or more the "beginners Pete Plan ("BPP") is a good option used by many (see the thread on this). But it isn't for everyone.

Unfortunately weight loss is primarily about restricting your food intake as you need to work hard for long periods to use the calories of a single "extravagant" meal.

To help the Forum users guide you, it would be helpful to know what exercise you have done to date, how you recovered from the 30 min row. how far you went in the 30 min, your size, age and sex, what other exercise you intend to do along with the rowing, your goals and exercise history and what you like about the rower.

You have made a good start from your initial rows and now have to convert that to a regular habit within a healthy lifestyle. Good luck.

- Iain

[Dangerscouse]

Hey everyone,

I'm in a similar situation as Michelle, having recently embarked on my rowing journey. I got myself a rower and tried it out for the first time last night. Managed to row for about 30 minutes, which felt pretty good, though I'm still trying to wrap my head around all the metrics, like what "30sm" actually means.

I attempted to mix in some intervals as well—40 seconds of rowing at a faster pace followed by 20 seconds of rest. I could only do three of these intervals because, wow, they were challenging!

Like Michelle, I'm finding myself a bit overwhelmed with all the information out there about pace, stroke rate, etc. It's a lot to take in, and I'm not quite sure where to start with creating a structured program that's beginner-friendly.

Does anyone have any simple, easy-to-follow rowing programs or tips they could share? I'm eager to improve and make the most out of my rowing sessions but could really use some guidance on understanding the basics and setting up a routine that works for a newbie.

Appreciate any advice you guys can offer!

In addition to Iain's comments. 30sm is 30 strokes per minute, so this would also be 30spm.

As for the intervals, you should slow down the pace by circa five seconds (average pace), and also increase the rest to see if you can squeeze out a few more. It's more important to do more at a slower pace than only three at too fast a pace. I'd suggest you'd like to do eight intervals of 40 seconds on and 40 seconds off, at whatever pace is manageable. You want to get to halfway and for it to feel tough but manageable. As you improve, you'll possibly be doubting if you can finish at this stage, but that's not for a while yet.

Get the basics cemented in, learn about technique, drag factor etc so you're being as efficient as you can be. For a seemingly simple exercise it's surprisingly technical.

[iain]

...I'm still trying to wrap my head around all the metrics, like what "30sm" actually means.

...30sm is 30 strokes per minute, so this would also be 30spm.

Unlike some cheaper rowers, the "pace" on a C2 is dependent on how much air is driven by its fan. At a given drag factor (adjusted with the damper lever on the side) this is determined by how fast the fan rotates. If you drive faster, the fan will accelerate to a faster speed. After the end of the power stroke it will then slow down. Obviously accelerating it again will keep the pace up and so at the same speed, the more strokes a minute (ie the closer the drives are to each other) the faster the average pace. However, to a point the same increase can come from a stronger (read faster) drive and less strokes, allowing "the boat to run".

A common mistake of new rowers is to do more strokes than optimal with insufficient power. This shows up as a high SPM but without the expected "pace" (seen in distance per stroke or power). Broadly at optimum those with greater relative fitness to strength will rate at higher SPM, while the stronger less fit will rate lower with stronger strokes. This is because increasing the SPM (at the same stroke power) will put more cardiovascular strain, while increasing the power at the same SPM will tire the muscles quicker. Also taller people have a longer optimal stroke and so will row at the same pace at a lower rating (longer to accelerate the handle).

The takeaway is that what matters is the pace you can achieve and for optimum performance you need to identify the right balance between the power of your stroke and the number of strokes you are doing in a minute. We aim to keep the stroke strong and so the stroke should resemble the upward part of a squat, with most training done with a slow recovery to allow time to recover from the exertion of the stroke.

[MysticMelody]

Half an hour is a very good initial attempt – that's commendable. No need to concern yourself with the 30 meters at this moment; those are just measurements on the device, not real distance as if you were rowing on a lake. I understand what you're saying about the "fast and hard" intervals - those quick moments can really tire you out.

Rather than becoming trapped in a situation where speed is the main concern, why not consider starting with a program that emphasizes duration and intensity of exertion? The Concept2 site offers an excellent routine for those beginning [Concept2 Indoor Rower Workouts for Beginners]. The exercise routine includes sequences such as "3 minutes of light activity followed by 1 minute of rest" – it's straightforward and allows you to concentrate on your technique.

You can also look for rowing videos for beginners on YouTube. They usually guide you through the exercise and how to do it correctly, which is really useful when you're just starting out.

[JCBayley]

For a beginner, it's normal to feel a bit unsure about pace and programming. A simple program you can start with is to row for 20-30 minutes at a comfortable pace, focusing on your technique.

As you get more comfortable, you can try adding intervals like you did with 40 seconds fast and 20 seconds rest. To improve your understanding of pace, try to row at a pace where you can still hold a conversation but feel challenged.

[jamesg]

Can any one share any easy to follow programs with me i really dont understand about pace etc, i have read so much information but i still dont really understand.

The basic program is learn to row, then row. See:
https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/ ... que-videos

Simple training plans can be seen here; simple but tough, so mostly very short:
https://www.britishrowing.org/indoor-ro ... ing-plans/

Pace is a carryover from rowing on water, and is the time needed to go 500 meters. This measure is only used in Olympic rowing, where the race course is 2km in length, and times are taken every 500m.

A true ergometer such as the Concept2 measures the Power we put into the handle, where Power = pull Speed x pull Force, and Work done per stroke = pull Force x pull Length.

When rowing we can do nothing more than pull one stroke at a time: so each one, to be effective, has to be very good: long, hard, and fast. Then we let the boat run for as long as she will, before pulling another one. This is the main characteristic of rowing; it's done on water, and the boat does not stop, so we let her go between strokes. The C2 ergometer imitates this by using a flywheel that keeps spinning.

The fact that boats move is what dominates rowing training; we pull a very big stroke, then let the boat run, with a long rest before the next stroke. This luxury won't be available in a race: the time between strokes gets much shorter. But before racing we've been able to train that stroke so that we can pull about 200 in a just a few minutes.

Rowing is not an easy sport, since the object is to move a boat fast: and water is surpisingly hard stuff. However, if we avoid technical faults, we can can keep going for more years than we can run or walk.

NB rowing has nothing to do with weightloss. The idea is to put on and use bit more muscle, which is denser than fat.

[JCBayley]

For a beginner, it's normal to feel a bit unsure about pace and programming. A simple program you can start with is to row for 20-30 minutes at a comfortable pace, focusing on your technique.

As you get more comfortable, you can try adding intervals like you did with 40 seconds fast and 20 seconds rest. To improve your understanding of pace, try to row at a pace where you can still hold a conversation but feel challenged.

For more structured programs and guidance, websites like fitnessown.com offer various rowing programs tailored to different fitness levels.