Display for avg/500m

[Fox97]

Hello! I am very confused on the timing of the display. I have been doing the row for a few years now but I wanted to train to go faster. I found multiple YT videos for sub 7, which is what I want but when following along I realized, even with the same pace and pulling with back my AVE shows like 30s more than others. Below is what I normally do, then below that is what I tried to follow, but mine still shows over an extra 30s/m. Is mine broke or is something else happening?

Avg 35s/m
2000m
Avg time 8:33
2:06 AVE/500m
Drag factor avg 137

Below is one of the links I was following in pace.
30s/m
2000m
Time 6:58
1:45 AVE/500M

https://youtu.be/H6ob3xQYhhM?si=-6BBHvTG_VBWHQIh

[gvcormac]

There are two ways to increase your pace: (1) pull harder; (2) increase your stroke rate.

Your stroke rate is plenty high, so I suggest you pull harder.

If your pull is speed limited you can try higher df; otherwise maybe even lower df. Lower df gives you faster drive which is fine so long as you pull just as hard.

If you play with the PM5 you can make it display your force curve. I don't usually but you might find it useful.

[Sakly]

You need to understand that the power that goes into the machine is not entirely depending on the strokes per minute and the length/form of the stroke. So if two persons pull at the same rate with the same stroke length, their pace can easily differ by 30s/500 or even more.
The pace is mainly depending on the strokes length and the acceleration during the drive. Pushing harder at the same rate with the same length gives you more acceleration (shorter drive time) = faster pace. Longer strokes at the same acceleration (longer drive time) = faster pace. Longer strokes with more acceleration = much faster pace. All at the same rate.

[hikeplusrow]

Rowalongs are best done to time rather than distance, as everyone finishes simultaneously

[JaapvanE]

Rowalongs are best done to time rather than distance, as everyone finishes simultaneously

Unless the group agrees on a certain pace, then you can also have the same distance. That is what we do with the saturday group rows on EXR: several people have agreed to always row the same pace durng that session, allowing groups to form around them. We start all at the same time, the groups form naturally, and the pace groups finish together.

[iain]

Most people cannot maintain a strong stroke at 35 strokes per minute for 2k. Remember that the "boat" keeps moving between strokes and so you want to produce strong strokes so that it is travelling fast. Then we go up the slide at a controlled pace to give your muscles time to recover sufficiently to repeat the strong stroke to accelerate the "boat" again. You are using quite a high DF. You might like to try lowering this to see if this allows you to get a smoother faster drive. It is common at the gym to see people at 35+ SpM pulling paces that would take>10min for a 2k and usually stopping exhausted after 500m or so, so your performance is better than most.

[hikeplusrow]

Rowalongs are best done to time rather than distance, as everyone finishes simultaneously

Unless the group agrees on a certain pace, then you can also have the same distance. That is what we do with the saturday group rows on EXR: several people have agreed to always row the same pace durng that session, allowing groups to form around them. We start all at the same time, the groups form naturally, and the pace groups finish together.

Good idea. I hadn't thought of that.

[dabatey]

Hello! I am very confused on the timing of the display. I have been doing the row for a few years now but I wanted to train to go faster. I found multiple YT videos for sub 7, which is what I want but when following along I realized, even with the same pace and pulling with back my AVE shows like 30s more than others. Below is what I normally do, then below that is what I tried to follow, but mine still shows over an extra 30s/m. Is mine broke or is something else happening?

Avg 35s/m
2000m
Avg time 8:33
2:06 AVE/500m
Drag factor avg 137

Below is one of the links I was following in pace.
30s/m
2000m
Time 6:58
1:45 AVE/500M

https://youtu.be/H6ob3xQYhhM?si=-6BBHvTG_VBWHQIh

It's pretty possible with a quick recovery back up the slide to pull lightly with a slowish drive and have a high s/m with a slowish average pace. With good technique you pull hard and fast and have a quick drive, and then recover back up the slide slowly.

That said. My first attempt at a 2k was exactly the same as yours (8min 33sec) as you can see in my signature. If you are extremely light and short like myself(60kg/173cm) it's not that bad a time at all for a first shot I don't think, however if you are a fair bit heavier and taller than me then you need to pull a bit harder as you should be beating a flyweight like me.

Once you pull a bit harder your s/m will inevitably come down to mid/high twenties I imagine but that's not a bad thing and gives room for improvement with more fitness.

[Fox97]

Thank you for the replies. I will work on the form and try and pull harder.

[Citroen]

Thank you for the replies. I will work on the form and try and pull harder.

Or better, try to PUSH with your legs, since rowing is a legs sport.

[gvcormac]

Thank you for the replies. I will work on the form and try and pull harder.

Or better, try to PUSH with your legs, since rowing is a legs sport.

I think this is a distinction without a difference. If you want to lift a piano, you push with your legs, arguably more than you pull with your arms. But you're still lifting. Same with rowing. Thinking about what muscles you are using is a distraction. You want to yank the handle back as hard as you can as far as you can, without losing your balance at the end.

[jamesg]

mine still shows over an extra 30s/m. Is mine broke or is something else happening?

No it's not broke.

The machine is for training. We train by doing what we can. But not too much.

Rowing is a very difficult sport, it won't come immediately, so keep trying.

The machine measures a thing called Work; but some of us can do more work than others, depending on how big, how old and what sex we are.

In any case your 2:06 pace is 175Watt, so you're certainly not just idling along, like I do at 120W.

[dabatey]

Thank you for the replies. I will work on the form and try and pull harder.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but lowering the drag factor a bit 'might' help to get a good drive speed dependent on how big and powerful you are. Certainly helps skinny me to be at a df of around 110 instead of 140.

[Joebasscat]

Thank you for the replies. I will work on the form and try and pull harder.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but lowering the drag factor a bit 'might' help to get a good drive speed dependent on how big and powerful you are. Certainly helps skinny me to be at a df of around 110 instead of 140.

I’ll second the 110 DF for this LW as well. To each his own…

[Sakly]

Thank you for the replies. I will work on the form and try and pull harder.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but lowering the drag factor a bit 'might' help to get a good drive speed dependent on how big and powerful you are. Certainly helps skinny me to be at a df of around 110 instead of 140.

I’ll second the 110 DF for this LW as well. To each his own…

No lightweight here (neither a big heavyweight ), using ca. 140 for 2ks. But on my steadies on low rates I like to reduce drag to 100+- a few points.
On higher rates the more aggressive slow down of the flywheel is ok, as you pick up again earlier compared to a low rate steady.