Hello!
I'm just starting my second week of this, and slowly increasing my time spent rowing. I am up to 25 minutes excluding a few minutes of warm up and warm down on either end.
As I've begun reading information on the forums, I see people that have these crazy 500 m times - under 2 minutes! It seems like that is very far away for me, I'm averaging 2:50 in "normal" mode and 2:30 for shorter, harder intervals.
So my question is, what's more important? The 500m pace or the overall time spent on the machine? What is a reasonable time goal for someone that is just starting out?
And even - is this a number I should set goals around or should I just worry about increasing my time or distance. What did you focus on when you first started?
Thanks for any suggestions!
500m Pace
you may be rowing that slowly because of technique problems. Can't really tell with seeing you or knowing what kind of shape your in, and your age and weight. BUt 2:50 should be pretty easy from almost everyone.
If you can post a video of yourself rowing you will get a lot of help here. Better yet find someone who really know how to row and have them look at you.
If you can post a video of yourself rowing you will get a lot of help here. Better yet find someone who really know how to row and have them look at you.
Thanks!
It very well may be a technique issue since I"m still so new at this. I am pretty out of shape and also overweight - so as to that posting of video thing - dream on
But, I have a friend who is more experienced at this, who I will have critique what I'm doing and I will study the info on the site again.
Better to fix that now!
It very well may be a technique issue since I"m still so new at this. I am pretty out of shape and also overweight - so as to that posting of video thing - dream on
But, I have a friend who is more experienced at this, who I will have critique what I'm doing and I will study the info on the site again. Better to fix that now!
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johnlvs2run
- Half Marathon Poster
- Posts: 4012
- Joined: March 16th, 2006, 1:13 pm
- Location: California Central Coast
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time and pace
As you are getting used to the exercise, your overall time is by far more important than pace. Your 25 minutes already is excellent.Hally930 wrote:So my question is, what's more important? The 500m pace or the overall time spent on the machine? What is a reasonable time goal for someone that is just starting out?
The important thing is to go at your own pace and the time that feels right to you. You'll pick up the technique and get faster as you get used to the exercise.
I started out at 2:50 to 3:00 pace, and my butt ached after 10 minutes of rowing.
bikeerg 75 5'8" 155# - 18.5 - 51.9 - 568 - 1:52.7 - 8:03.8 - 20:13.1 - 14620 - 40:58.7 - 28855 - 1:23:48.0
rowerg 56-58 5'8.5" 143# - 1:39.6 - 3:35.6 - 7:24.0 - 18:57.4 - 22:49.9 - 7793 - 38:44.7 - 1:22:48.9 - 2:58:46.2
rowerg 56-58 5'8.5" 143# - 1:39.6 - 3:35.6 - 7:24.0 - 18:57.4 - 22:49.9 - 7793 - 38:44.7 - 1:22:48.9 - 2:58:46.2
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duckrunner
- Paddler
- Posts: 6
- Joined: October 22nd, 2007, 3:30 pm
- Location: Bay of Islands New Zealand
Hally well done on starting on the erge....times....dont worrying about them...there are some fantastic times posted on here and other sites...but many of the rowers having been at it for years and have their technique down to a fine art.
I have only recently...(end of august) started rowing again and i was struggling to complete 25 mins!!!!
2 months later i am posting some reasonable times and distances.....
Do not forget that diet is as important as the exercise, the two go hand in hand...one rarely succeeds without the other.
You only have to impress yourself, take care and keeping pulling..good luck..
Chris
I have only recently...(end of august) started rowing again and i was struggling to complete 25 mins!!!!
2 months later i am posting some reasonable times and distances.....Do not forget that diet is as important as the exercise, the two go hand in hand...one rarely succeeds without the other.
You only have to impress yourself, take care and keeping pulling..good luck..
Chris
Male 59: 5'.10":105kg
I don't think pace is the most important thing!
Happy rowing is!
For me going faster is the motivation to go on!
Love to PB, not that 'that' happens a lot lately!
Try to work on technique, for me it makes erging a lot more interesting and it kills the time working on each other stroke, trying to make it ( sort of ) perfect!
It's not the pace! It's just fun to jump on the erg and...... go!!
Good Luck!
Hope to hear more from you!!
Happy rowing is!
For me going faster is the motivation to go on!
Love to PB, not that 'that' happens a lot lately!
Try to work on technique, for me it makes erging a lot more interesting and it kills the time working on each other stroke, trying to make it ( sort of ) perfect!
It's not the pace! It's just fun to jump on the erg and...... go!!
Good Luck!
Hope to hear more from you!!
Tyn
M42H
"We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well and live."
"Nobody move! I've dropped me brain!"
M42H
"We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well and live."
"Nobody move! I've dropped me brain!"
I started recently too, middle of September. When I first got going I couldn't even finish 2000 meters. I got to where I could go for 30 minutes nonstop but the pace was like you 2:40-2:50. I've just been sticking with it, watching the technique video from concept2 and trying to get it to feel like that looks. I did 21,097 meters for the first time on Sunday and was able to get it down to 2:34 but about killed myself. I took two days off and tried a half hour tonight, managed to keep it to 2:13.8 and get around 6700 meters. My heart rate was 185+ for the last five minutes though and I felt like puking when I finished. Anyway, point being, it seems to get better really quickly as you're just getting started.
I am out of shape and overweight, at about the 70k mark, been getting up to around 25 minute workouts.
I am averaging a pace of 2:35 or so, every now and then I give it my best and get it to 1:55 for 10-20 strokes, which usually gets my HR up to about 145-150. I then back off and then steady it out at 2:30/HR130 or so for a while before I spike again.
But as I am just starting, these numbers are constantly seeming to improve. Most notablyt I am seeing better sustained pace times with corresponding heart rates on the decrease!
I am averaging a pace of 2:35 or so, every now and then I give it my best and get it to 1:55 for 10-20 strokes, which usually gets my HR up to about 145-150. I then back off and then steady it out at 2:30/HR130 or so for a while before I spike again.
But as I am just starting, these numbers are constantly seeming to improve. Most notablyt I am seeing better sustained pace times with corresponding heart rates on the decrease!
Pretty much everyone starts off slowly and gets faster in the first several months. Your perception of what is "crazy fast" also changes the longer you row. Although I can row a 2:00 pace and train at that a lot, I am not really fast at all, and I row online with guys that can do full marathons at my 2k pace (those guys are crazy fast).
The other basic questions you should look at and tell us are what stroke rate are you rowing at (the number in the upper right corner, should be in the 20 something range) and what damper setting (the level on the side of the rower) and resulting drag (what the computer calculates based on the damper) are you rowing at?
If your stroke rate is much above 25, you may also want to work on slowing that down, so that you get more power out of each stroke and are more efficient, while keeping your pace the same or getting faster there too.
Otherwise, I think working up to 25 min and then longer rows, like the 30 min row, 10k and 1 hour, is a great way to start and to lose weight. So keep that up.
The other basic questions you should look at and tell us are what stroke rate are you rowing at (the number in the upper right corner, should be in the 20 something range) and what damper setting (the level on the side of the rower) and resulting drag (what the computer calculates based on the damper) are you rowing at?
If your stroke rate is much above 25, you may also want to work on slowing that down, so that you get more power out of each stroke and are more efficient, while keeping your pace the same or getting faster there too.
Otherwise, I think working up to 25 min and then longer rows, like the 30 min row, 10k and 1 hour, is a great way to start and to lose weight. So keep that up.
M 51 5'9'' (1.75m), a once and future lightweight
Old PBs 500m-1:33.9 1K-3:18.6 2K-6:55.4 5K-18:17.6 10K-38:10.5 HM-1:24:00.1 FM-3:07.13
Old PBs 500m-1:33.9 1K-3:18.6 2K-6:55.4 5K-18:17.6 10K-38:10.5 HM-1:24:00.1 FM-3:07.13
Congrats on starting to row. I agree with everyone - don't worry about the pace. Since you posted this on the weight loss forum, and mention that you are out of shape, what you are interested in isn't any particular pace, but getting good exercise, calorie burn, building endurance, etc. and you will do this at whatever pace pushes you, whether that be 2:50 or 2:00.
To lose lots of fat, you've got the idea with long steady rows - the longer the better. Working up to 30-40 minutes 3-5 times per week will do you wonders. Row at whatever is the fastest pace you can do that allows you to complete the workout and still be able to do it again in a day or two. Again, watch the eating. I chose to row after the kids go to sleep because that used to be the time I sat on the couch and ate junk food, so rowing was not only my exercise but also my diversion from my addiction. Can you find a similar trick.
I'm a 6' 3" 40 year old male. Last year I was 260 lbs when I started rowing like this. I lost 75 lbs in 9 months, and have kept it off for 5 months now. I looked back at my log - near the beginning I tried to row at 2:10 for a full 10k but crashed at 8k. Just last week I did 10k at <1:57.
Again - congrats for starting. Like all 12-step programs, admitting you have a problem and taking the initiative to deal with it is the first (and hardest) step. Keep posting for lots of support!
Tom
To lose lots of fat, you've got the idea with long steady rows - the longer the better. Working up to 30-40 minutes 3-5 times per week will do you wonders. Row at whatever is the fastest pace you can do that allows you to complete the workout and still be able to do it again in a day or two. Again, watch the eating. I chose to row after the kids go to sleep because that used to be the time I sat on the couch and ate junk food, so rowing was not only my exercise but also my diversion from my addiction. Can you find a similar trick.
I'm a 6' 3" 40 year old male. Last year I was 260 lbs when I started rowing like this. I lost 75 lbs in 9 months, and have kept it off for 5 months now. I looked back at my log - near the beginning I tried to row at 2:10 for a full 10k but crashed at 8k. Just last week I did 10k at <1:57.
Again - congrats for starting. Like all 12-step programs, admitting you have a problem and taking the initiative to deal with it is the first (and hardest) step. Keep posting for lots of support!
Tom
[img]http://www.c2ctc.com/sigs/img1225814673.png[/img]
Howdy!
Thanks for all the great words of encouragement and advice! I wanted to post a follow up and document my progress. I've worked up to 45 mins and have dropped to around 2:30 average - and can go much lower on intervals. While I'm still not the speedster, I'm happy with the progress and have many more goals to look forward to achieving.
I have noticed amazing gains in overall fitness and muscle tone, and some weight loss - and look forward to seeing more in the future.
Its very motivational to read all your suggestions and success stories - helps keep me going.
Thanks for all the great words of encouragement and advice! I wanted to post a follow up and document my progress. I've worked up to 45 mins and have dropped to around 2:30 average - and can go much lower on intervals. While I'm still not the speedster, I'm happy with the progress and have many more goals to look forward to achieving.
I have noticed amazing gains in overall fitness and muscle tone, and some weight loss - and look forward to seeing more in the future.
Its very motivational to read all your suggestions and success stories - helps keep me going.
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johnlvs2run
- Half Marathon Poster
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- Joined: March 16th, 2006, 1:13 pm
- Location: California Central Coast
- Contact:
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thomaspinckney
- 500m Poster
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- Joined: November 19th, 2007, 10:59 am
- Location: Gaithersburg, Md
Sounds to me like your times are just fine. My times aren't so fast either. I tried to stay around 2:50 for 30 minutes to an hour in the 27 spm range (too fast). The recent challenges really go me rowling more and more. Initially, I had a goal of 200,000 meters for January and joined an online club. That gave me a boost and I ended up rowing 620,000 meters.
About two weeks into the program, I wondered why my times were fairly slow (but I was rowing hard). So.....I found a coach (they are listed on the Concept II site by state) and worked with him at a local gym once. My times went down to about a 2:30 - 2:40 page with a stroke rate of 18 - 20 per minute. In other words, my times when up but I was rowing more efficiently. Still not a fast rower, but I have been rowing long distances - not for speed.
Now that the distance challenges are over, it's time for some cross-training in my aerobic sessions, weight training, core work & add some intervals. I also plan on starting to train for a marathon. FYI: since I changed my technique, my rear-end and low back don't hurt as much.
These are the things that were changed:
1. stroke rate: 18 - 20 per minute. The power stroke (when you push with your legs) is 1/3 the speed of the return.
2. I also sit up straighter and
3. row as if you are pinching your shoulder blades together
4. a slight lean backwards
5. push with your heels not the top of your foot
About two weeks into the program, I wondered why my times were fairly slow (but I was rowing hard). So.....I found a coach (they are listed on the Concept II site by state) and worked with him at a local gym once. My times went down to about a 2:30 - 2:40 page with a stroke rate of 18 - 20 per minute. In other words, my times when up but I was rowing more efficiently. Still not a fast rower, but I have been rowing long distances - not for speed.
Now that the distance challenges are over, it's time for some cross-training in my aerobic sessions, weight training, core work & add some intervals. I also plan on starting to train for a marathon. FYI: since I changed my technique, my rear-end and low back don't hurt as much.
These are the things that were changed:
1. stroke rate: 18 - 20 per minute. The power stroke (when you push with your legs) is 1/3 the speed of the return.
2. I also sit up straighter and
3. row as if you are pinching your shoulder blades together
4. a slight lean backwards
5. push with your heels not the top of your foot