LUNA-TICS TEAM ROOM: Year-round "Looney" fun.

[kalmjorg]

I need to add an avatar under my name like so many of you have done. I know about photobucket and have found the image I want to use. I have tried using my Mac and a PC with no luck. Help!

Thanks,

dc

Just go to this website and follow the steps.
http://www.shrinkpictures.com/create-avatar/

[Toothdoc]

Well...I am sorry to say that I will not be rowing any more 10k's for a while. Went the the physical therapist yesterday and he has put the brakes on that. Said I must row only til I feel the pull in my neck. I am moving the damper back down to 8 now but it seems to take longer to get the meters in and I was only able to muster 5k today. I will go 3 times a week until he pulls my neck back into some semblance of order.

I also congratulate Jane and welcome Darryl!!!

Lisa,

Have you been rowing with the damper set on 10? If so, that may be a big part of the neck pain. All the speed freaks and long distance rowers I know row with a damper setting of 3-5. I personally have settled on 4. I tried 10 once just see what it was like and thought I'd ruptured my spine. There was way to much pressure on my back. One of the main reasons I row is because of back problems. That said rowing will hurt your back or neck without proper posture, technique and damper setting. Lower that damper some more you'll like. And don't worry about a few extra minutes.

Hope this helps.

dc

Well when I first started out in september I was at 5 and it felt like nothing. Then I gradually moved it up to 10 and have left it there ever since. I will definitely take your advice about moving it down some more. I am in it for the same reasons as you plus I am trying to lose weight as well. I went from a size 20 last sept. to a size 14 today. As I am 5' 9" tall that is getting very close to my goal (which is size 10). The problem with taking the extra minutes is that I only have time to row in the morning before work so I usually go in about 2 hours early to get the rowing in and cleaned up for work. I get less meters that way but I would like to get more fit. Thank you for this advice.

Lisa,

I am assuming you don't row at home. I do have the advantage of doing that. The secret to weight loss is low impact with a long time on the erg.I lost no weight at 5k or 10 k but when I started doing 15k a day I started losing. About 5 lbs. per month. If possible get your own C2, it is a liberating experience. I usually do two pieces one before work and one after. I have lost 20 lbs. since Oct.

A great book for all is Younger Next Year, there is male and female versions. this is the book I live by.

Hope this helps.

dc

[Kristine Strasburger]

I have tried a lot of different damper settings, and pulling rates, and here is what I have found for the most efficient use of my time on the rower:

Set the damper at 3 or 4.

Warm up for a few minutes; at least 5 minutes, at a very easy pull and strokes per minute. Start slow and work your way up to the faster pace, but do not pull hard. It is better to warm up for longer if you are going to do a hard row. I warm up for 10 minutes.

After the warm-up you will coordinate two things (and this takes some practice and watching): watch your "SPM" stroke rate (strokes per minute) and your "time / 500m" (not avg/500m).

For an easy workout I keep my SPM between 20 - 22, and my time/500m between 2:24 - 2:28.

For a little harder workout I keep my SPM between 22 - 24, and my time/500m between 2:19 - 2:24.

For a hard workout I keep my SPM between 26 - 28, and my time/500m between 2:12 and 2:19.

For a very hard workout I keep my SPM between 28 - 32, and my time/500m between 2:05 and 2:19.

For an unbearable workout I keep my SPM over 32, and my time/500m under 2:05.

To really get the best training for where your personal fitness level is, you really should use your own maximum heart rate as the multiplier for the training range numbers (go to www.concept2.co.uk/training to see how to do this, and get the official training info). These numbers are based on my personal MHR.

While watching both of these numbers, I also break the workout into segments with rest periods in between the sets. The harder the workout level, the fewer minutes I can sustain it between rests. Rests are where I slow down the SPM and the pull to give myself a rest while still rowing.

A rest in between sets should last 2 - 3 minutes, but in some cases may need to be longer. You want your heart rate to return to it's warm up level (around 100 bpm for me) before starting the next set. If I am doing the easy workout, I don't do any rest periods at all, and at the hardest level, my rest periods end up amounting to half the workout time.

You should also allow at least 5 minutes for a cool-down row at the end of your workout, and don't forget to do some stretching afterwards.

If you row "by the numbers" in this way, it will force your body to become more efficient at the exercise. You will be training both your cardiovascular system and your muscles. In the end, you will be able to go farther in less time with your damper set to 3 or 4 if you do it this way.

[PJM]

A great book for all is Younger Next Year, there is male and female versions. this is the book I live by.

dc

I have the Female version of this book..Younger Next Year.It is a must have in my opinion.I read it a couple of years ago and have recommended it to many.I also love anything written by Dr Oz and Michael Roizen.Great for anyone to read.

Pat
TimbukTOO

[acrewer]

What works for me:

Damper at 3, Stroke rate 18-20, sometimes up to 22 or maybe 24 if I'm sprinting at the end of a piece.

Moderate pace 2:22-2:25
Slightly harder 2:18-2:21
Hard 2:12 - 2:17
Sprint under 2:10
Insane under 1:59 (my HR is usually about 175 and my husband freaked out when he saw it, I'm not allowed to row like that any more!)

I vary the pace by going faster on the drive and slower on the recovery. Just like I used to do in college. If you up the stroke by speeding up your recovery, you will 'check' the boat - the force of your weight towards the stern will act like a break. It's important to stay slow on the slide.

As for losing weight, I wasn't losing until I started rowing over 30 min per day. Ya gotta put in the time if ya did the crime.

Gina

[Kristine Strasburger]

Gina,

You are right about the return being slower than the drive. That is how you exert the right pull to get the time/500m where you want it, yet still keep the SPM rate low enough. That is interesting about the braking effect. I did not know that is what was going on.

I have been exercising with a heartrate monitor belt for years, and have found that I can sustain long periods with a HR in the 170's when I have worked up to it, and am in shape for it (not like on the first week or so back after a break from training, of course.)

Since you have real rowing experience, and I do not, I will experiment some more with lowering the SPM to where you are talking about. It might work even better for me.

As for the weight loss, I have found the same thing to be true in running; I don't start to see any weight loss until the weekly long run gets up over 15 miles (2 1/2 hrs running for me). Rowing weight loss doesn't seem to kick in for me unless I am rowing an hour a day or more.

[Calamity]

I have started to reduce my damper number with the theory that it will help me to train my body to get back faster. in other words, the muscles have to learn how to move through the pull faster. When I do a timed piece, I up the damper a little. I am a bigger woman so use the power of my weight to pull a heavier damper, but to lose weight I up the stroke rate and lower the damper. Its paying off. Today I did 10,000 meters in 42:00 minutes, a 2:06 average. Stroke rate between 24 and 26 on average, damper 7. I usually do at least one timed piece of some sort a week.
Jane

[just27]

... I am trying to lose weight as well. I went from a size 20 last sept. to a size 14 today ... that is getting very close to my goal (which is size 10).

Lisa - You are officially my hero! That's a seriously impressive size drop. Good for you. I hate you. (I hope that setting the damper lower helps you ... a crew-boy told me that the 10 setting would feel similar to rowing in mud. Sounded messy.)
Chris

[DuluthMoose]

Interesting reading about everyone's workouts and what works for them on damper setting, stroke rate, and heart rate. Thanks to all who have posted. So I guess it's my turn.

First you need to know that I'm the size and strength of a small gorilla, so what works for me may not be OK for you. Your milage may vary. I row to stay in shape for wilderness canoeing and portaging. My usual load on a portage is a 50lb pack plus a 50lb canoe. I try to match my Concept 2 workouts with challenging canoe paddling conditions, meaning paddling into 20 mph wind and waves. So my damper is set to 9 and stays there on all workouts. That gives me a very realistic feel of the pull necessary to paddle and control a canoe into a fairly heavy headwind. 27 to 28 strokes per minute pretty much matches my canoeing stroke rate. On an hour or more workout at moderate intensity on the Concept 2, I pace myself to hit 10K just ahead of 42 minutes, and then hit 14K at an hour; 16K at 68 min; or 18K at 77 min. I always use a heart rate monitor and it really is my workout guide. For a light workout I keep HR at or below 138. For a moderate, but sustainable workout I keep HR between 138 and 146. For a heavy workout I really focus on keeping the HR between 148 and 152, but I am not at the sucking air stage. I red line myself at 160. An hour is as much as I can do on a heavy workout. A 16K workout is about 1000 calories for me and that just tips my scale toward losing weight. My real weight loss occurs during wilderness trips. A typical day's travel is 6 hours paddling, 4 to 8 portages (about 2.5 miles total) for 15 or more miles of travel at the expense of about 4000 calories. Then you get up and do it again for the next week or more. Darryl B

[Kona2]

Way to row Luna-Tics! Good training sessions all week with much good information shared!

Season to date = 36,902,317 m (12th place overall)
Total meters on the day = 203,760 m
36% of the oars in the virtual waters

Milestones: None reported

Million Meter Watch:

Mike C with (29,453 m) to go!
Jan S with (30,000 m) to go!
Tom P with (92,203 m) to go!

March Madness Challenge Board:

5K = 7
10K = 10



And the Pot of Gold goes to:

Gabriela 40,728 m (hopefully not all in one day!)
Darryl 16,424 m
Barb G 16,372 m

Tony P 7,528 m
Tim 10,827 m
Mary 7,235 m
Dan 10,134 m
Chris 7,099 m
Steven L 7,053 m
Lisa 5,015 m
Peter 12,522 m
Noelle 10,111 m
Jan 10,000 m
Kristine 12,000 m
Jane 13,000 m
Kym 5,796 m
Rowin 5,000 m (real name, real spelling? or modified for rowing?)
Rae 1,000 m
Joseph 2,606 m
Mike 3,414 m

Moon beams increasingly luminous......first quarter moon today....next full moon is 21st!

Be strong, row strong, live strong!

[PJM]

I enjoy reading how all of you work out and I am interested in the varying ways that "we" make the erg work for us.Just shows the vast difference in us as individuals.I am in awe of people who develop workout routines and fine tune their bodies like a well run machine.I have been in the fitness industry for a very long time and it is my passion of sorts.I am a true believer in taking care of the body we have been given and as we age..we need to be so much more proactive in our health.If we look after ourselves we can age more gracefully and injury free.We can continue to stand erect..no dowager humps for us females and no broken bones and possibly drug free.If we can live long and are able to do our activities of daily living for as long as we can..that should be our goal.
I may be "odd man" out here..or woman as I am.. but my workout is a bit different.I have been rowing since about 1996.or before.I have never been able to row slow.Can't do it.My spm are always in the 30's.I am a lightweight rower and work with my heart rate primarily.I always want to get up in my target zone..not to exceed my maximum unless I can maintain that rate for the longest period of time I can.Then when I am done..I sit for 1 minute and track my recovery time.That tells me just how my heart is working.It is a muscle just like my biceps etc.If my heart rate can recover to its resting rate in that minute that I sit..I am happy.The quicker I recover ..the more fit I am.This is just my experience and I have done fitness testing on many people and the heart rate plays a key roll.I am never out of breath.I breathe normally and as I would when I do heavy lifting.I also do a circuit type training effort..I row and then do free weights in between my rowing.That keeps my heart rate up and offers cardio and strength training..a true valid method of circuit training.I keep my damper setting low..1 to 3.It allows me to really go and keep my heart rate where I want it.
Being a lightweight is challenging..my times are not of the best essence but in the overall scheme of how I workout..I benefit in a cardio sense by intervals, circuits etc.
I read these posts and feel sort of eccentric in my methods but I keep my weight down and body fat low and vital signs in a low base..blood work is in the awesome level too.At a 50 plus age..so far so good!!

Pat
TimbukTOO

[just27]

I enjoy reading how all of you work out and I am interested in the varying ways that "we" make the erg work for us.
Pat/TimbukTOO

I can see that I have some homework to do ... so far, I've been "just rowing" ... effort-level depending on the way I feel! I'm thinking I'll order the heart monitor attachment ... sounds like the pivotal point of the exercise. My resting heart rate is 60 beats per minute ... but after that it's all new territory ... cool, a research project.
Chris/27

[PJM]

I enjoy reading how all of you work out and I am interested in the varying ways that "we" make the erg work for us.
Pat/TimbukTOO

I can see that I have some homework to do ... so far, I've been "just rowing" ... effort-level depending on the way I feel! I'm thinking I'll order the heart monitor attachment ... sounds like the pivotal point of the exercise. My resting heart rate is 60 beats per minute ... but after that it's all new territory ... cool, a research project.
Chris/27

You may want to just "noodle this".For your heart rate homework..take 220 minus your age and that is your maximum heart rate.You don't ever want to exceed this..this may cause you to feel ill or tax your heart a bit and not allow you to sustain a given exercise mode for the time you want.Take 60% of that number and about 85% of that number.These two numbers will give you a guide line of a zone to work with.You already know your resting heart rate and 60 is good.You want your heart to be able at rest to beat slower and stronger to get the blood circulated more efficiently.Rowing has been good to your heart it seems.
I have the Concept2 heart rate monitor and it is great.I also have a Polar Heart rate watch that works with the belt.Just getting to know your heart and working "with" it..is half the battle.Again..this is just my personal opinion and you need to find what works for you.I also have found that I am extremely carb sensitive so cut out all white stuff.Sugar for me is a poison.Having a good BMI is indictative of overall health and the lower the waist circumference the better.Good carbs lead to a good BMI for me.

Pat

[c2dena]

I'm no ergonomic expert, but I see some faults in the grip of the Concept 2 that could contribute to numbness and various pains. Jan has indicated some numbness after rowing about 20 minutes. I sometimes experience that also, but always in my stronger hand, and after another 15 minutes or so any numbness goes away. (I'm a person who is in their right mind so that means my left hand.) Anyway I have found in the first 30 minutes or so of my workouts, my power hand pulls harder than my weak side hand, actually causing the grip to come up to my chest off center and causing an awkward outward lateral bend in that power wrist. This can easily been seen by using the chain for sighting. After about 30 minutes I seem to pull equally hard with both arms and this effect balances out. To counter my early workout problem, I choke up on the power side of the grip, so the weak hand is farther out on the handle and has a leverage advantage. This straightens out my pull and minimizes any numbness. I also think the slight downward angle of the grip handles. causes unnecessary wrist strain when the grip is brought inward toward the chest. A more natural wrist position to me would be sharply downward handles on the grip so the wrists are almost locked vertically during the entire stroke. The large round handles on the grip are another source of question to me. A power shaft on a canoe paddle is always
1 1/8" X 1 1/4" oval for best fit to hand and power. I can't help but wonder if oval handles on the Concept 2 grip wouldn't be better.

Regarding the design of the handle:
The diameter and the slight downward bend of the handle is a change from the straight wood handle you will find on older ergs. This is intended to more closely mimic hand position while sculling in a racing shell. During the drive, with the blades in the water, the shaft is at approximately 10 degrees from horizontal. We have found that this angle also relieves elbow pain that some people had developed using a straight handle. Oar handles are also round in cross section. Although various diameter hand grips are available for oars, we have selected an average size for the erg.

from: PeterD at C2

[Kona2]

Dena - Thanks for routing the design question to your Concept2 team!