To me, rowing every day became not just a source of exercise but an obsession. At one time, I rowed every day for well over three years for between a half hour and an hour a session. No matter how I felt, I continued and didn't miss a day. For some strange reason, this streak became unusually important to me. I was so obsessed with it continuing that I didn't want it to ever stop. It got to a point that even if a workout wasn't that good, it was still okay because I completed it. I began confusing quantity with quality. Then it occurred to me that I really should take an occasional day off to get some much needed rest. It became a matter of extending the streak even longer or doing something that I thought would benefit my health. One day, I chose not to row and that day was hell because I knew the streak was finally over. The next day, I had a very good workout because that day off helped me more than I could ever imagine. Since then, I row for six days a week and take one day completely off from any exercise at all. Taking a day off was an excellent decision and I never regretted making it. As far as I'm concerned, it's perfectly okay to take a break from exercise once a week. But when I do work out, I try to make it count.
A couple of years ago, a book called "Row Daily, Breathe Deeply, Live Better" was mentioned in this discussion group. The main idea was that in order to gain the most out of rowing, you had to do it every single day and that taking a day off could somehow prove to be at least somewhat harmful. I finally read the book and while its aim is admirable, the advice given often seems ridiculous. I learned that this book was published by iUniverse which is a vanity press where the author pays to have his or her book published. I can see why no regular publisher would want anything to do with it.
Here are a few quotes to show what I mean:
“The book is not intended to motivate you”. It was the most motivational book I ever read. That motivation was totally misplaced but it was still present throughout the book.
“Find or buy a rowing machine today and start rowing now”. An overly simplistic statement. It assumes you can get on a rower having absolutely no experience or prior instruction and start using it successfully right away. No mention of learning how to use it first.
“Planning to exercise six days a week will lead to five or four or three". Not if you're disciplined enough to keep at six days per week. And if you're not, working out for three or four days a week is a lot better than not working out at all.
“You should not expect to come back after a day off performing at the same level you achieved before”. That's true. After a day off, your performance should be even better.
“Your starting point should be that taking a day off is the primary error to avoid”. That's the best "error" I ever made.
"The essential point is to row every day. There is no required level of skill or effort”. Wrong. As I stated previously, you have to learn how to use an erg properly first. If you don't, you'll either get injured or get so frustrated that you'll give up. And even if you do know how to use it, if you don't exert much effort, you will acccomplish very little.
“See how a high number of consecutive days you can reach each month and compare that over time”. That makes no sense at all.
Here is the author's view about buying a used rower:
"If you wish to buy a used, older machine, you can fix it yourself”. Not unless you're a Carl Watts clone. It's the same as saying anyone who buys a used car should be a mechanic.
Finally, here are some of his definitions. These are the author's exact words:
“Rower--Someone who rows”. I believe we learned descriptions like that in the first grade.
“Handle--The portion of an oar or rowing machine where the rower places his or her hands”. No comment.
“Seat”—The small padded platform on wheels on which you sit”. I agree that on a rower, you sit on the seat. What I do not agree with is the "padded" part. Some seats are not well padded or even padded at all. Unfortunately, they include seats on the C2.
I've wanted to state my opinions about this book for a long time and I finally have the chance to do so. If you want a highly motivational book about rowing that doesn't make much sense, this is the one to get. Sixteen bucks from Amazon where it got a surprising rating of 4.1 stars. Maybe I'm missing something. Or maybe the reviewers were friends and relatives of the author.
