7 things I've learned after a year of indoor rowing

[jimmyshand]

I thought I'd post something on my experience of indoor rowing, after a year of logging times. I'm doing this mainly as a kind of reflection on how it's gone but also because I thought other new rowers might find it useful now and in the future.

1. The experienced people on here really know what they're talking about. When I saw previous posts saying low at rate 18-22 my initial thoughts were 'I can't row that slowly' and 'these guys must be wrong'. Now I know better and do most of my rowing at this rating. This board has been really helpful.

2. Not to go for a 2k PB every time I row. This was me for the first few weeks. It kind of killed me. I did a 2k test in July and then not another really serious one until February - where I managed to go sub-7 (context: I'm male, 40, quite tall and heavy). It definitely wasn't easy for me!

3. Take some time to find the right drag factor. I was like everyone else at the gym in the past. Whack the damper up to 10 and go mental. Now I've settled on a drag factor of about 115, which is usually around damper setting of 4 on the erg I use. I've read a lot about it and even took stats at all 10 positions for each of the 4 ergs in the gym I started at but still don't 100% understand it. But I do know that a damper setting of 10 is bad for me in most cases. The DF I use varies slightly by distance (e.g lower for a 1k than a 5k) but I never put the damper at 10.

4. The importance of technique. I thought my form was perfect, filmed it and then marvelled at how bad it was. But I kept trying, posted a vid and got to the stage where my technique is reasonably good. I have no back problems now, but did at the start. My force curve on the PM looks as it is supposed to http://www.concept2.co.uk/indoor-rowers ... orce-curve but really I'm always trying to perfect it and think I can still improve a good bit.

5. Rowing long distances seemed impossible at first. The thought of rowing 5k was at first quite daunting, just because it seemed boring. Now I do 10k all the time and often an hour with only a bit of music to keep me company. Like lots of comments on here say, longer rows are great for building up fitness and I'm glad I have got used to this.

6. The erg cannot be beaten and doesn't lie. I like how solid and tough the Concept2 is and the fact that it just tells the truth - i.e. the monitor will tell me how I'm doing and whether a PB is on the cards, whether I'm way off the pace or just keep giving me numbers. I like this.

7. Pushing myself has never been more enjoyable, or painful. I have played sport at a fairly elite level in the past, and done some pretty tough training but for me the rowing machine is the ultimate test. One minute I'm thinking 'kill me know, I can't take this any more' and then a while after I finish I'm like 'can't wait until the next time'. It must be a kind of addiction. The erg has been a good way to build up my mental toughness.

I'm still a novice really but have managed about 1.4 million metres in the past year and now have my own erg in my shed, so I hope to keep getting better and improve my PBs. I think I'm going to go for 30 minutes next and try to get past the 8,000m barrier.

I remain in awe of the experts on here, so thanks for all the advice.

[RWAGR]

Jimmy- great articulate post and agree with your points. Good luck break 8k- that's my current goal too.

[gooseflight]

Excellent. Thanks for posting. 8K+ for 30 mins is a nice one to shoot for.

[Dangerscouse]

Great post Jimmy.

The erg is defo addictive and after many years of rowing it still amazes me how something that looks so simple can be refined in so many ways.

8k+ in 30mins is a mixture of fitness and self-belief. You will have doubts about 20mins in but if you fight through them you will get a second wind. I have had it many times on different sessions and it just needs the resolve to ignore the pain and silence the inner voice telling you to stop.

[jimmyshand]

Thanks for positive comments. Once I'm properly recovered from the flu that has knocked me back a bit I'm going to build back up and go for 8k in 30 mins. I find when I've been ill it takes a lot more discipline not to row, but that's possibly because I'm an idiot.

And RWAGR it seems I'm not a million miles behind you so I'll use your times as motivation.

[estragon]

I thought I'd post something on my experience of indoor rowing, after a year of logging times. I'm doing this mainly as a kind of reflection on how it's gone but also because I thought other new rowers might find it useful now and in the future.........

Great post. I love that you've made the effort to publicly thank people. There is indeed a ton of good advice available here. It would be nice if the forum had a "Like" button -- which I'd happily use to acknowledge particularly good contributions. Yours included

[Psychopasta]

I agree with everything JimmyShand says, and especially with point 1. The trainer at my gym told me to put the damper on 10 and row my heart out. The advice here is somewhat better and free. Thanks peeps!

[David Pomerantz]

Great post Jimmy,
Can you elaborate on point #2: not killing yourself every time. I’ve read people who distinguish between training and racing. But I have a hard time coming to grips with the idea that I shouldn’t beat my brains out on every row. I don’t do that, but always wonder if I should. Thanks,

Dave

[Dangerscouse]

Great post Jimmy,
Can you elaborate on point #2: not killing yourself every time. I’ve read people who distinguish between training and racing. But I have a hard time coming to grips with the idea that I shouldn’t beat my brains out on every row. I don’t do that, but always wonder if I should. Thanks,

Dave

Definitely don't try and PB every time as you'll burn out if you try too hard every session. You need to rest and repair so the slow and steady sessions are just as important.

The best thing is to listen to your body and what it's telling you. I can usually differentiate between laziness and the need to rest but this does take time to learn. Some of my best sessions have been on days when I didn't want to go but I knew I could.

TTs should be chosen with care as a failure can be physically and mentally.draining. There is always something to gain from virtually any training session so try and cycle the intensity and have rest days if you need them.

[jamesg]

should (not) beat my brains out on every row

We all beat our brains out, or like to think so. Since it doesn't actually happen, there must be automatic protection kicking in somehow, though in my case laziness has its uses.

In reality getting fit, learning how and so on are growth functions. They happen if we stress ourselves, but no faster than our nails or hair can grow. Also, we might want to do something else today or tomorrow, and certainly avoid injury.

Surely that's enough excuses?

[RWAGR]

@Jimmy- my ranking ID is 1093873 if you want to add me as a training partner. I enjoy seeing my training partners' rows and it's interesting to see everyone's different training regimens.

[jimmyshand]

Great post Jimmy,
Can you elaborate on point #2: not killing yourself every time. I’ve read people who distinguish between training and racing. But I have a hard time coming to grips with the idea that I shouldn’t beat my brains out on every row. I don’t do that, but always wonder if I should. Thanks,

Dave

Yes Dave, what I mean is that in some early sessions I'd be pushing myself so hard I'd be seeing stars and then almost black out, just to get a pointless PB. Or would end up going at it so hard without enough recovery that I couldn't function in normal life quite as well as I'd like (being a dad, at work, etc.).

When I train now, I still tend towards harder sessions (i.e. too slow and I don't enjoy it) but within reason. I try to be disciplined enough so that I can recover properly before really going for it. That's why I've tried to read up more on mix of UT1 and UT2 but I'm still getting my head round it all.

All I really meant was that I do most training at about 18-22spm and can talk during it if necessary and am nowhere near max heart rate.

[jimmyshand]

@Jimmy- my ranking ID is 1093873 if you want to add me as a training partner. I enjoy seeing my training partners' rows and it's interesting to see everyone's different training regimens.

Thanks a lot, will try to do this. Unfortunately I'm going to have to take a few more days off because I'm still knocked out after flu but then I remember that I'm not actually an Olympic rower so in the scheme of things it doesn't matter.

[mitchel674]

@Jimmy - this post is pure gold and should be required reading for any newbie coming to this forum for advice and guidance. Thank you for taking the time to gather your thoughts and post them in such an organized and coherent manner.

I wish I had read such a post when I started rowing in earnest 6 months ago. Numbers 4 and 1 are probably my favorites. I can't imagine how many people think to take up rowing yet have no idea about how important proper technique can be to this workout. I'm sure many quit after just a few attempts with sore backs or the inability to row more than a few minutes with their arms doing all the work.

As to #1, the folks here have been supportive and certainly are knowledgeable. I would also add caution to newbies to not compare themselves with the seasoned veterans on this board. This can be quite demotivating if the new rower doesn't quite understand what it takes to become accomplished at rowing.

[jimmyshand]

Thanks Mitch, I know what you mean. I'd been going to gyms for 20 years or more before I actually figured out what the rowing machine did and how to work it. Then I began to worry that it would suddenly become really popular somehow and I'd have to wait to use the rowing machines in my gym (there are 4, hardly used).

And now I have my own after much thinking about it (used, but good condition and £500, Model D, PM5). Ideally I'd give up my job and spend all day rowing, but I don't think that would work out financially!