Question concerning Drag Factor..

[AJx]

Hi,

I've been training on the erg since about Christmas 2010.
When I looked at the training plans to get an idea of what/ how I should be training (such as 'the Pete plan' and 'the Wolverine plan') it recommended having the drag factor in the range 110 - 120, especially for the longer pieces (such as 12k/60'), however I was just reading the Concept 2 recommendations and it states I should have a drag factor of 130 - 140, so I am a little lost..

Could I have some advice/ help on what drag factor to use please?

[Bob S.]

Hi,

When I looked at the training plans to get an idea of what/ how I should be training (such as 'the Pete plan' and 'the Wolverine plan') it recommended having the drag factor in the range 110 - 120, especially for the longer pieces (such as 12k/60'), however I was just reading the Concept 2 recommendations and it states I should have a drag factor of 130 - 140, so I am a little lost..

Where did you read this?

What I find on the C2 site is this:

High vs. Low: What Drag Factor Works Best?

It is important to note that, unlike weight lifting, the goal is not to use a higher drag factor as a means of achieving fitness on the indoor rower. It is much better to work with lower drag factor settings (110–140) while improving your speed, form and muscle coordination. Many of the world's top heavyweight competitors use settings in this range.
Much like selecting a gear on a bicycle, drag factor is a personal choice. You should experiment with different damper settings (and resulting drag factors) in order to find the setting that works best for you.

Bob S.

[AJx]

@ Bob S, I found it in the Appendix of the Concept2 Training Guide
http://concept2.co.uk/training/guide/damper_lever

[mikvan52]

Hi,

(snip)
Could I have some advice/ help on what drag factor to use please?

Drag factor choice depends on so many variables that there cannot a blanket recommendation.

Some key issues
* athlete's weight
* athlete's goals
* athlete's age
* athlete's gender
(etc)

[Bob S.]

@ Bob S, I found it in the Appendix of the Concept2 Training Guide
http://concept2.co.uk/training/guide/damper_lever

O.K. Thanks for the reference. That clears things up. I was puzzled that there could be 2 different recommendations from C2. The difference seems to be due to 2 factors. The reference that I used is the U.S. C2 site and it was a general recommendation covering a wide range of erg users and the one that you provided is from the U.K. site and gives specific values (or ranges) for a number of different categories of users.

Bob S.

[AJx]

Ah, ok. Thank you both for your responses, i'll try a couple of sessions with the DF at a higher setting, see how it goes.