Concept2 Forum

I have no clue, but whatever he's doing it sure is working. Wow.

Random observation: the HR numbers (@36:59 appear to be crazy low for some of the splits, and other than the first split have to be wrong - maybe an intermittent contact)

Ombrax wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 10:05 pm

I have no clue, but whatever he's doing it sure is working. Wow.

Random observation: the HR numbers (@36:59 appear to be crazy low for some of the splits, and other than the first split have to be wrong - maybe an intermittent contact)

As a new rower(but former world class athlete in another sport) he makes me rethink EVERYTHING I've learned so far about rowing. Specifically, it leads me to believe that the supposedly only 20% use of upper body strength is very wrong.
Why does the WR holder of the marathon have upper body strength like the top competitors in the"world's strongman competition"?

milansanremo wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 10:18 pm

he makes me rethink EVERYTHING I've learned so far about rowing. Specifically, it leads me to believe that the supposedly only 20% use of upper body strength is very wrong.

Perhaps the difference is due to what works best for the typical "average rower" (conventional wisdom approach) compared to what works for the one-in-a-million athlete who's won the genetic lottery (e.g. the guy in the video and the handful of others like him).

Caveat: I know next to nothing about super-high level erging. (but enough to suspect that what works best for OTW rowing might not be what works best for the erg)

Ombrax wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 10:54 pm

milansanremo wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 10:18 pm

he makes me rethink EVERYTHING I've learned so far about rowing. Specifically, it leads me to believe that the supposedly only 20% use of upper body strength is very wrong.

Perhaps the difference is due to what works best for the typical "average rower" (conventional wisdom approach) compared to what works for the one-in-a-million athlete who's won the genetic lottery (e.g. the guy in the video and the handful of others like him).

Caveat: I know next to nothing about super-high level erging. (but enough to suspect that what works best for OTW rowing might not be what works best for the erg)

Well, Eric Murray has my current understanding of the textbook rowing infrastructure. The Finn has the powerlifter infrastructure.
It seems that at his best (indoor on the C2) the Kiwi could "smoke" the Finn... taking about 1 minute out of him for 10K. It remains perplexing for me to grasp.

When it comes to this level of performance, regardless of the sport, the approach is entirely irrelevant to us. We live in an age now where the 0.01% of athletes in their sport are in their own league right across the board. We have a Dutch 400m runner with a strong marathon, Pogacar winning time trials in the Tour (what's a TT specialist these days?).

Ombrax wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 10:54 pm

Caveat: I know next to nothing about super-high level erging. (but enough to suspect that what works best for OTW rowing might not be what works best for the erg)

Also this, if they're over 6 foot I've yet to meet a "light build" OTW rower. Out of interest, how many lightweights can pull sub 6? Or near it?

I was of the theory that the fast 2k erg'ers, getting in to say sub 6:10, relied on brute strength and ignorance. In time (courtesy of this forum as a resource too) I've recognised this is far from the case. I'll hopefully use myself as a case study of one, but I'm Erg'ing longer steady distances now (or was until the weather decided it's not going to cool down) than twelve months ago and with a few weeks 2k prep I should be on course for sub 6:20 (not fast on the grand scale of things but respectable enough). I'm spending less time in the gym and I'm 3/4kg lighter.

Dude is a mechanical bull. What a beast!

milansanremo wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 11:55 pm

Ombrax wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 10:54 pm

milansanremo wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 10:18 pm

he makes me rethink EVERYTHING I've learned so far about rowing. Specifically, it leads me to believe that the supposedly only 20% use of upper body strength is very wrong.

Perhaps the difference is due to what works best for the typical "average rower" (conventional wisdom approach) compared to what works for the one-in-a-million athlete who's won the genetic lottery (e.g. the guy in the video and the handful of others like him).

Caveat: I know next to nothing about super-high level erging. (but enough to suspect that what works best for OTW rowing might not be what works best for the erg)

Well, Eric Murray has my current understanding of the textbook rowing infrastructure. The Finn has the powerlifter infrastructure.
It seems that at his best (indoor on the C2) the Kiwi could "smoke" the Finn... taking about 1 minute out of him for 10K. It remains perplexing for me to grasp.

The Finn is an elite amateur rower, and Murray is an Olympic legend. So what the Finn does works really well on the erg -- he may be leaning back a bit more than he would in a boat, and it's just force into the handle, no worrying about technique with the blade.

Maybe he is using upper body more, or maybe he just lifts weights as part of his fitness, so he is really jacked, but he's not using that musculature as much as one might think. Hook some strain gauges up on his erg and see

flatbread wrote: ↑

May 27th, 2025, 9:53 am

milansanremo wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 11:55 pm

Ombrax wrote: ↑

May 13th, 2025, 10:54 pm

Perhaps the difference is due to what works best for the typical "average rower" (conventional wisdom approach) compared to what works for the one-in-a-million athlete who's won the genetic lottery (e.g. the guy in the video and the handful of others like him).

Caveat: I know next to nothing about super-high level erging. (but enough to suspect that what works best for OTW rowing might not be what works best for the erg)

Well, Eric Murray has my current understanding of the textbook rowing infrastructure. The Finn has the powerlifter infrastructure.
It seems that at his best (indoor on the C2) the Kiwi could "smoke" the Finn... taking about 1 minute out of him for 10K. It remains perplexing for me to grasp.

The Finn is an elite amateur rower, and Murray is an Olympic legend. So what the Finn does works really well on the erg -- he may be leaning back a bit more than he would in a boat, and it's just force into the handle, no worrying about technique with the blade.

Maybe he is using upper body more, or maybe he just lifts weights as part of his fitness, so he is really jacked, but he's not using that musculature as much as one might think. Hook some strain gauges up on his erg and see

I hope you're right because I've decided to go "full force" on developing a 36-37 rating for a benchmark performance.
No weights...no upper body work... only extreme supplies... like the Belgian Soigneurs pounded into my head.