Concept2 Forum

Just started rowing again for the first time in almost 2 years. Been building up slowly, timed pieces, 1k's, and finally started doing hardcore 2k's. Last two times have been somewhat respectable, hovering around 7:16. I'm a lightweight weighing in at about 160lbs so I've got 5 to play with before I break the college limit.

My question is that when I start doing the 2k's for time, the first 1k is awesome, usually jump off at a 1:45 500m, then slow down to between a 1:48 and 1:50. Then the 2nd 1k starts and about half way through the first 500m, my forearms start burning and I can't do anything and my time starts going up to 1:55-2:00. I hit the last 500 and I can struggle to get it down to 1:50, but that's it.

Is there something wrong with my form that is preventing me from getting the full use of my legs (I could hop off the erg and run a couple miles) or is it that I'm using too much of my arms and back?

Well if your forearms hurt over your legs then yes...it would seem that you probably are not using your legs as much as you should be. I know when I started out rowing I had the problem of opening up quicker than I should have, thus creating a problem with my shoulders and lower back. If you had a video of your stroke that might help us out a little bit more in giving you some tips!

I row at Stetson University in DeLand FL...maybe we will race each other in a ltwt 4 at SIRA (if VT attends) or possibly at Dad Vails (once again if we meet there lol)

Dunno if I can get the vid, but I'll try and get someone to take a look at my stroke and see if they can spot anything.

As for the whole rowing thing, I'm looking to join next semester so who knows. Just gotta pull the whole lightweight thing again but I've retained certain skills (losing weight certain ways on command). No pain, no gain

Why should your forearms hurt at all? You should just hold the handle with the the fingers curled over the handle. The palm should not touch the handle at all. You don't want to grip the handle like you would a baseball bat. Wrists flat so that the top of your hand and top of the forarm are in a straight line. Don't feather and keep the hands at the same level on the drive and the recovery.

Definately get someone to look at you. You likely have other problems too. Good news is you should show a lot of improvement with some technique modification.

Also are you just doing timed 1K and 2K pieces, or are you doing some longer endurance pieces?

corpsrower wrote:Dunno if I can get the vid, ............

Here is an excellent frame by frame video.

http://www.invernessrowingclub.co.uk/pe ... o_erg.html

I'm doing both long and short pieces. 10-20min pieces in addition to shorter pieces depending on the day and whatever other pt i'm doing.

As for the wrist thing, i'll check it out next time I row, that sounds like it might be the thing. I'm thinking that if I was using my arms too much my biceps and tri's would hurt not my forearms.

corpsrower wrote:I'm doing both long and short pieces. 10-20min pieces in addition to shorter pieces depending on the day and whatever other pt i'm doing.

10-20 minutes is not very long. You should be doing some pieces of at least 40 minutes. I'd even recommend working up to 90 minutes once a week. These should not be done at max pace. If you are only doing intense efforts then you will level off very soon. Check out the Wolverine Plan, the Pete Plan and the interactive plan (the latter on the C2 UK web site) to get a better idea of what to do.

Thanks for the help, will let you know how it works out.

I was looking at the Pete Plan and had some questions:
Monday - Speed intervals; 3 weekly rotation between:
8 x 500m, 3:30 rest
4 x 1k, 5min rest
250/500/750/1k/750/500/250 pyramid (1:30 rest per 250m after interval)

Tuesday - Steady distance (8 to 15k)

Wednesday - Steady distance (8 to 15k)

Thursday - Distance intervals; 3 weekly rotation between:
5 x 1500m, 5min rest
4 x 2k, 5min rest
3k/2.5k/2k, 5min rest

Friday - Steady distance (8 to 15k)

Saturday - Hard 10k

Sunday - Rest

Are the rests in the intervals between every set, i.e. for the thursday 5x1500 is that 5 mins between every 1500 or 5 minutes rest all together? Same thing goes w/ the 8x500s, is that 3:30 between every 500 or 30 seconds between every 500? And what should my pace be on the steady distance pieces if i'm rowing a 1:49 2k split.

The rests are between every interval. i.e. 3:30 between every 500.

Steady pieces I'm not too sure about. If your balanced between endurance and strength you should be 10 seconds slower for 8K then 2K, and almost 15 seconds for 15K. I assume 1:49 is an all out test, so you want to back off considerably from that. So maybe 2:06 to 2:10. If you've got very good endurance then maybe faster, relatively poor endurace then slower.