I don't understand any of this lingo and need help

[gracewriter2]

I just got my concept2 two days ago. I've been reading through the forums and have no idea what most of this stuff means.

I finally happened on an article that said something about watts that I sorta understood didn't mean the kind that lights a bulb.

I figured 50 watts was probably good. Tried it and nearly fell off the machine after two minutes.

So today I tried slowing down and kept the watts around averaging 30. I was able to do two 30 minute sessions.

I'm trying to lose a ton of weight and this was the only thing that made sense to me. Keep the watts up and stay on the machine for as long as possible.

So I guess my goal could be increasing watts slowly and increase the time to one hour straight?

I don't understand splits. Can someone explain that to me? And what's up with 2 x 4' Why do you guys keep talking in feet and inches?

Thanks!

[Bob S.]

And what's up with 2 x 4' Why do you guys keep talking in feet and inches?

Thanks!

' and " are also used for minutes and seconds, so 2 x 4' means rowing for 4 minutes, taking a break and then rowing for another 4 minutes.

Watts are a rate of energy expenditure, whether it is the energy used to make a light bulb glow or the energy used to spin the wheel of an indoor rower.

[gracewriter2]

Thank you!!!

so " means seconds?

...and what is a split?

[Bob S.]

Thank you!!!

so " means seconds?

...and what is a split?

It is some set fraction of either the time or distance of a row. For example, the most common race, the 2 kilometer, is usually divided up into four 500 meter splits. This is why the monitor reports a pace which is the time that it would take to do 500 meters at whatever effort is used to maintain that pace. The pace is given as minutes:seconds.tenths of seconds. If a 2 kilometer row is done in 10 minutes, it would be at an average pace of 2:30.0/500 meters.

It is possible to set the monitor to record the result of each split. For example, if you are doing a 10 minute row (usually called "a piece") you can set the monitor for various fractions of 10 minutes and the monitor will keep a record of the distance, average pace, average watts, and average Calories/hour for each fraction (or split), as well as the same values for the overall piece. Likewise, if you set it for a 5,000 meter row, you can set it for various fractions of the 5,000 meters. In this case it will provide the time for each split plus the averages of the other three values. If you use a heart rate sensor, it will give you the heart rate at the end of the piece and at the end of each split

There are some limitations in using the split feature. There is a limit of 30 splits per piece and they cannot be variable. If you use a fraction that does not come out evenly, the last split will just be the remainder. For example, a marathon is 42,195 meters. There is not way to divide that up evenly. To get the most useful set of split data, one can set it up for 2,000 meter splits. The monitor will proved the data for 21 of these plus the data for a split which consists of just that last 195 meters.

You can also set up the monitor for intervals, which is a whole different game in which you can vary the interval times or distances and program the times for the rests between the intervals. I won't go into that here, since this message probably has too damn much stuff in it already.

Bob S.

[gracewriter2]

Thanks Bob. I have a lot to learn. I will study your post intently; hopefully it'll all make sense before too long.
Appreciate the help.

Best,

Jude

[Citroen]

http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=38

Should unscramble most of the lingo.

[Bob S.]

http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=38

Should unscramble most of the lingo.

Thanks, Dougie. I was confident that you would come through with that. I had wanted to include it, but forgot what I had called it ("The Decoder") and didn't remember where I had stored it (an MS Word file entitled ergURLs.doc in a folder labelled erg items).

We could probably do well to have a glossary of a lot of the other argot that is used on these forums. I have the vague feeling that I have seen something like that, but, like the old song, I don't remember where or when.

Then, of course, there's a few sly buggers that introduce new obscure terms without explaining them (like "do a Barney" for Google or "HW" for cool down).

Bob S.

[gracewriter2]

Thanks very helpful!

[carlb]

I figured 50 watts was probably good. Tried it and nearly fell off the machine after two minutes.
So today I tried slowing down and kept the watts around averaging 30. I was able to do two 30 minute sessions.
I don't understand splits. Can someone explain that to me?

I would hit the Change Units button until the display shows Pace/500, that is what most people work with and it is the easest thing to work with. So your 30 watts would be a 3:45/500 pace. That is also called a 500 meter split time. Don't get discouraged, the elite people here can row at 1:45/500.

I'm trying to lose a ton of weight and this was the only thing that made sense to me. Keep the watts up and stay on the machine for as long as possible.
So I guess my goal could be increasing watts slowly and increase the time to one hour straight?

Motivation is a tricky thing. The hardest thing is to make the time, and time = results. You are looking very good at putting the time in, actually fantastic! I would say doing 20 to 40 minutes, 5 to 6 days per week, will make you excellent progress. If you feel comfortable doing 60 minutes that's great. If it starts feeling like too much, reduce it or split it into intervals of 2 x 30' or 3 x 20 minutes.

Take your time, put in the time, and you will easily build the strength and Cardio to row faster. You won't even have to try, you'll just find yourself rowing faster and faster. For men a goal would be to row body weight in pounds in watts. You will not get there for months, maybe once you have 250,000 to 500,000m.

You want to focus now on putting in the time and trying for good technique. The UK site has some very good info http://concept2.co.uk/training/guide. It also has an Interactive weight loss program. Both sites have Technique video and stills. Technique is more important then speed.

Sigh up for an Online Logbook on the C2 site. You can install the C2 Utility software on a PC, plug a USB cable into the PM and upload all your rows to your log. It is motivating to see your meters add up.

Under the Motivation menu you might try the challenges. Next one is the Summer Solstice Challenge which is to row 21,000m on June 21. With 6 weeks of rowing you should improve your pace to 3:00/500 (or faster) so that 21k will take you 2 hours. Don't try to row 120 mins, break it into 3 x 40 min.

[gracewriter2]

Thank you carlb!!!

This makes so much sense!

I am so addicted to this machine right now it's blowing me away. I was worried about carbs and protien and buring calories because I don't understand it.

today I tried my fruit smoothie and rowed with no problems felt great when I finished, then I tried a protein shake went 40 minutes and it felt way too much.

It seems like carbs are better for energy and rowing?

[gracewriter2]

Can you all see my online log book?

[gracewriter2]

I think I got it:

3:45/500 pace

It would take me 3 minutes 45 second to row 500 meters and that's called the pace?

[gregsmith01748]

exactly!

[Bob S.]

Can you all see my online log book?

No. Only the folks at C2 have access to it. It is possible to rank certain pieces: 500m, 1k, 2k, 5k, 6k, 10k, 21,097m (half marathon or "HM"), 42,195m (full marathon or "FM"), 4', 30', and 60'. Whether or not you choose to have one of these events listed in the rankings is your choice. The ranking list are available to public view:

http://www.concept2.com/sranking03/rankings.asp

Bob S.

[carlb]

I was worried about carbs and protien and buring calories because I don't understand it. today I tried my fruit smoothie and rowed with no problems felt great when I finished, then I tried a protein shake went 40 minutes and it felt way too much.
It seems like carbs are better for energy and rowing?

I would say yes, you burn burn carbs for 20 to 30 minutes, then burning fat as a portion of calories kicks in. Protien is used to build and repair tissues, not to fuel a workout. It's something for post workout, but I would simply have 8 oz milk, or yogurt, which have protien and sugars, not some commercial protien product.

I personally shoot for calories with high nutrition and low processing, lean meats and good fats. So that means veggies, fruits, grains, chicken and seafood. A smoothie I like is just a banana, 10 frozen strawberries, 0% fat yogurt and milk. To sweeten it some I typically use a vanillia yogurt, or add some honey or agave.

In the Training guide section 8 is on Nutrition http://concept2.co.uk/training/guide