Not enough resistance in "leg" portion

[sldahlin]

I have been trying out using a Concept2 Model D rower at the local YMCA to see if it would do a better job than my treadmill at 4.5/mph at a 12% incline. I have watched the videos on proper form and have tried to adhere to it but what I have found is that my legs are not getting a proper workout. The resistance in the chain is too little during the leg portion so that my arms in the latter portion are doing more work. The adjustment on the rower is set to 10, anything less is too little. What have others found to be the case?

Thanks

[Carl Watts]

Look at the DRAG FACTOR on the monitor, the damper is for setting this and has no direct relationship with the resistance as the fan housing is probably full of dust and hence the resistance is to low.

10 on the damper is way to high on a clean machine and it only needs to be about a 5 to get a drag of 135 on mine.

It always feels "Light" to start with but with the correct leg speed on the drive and a low rating you will find it more than enough after a 10Km training row.

What you may find is the drag is as low as 90 on the YMCA machine with the damper on 10 because the fan and housing has never been cleaned out.

[Bob S.]

I have been trying out using a Concept2 Model D rower at the local YMCA to see if it would do a better job than my treadmill at 4.5/mph at a 12% incline. I have watched the videos on proper form and have tried to adhere to it but what I have found is that my legs are not getting a proper workout. The resistance in the chain is too little during the leg portion so that my arms in the latter portion are doing more work. The adjustment on the rower is set to 10, anything less is too little. What have others found to be the case?

Thanks

the first thing that you have to do is check the drag factor (DF):

Understanding Drag Factor:

http://www.concept2.com/us/training/adv ... factor.asp

As you can see from that Concept 2 webpage, although the DF is dependent on the adjustment - called the damper setting - it also depends in the temperature, the atmospheric pressure, and the cleanliness of the machine. The indoor rowers in gyms are often in rather sorry shape. This usually means that the cage is clogged up with dirt to the point where the air flow is so restricted that there is very little resistance. At sea level a damper setting of 10 would give a DF of 200 or so in a clean machine. On a really blocked up machine, it can get as low as below 100, which would give hardly any resistance.

If the machine you use checks out O.K., i.e. has a DF of around 200 on a damper setting of 10 (wide open), then it has to be a matter of technique. The drive of the legs should be what some describe as explosive - as if you are leaping into the air from a squatting position. Most indoor rower users prefer a DF of 100-140 except for very short pieces, like less than 500 meters. It is rare for anyone to use a higher DF for longer pieces.

Bob S.

[ToddMR]

I've squatted 505# and don't have reason to complain about not having enough resistance on the C2. Learn a little more about the machine and how you should be using it. Technique, sample workout and drag factor are all worth a bit of reading. Your perception that there isn't enough resistance may be caused by misunderstanding what the machine is for, or improper functioning or drag setting on the machine you're using.