Help needed improving power generated each stroke

[hjs]

thanks everyone again for the encouragement and the advice, the training videos are really useful.

here's a short clip of me rowing, https://www.dropbox.com/s/y117i237l4d31 ... m.mp4?dl=0.
At the start I row at the pace that feels nature for me at this drag setting (33-34 spm drag 130), then I try to slow myself down and keep the momentum, but don't really succeed.

my force curve is pretty bad, at a high drag it's a symmetrical "small hill" but gets very flat at low drag.

First the positive, it really does not look bad. I have lots worse.

But... at the finish of the stroke, look at your feet, those are really pulling hard on the straps, that should not be the case.

There is a “simple” solution for you. Which at the beginning will feel horrible row strapless, that will make it impossible to pull at the straps, so you really need to finish your stroke strong, to stay on the feetrest.
Warning! Start out really slow, and from there slowly go faster.

And if possible, get a little bit more to the front so you have your back in the 11 oclock position.

[mitchel674]

Consider watching this video from the Concept2 founder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiQ0Mqlk_Lo

[youtube]hiQ0Mqlk_Lo[/youtube]

Did you get a chance to watch this? You will learn about the force curve which will help you.

As Henry pointed out, the first thing that jumped out at me is how you need those footstraps due to your technique. This is wasted energy. Definitely try rowing strapless. Warning, you may fly into that bookcase behind you so be careful the first few times!

[Dangerscouse]

Rowing strapless is a great technique changer but it is really strange to start with, so as advised be wary to start with but as you get used to it higher paces are possible.

Remember to really plant your feet and channel your force through the legs into the foot plates, so you're essentially splitting the power in two: through the handle as you pull back with your back, core and arms, and through your legs and feet as a push. If it's all going one way it's wasted energy.

You will also quickly confirm if you need a stronger core too, as your core strength is needed to balance the two as it acts as the fulcrum.

[mict450]

Jonathan, thank you for posting your video. 2 things I'd like to add. You're slouching, sitting on your back pockets. Lowering the foot stretchers should help you sit more upright & be in a stronger position at the catch. Secondly, think about trying to jump away from the foot stretchers horizontally, like you were trying to dunk a basketball. Give lt everything you've got!! Then you kinda wanna just mosey on back to the catch real, real slow, so you'll be rested & ready at the drive to go all out & try to dunk that basketball again.

[mict450]

Addendum, don't use a high drag for dunking the basketball!!! Don't want to see you getting hurt.

[mict450]

Sorry, don't try dunking the basketball strapless yet. Your feet are being unweighted from the foot stretchers. Good way to rearrange your book shelves. Hopefully now I'm finished. Sorry Dougie...if you want to consolidate this into one post, you'll have no objection from me.

[lnvzyl@gmail.com]

Hi Gentlemen,

This is my first look at the Forum. I am also very new to ergo rowing. I find the content of your exchanges both fascinating and admirable. You evidently take time to help each other gratuitously,so well done on that. The science of the power generation topic is totally foreign to me and hopefully something which I will get to understand over time.

I bought my equipment during the first weekend after the lifting of our total lockdown regime. In my naivety, I did not acquire a Concept2 rower and am now stuck with something for the moment which does not give me the data and information which the PM5 appears to provide. Hopefully, I will get access to a proper rower very soon where I can start using the information to monitor and improve my training and performance. In the meantime I will be training "in the dark".

My rower does have a trip meter(distance) and gives me both my pace and stroke rate. I am 63 years of age, proudly South African, weigh 99kilos and am 187cm in height. My monitor tells me that I am doing relatively well ( do not want to overstate this) in comparison to what I find on the Concept2 Logs and Rankings. I do not have faith in the data which I am getting.

My questions to you, if I may, is firstly whether I should be trusting of the information which I get off the equipment that I have acquired ? The ergo which I bought is a Concept2 lookalike and is called a Gymsource. I assume that you will not have come across this brandname before as I do not find anything on the net. So, the question really is whether the other ergo machines on the market are , more or less/ roughly , calibrated in line with the Concept2?

I appear to be better (relatively- if my rower can remotely be trusted) at distances longer than 2 kilometers. My second question: Is it normal for new rowers to struggle to get their stroke rates up when practising longer distances. I manage 18 to 21 strokes per minute comfortably for 10k's but struggle to sustain my pace as soon as I try and up the rate to even 24 per minute. My machine tells me that I am able to do 10k in just under 40 minutes.

And then my last question. Do the World Rowing / or British Rowing organizations have formal races for the 5k and 10k distances. I have not found anything on the net.

I thank you in anticipation.

Sincerely,
Neil

[Citroen]

You won't get the same info and discussion of Brand-X rowers is not permitted on this forum.