I have to connect to the TV though Bluetooth earphones otherwise wouldn’t hear a thing!
I also have a gigantic fan pointed right at me from about 2 ft away but still sweat like a pig after about 15 mins. Have a towel handy for quick wipe of face/hands. I struggle with grip on the handle once hands get sweaty
I need to try some gloves, I’ve got soft office worker hands!!
Hoping to get back on the rower tomorrow for first workout in a week
I dusted off my Concept 2 rower recently and started using it most days as part of my efforts (along with walking 6-8k steps per day and cutting out snacking and mid-week drinking) to get fitter and lose some weight. The first few days even completing 2k was a struggle with hands, arms, shoulders all hurting like hell! A couple of weeks in though and averaging 4 rows a week it’s getting easier so upped it to 3k today, though at quite a leisurely pace. I was thinking to aim for 5km workouts in the next couple of weeks, hopefully 4 days a week. Will that be sufficient to get started on the fat burning? My efforts so far have brought about a 5kg weight loss since the start of September but I have at least the same to go again to get back into the healthy BMI range and I suspect it will get harder from here on.
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Looks like you've made an excellent start. The walking will add a really good base to your weight loss efforts. As far as the rowing is concerned, if you're going to be doing 4 days a week, I'd be looking to mix the sessions up a bit. Steady state, like you're doing now, is good but most experts (I'm not one!) seem to agree that interval sessions are probably more effective for both weight loss and fitness. It also adds a bit of interest. Doing the same thing every session is mind numbing.
There are loads of different intervals sessions you can do. What they have in common is intermittent periods of intense activity followed by lighter activity or rest - repeated.
Makes sense, thanks. I think once I can do 5km at a steady state then I will look at adding some variety with the intervals. What I do some days is the walk and then straight on the rower so mixing it up a bit that way.
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I'd carried on getting the same meters in over summer but it was all pretty low intensity because i was also running/cycling quite a bit. I'm going to up it again now and go for a few PBs...although none of them will be easy because i remember how difficult it was to get them in the first place!!
Quite keen to get into this as a lower impact form of exercise. There’s a seller local to me with a Concept 2 model E for £620 which on the face of it seemed cheap, however it does seem to have been towed to the moon and back.
How well do these things hold up to extended use? Or am I better paying the extra £200-odd for a new D (or ERG standard as they seem to be called these days)
Being built for industrial use they do stand up well and have good parts backup but at that level it only needs to have a few failures be that bearings, rollers or straps and you’ve eaten into the difference to new
it can also be helpful in adding an incline activity such as hill walking or trad mill in the gym set up for incline
also if you are trying to lose a bit of weight introduce a 20 min fasted cardio in the morning as this will get a good result.
i have a diet plan as well for lean sustained weight loss(buddy is a nutritionist and P/T ) would be willing to share on a pm if required.
good luck with the program on a similar path myself
They're pretty bulletproof to be honest, I did over 3 million meters on mine over the last year and it's still on its original batteries never mind anything else!
However, as has been mentioned, for a price difference of £200 or so I'd be buying new rather than one with over 11 million meters on it already.
Got a concept 2 PM4 , what's the best way to start getting into indoor rowing? I manage 10 min and get very bored, but must get backbto fitness.
I stick a podcast on a mobile speaker, a topic I am interested it that I can get lost in and actively want to hear the end. I am thinking of getting an audio book subscription as well to keep me going.
I only have one TV and that's upstairs in the lounge, so TV isn't really an option, also I like looking at where my hands are going etc.
I just got a water-rower last month, first time trying rowing.
Built up to 10k in the first week but must have overdone it as then I hurt my back and had to have a few days off. That was followed by a 4 day hike across the lake District so I am just getting back into it now.
Any tips for interval training? I am currently either doing 2x 3.5k in the morning, or 1x 5-7k at lunchtime.
So far I have put on 4lbs, lol, which is kind of going the wrong way as I want to loose 2-3 stone ....
Also, I was wondering what people with water rowers put out as standard and peak watts?
My steady pace is just now about 4:30 per km at 26-30 strokes per minute. Circa 80-100 watts output as standard rising to 200w-ish for 200m of each km which is pretty knackered but I have no idea how that compares.
I was wondering if I should seek out an app or something for a slightly more structured plan.
I am trying to also add some hills into my daily hours walking, but I am in a very flat area with hills no more than 40m so I have to try and find up/down routes.
Perhaps I should add in a few more lunchtime cycle rides as well, at least that is exercise I enjoy
Last edited by jmitch; 8th May 2022 at 00:16.
Holy thread resurrection.
Managed to get myself a hardly used (less than 30km on it) concept 2 the other day. Just sat on it and tried to row 5km which is the first time in nearly two years. Slow and a few breathers was the order of the say. I knew I was unfit but I'm scared at how unfit I've become. Still, onwards and upwards. Just got to knock 5 minutes or so off the 5km time and I'll be getting there.
Can anyone remember the rowing club name off here and if it's still running?
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Not sure about the rowing club, I gave up with them about 5 years ago. I did get my C2 out last year to use as a bonus fitness before going away, I rowed for 15 minutes each day, the first 5 to get a HR capped benchmark (I used the Maffetone HR model, just to get going), then after after this I tried to see how many days I could increase my distance for, just as something to do rather than just doing a 5k or so each day. This was doable and I managed about 35 - 40 days increase before I folded! Worse thing was how much it wrecked my hands…
I think I’m still active on it
With respect to hands and rowing…
The way you hold the handle can help reduce blisters. If you can ‘hook’ your fingers round the handle without actually gripping it, you can minimise rubbing on the pads of your hand (which is normally where people end up with blisters, myself included when I started).
Using this technique the only ‘hot spot’ for me is just before the last joint of my middle finger, so I always tape this finger.
I’ve only been using a rowing machine for 4-ish years but there are no callouses on my hands.
For context I average around 1500km a year across a mixture of sessions and I put a reasonable amount of force through the handle on the faster stuff i.e. the lack of blisters is not due to going slowly :-)
With respect to the team, I was already a member of a team so didn’t join the TZ one.