whitemax

I get home from work near dark and not much for riding in the dark or the cold. As an alternative to riding the trainer, I recently bought a water rower though the Concept 2 comes highly recommended as well. The DVD mine came with says that the legs do 60% of the work. I don't feel like I get much of a workout with the legs. I'm quite sure I am doing it correctly and with good form. Seems to work the upper body and core pretty well though and you can get your heart rate up quite well with it. A good overall workout IMO especially if lifting some weights prior to working out on it. Anybody else using a rower?

Darth Lefty 

I tried rowing before my health problems. Definitely the legs and butt did most of the work. I found that in order to keep the meter I had to remember use my hams to pull on the upstroke*, not just push with the quads on the downstroke. That added a lot of work.

* my terminology is probably wrong

mcours2006

I have a Concept 2 rower; an older Model C. Great machine. It's built like a tank and holds its value very well.

A few years ago I was doing the Pete Plan in pursuit of a sub-7:00 2K.

https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/

It's quite intense. I got as far as 7:13, which is decent for a 145lb'er. But after about six months I felt quite burnt out. Anyway, it's a great workout, but you have to really focus on the technique. You can check out some videos on Youtube or the C2 site. Legs-back-arm on the drive; arms-back-legs on the recovery.

whitemax

I definitely feel it the butt but not the legs so much.

kowalski

I also have an older Concept 2 model C that I bought 2 and 1/2 years ago. Best $350 I've ever spent. I've rowed nearly 2 million meters and know that rowing has helped me improve my overall fitness, especially my cardio. I have the same difficulty in finding time to ride, but I can row in my garage before work. I recommend it to anyone.

Sullalto

If I go to the gym to avoid the weather, I'm much more apt to row than get on a bike or treadmill. I would buy a good row machine before a fancy trainer, personally. But I value variety.

I'm also a scrub cyclist though, so whatever

Bassmanbob

I used to row on the water, and I can tell you that after having the Concept II machine for a short period of time, your stroke needs work. Sculling is not only a sport, but an art. Many rowers work on their stroke for years with coaching to get their stroke as near perfect as they can get it. Without coaching, and with you saying you don't feel it in your legs, I can tell you your stroke needs coaching. The power from the stroke should mostly come from the legs, then back, then arms.

My best advise is to contact a local rowing club, if you have one near you, and get a few lessons. It's amazing how I had thought my stroke was near perfect only to find out it was significantly off. If you don't have a rowing club near you, perhaps video taping it and sending it to someone for evaluation would be second best.

On a side note, you did buy the right rowing machine. It's a great machine that is used universally throughout the rowing community.

If you are wondering why I stopped rowing, I've grown more fearful of alligators.

mcours2006

I think bought a water rower, not a Concept 2.

whitemax

Good advice, but...were you thinking I have the Concept 2? I have the water rower. The thing about the legs is, you pull back with the legs only so far before you have to do the rest with the upper body. I get a good burn in the middle of my buttocks but not the quads. Have you ridden both the Concept and the water rower? Perhaps they are different in some respect. I'll keep working on it. Thanks

mcours2006

What is the drag factor you are using? If you have your DF set too high you're going to be using mostly back and arms. You have to set your DF relatively low in order to engage your legs. If you can figure out how to display the DF on your monitor, you'll want that reading to be about 120 or less.

Regardless of whether you're using water or air resistance the technique is still the same.

mcours2006

I would say that most people who own rowing machines, even C2's, have little interest in rowing OTW. It is a sport that is not very accessible, at all. When I was heavily into training on the C2 I would love to have been able to row on the water, but nearest rowing club to me was 40km away, downtown by the lake, and they practiced at 8AM. I'd have to have been on the road by 6:30 to get there on time.

My point is that, unlike a bike trainer or treadmilll, people buy a rowing machine simply to get fit and not necessarily to be better rowers on the water.

Bassmanbob

I thought you said you bought a Concept II Rowing Machine. Either way, it's been a while since I rowed, but if I remember correctly, you start at the catch (the beginning of the stroke) with your hips, knees, ankles, back all boiled up and your arms straight out. You start your stroke with the legs, then back and then arms, but soon after you start with your legs, you start with the back and then arms. The idea is to have all three finish smoothly at the same time.

I have an old Concept II B machine, but I've rowed the water rower once or twice. You can get a great workout from either one, but the Concept II is by far the more universally used machine. You can work on proper form with either machine. Have fun with it!!!

whitemax

What is the drag factor? Is that perhaps how much water I am using in the drum? The video it came with says to set it at level 17. The manual says not to go over 19 or risk damaging it. I don't know what drag factor is unless it is the water level.

mcours2006

On the Concept 2 it is the amount of air you let into the flywheel housing. The more air inside, the higher the drag as the the flywheel will encounter, requiring you to use more power to move it, at least initially. It's sort of analogous to rowing a lightweight single scull as opposed to a heavy rowboat.

I assume the more water in the drum the higher the drag factor. Your user's manual might have some information on setting the DF.

Might be worth considering a Concept 2 machine. It is the machine by which all others are measured. World class and Olympic rowers train on the same machine, and the majority of the community online use the C2.

Just something to think about if this is a long term endeavour.

vze23c3q

I got a WaterRower about 8 weeks ago as well. Rowed 150 miles so far (30 minutes, 6K meters at a time...butt can't take any more than that!)

As for the legs push harder, really explode off the catch (try to break the strap!) Get the intensity up over 4 mps and you'll feel it. Do intervals of 10 strokes as hard as you can, then recover for 2 or 3 minutes, repeat.

Can't say I've lost any weight, but I have taken up another belt hole and feel a lot stronger in the core and lower back. Beats the tread mill for sure.

Number400

Yup, we have a water rower. I use it mostly in the winter and it's great. I just started up again last week and did a 4,000m row then a few days later did a 10,000m row in 41 minutes. It's really a great workout to help you keep your fitness.