DarrenW
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| posted on 2/1/08 at 09:06 PM |
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Concept 2 rower
Ive just ordered my first indoor rower - Concept 2 Model D. Cant wait till Friday when it arrives. Looks like a superb machine. Anyone else got one?
How do you find it?
Ive tried to register on the forum but cant get on. Tried twice but the confirmation emails dont arrive. Anyone a member and know a moderator?
Ive bought mine for weight loss. Probs a bit overkill but i do like top of the range!! I was looking for 2nd hand and even tried one today but there
isnt much of a saving for newer machines. Resale values are unreal.
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Miks15
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| posted on 2/1/08 at 09:09 PM |
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concept 2 rowers are good machine
gt them at my gym and very nice.
Comfortable but i get blisters after a gd long row.
Mabye just me or mabye handgrips arnt soft enough.
but loads of settings you can use and paceboats etc to keep u on track
enjoy it
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DarrenW
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| posted on 2/1/08 at 09:21 PM |
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i dont think ill get to the long row stage for a while Ill be stopping every 5 minutes for a burger!!
The PM3 looks good but im looking forward to working out how to connect to laptop and how the prorow works. I see they even have a fish game. Its
probs the online support that tipped me to order the C2 rather than a waterrower.
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Moorron
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| posted on 2/1/08 at 10:35 PM |
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not sure which version is what, but i go alot at the gym with one and its definatly the hardest cardio out of the lot.
just do 5K a night (20 minutes) and when you feeling good do 10K! its a killer.
How much did you pay?
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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DarrenW
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| posted on 2/1/08 at 10:40 PM |
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£939 delivered with a free HR interface (cable) plus i ordered a HR belt at another £30 ish.
2nd hand machines around a year old or more all fetch around £800. I tried to save a bit but figured its just as easy to get a new one with warranty
etc. When i started looking there was no way i was paying that much but hopefully it will bive me some motivation (ill have to turn heating off so it
will be the main source of heating). Its a huge investment but then it is a commercial piece of kit.
Just wish i could get registered on their website.
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Benzine
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| posted on 2/1/08 at 10:56 PM |
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I want to lose weight and want a rowing machine ^__^ How much difference is there in a concept 2 and a budget rowing machine?
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onzarob
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| posted on 2/1/08 at 11:07 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
I want to lose weight and want a rowing machine ^__^ How much difference is there in a concept 2 and a budget rowing machine?
Lots
I had a Benny V-fit AR2 Air rower and was as good a feel as a concept 2. Difference is that the C2 will run all day a Vfit will be fine at home 1 or 2
users. oh the price difference 750ish pounds . rrp £160
I sold mine so a car can go back in the garage
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DarrenW
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| posted on 2/1/08 at 11:07 PM |
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i cant really give an honest appraisal. Initial answer would be about 500quid but thats a cheaky one
Ive used Concept 2 in a gym and it was very good (older ModelC). I recently tried a Oxford 2 (£400) and it was far better than cheaper machines but
still not a patch on the C2. Its the resale values that sold it for me. For home use its probs overkill for a lardy ass like me but plenty of scope
for me to improve. Website support seems rather good too.
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Benzine
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| posted on 2/1/08 at 11:10 PM |
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I was JUST reading about the Beny V-fit AR2 when I read your reply, onzarob ^__^
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bimbleuk
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| posted on 3/1/08 at 06:45 AM |
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I'm also on the verge of buying a Concept II as I miss my previous rower I sold a year a go. Bad mistake that's been for my fitness,
though I do walk/cycle fairly regularly as well.
My previous rower was a cheaper air resistance type about £300. Basically if I had used it much longer something would have broken. Not in the same
league really in construction.
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bigandy
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| posted on 3/1/08 at 10:39 AM |
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I've had a Model D with a PM3 computer for about 14 months now. Best £1000 I've spent in a long long time (Perhaps ever?!).
Mine has survived me giving it over 1.5million metres of abuse over the last year, and is still looking like new.
I tend to do session most days, ranging from a quick 2k blast (best time so far, 7m14s), right up to half marathons (best time so far 1h31m) depending
how I'm feeling. The important thing is to start of gently, and make sure you are properly warmed up and stretched before giving it some beans.
I bought it mainly as all I was doing in the gym was rowing, and that was costing me around £50 a month.
One thing that I have noticed, is that my peakflow has shot up in the last year (I have quite bad asthma). This time last year it was around 450l/min
and last week it was tested at being 860l/min, a hell of an improvement, which I can only attribute to using the rowing machine so often.
Connecting the PM3 up to a pc is pretty easy using the suppliued USB lead. I have only really used it to back up the sessions from my logcard,
although I have been meaning to try out some of the 3rd party software on there recently, and possibly try a few online races for a laugh!
Cheers
Andy
PS. If you don't want callouses on your hands, invest in a decent pair of rowing gloves!
I am a member of the concept 2 forum, but I haven't been on there for ages.
Dammit! Too many decisions....
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Hammerhead
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| posted on 3/1/08 at 10:52 AM |
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Until recently I used to row on the river in racing boats, (been rowing for 15 years).
The concept 2 is by far the best ergo you can get. The british rowing team uses then and they are the benchmark for testing.
The main thing you need to do is make sure your technique is good otherwise you will seriously injure yourself. Use the concept 2 website to see
correct technique. There may be video on there showing how to correctly use it, or you could try youtube.
My best 2k was 6:20 but I was fit then and training nearly everyday both on the river and on land.
It's hard at the beginning but gets very addictive.
I don't find the handle too hard, but i've got mans hands 
good luck
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DarrenW
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| posted on 3/1/08 at 12:05 PM |
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Im planning to start off very gently. Ive not done any proper exercise for years and have never been sporty. I went to see HarryB's machine that
is finishing on ebay today. It will fetch a good price hence why i decided to go for a new one. He has done the C2 instructors course and gave me some
good advice on technique.
Im fully expecting the first 3 or 4 weeks to be very tough but then hopefully the addiction will kick in. Im also hoping it will give me a level of
fitness that will allow me to enjoy getting the bike out in summer.
First goal is to get a stone off. Then another etc. I want to get into the 14 stone odd range (probs lardy for most of you but a dream to me!!)
Somehow i dont think ill be doing sub 7' 2K's Ill be happy to do a sub 8minute this year. i used to have asthma when younger and hay
fever brings it on a touch so it will be interesting to see if that improves in the summer. 450 to 6860l/min is a huge improvement. Do you get checked
out at the doctors?
Hammerhead - 6'20 - bloody hell that is good. I seem to think most std people would find sub 7'30 as an achievement.
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bigandy
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| posted on 3/1/08 at 12:42 PM |
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Most of my longer sessions (i.e 5K and above) I aim to average around 2min per 500metres. Somedays it is easy, other days it is bloody hard work!
The good thing about having access to all your old workouts on the PM3 computer, is that you can track your progress, and re-row the sessions you
thought were good (i.e. use the recorded data like a pace-maker).
To be honest, I found it really easy to get a bit too competitive with myself (I'm normally not at all competitve!) and a few times last year I
did a long session early in the day, and in my quest to beat my best time so far, ended up completely knackered and only fit for vegging out for the
rest of the day!
As for the peak flow readings, I do have a medical every year, and that is one of the things that is checked as part of the asthma bit of it. I was
quite surprised it had jumped up so much, I was expecting some improvement, but not quite that much!
Cheers
Andy
Ps. the last time I was 14 stone, was when I was, er, 14!
Dammit! Too many decisions....
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Moorron
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| posted on 3/1/08 at 10:18 PM |
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Thats not a bad price for one, just havent got the room in my place for one.
6:20 is an amazing time, 7:14 is very good too, my best was about 3 years ago when all i did was 2K sessions 3 times a week. i manages 7:05.6. But i
found doing 2K wasnt a good 'warm up' for the gym room so i started to do 3K, then they upgraded them in the gym and i could do
'standard' times and found only 2, 5, 10 and so distances. So i opted for 5K.
i try to average under 2 minutes / 500m on 5K and this is my 'youve done ok' time. But if i get closer to 1:55/500m im happy and like you
have said some days its a doddle and others really hard.
i have done 10K a few times but 2 weeks ago i did it and got a time of 38:06 which gave me a silly low 500m split time??????
i really want to try the 1/2 marathon but i fall off after 10k so over twice that time and i think i may pass out.
PS. the resistance bar on the side i have set at 1 notch down from the top. is this harder and what is the bench mark for all the times on here??
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
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bigandy
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| posted on 3/1/08 at 11:06 PM |
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My best bit of advice for doing the longer sessions, is to build up slowly, and accept the fact that you need to pace yourself! My best time for a
10k row is currently 38min 57sec, but I literally fell off afterwards and I haven't been able to get near it since (it was back in august when I
did that time).
My best time for the half marathon equates to an average of 2.15.6, which is considerably slower than my shorter distance times, and it just shows
that you do have to go a bit slower, at least whilst buildingt he distance up. I have done around 10 half marathons now, and my avergae times are
coming down with practice, IIRC my first half marathon was done in 1h44m, so you do improve quite quickly.
The resistance bar by the way, is just personal preference. You end up doing the same work in the end. With it set to 10, you have a high drag
factor, which means it is like pedalling a bike with the big chainring selected. You pedal with a high load, but dont need to pedal as fast to
acheive a set speed. With it set to 1, it has a low drag factor, and that is like pedalling a bike using the small chainring. To get to the same
speed you pedal much faster, but with a lot less load. What this means is that setting the lever to 10 doesn't neccessarily mean you are
working harder. It just feels harder, like pedalling a bike using the big chainring all the time.
I personally prefer the drag factor set to around 140 ish (equates to the lever set to postion 6) for the shorter sessions, and around 110 ish for the
longer sessions (position 3 or 4). By dropping the drag factor for the longer sessions, it eases the strain on my lower back, allowing me to keep
going for longer, and faster, yet still putting the same amount of work in.
Try mucking about with a lower drag factor for longer sessions, and rowing at a slightly higher cadence (strokes per minute) You might be surprised
at the results
Cheers
Andy
Dammit! Too many decisions....
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DarrenW
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| posted on 4/1/08 at 09:33 AM |
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Thanks Andy,
Im now a member of the C2 forum and ive had a good read of the training guides etc. There is certainly more to rowing than first meets the eye. Rather
than buing a boring overpriced part time clothes airer there are plenty of things to try out to keep the interest up.
Im planning on doing the basic conditioning plan first and then probs move to the interactive weight management plan once i can comfortably do a 20 or
30 minute lght sesions (UT2 or maybe 1 - does that sound good???? im learning the lingo!!).
Im starting to suss out the DF settings. Bike gearing is probs one of the best analagies ive heard. From my reading somewhere between 120 and 149
should allow a comfortable cadence for longer distance work and decent fat burning workout in the lower aerobic ranges. Im getting a HR belt as well
so ill have plenty to monitor and think about at first.
Thanks for your help - much appreciated.
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bigandy
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| posted on 4/1/08 at 10:05 AM |
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No problem.
Another thing worth bearing in mind, is that when you start out, it is often best to start with a drag factor at the lower end of the scale, at least
until you have got a good technique developed. It will help prevent over strained muscles, and ensure that you don't get muscles that need a
break in a short period of time.
It is very much personal preference though, so experiment to find something that works for you. It can't be stressed enough though, if you dont
have a good technique on the rower, you will find it very difficult, especially towards the end of sessions as you get tired. I personally find it
very difficult to maintain a nice tidy action coming to the end of a 5k timed piece, I have to force myself to try and maintain a straight back.
I did try a few of the plans on the concept2 forum, although I did end up modifying them somewhat to suit me. I found that in order to stick with
rowing, I had to enjoy it, and that meant not forcing myself to do a session when I wasn't feeling to great, or wanted to do something else.
Now I tend to fit a session in most days, and based on how I feel on the warmup, I'll decide what to do then (either long distance, or sprints,
or intervals). It is surprising how choosing the type of session on what I felt like balanced out over the course of a few months.
Oh, and don't forget cool down sessions and stretches at the end of a rowing session either. They really do help the muscles recover!
Cheers
Andy
Dammit! Too many decisions....
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DarrenW
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| posted on 6/1/08 at 12:39 PM |
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Im loving the rower (or i should i now call it the 'Erg'???:cool.
Doing very easy sessions right now to inflate the lungs a little at a time and get the technique right. I even get some nice parks and scenery to look
at when i connect the rower to Rowpro on the laptop. Im finding im OK strength wise but gut is getting in the way and fitness is a little lacking (as
youd expect at first )
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jacko
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| posted on 6/1/08 at 04:10 PM |
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Darren -All this exercise is m aking me tired and worn out. Time for another big mac
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DarrenW
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| posted on 6/1/08 at 09:58 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by jacko
Darren -All this exercise is m aking me tired and worn out. Time for another big mac
i know what you mean. Im sure those who know me will agree it is a little out of character for me too but im quite enjoying it so far (3 days and
counting). I came to the conclusion that the reason ive had too many little sniffling colds and bugs is not entirely due to the kids, plus being far
too out of breath just taking the dog for a walk - could just be me holding 109Kg for too long. Its got to that stage where enough is enough. It would
appear to be entirely feasible to get 2 stones off by my 37th in May just by cutting down on drink and exercising more........ which is nice.
For those who cant picture the C2 rower - here is the website.
http://www.concept2.co.uk/
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