Rowing machine recommendations

BB3Lions

Horrendous

Rowed 5x2000m.  Currently playing golf so i will measure bodysize tomorrow morning.

3/4/5 sessions were incredibly hard for both us, no idea why.  She rows, i do the 30 day fitness exercise set we have, then we swop over.

Next week is 2500m mixed with 5x500m with a 2 min break.

Enjoyable but hard.

RBZ5416

@Showoff

That Pete Plan seems to be saying "Hey Mr unfit fatty who's never rowed before, you're very first workout should be a straight 5k". Is that right? I also can't see any reference to pace for a beginner.

Showoff

Lol! Yes that is right.
Did you read the explanation at the bottom?

         “   5000m – The three key points you want to concentrate on during all of your erg sessions are technique, relaxation, and efficiency. Use the single distance pieces to work on the different elements of the stroke you read about in the technique section. Aim for a feeling of smooth acceleration through the drive, and to be slow and relaxed during the recovery.”

You’ll probably find that you’ll start off too fast as it feels easy (at first), but by about 2000m you will realise you’ve gone off too fast. Everyone does it...

Watch a few videos on correct rowing technique, to make sure each and every stroke is a smooth and full. Take it slow and concentrate on your technique throughout.

It depends on your fitness, but you probably want to aim for something like 2:30 / 500m as a stoke rate for your first ever row.

It made me laugh when it says for the 20min session in week 1 “Whether your 5000m sessions have been taking you more or less than 20min” - yeah right I said! My first 5000m took just over 24 minutes and I thought there is no way I can cut 4 minutes off that, but by week 3 I was only 9 seconds off 5000m in 20 minutes and by week 5 I’d done it, averaging 1:58.4 / 500m.

Just ask if you have any other questions.

BB3Lions

You are absolutely correct about first time you're wrong because it's easy and then for some reason it gets harder and harder.

RBZ5416

I did.

Being very unfit & of advanced years I did actually take notice of starting slow & checking form. Consequently:

My turn to LOL...

BB3Lions

2000m i can break 10 mins if i dont stop lol

Showoff

Ok, whatever your average pace is over 500m, you want to aim to hit that on every stroke.

You’re probably find you had some fast splits and some slower ones, so you want to try and even that out.

The key is technique!

Hard fast pulls (make sure you get your arms as far forward as you can at the start and drive with your legs. Once you legs are straight, you should be sat upright, then lean back and pull your arms in at the end of the pull. You should be leaning back finishing with your arms pulled right to your chest... then slow (almost very slow) recovery and repeat.

Aim for about 20/21 strokes per minute. I’m guess you are probably at more like 25/26?

RBZ5416

Pace started around 20 SPM & gradually increased to around 27. I didn't make it to 5km as I called it a day at 30 mins, which was 4.2k. But I wasn't putting huge effort into the pull & the pull was pretty much at the same pace as the recovery, just focusing on technique & maintaining a rhythm. That was with the drag set on 3.

Next step will be to put some welly into the pull as you say.

BB3Lions

2nd week in, but cheated a bit, couldnt do it Friday CBA.  Yesterday golf then footy so doing 2 sessions today.

Had alcohol Friday/yesterday & pigged out watching the footy, chocolate & beer, followed by too much JD & coke lol

I have lose 2.4% bodyfat & 0.6kg rowing 14000m in total.

Not bad, but if i could resist chocs & alcohol, i would lose a lot more, but too boring!

Showoff

A few of the reasons a rower is such a good way to exercise, is that it's low impact and total body!
You use your legs as well as your arms and your core.

This is a great video to ensure you have good technique:                                
This is a great video to show you bad technique so you can hopefully avoid it:                                
If I was you I would repeat week one again, once you have done all 5 exercises and you should find that you will complete the 5000m the second time around.

The best thing about the Pete Plan is that it's varied. You will naturally find that you are better at some of the formats than others. For example I prefer the faster power rows with short rests, over the single longer distance rows. But... by mixing it up and doing all of them you will find that one format also helps you to improve in another.

Complete the 2 x 10min / 2min rest and then for the next session repeat the 5000m again. Don't move on to the 5500m at the start of week 2.

As you start to improve your technique and your fitness level, you will start to see huge improvements very quickly. It's the best thing about starting any new exercise. Once you've nailed the 5000m at a steady pace, you then just add 500m to the overall distance in the single distance sessions. You should find that you can complete the extra distance at the same pace as before.

I also found it useful to create a log, perhaps on here to share your progress.