If you know my views on cardio work, you'll know that I put rowing right at the top of my list. It is tremendously difficult, extremely taxing, and minimizes wear and tear on the body. When rowing either on the water or in an Erg (indoor rower), there is no real impact. The seat slides forward and backward as you move, eliminating the constant pounding on the joints that occurs during a run. It is the type of cardio that is quite challenging. Not a lot of people like it because it's so difficult; that's why most gyms only have a few Ergs if they have any. It separates the grownups from the kids, so if you are bold enough to dance the waltz with the Concept 2 or any other rower, first and foremost I salute you, secondly here are some tips.
1. Adjust the feet pedals so when you are all the way forward your legs are still comfortable.
2. Sit slightly forward on the seat, not too much that your going to fall off, but enough so that you can maximize each stroke.
3. Adjust the resistance. The lower the resistance is set to, the less reward you're going to get for a strong pull, so you will have to pull really fast and cycle through your strokes quickly. If you put the resistance higher up, you will be rewarded for a strong pull, but it will be harder to achieve that pull.
4. When rowing you want to maximize every stroke. Reach in as far as you can, push hard through your legs, lean back slightly at the end of the stroke and finish by pulling the handle to the top of your stomach.
5. (And as important as any previous number:) CONTROL YOUR BREATHING!!! You have to maintain breath control, or you will last about 30 seconds and then either pass out or throw up or both. Neither of those activities are fun, so try to avoid them by settling into a breathing rhythm. Inhale on the way in and exhale as you push away.
In addition to being a non impact cardio exercise, rowing is going to engage more muscles than running or riding an elliptical. Legs, arms, lower and upper back are all going to get significant work during a good row sesh. So check out a rower near you, start with 250 meters, row hard and row strong, keep track of your time, and your split (avg 500 meter time): the lower the better. Work your way up to 500 meters, 750, 1000 and so on. happy rowing people
merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is....... what we make it! (sorry it doesn't rhyme)
Nicely done Pat! Any rowing coach would have been proud to have had you on their team! Liz
ReplyDeleteGreat post - I love rowing! ... but I did hate it at first because it was so difficult. It's a nice break from running... or if you have any minor running injuries, it's nice to be able to rest your running muslces and still get in some great cardio. It might suck at first, but it definitely grows on you!
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