Hey
Carol. I have a good bit of info and anecdotes about the rower. Get your coffee...
I recall the first time I was on a rowing machine. Maybe two minutes. It felt very uncomfortable and unnatural, and I had a really tough time getting off it. (Big bottom, no quad or cardio strength.) Swore to never get on one again. I was intimidated by it and it didn't seem like such a cool piece of equipment to be on. That was in the early 80s, when I was more concerned with how stupid I might look in front of others at the gym.
Cut to 25 years later, after reading about how great the workout is on the rowing machine (really one of the best whole body workout machines, a weight-bearing workout that helps control blood sugar better than any other form of exercise), and the fact that I had injured my knees and couldn't stay on the elliptical for more than five minutes, I thought I'd give it another try. I was at the Green Mountain Spa (a wellness spa in Vermont) and tried out their machine, a Concept2 rower, which is really the best one on the market (and pricey at around $1000 for a new model). I had been on the treadmill for a couple of weeks and was getting bored with it, so I thought I'd try the rower again. I was able to be on it for 15 minutes, which impressed me about my progress with the exercise at the time. After that, I used it everyday, for about the same amount of time.
I was at the spa for three weeks. When I got home, I found a used
Concept2 rower on eBay for just under $700. I got the original model D that sits up off the ground higher. Once I got it set up, I worked up to 30 minutes on the rower pretty quickly, and eventually got up to an hour. I was a slow rower at first, but I'm slowly working up on speed and resistance.
I had to leave my beloved rower behind with the X when I moved back to the U.S. Last year I bought a brand new model D, since he was never going to ship my old one back to me. I hadn't used a rower for over a year, so when I got back on it, I thought I'd be back to my 15 minute workout. But since I'm no longer intimidated by it, I was able to do the 5000m in 40 minutes without much problem.
I like the workout a lot. It's great for cardio, for doing an endurance row or doing intervals. I also get a
good core workout. I can feel it! I have to watch my form (tend to get lazy with posture and form) in order to make sure my back muscles get stronger. Otherwise, I'll have a sore lower back. Better to go slow and get the form right than to go fast and get injured. Checkout the
Concept2 website for beginner training info. They have a lot of great advice on using the equipment.
If you're thinking about using one, try to find one at a local gym and give it a test-drive for a week or so. Like any piece of equipment similar to it, you can get bored if you don't have something to distract you while rowing. At the spa, I had that thing planted in front of the TV. No one else wanted to use it, so I could be on it as long as I wanted. At home, my gym is in my garage, and I set up my laptop by it and watch an episode of Battlestar Galactica while rowing, but I also have a TV in the garage. A few times I've played an audio of a river, closed my eyes and just rowed. I also have an mp3 of Cardio Coach that I listen to with headphones for an interval workout. That really kicks my butt!
300+ And Getting Fit After 40 #253
to everyone!
