Any Concept 2 rowers on here?

[Time Waster]

Just wondered if there are any who use a concept 2 rower / rowerg for cross training, health maintenance or general fitness?

I am starting to use mine again for general fitness rather than any specific goals so am starting from a lowish fitness level. Any advice? I know the good form it is just the actual training to get fitter side and using it with ergdata, phone, smartwatch (Garmin f6) and garmin connect too.

Any general discussion on using this training tool welcome.

 

[numbnuts]

Ex here and got the T-shirt

 

[Time Waster]

Why ex rower? It seems to be a good, low impact exercise that probably goes well with cycling.

 

[Mo1959]

Why ex rower? It seems to be a good, low impact exercise that probably goes well with cycling.

I think numbnuts, like myself has to be careful with his back. I bought one and kept it for a year but only used it about a dozen times and sold it. It just wasn’t for me.

 

[CXRAndy]

We have a C2 rower in the family. My daughter her husband were university rowers. He's just started rowing for a local club. He did a 20 min erg power test last night. Around 260W, which is a new Pb for him since university

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I used to use one a lot, after rowing at university. Gave it up once I had a regular cycle commute for fitness.

It's a fantastic overall fitness, and the machine allows you to go to your limits and is an all body workout. Very mental as well as physical; you really need to be at the limits of suffering to improve.

Tips?

1) Drive with your legs, this is where most of your power comes from. Open up back and arms only at the end of your stroke.
2) Relax and slide back up slowly - as slow as you can. You go faster by working harder, not sliding faster. Most people thrash up and down, which just wastes energy.

 

[grldtnr]

I used to use one a lot, after rowing at university. Gave it up once I had a regular cycle commute for fitness.

It's a fantastic overall fitness, and the machine allows you to go to your limits and is an all body workout. Very mental as well as physical; you really need to be at the limits of suffering to improve.

Tips?

1) Drive with your legs, this is where most of your power comes from. Open up back and arms only at the end of your stroke.
2) Relax and slide back up slowly - as slow as you can. You go faster by working harder, not sliding faster. Most people thrash up and down, which just wastes energy.

Another lapsed rower here,in between clubs at the moment, but I find Rowing very good exercise, as much for the mind as for the body.

 

[Proto]

Two years ago I bought a C2 for my wife and I to use but we didn’t have it long. Whilst it is undeniably an excellent machine, for domestic use, in our opinion and circumstances, it’s too big, too noisy, too ugly. So we sold it (easily) and bought a WaterRower, and we’re very happy with it.

Used every morning without fail by my wife, and I’ll admit to being a less frequent user, a couple of times a week. It’s a lovely looking thing, reasonable size and it can stand upright if your desperate for space (we’re not) and the noise it makes is pleasant.

My wife is arguably the least sporty person on the planet butis on it every morning and has seen a noticeable improvement in general strength and fitness. She had injured herself in the past from over enthusiastic gym work, but the rower is such low impact, if you’re sensible, injury is very unlikely. Her heart, lungs, leg and body strength All have benefitted.

WaterRower is probably the best thing we’ve bought. Highly recommended.

Note we’re not at the ’passing out during erg tests‘ level, just general fitness and strength.

 

[Buck]

I used to own one (around 15 years ago) but I found it boring so ended up selling it. Thankfully it held its value and I lost nothing on the sale.
I know the overall fitness and health benefits are good but I couldn’t motivate myself to sit on it and”just row” plus I used to get a numb bum !

 

[screenman]

Three times a week at the gym to warm up before weights. I am certainly not designed for rowing; way too short, my 4k times are always around 17.45 minutes. I am not sure how good or bad that is for a short 69-year-old. I always use resistance number 10. Perhaps one of the more expert guys can tell me if that is wrong.

 

[Time Waster]

I can as it is not a resistance in the usual sense but a means to adjust for comparible use. For example if you and a mate wanted to race on equal terms but his is dusty and yours is kept scrupiously clean then you will need a higher resistance setting than your mate to get equivalency in use. It is all about a misunderstood piece of data called drag factor. This should be standardised if racing your mate. it goes from 100 to 200 IIRC. Typically lower is easier but most competitions or user events use IIRC 130.

You can find it on the monitor by selecting it on the menu system and then rowing to allow it to calculate it. Say if you got 113 and your mate got 142 then he would lower his resistance and you would raise it until you are both on 130. The actual resistance comes from the actual pull part of the stroke. The more power you put in the stroke the higher the resistance. The air resistance gets higher the stronger you pull put in simple language. This is similar to water rowers too and on the water rowing.

Of course as a beginner you might start with a drag factor of 100 but if you want to you could raise it higher but this is really not a good way to get resistance up. A better way is simply getting better a rowing in terms of form and then row harder!! Try it you will soon get it!!

I always wonder about the water rowers. They are intact equipment with water container built in. Better feel for rowing, although the true strength of C2 rowerg is that it is such a good companion to on the water rowing for training purposes. I do think that water rowers and similar wter based resistance rowers all remain intact as a one piece but you can stand on their end to store. The C2 rowerg separates so easily into two halves and they stand on their end in a compact area for storage. It seems to me that the water rower is such a tall thing when stored that it puts me off. Plus I spent about £900 about lockdown time for my C2. Water rowers is so much more than that. I do however think they are better looking when in position.

I prefer to use the C2 and its PM5 monitor linked to HR monitor and garmin ultimately for fitness tracking reasons. IF that is your thing I think the C2 is simply the best for that. Also, the best if you like the idea of virtual training such as using the loop or even perhaps entering competitions.

 

[grldtnr]

I prefer my rowing 'real life' conditions, With real humans as fellow crew, i'll be out there ,once the club is set up and ready to go blisters on my fingers, and rubbed raw where i wouldn't like to mention.
Suffice to say I row 'commando: under the kilt !

 

[Proto]

My C2 was bought at a local auction, paid something like £250 for it. Very good condition. I sold it a few weeks later for £500.

I paid £400 (FB Marketplace) for my mint condition waterrower, which had something like 150km on the clock. Plenty around at £400-£500. check for tank damage as they are expensive to replace but the machine itself is very robust.

in my opinion, for the domestic environment the WR is miles better than the C2. Smaller, quieter, better looking. If you’re training seriously, competing against others, then I agree that the C2 is the gold standard but you really don’t want one in your spare bedroom.

PS there are plent6 of Chinese waterrower clones, and I’d avoid. You’re unlikely to run into problems but I’d be very concerned that support would not be there.

 

[Time Waster]

Water rower is one piece and does not fold. C2 folds making it better for storage. Mine is tucked by a book caseout of the way until I need it at which point it takes about 20 seconds from first hand laid on it stored to ready for a session, if even that. First piece out, second piece out and you lift them both up at the middle join and hook them together. Ready! I think this storage capability is the clincher for me over water rower. Or the £1099 cost new vs £990 for the C2 when bought direct. Cheaper elswhere of course. I spent £750 on mine bought direct from C2 UK. I know I would get most of that back selling it on.

I am glad you have found the best rower for you and your other half. I must admit I do fancy giving one a try to feel the effect of the water resistance. For curiosity's sake. Then back to my C2 rower for actual use.

Years ago in my local council gym as an 18yo or so I used to use one of the gamefied rowing machines. This was decades before virtual racing on rowers or turbos or whatever. It had a big, CRT TV screen that flickered. On it you were represented by a boat with another on the other lane going across the screen with data below or above it all. It used the intervals so you rowed hard then easy then harder stil then easy and so on like bikes have now. The hard bit was represented by the opponent's boat gaining an extra rower. Then a shark appears and eat the extra rower to make it easy again. Then two extra rowers appear then the shark and so on until four rowers are there and eaten. It was kind of funny as you had to keep pace with the boat with extra rowers but I almost always found myself just rowing off ahead anyway ( not that it showed on the cartoon animation but it showed in the data on the screen.

I wonder what the relatively new C2 thing is with the loop you can race on is like. I think there are games on it too. I might try some of it out one day.

 

[Proto]

We’re in the fortunate position of enough room to leave the rower ready for use. The ‘just get on and go’ makes the machine much more likely to be used, in our experience. Having to set it up would be just another reason not to bother.
I might be a bit weird but the WR, to my eye, is just a lovely looking thing, almost furniture art. Don’t think you can say that about the C2 and it’s like.