A Novice's Guide to Indoor Rowing
written by someone who stumbled across the sport in August 2008!
For anyone just starting out, I've tried to collate a bit of information here that should hopefully get you kick started into the sport. Beware - these things are worse than Pringles, once you start.....
What is Indoor Rowing?
There are lots of indoor rowing machines in gyms and in attics around the world, the one I am talking about is the Concept2 Indoor Rower. I must say before we go any further, this guide is not endorsed by Concept2, it simply comes from a happy user putting together help for others looking to join the sport and find out more.
All Concept2 rowers take a measurement that can be converted into a 'boat speed' or calorie consumption derived from the power output of the person rowing. This means that all times recorded can be compared to each other around the world. This also means that there are records and annual World Rankings and the ability to RACE in competitions!
Whether you want to use the indoor rowing machine for general fitness or you want to join the communities around the world who share training tips and race for fun and/or competitively, I hope you find the information here useful.
Jargon Buster
I've decided to try and explain some of the more common phrases and terms used so that they make a bit more sense, not that anyone apart from indoor rowers will be interested, but still. If I called it an idiot's guide, that would be a bit insulting so I'm calling it an "Unenlightened Guide"!
Rate -
this is the speed that you travel back and forth in your seat. If you move back and forth 30 times in one minute, your rate is known as r30, or 30spm (strokes per minute). Low rate is generally accepted as being anywhere from around 16 to 24spm. An average 2000m rate would be around r32 (or 32spm). Anything more than around r34 is classed as high rate. A 100m sprint can be as high as 70spm!
Pace - This is the speed at which your 'boat' would be travelling, it's always compared to the time taken to do 500m. If you did 250m in 1 minute, your pace would be 2:00.0 (2 mins 0.0 seconds to travel 500m at that pace). Pace is the most commonly used measure for training sessions. You could do a 6000m row at 2:00 pace and it would take you 24mins exactly (6000m = 12 x 500m 'splits'). Your pace is derived from the power output through the flywheel of the machine.
Drag / Drag Factor - the drag factor is a term used to describe the potential level of air resistance from the flywheel. The more gaps in the vents, the more air can get in, the more resistance there can be. Resistance depends on how hard you pull - a gentle tug will only provide a small level of resistance, a hard drive will produce more resistance. It's the potential for resistance, not the actual resistance. You can set the damper lever at #2 and produce more resistance (and power) if you drive hard than if you set it on #10 and just trickle the wheel over. How clean the machine is will affect the drag factor because a clean machine has lots of little holes in the metal grate, a dirty machine will be blocked up with dust and grime and allow less air to flow and a lower drag factor. A clean machine in the highest level can generate a drag factor of 200-220. Most rowers use a drag factor of 120-140 for the 2000m. It is important to know your drag factor when going to a competition so that you can set the race machine up to your own individual drag factor preference.
Damper / Damper Level - this is the lever on the side of the fan. If you push it up to level 10, you are allowing more air to get in the vents. If you push it right down to level 1 you are limiting the amount of air that can get into the vents. People often think that the higher the level, the harder the row. This is not true. The power output you generate from your stroke depends on you, not the flywheel or vents. Two rowers can be rowing at the same pace (and power output) but on different damper levels. It's worth experimenting to find the level that feels most comfortable to you.
Rest - interval sessions are repeated rows of standard or varying lengths with a rest period between them. A common training piece would be 10 x 1 min on / 1 min off. This means to row for one minute and then to rest for 1 minute and repeat ten times. It can be written in different ways:
10 x 60"/60"
10 x 1 min on/off
10 x 1 min/1'r
Splits - this is when a single piece is divided up into segments. When you see the Olympic rowers passing 500m and one clock stops, the other continues. The clock that stops is measuring the 'split' for that 500m segment. When it stops again at 1000m it is measuring the time for that segment. You can set up a 5000m row with 1k splits (as an example) so that when you look at the memory afterwards you can see how long/fast each 1km segment was. As you grow in experience, you can set targets or waypoints for each split as you become more conscious of yoru own ability and where you can push harder or ease back.
10k - 10km - 10000m - all mean the same thing.
Mile - 1609m
30r20 - this is a standard training piece of 30 minutes rowing at 20 strokes per minute - so a total of 600 strokes. It's considered a good base building session - power and cardiovascular endurance.
C2 - Concept2 - this is the name of the indoor rowing machine used.
Model C/D/E - the version of the rowing machine (can still compare times as it's the same power output meaurement, just deifferent designs of machine).
PM2/3/4 - different versions of the monitor that records times and displays it on screen.
CTC - each month, there is an online ranking challenge set by virtual teams to compete in. CTC stands for Cross Team Challenge - a challenge open to all teams against each other. You row your piece at home or at the gym and then register your time on the CTC website where you are automatically ranked.
PB - Personal Best. This is someone's best time for a time or distance piece. North Americans often call it PR - Personal Record. It's the same thing, but the British one is obviously correct ;-)
Here's an explanation of rate and pace by a Crew Instructor, World Record Holder and Indoor Rowing Coach, Pete Marston:
"There are three things on the rowing machine that determine how fast you go:
1. How far you move the handle (stroke length)
2. How much force you apply to the handle on the drive (stroke 'power')
3. How many times you apply that force (stroke rate)
Your stroke length is pretty much determined by genetics - how tall you are and how long your arms and legs are. After that it is a balancing act between how much force you apply to the handle on the drive, and how often you pull the handle. The balancing act part being what combination gets you the best pace on the monitor for the least effort - ie the best sustainable pace for a set time (or distance). This won't be the same for everyone, just like the optimum gear on a bike won't be the same for all cyclists. Drag factor comes in to this, as it changes the dynamics of the stroke, and is connected to where you optimum point will be between force and rate.
The easiest way to visualise it is to think of two cyclists riding next to each other at the same speed - one in a high gear, one in a low gear. They are both producing the same power because they are going at the same speed. But the one in the low gear will be spinning the pedals much faster than the one in the high gear. The one in the low gear will be putting less force into the pedals, but effectively supplying this force more often. (I say effectively, because of course on a bike you supply force constantly to the pedals, but this isn't relevant.)
Within a certain range both on a bike and on the erg, you can train yourself to be efficient at a certain drag / force and rate combination (or gear ratio on a bike). But there will come a point where you can't go any faster without making a change to rate or basic ability to produce force.
Efficiency also comes into the technical aspects of the erg stroke. You are combining the movement of a lot of different muscles to apply force to the handle, and you have to optimise this as well to get the best pace."
Where else to look, how to get started?
The
Concept2 UK Forum is where I ended up when googling for more information. There are other communities and forums from other countries, but the UK forum is used by an international collection of people for various purposes. I find the forum community to be extremely friendly, positive and supportive. It's also a place where there's a wealth of information covering allsorts of questions about the machine, training, health and fitness and competition.
There are a selection of Teams that you can choose to join too. Teams have monthly challenges amongst thier own members and also an intra-Team challenge where you post scores for your team against others online. This is called the Cross Team Challenge or
CTC for short.
I've listed a selection of teams here with some brief details put forward by the Team Captains so you can see which one might be worth joining:
Forum Flyers (the one I am affiliated to)
Global Team of mixed ability and open to all age groups and standards. Friendly group of sociable and competitive indoor rowers who compete online via the forum and in real life at competitions around the world.
Free to join, no subscription costs.
No Joining requirements, although participation in C2CTC highly encouraged. 
Captains - Henry Strieker, Deborah Barber
Contact - Private Message Captains (above) or visit Forum Flyers Chit Chat Thread and say hello!
Free Spirits
A friendly, supportive group of rowers. Started in 2006, it has grown in to the largest indoor rowing club in the world, currently boasting over 430 members. These are mostly UK and US/Canada based but we have members in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Australia/New Zealand.
The club caters for all abilities and there are no membership requirements other than all members are expected to treat eachother with respect.
The club is usually well represented in competitions
There are no compulsory costs but you can voluntarily donate to the website running costs.
Simply join through the concept 2 website and you will appear on the unique Free Spirits Metreboard.
Website:
www.freespiritsrowing.com
Sub-7
Administrator:
Jef.
Web Master:
Ant stansbie
Technical Guru:
Citroen (Dougie)
Assistants: The whole team.
A supportive community which promotes and encourages achievement in the sport at all levels.
Predominantly UK based but has members from all over the world. Has members from 11 to 70. No limits.
No costs involved, just effort.
The only joining requirement is that members be active and involved.
Anything else? Although a virtual club we always have a very high turn out at competitions and have two large social get togethers a year, one in the spring, one in the late summer involving BBQ, "refreshments" and a spot of friendly full on erging
Contact can be made through any team member on the site, direct to Jef. or through the web site
http://www.sub7irc.co.uk
MAD
A group of elite indoor rowers brought together with the aim of setting the world standard in indoor rowing. The team began in 2003 when a small group came together to train for, and set, the men's small team 100k World Record. The team has since set the standard for almost all relays in the sport.
Primarily UK based ergers, and primarily among the best in their respective peer groups.
No costs involved.
Entry is by invitation only.
Contact details - don't call us, we'll call you.
RowPro Rowers
We are the on-line rowing community using the RowPro software, we love to be as international as possible and because of that we are mostly virtual.
We like to be competitive, but there are also people that just paddle for some general fitness or weight loss. On-Line rowing together is so much more fun than sitting in your garage in the cold. (The garage will stay cold but the support from your rowing buddies will warm your heart)
If you want to join you will need to have the software to be able to row on-line, there are no further costs involved.
We are participating in the Cross Team Challenge, and we want as many RowPro boats in there as possible, from first to last. We love the fast rowers and the not so fast as long as we are having fun.
One of the fun things we do is when the challenge makes it possible, we do the challenge together on-line that is really stimulating.
Also when you want to do a new PB there are always some people on-line willing to pace and join you, not everyone is a time trial specialist some people just do better with some competition.
PaddyPower
We are a group of rowers that offers mutual support, advice and motivation.
We welcome rowers of both genders, all age categories and levels of ability. The club is Irish but welcomes all who have a connection, affinity or association with Ireland. The majority of our members are not native Irish.
We take part in the monthly CTC, log metres and are involved in the regular challenges on the C2 site. There is also our own monthly challenge where points are awarded for absolute performance and, separately, on a handicap basis. Many of our members participate in indoor rowing events and regattas.
> Any Costs Involved? - None.
There are no formal requirements. Following a month or so of participation, a new member will be sent the PaddyPower logo.
There is no club captain. We resolve issues democratically on the C2 PaddyPower thread. Any member may be contacted by PM and would be happy to introduce the new member to the club.
Taff Attack
A team of Welsh and Welsh affiliated mixed ability rowers who row together online and at regional, national and international events.
No costs involved other than sweat and the odd painful session
Rowers wishing to join Taff Attack racing should be Welsh or have some form of Welsh affiliation (living in Wales, Welsh relatives, Welsh pet etc) and be active in the club activities.
Team captains: Tart (aka Chris Adams) and Chippy (aka Robert Redmond)
Joining Instructions: See our web site
Web site details:
http://sites.google.com/site/taffattackracing/
Team Oarsome
Team Oarsome was formed on March 25th 2004 and at the time the aim was to find and recruit the up and coming stars of the sport. This it did very well and as the years have rolled by the aim has shifted more towards encouraging and supporting individuals at any level. We have a mix of talent from across Britain, the States and Canada from young to.....not quite so young and are currently very strong in the CTC monthly competitions. The aim now is to encourage the grass roots of the sport and get involved in more races across the world where we intend on taking some more titles to add to the trophy cabinet. Those interested in being part of something great
can contact Andy Burrows via PM. Main criteria from now is..........you gotta be willing to enter, turn up and give it 100% at the race venues.
Welsh Sea Rowing WSRA
The indoor rowing branch of the welsh sea rowing association.
> Orientation in terms of Nationalities / Age Groups / Competitiveness -
Nationalities! yes, you must have a nationality.
Age group - Most are around mid-life-crisis stage but there are others.
Competitiveness - Everyone from those with allergies to the erg to those who get emotional when they can't see an erg in the room!
> Any Costs Involved? - Only the same cost as joining an affiliated club (see website for club list)
> Any joining requirements? sense of humour and a willingness to dismantle ones own self esteem when doing a 2k!
> Anything else relevant (captains, who to contact, website etc) - Mainly myself or website also the facebook group is handy.
http://www.welshsearowing.org.uk/
Online Logbook and Rankings
The World Rankings are maintained by the US
Concept2 site. You can check to see the times for each age group and category and also check the world records here.
UK Competitions
There are competitions held all year round in the UK from school events to National Championships, the biggest being the British Indoor Rowing Championships - BIRC.
I would heartily recommend getting involved and having a go. You will find all levels of ability attending, and with age group and weight categories, you can compare to people similar to you. You will find fellow competitors very friendly and supportive and although you may feel a bit nervous, don't worry, everyone is supported and appluaded for giving it a go. For the more competitive, there are medals at stake of course which can provide that extra motivation for training.
The place to find out more is on the Concept2 UK website here:
RACING
I hope this has given you a bit of insight into what indoor rowing is all about, and that you have a look at the Concept2 Forum to find out more about the friendly community that has evolved over the years. If you need any pointers when you get there, send me a Private Message on my profile:
Graham Lay (you will need to register on the website first, Free)
My Story
If you want to read more about my own journey, have a read of my indoor rowing story:
Blog
Thanks for reading and sharing (TOP RIGHT OF BLOG), I hope you get into the sport and look forward to hearing from you and about your progress as you start whittling down those PB times and get fitter!
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