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Anonymous
What's /fit/s opinion on rowing machines?

I do HIIT 3 times a week but I much prefer rowing to jogging. Could HIIT be applied to the machine or am I just better off running?

Also when rowing should I be aiming for speed or endurance?

Rowing.. useful exercise or waste of time, /fit/ must decide!
>> Anonymous
well I love rowing but I don't do HIIT on it. Also I usually keep 2 minute splits for 20 minutes
>> Anonymous
If you just run/row for cardio, it really doesn't matter what you do.

If you're training for something specific, do whatever you're training for, and supplement that with cross training. For example, if you're running, rowing might be good to do on days you don't run.
>> Anonymous
Ergometers are very good for cardio for a low-impact machine. Just, for the love of god, erg correctly. Swallow your pride and look online for tips - I'm a rowfag and whenever I go to the gym and see idiots on the ergs rowing improperly it makes me cry. Keep your back straight and get some swing or else you can hurt yourself pretty hardcore. If you don't do it right it's a waste of time and very destructive - if you do it right, it's very good.

Also, never, EVER put the resistance above 6. If you're a girl 4 1/2 is good, 5 1/2 for a guy. That'll force you to push off decently with your legs while also keeping a decent rate.

Depending on your leg strength, keeping a 2 minute split for anywhere from 20 minutes to 60 minutes is a good goal - one of our tests is called an 'hour of power' and you try to row as long as you can for an hour straight, and I keep a 1:55 split. So start at 20 minutes and then build your way up.

You'll know you're at a good pace when all you want to do after you erg is fall asleep right there, crying. If you want to vomit, you either drank too much water beforehand or you hit it far too hard.
>> Anonymous
I used to row all the time, but it got boring. Now I skip rope and run track (HITT). I like the feeling of the air 'whoshing' as I run around.

Maybe I had the resistance too high (10) and doing it not long enough (10-15min). I dunno. But I think variety is a good thing.
>> Anonymous
>>255181
>If you want to vomit -- you hit it far too hard.
What kind of pussy thinking is this?
>> Anonymous
>>255181

I hope you die. Resistance 10 is far, far too hard. All that does is fuck up your back.
>> Anonymous
>>255182

Rowfag returning here.

Wanting to puke after an extended piece isn't a good thing, even if it's HIIT. If you're rowing for cardio than it's a different level than rowers actually doing time tests - wanting to puke after a full-pressure 2k is a good thing, but that's not HIIT; it's suicide for (what better be) less than seven minutes.
>> Anonymous
>>255276
Nice claims there. Good thing you gave such good reasons for them, otherwise I might not have believed you.
>> Anonymous
>>254936
>>Could HIIT be applied to the machine
>>HIIT on a rowing machine

Haha, oh wow.
>> Anonymous
You people row for 20 minutes straight? Wow I must suck pretty bad... All my arm muscles are numb after 2-3 minutes of rowing... And all exercise I do after a hard row feels 5 times more exhausting... A 2-3 minute row drains all my strenght.

I am a younging and have more fat than muscle on my arms but still...
>> Anonymous
>>255309

About this.. any other advice except keeping the back straight? I know you're supposed to use your legs as much as possible and I do, but it only strains my arms for some reason...
>> Anonymous
>>255288

0/10

You obviously know what you're talking about. Fail.

>>255323

Keep your back straight but also somewhat vertical - you shouldn't be able to touch your chest to your legs at full compression, only your abs. Compression should stop when your shins are vertical. Keeping your back straight and in the SAME POSITION, push off with your legs (the best way to think of it is to imagine your knees going down). Then, when your legs are fully extended you swing back a few inches while keeping your back straight - after you're an inch or three into your swing, pull your arms in.

Your arms lead the rest of your body out - no exceptions. The erg will have a slight 'pull' to the spinner; let that carry you upwards. Your arms will go out, that will pull your upper body enough to pivot forwards on your hip, and then you compress your legs.

During anything that involves your legs, your body shouldn't rotate; it should appear that your body is just translating horizontally. Because that's what it should be doing.

At higher levels, you actually push your arms out in order to get to the catch (full compression) faster. Your hamstrings shouldn't be used - that means your legs are pulling you upwards.

If you seriously care enough about not hurting yourself while erging, watch this short youtube clip. It's for sweep rowing but the first part will give you a visual indicator of everything I just said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXnKyJdA01w
>> Anonymous
rowfag 2/2,
>>255309

Yeah that's not a good thing. In fact that's a terribly, terribly bad thing. You're probably engaging your arm muscles at the catch - you should simply be hanging onto your handle and pushing off with your legs. The only time your arm muscles except for forearms do anything is during the swing. During the drive, your arms should be straight and the only muscles engaged should be your back and forearms (forearms only to keep your grip).

Also, check your goddamn resistance. That's probably why you're so exhausted. Set it to 3 if it's a Concept II - or similarly low on another brand. For the last time, none of this resistance 10 shit.


A lot of people put it to resistance 10 and treat erging as if you're lifting - that every stroke should really push you. Erging is an activity that should be maintained over a long amount of time - sure it's easy for the first ten minutes, but talk to me thirty minutes later (or just wheeze at me because you can't breathe even after keeping only a 2:30 split for that long).


>>255301

HIIT can easily be achieved on an erg. You just don't know what the hell you're talking about. Have fun on resistance 10
>> Anonymous
>>255301
I fucking hate how many idiots on /fit/ don't really know what HIIT is.

You could fucking do High Intensity Interval Masturbating, in fact, I recommend it.
>> Anonymous
>>255346
>>255343

I appreciate the advice, would suck pretty bad if my exercise just messed me up instead of helping me cause of my own ignorance...

I'm also interested to know if the rowing will be good to gain strength to my arms. Or simply, I'd like to know what are the mayor benefits in rowing?
>> faggot !kzxLmJyzX.
>>255353

You beat me to it. It's getting laughable with the amount of people proclaiming HIIT is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I honestly have to wonder how many of them are doin it rite as it seems the recommendation for everyone who wants to go from fatass sedentary to /fit/fag is HIIT.
>> Anonymous
>>255356

Well let's draw the line between 'rowing' and 'erging' - 'erging' is rowing on an ergometer. Rowing is actually rowing in a shell.

Erging is very good for cardio, if you do it right, and to build useful muscle on your legs and back. Think of it as when you just squat the bar for an hour straight or so. Endurance and toning will come if you do steady-state stuff for long enough and get into a good rhythm.

Erging (and rowing) is mostly about the legs, cardio and back. There's a little abs and a little arms - but not enough to be a primary exercise for either of them. If you want to do a rowing-type motion to gain arm mass, just do seated row lifts on the machines.

The real benefit of erging is it's ability to give good cardio results while being very, very low impact. Running gets your heart rate higher, but it's very high impact compared to erging.

Rowing's benefit is all of that, plus you're a badass because rowing as a sport is insanely hard.
>> Anonymous
>>255384

Okay but what I've wondered always is why my arm muscles go completely numb after rowing, while it feels like no big workout for my legs at all... And I do it like it is shown on those videos... I always pull with my legs until they are straight, then pull that last bit with my arms. It just doesn't stress my legs at all, with my arms completely relaxed and legs doing the work.

Could it be that my arm muscles are just pathetic compared to my legs? I have hard time believing that because before going to the gym I didn't work either legs nor arms.
>> Anonymous
>>255343
>You obviously know what you're talking about. Fail.
All I wanted were some reasons why it's bad to go hard enough to want to puke.
>> Anonymous
>>255403

Fair enough. Sorry for being snappy.

Puking usually happens after one of two things, like I said; you drank too much water beforehand which just makes you nauseous when you row, or you kill it really hard. The problem with killing it really hard is that this thread is oriented towards extended erging pieces, 40 minutes or so. That's steady-state rowing at it's finest and is best suited towards giving you a cardio workout.

Erging so hard you want to puke is usually reserved for test pieces or for insanely-hard HIIT stuff (We have one workout where it's 30 seconds as hard as you can [ends up being a 1:20 split or so] and then 1 minute static rest, which you do 6 times or so. It's a lactic acid workout and it blows; that's the one time I've ever wanted to puke). Wanting to puke just is unpleasant in general and then you don't push yourself as hard throughout the remainder of your workout (ignore for test pieces).

People who erg for cardio shouldn't push themselves to the puke stage - that's a sign you're going above the recommended peak high.

Now, someone who's training for the spring racing season to do 2000m sprints will vary his or her erg pieces to get a better workout - and, like the workout I mentioned earlier, sometimes that involves insane lactic acid workouts that usually end in pain, immobile rowers and the general 'ohgodi'mgonnapuke' feeling.
>> Anonymous
>>255402

Oh whurps I totally missed this. Sorry bud.

Hmm. Again, check the resistance. You might be throwing your back or using your arms on that one inch where there's no resistance - and then pulling with the legs once you feel it. That could be it.

I know that one of my friends who sculls was having problems with her fingers going numb sometimes after rowing - she had poor circulation. Perhaps that's it? Try really focusing on keeping your back and shoulders in place during the first part of the stroke. If that's not it, I'm not sure how to help.
>> Anonymous
>>255424
>this thread is oriented towards extended erging pieces, 40 minutes or so
OK. OP was talking about HIIT though.
>> Anonymous
Rowing on an erg is ok, but actually rowing is one of my favorite sports. It's one of the best workouts in the world, works virtually every muscle in the body.
>> Anonymous
>>255444

Oh, haha. Good point. Looks like I just hijacked this thread. In repayment I offer you some HIIT ideas for on the erg.

NOTE - '2k' pace differs from person to person. My first 2k after rowing for two months was around 1:58.3 split. 6k pace is probably your 2k plus 6 seconds or so.

5 x 5’ with 5-6 minutes rest between each one. 1st three minutes should be 6k pace, last 90 seconds @ 2k target pace. Good warmup and cooldown - be smart (15 mins or so)

40 seconds hard, 40 seconds light x 12 for 3 sets. Slight rest in between - take a few minutes to stretch and get a quick drink. Pace = target 2k pace

3 x 500 m, 2 sets. All done at 2k target pace and target rate (28-32). 2 minutes rest for 1st set. 3 minutes rest for 2nd set. 2.5k paddling warmup and 2k paddling cool down.

Cooling down and warming up are insanely important - if you don't do them, you're going to fuck yourself over and become an hero. Don't be dumb. It takes time but it's worth it. Also - if you do this right, this shit is gonna hurt. Good luck, HIIT.