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Exercise advice and weight loss! • Page 208

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  • smoothpete 3 Jan 2013 13:44:03 29,469 posts
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    Re: rowing, depends on loads of factors, how long you are willing to sit there, your general fitness etc. I guess the only way to know your target is to try it and see how you get on

    edit - 5k in 25 minutes is fair enough. You might smash that or you might take longer.

    Edited by smoothpete at 13:46:53 03-01-2013
  • sport 3 Jan 2013 13:49:16 10,979 posts
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    CosmicFuzz wrote:
    I plan on going to gym early before work tomorrow to row. What's a good speed/distance/etc to be aiming for?
    Depends on how many ABS you want.
  • CosmicFuzz 3 Jan 2013 14:20:59 18,964 posts
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    What about resistance?
  • mcmonkeyplc 3 Jan 2013 14:23:13 35,988 posts
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    smoothpete wrote:
    I think I swim pretty much like that, but there seems to be a delay from when the hand / arm enters the water to when he actually starts the pull action bit. I would have thought that pause creates additional water resistance. I don't quite see what is achieved. Why not start the pull as soon as the hand hits the water?
    Breathing. I think he's slowing for breathing. You don't need to do that every stroke, just every 3.

    Come and get it cumslingers!

  • mcmonkeyplc 3 Jan 2013 14:25:21 35,988 posts
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    Also do you exhale while in the water? That's pretty important as well. I did not.

    If you hold your breath your creating tension in your shoulders and making it harder for you to breath steadily. If you exhale in the water all you have to do when you turn for air is in inhale.

    This led to me inhaling water yesterday. It's fucking hard doing this properly after decades of retarded swimming.

    Edited by mcmonkeyplc at 14:25:47 03-01-2013

    Come and get it cumslingers!

  • smoothpete 3 Jan 2013 14:38:44 29,469 posts
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    CosmicFuzz wrote:
    What about resistance?
    5 or 6. I stick on 6 most of the time.

    edit - this is on a Concept 2 machine by the way, with 10 being the highest resistance

    Edited by smoothpete at 15:00:10 03-01-2013
  • CosmicFuzz 3 Jan 2013 14:42:12 18,964 posts
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    Cheers :-)
  • sport 3 Jan 2013 14:49:21 10,979 posts
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    Going for the full 6 then? Nice...
  • smoothpete 3 Jan 2013 14:56:42 29,469 posts
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    mcmonkeyplc wrote:
    Also do you exhale while in the water? That's pretty important as well. I did not.
    Yes, I breath every 3 strokes, and exhale in the water. The hardest thing about changing my technique so far has been keeping my legs straight when kicking.
  • CosmicFuzz 3 Jan 2013 14:58:15 18,964 posts
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    sport wrote:
    Going for the full 6 then? Nice...
    Damn right. Look out for news reports about a sexy man ripping his guts out on a rowing machine in Edinburgh.
  • mrpon 3 Jan 2013 14:59:10 24,456 posts
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    No ice cream for you on the bus!

    Give yourself ½ gig or a £, you're worth it.

  • Vortex808 3 Jan 2013 15:00:28 5,439 posts
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    smoothpete wrote:
    CosmicFuzz wrote:
    What about resistance?
    I stick on 6 most of the time.
    Ditto. Much higher can apparently damage your shoulders etc. I think about 6 is supposed to match the resistance of water too.
  • Aargh. 3 Jan 2013 15:01:33 11,348 posts
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    How can I make rowing feel less boring? I struggle to stay there more than 5 minutes.
  • mcmonkeyplc 3 Jan 2013 15:06:07 35,988 posts
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    smoothpete wrote:
    mcmonkeyplc wrote:
    Also do you exhale while in the water? That's pretty important as well. I did not.
    Yes, I breath every 3 strokes, and exhale in the water. The hardest thing about changing my technique so far has been keeping my legs straight when kicking.
    Well if you have a good roll then you're pretty much sorted. I'm doing most things wrong it appears and have been for a looooooong time.

    Come and get it cumslingers!

  • mcmonkeyplc 3 Jan 2013 15:06:31 35,988 posts
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    Aargh. wrote:
    How can I make rowing feel less boring? I struggle to stay there more than 5 minutes.
    Make it harder.

    Come and get it cumslingers!

  • craigy Senior Developer, Gamer Network 3 Jan 2013 15:11:41 6,697 posts
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    I always laugh at the chaps who whack the Concept 2 up to 10, go full pelt, then two minutes later fall over through exhaustion. Ha ha ha, I go.

    Rowing is a funny one: I can't really gauge how well I perform.

    If you're getting bored I'd suggest intervals to liven things up. I normally do 5k with intervals in around 20 minutes. 1k medium pace to warm up, then repeating intervals of 200m at 100% intensity, 100m at cooldown pace, 200m at medium pace.
  • glaeken 3 Jan 2013 16:15:26 10,428 posts
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    Intervals can definitely help with boredom. I actually find doing something like 45 seconds at one pace and then 15 seconds at a faster pace really breaks things up. I think because you are switching things up so often you are always only a few seconds away from switching your pace.

    I don't know if it's actually a particularly valid/beneficial exercise method but it certainly helps the time go more quickly for me.

    Edited by glaeken at 16:16:32 03-01-2013
  • senso-ji 4 Jan 2013 11:59:27 4,687 posts
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    When I used to row a few years ago I used to put it up to 10 and do 5k in about 25 mins. There's not actually that much difference in 7-10, it's more how 'balanced' (for want of a better word) it feels when you're pulling.

    I kept going, got my best time down to sub 21 mins but I stopped from a mixture of boredom and nasty callouses on my hands.
  • CosmicFuzz 4 Jan 2013 12:03:45 18,964 posts
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    Guess who slept through their alarm this morning...
  • glaeken 4 Jan 2013 12:08:48 10,428 posts
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    @senso-ji I find the resistance level setting is more about getting the technique correct. A higher resistance level for me had me relying more on upper body strength than lower where for proper form the exercise is meant to be mainly lower body. The vast majority of power for rowing is meant to come from the legs.

    I doubt it's going to do too much harm going with a higher resistance if you don't care about the form that much though if you have a weak back it is said it can cause some issues. I am sure some people can get good form as well with high resistance but I know lower resistance helped me with my form.

    Also if you look on the Concept2 forums all the guys majorly into their concept2 record times go with resistance of 6 or lower. Those guys don't tend to use high resistance for anything and actually it's a common bit of advice they seem to give out to people getting into rowing to not put the resistance level too high. It's considered a newbie mistake but of course those guys are very focussed on a particular type of training.

    Edited by glaeken at 12:16:25 04-01-2013
  • askew 4 Jan 2013 12:15:54 10,596 posts
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    I spotted this online t'other day, and have begun to incorporate it into my routine. I definitely feel tight round the shoulders (although certainly not a hunchback!), so hope this helps loosen me up:

    http://kaasplateau.com/stretches.pdf
  • senso-ji 4 Jan 2013 13:07:21 4,687 posts
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    @glaeken

    I see what you mean, but for me it was the opposite; I had no problem pushing hard with my legs, which are way stronger than my upper body, so I set it at a higher resistance as it meant that I could get the rhythm down more easily. At level 6-7, I pushed with my legs too hard and my arms felt like they were catching up instead of one smooth motion. To each his own, though, and I concur with everything you say regarding form and injury avoidance.

    Edited by senso-ji at 13:09:00 04-01-2013
  • glaeken 4 Jan 2013 13:11:50 10,428 posts
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    I am sure it will vary from person to person. I have always done quite a lot of weight training with a bias towards upper body so for me I am sure that would be the reason why I found higher resistance meant me using my upper body more.

    What works best for you is really mostly the correct way to exercise.

    Edited by glaeken at 13:12:35 04-01-2013
  • smoothpete 4 Jan 2013 13:12:36 29,469 posts
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    If you pull with your back at high resistance then you can screw up your back in no time (speaking from experience)
  • fletch7100 5 Jan 2013 09:00:55 4,942 posts
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    mcmonkeyplc wrote:
    Aargh. wrote:
    How can I make rowing feel less boring? I struggle to stay there more than 5 minutes.
    Make it harder.
    Same here with rowing. Hate doing long sessions of cardio in the gym on one machine as it just bores me, I have to break it into short sessions. Saying that I used to do 60 mins on bike or treadmill, now I rather do a long run or biking outside. Can go out outside jogging or tabbing(fill a strong backpack with weight, build up the weight over a long period of time upto about 30kg. Then go for a walk cross country with hills is best. Do some squats, lunges with the backpack on every 1/2 mile or so ) and not get bored

    Anyway back to rowing,I use the 500m/1min rest workout . In the rest period do a different exercise Example 10 reps first time, next time you do the workout increase the reps to 12 or more depending on your fitness levels

    So example is this

    Row 500m then 12 normal width push ups
    Row 500m then 12 squats
    Row 500m then 12 close grip push ups
    Row 500m then 12 lunges per leg
    Row 500m then 12 wide grip push ups

    Can add more exercises or change them, add jumping burpees, difficulty level of the rowing machine is upto you etc. Basically this just a template adjust it to your own needs. May need more time during the rest period, adjust it to how your body is feeling/ level of fitness. So instead of doing the press ups in the 1 min rest period increase it to a 2 min rest period for example

    Once that is done, cross trainer 10 mins( most have difficulty levels between 1-25 pick something above 12 or a level that won't be too hard but won't be too easy either). Then straight onto the exercise bike 10 min using same plan for the difficulty level as the cross trainer. Then repeat this CT/bike combo but increase the difficulty level of the CT and bike and/or increase the time. Upto you how you want to change it.

    So you could spend about 20-30 mins on the rower combo then 20-60 mins on the CT/bike combo. If you desire could do the rower combo for the whole session, just add in more excerises or repeat the rower combo. I have just started doing this circuit once a week, do one other cardio session which is either gentle jogging cross country or a weighted walk.

    Plus add in 3 strength sessions a week which include basic barbell workouts, then finish off with a death march and/ or farmers walk.

    Edited by fletch7100 at 09:23:36 05-01-2013
  • THFourteen 5 Jan 2013 09:38:06 29,271 posts
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    Jesus that sounds like hard work!
  • Aargh. 5 Jan 2013 09:40:30 11,348 posts
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    mcmonkeyplc wrote:
    Aargh. wrote:
    How can I make rowing feel less boring? I struggle to stay there more than 5 minutes.
    Make it harder.
    I assume you mean the rowing.

    I can't make it any harder - I've done it aiming for 1:45/500m on maximum resistance but I want to do it so I can build up some endurance rather than instant power.
  • smoothpete 5 Jan 2013 10:15:56 29,469 posts
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    The concept 2 machines have some kind of fishing game you can play but I've never figured it out
  • fletch7100 5 Jan 2013 10:29:14 4,942 posts
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    @THFourteen

    It's not too hard a workout. The rowing combo gets your heart pumping more than the CT/bike combo. Can feel like a alien chestburster is about to break out :) I'm sure there are people on this forum who can make a harder version of that workout.

    I'm hardly a fitness freak, my man boobs and belly are evidence of that fact :) I'm 6ft and about 16 1/2 stone. Well in currently growing a beard so if I shave that off I probably drop down to 15stone. :)

    Saw an article about doing variations when rowing and I just thought that workout up as I sat at the rower.

    The workout does get me strange looks from the gym. Mainly from the people who are running on the treadmill whilst they hold onto the side rails at the same time. Wish I was allowed to trip people up who did it :)

    Doing Farmers walk round the gym gets me strange looks as well. Highlight was I thought I ask permission of the gym staff if I could do Farmers walk, then explain to the staff what a farmers walk was:)
  • Vortex808 5 Jan 2013 13:06:46 5,439 posts
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    smoothpete wrote:
    The concept 2 machines have some kind of fishing game you can play but I've never figured it out
    With the fish I think you have to pull harder to rise up, slow down to sink.

    I've only had a cursory go to appease our son who wanted to try it for some reason. He seems to like the rowing machine, but is only 5, so while we have shown him the form for it he doesn't get to use it yet!

    At least not for more than a few mins with constant supervision.

    Edited by Vortex808 at 13:07:54 05-01-2013

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