I haven’t worked out in a long time. I was really ripping the machine in the beginning and couldn’t last more than 10 minutes. I’ve rowed 4 out of the 6 days due to some family stuff. Would have been there everyday. Today i decided to go at a more steady pace. 32-33 strokes per minute. 25 minutes and 3 miles. I was going to stop at 20 minutes but said screw it let me push myself a little more since i wasn’t dying. Plus i wanted to burn some more calories. Happy with the performance. What SPM should i really aim for?
It’s been 6 days since i bought my rowing machine
- Thread starter kdhcpeace
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- fitness after 30
@kdhcpeace When I was racing, our maximum stroke rate on the water would be 30, when we were at full chat racing over 2000m.
Training on the ergo we would be anywhere from 18-30 depending on what we were training for, distance and so on.
If you're going over 32spm for any sort of time or distance, I'd look at the resistance of your machine and your technique.
From the start position, arms locked out straight and a straight back tilted forward, make sure your legs are done driving before you first lean back, then pull with your arms.
Then straighten your arms and let your hands get past your knees before you go back up the slide - you shouldn't be lifting the handle over your knees as you go forward.
This is mainly because on the water you'd be digging your blade into the water and possibly causing your boat to flip over - when you see people doing ergo world records and stuff they don't stick to this but doing it will help you get a good technique.
If you're doing this technique and you're still managing 30spm+ over a distance of 2000m or more, you're either a freak and need to join a rowing club, or your resistance is too low. 30spm for any length of time HURTS. They used to make us do it side-by-side, and the first one to black out and fall off their ergo was the loser.
Training on the ergo we would be anywhere from 18-30 depending on what we were training for, distance and so on.
If you're going over 32spm for any sort of time or distance, I'd look at the resistance of your machine and your technique.
From the start position, arms locked out straight and a straight back tilted forward, make sure your legs are done driving before you first lean back, then pull with your arms.
Then straighten your arms and let your hands get past your knees before you go back up the slide - you shouldn't be lifting the handle over your knees as you go forward.
This is mainly because on the water you'd be digging your blade into the water and possibly causing your boat to flip over - when you see people doing ergo world records and stuff they don't stick to this but doing it will help you get a good technique.
If you're doing this technique and you're still managing 30spm+ over a distance of 2000m or more, you're either a freak and need to join a rowing club, or your resistance is too low. 30spm for any length of time HURTS. They used to make us do it side-by-side, and the first one to black out and fall off their ergo was the loser.
faithinprogress
New member
@faithinprogress When I’m in perfect form, what muscle do you think would be sore. I feel like I’m doing things right but maybe I’m not. I have been more sore in my lower back than anywhere else. I do feel the burn in my arms the most and a little in my legs lately.
@boss121 Yes i have been trying to focus on my technique with the legs straight before i pull. Obviously I’m not perfect for never using a rowing machine but definitely paying attention. I’ll pay attention to hands over knees. I don’t believe i am. I mean I’m not a completely fatass haha i work a somewhat active job, not sitting behind a desk so I’m not in terrible shape. But definitely gonna work towards being a freak of nature lol
@kdhcpeace Make sure you throw some zone 2 in, mix it up - they're great machines because you can go anaerobic, even into Tabata territory, as well as your zone 2.
Happy rowing - I have one too, but I rarely get on it because when I was seriously into the sport it was a torture device
Happy rowing - I have one too, but I rarely get on it because when I was seriously into the sport it was a torture device
@kdhcpeace Have a Google, what I'm saying is that you can do workouts in different heart rate zones and get different benefits rather than thrashing it every time. Ergos are great for all of them.
@kdhcpeace Best of luck with your journey 
@kdhcpeace As a comparison, I'm 6'4, took the better part of last year off, and have been rowing (erging) at 18 spm. My partner, (5'6 female) has been around 22-23 spm.
selectedhypocrite
New member
@kdhcpeace I had a water rower for quite some time. A good rule to follow when you’re first starting is a 1 second pull, then a count of 3 seconds to return to the start of the pull position. This will help you focus on your technique a bit more. Additionally it lets the water settle a little bit. If you pull crazy fast, the water doesn’t stop spinning between strokes… so your next stroke has even less resistance. It sounds a bit counter intuitive… but you will actually get more out of the work out if you slow down your rate to 18-22.
@selectedhypocrite I actually noticed that today. Thanks for the advice
@selectedhypocrite Do you think i should up my resistance ?
selectedhypocrite
New member
@kdhcpeace Yes, up your resistance to the middle setting.
@kdhcpeace Don't overdo it. I did when I bought mine, and then I couldn't use it for more than a year due to back problems (which of course have been there before, but I made them way worse by training too much, probably with bad technique).
@kdhcpeace Checking out the wiki and a bunch of the info/posts on r/rowing was invaluable for me. More specialized to what you're looking for.
@kdhcpeace Which row erg did you purchase? Does it offer different damper (resistance) settings? If you have a Concept 2 erg, I'd recommend testing your drag factor and see which damper setting is optimal for you. This will help you determine your optimal SPM.