[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Who all has a rowing machine? Did you get bored with it eventually? (Page 1 of 4)
Posted: 11/24/2021 6:05:01 PM EDT
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A co-worker offered up a barely used Concept2 Model D for $450 to me a couple weeks back so while I was heading his way to pick up my new GX from the dealership I stopped by and grabbed it. I've only done a couple of little tests and then a 20 minute workout on it so far but I think I like it. Normally I'm a bicycle rider for 8-12 miles at a time but it's now winter in Nebraska....soooo.....yeah. Do you find that you really like it or does it get old after awhile? It does seem to require more concentration than a bicycle so that's good as the time passes faster it seems. Overall, I'm liking it thus far and will be doing another 20 minute workout tonight as I'm still trying to get the technique down so I don't hurt myself. It definitely works more of your body than a bicycle or even elliptical. ETA: I've been watching Training Tall and Darkhorse Rowing on YouTube for workouts and technique tips. |
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Quoted: I have a C2 Model D. If someone offered me one for $450, I'd buy another. I really wasn't planning on it as we do have an Elliptical but the price got me to try. Elliptical's cost a lot of money for the really nice ones. We have a $1K model currently and it's okay but it's not Precor level. |
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had one for several years - one of the best workouts you can do. provided you take the stroke sequence seriously. watch a bunch of videos to nail down your: catch, drive, finish, recovery. this is where most folks get sloppy and don't really get the benefit. i used to do 4000m - 7000m workouts 3 days a week and mix with running and weights. it DOES work. But. and here's the but. it can get quite tedious focusing for 30min on your form and staring at a spot on the wall / outside a window. finally just needed a change and sold it. either way, you're likely a winner. if it's in good shape you can sell it for close to $1k. i paid $1100 for mine, rowed 3 years, sold it for $950 in less than 24hrs on Craigslist. they hold their value and if yours is in good shape you got a steal. |
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I've had a rowing machine for about 6 years, the Newport/Pacific water rower (seriously, they have two or three models that are just different color schemes, and they ended up sending me the water unit from the Pacific and the rail from the Newport). Used it about 2-3 times a week up until a few months ago and the return Bungie lost it's stretch, b so I need to replace it. I like it, but I was a swimmer thru college and have run marathons and ultra trail runs, so boring workouts are kinda my thing. I actually enjoy mixing it into other exercises... One of my favorites is just a hard minute row, 10 burpees, 30 seconds rest. Repeat 10 times, and with warmup/cool down that's a hard workout in basically half an hour. |
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Quoted: Still use mine quite a bit  https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/19372/6542B24C-9186-417D-8561-5083432A1E3B_jpe-2179817.JPG I could try that on the Platte, however, the ice jams would probably impede my progress
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Quoted: had one for several years - one of the best workouts you can do. provided you take the stroke sequence seriously. watch a bunch of videos to nail down your: catch, drive, finish, recovery. this is where most folks get sloppy and don't really get the benefit. i used to do 4000m - 7000m workouts 3 days a week and mix with running and weights. it DOES work. But. and here's the but. it can get quite tedious focusing for 30min on your form and staring at a spot on the wall / outside a window. finally just needed a change and sold it. either way, you're likely a winner. if it's in good shape you can sell it for close to $1k. i paid $1100 for mine, rowed 3 years, sold it for $950 in less than 24hrs on Craigslist. they hold their value and if yours is in good shape you got a steal. Good to know...thanks! Yeah it's brand new. He said they used it 4 or 5 times and that was it. There's not a scratch on it anywhere. |
| I have a C2 PM5 and use it every morning during the weekdays. I recently got onto EXR as an immersive game-type experience. Keeps me interested and even has a couple games. They are working on a real-time competition mode like Zwift for cycling. I have a referral link if you're interested in trying it out. Doesn't do much, just helps get in-game items unlocked. There is no in game thing you can buy with dollars, it's all points based on achievements. |
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Quoted: I do rowing circuits. Row for 3-4 min hard as fuck jump off, DB squats, pushups, sit ups, back to rowing. Do that 10x sets a day for a few weeks and tell me your ain’t starting to get shredded. I think I might die at this point if I did that LOL. I'm fairly fit but I noticed that the rowing machine was a much harder workout than a mountain bike on the gravel road for the same amount of time unless it's windy as hell out for the bicycle. It looks like my first 20min workout I rowed 4214m and averaged a 2:20/500m with a 130 Drag Factor. Good or not I don't know but that's how I did and I was pretty tired after the fact. |
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Quoted: So it CAN be used as a drying rack. I stand corrected. Quoted: Quoted: I have a concept 2 rower Used it a few times and not it’s in the garage standing on end and I use it to hang car wash towels from to dry So it CAN be used as a drying rack. I stand corrected. It's 8ft long though so it'd be difficult I'd think. |
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Quoted: had one for several years - one of the best workouts you can do. provided you take the stroke sequence seriously. watch a bunch of videos to nail down your: catch, drive, finish, recovery. this is where most folks get sloppy and don't really get the benefit. i used to do 4000m - 7000m workouts 3 days a week and mix with running and weights. it DOES work. But. and here's the but. it can get quite tedious focusing for 30min on your form and staring at a spot on the wall / outside a window. finally just needed a change and sold it. either way, you're likely a winner. if it's in good shape you can sell it for close to $1k. i paid $1100 for mine, rowed 3 years, sold it for $950 in less than 24hrs on Craigslist. they hold their value and if yours is in good shape you got a steal. Every bit of this. They hold their value. I mentioned this in a thread about treadmills the other week. Being supposedly old, I have the Model E. If I were to change anything, I'd get that display out of my freaking face. Move the yellow down to where the red is. You don't have to do the 5000 meters everyone else does. Do the 20 minutes of cardio that Shaq says he does. As has been said: Check out the Youtube videos that demonstrate how to do it correctly. You need to use it correctly. Attached File |
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Quoted: But. and here's the but. it can get quite tedious focusing for 30min on your form and staring at a spot on the wall / outside a window. I generally watch something on TV/YouTube/whatever. The trick is to find a show that's just interesting enough to keep me going, but not so engaging that I lose focus on the workout.... |
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Concept 2 Model D and a Peloton bike at home, and a LifeCore R100 rower and Keiser M3 bike at work. Rowing machines are great workouts. Yes, you get bored. I alternate between them and an exercise bikes to try to stay motivated. Honestly I like the bikes better, as they are quiet and I can watch a movie or something on TV. I dropped the Peloton subscription, and just use the bike in front of the TV instead. Didn't feel I was getting $40 a month out of ladies in spandex yelling at me while riding to music I hated from 30 years ago. (Side note, I understand you can hack the Peloton screen; it's just a large Google tablet with an autorun app, but I haven't done it as of yet). |
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Sign up for Concept 2's online log, look at the "standard" distances/times and people's performance on them, and then set goals and work for them. Besides being a great machine, the C2's real strength is the Performance Monitor and the ability to actually gauge your progress. No way I could just get on and row for a specific period of time or distance, without a goal. I sold my rower after my deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism. Partially because rowing closed my leg right in the area where the DVT happened and it hurt, but mostly because in warmer months I ride a bicycle and would rather do something more similar for indoor workouts. I used the money from the rower to buy Concept 2's bikeerg and I love it. |
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I had a C2 D. Hated it. I got to where I didn’t look forward to my lift day anytime where I had programmed to do a little work with the rower. So I sold it during the run on workout equipment last year. I owned it for less than a year. I like lifting weights. Barbells, dumbbells, cables, body weight, bands… Anything but cardio. Unless you want to row for CrossFit stuff where you’re timed with rower work, I’d skip it. But that’s me. |
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Quoted: Sign up for Concept 2's online log, look at the "standard" distances/times and people's performance on them, and then set goals and work for them. Besides being a great machine, the C2's real strength is the Performance Monitor and the ability to actually gauge your progress. No way I could just get on and row for a specific period of time or distance, without a goal. I sold my rower after my deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism. Partially because rowing closed my leg right in the area where the DVT happened and it hurt, but mostly because in warmer months I ride a bicycle and would rather do something more similar for indoor workouts. I used the money from the rower to buy Concept 2's bikeerg and I love it. I'll do that...thanks for the tips! |
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It’s less about whether or not you’ll continue to use a rowing machine specifically and more about whether you have the discipline to be regularly physically active at all. If you do, you’ll use it regularly. If not, it won’t matter what kind of machine it is - it’ll just collect dust. I got this one earlier this year:    Failed To Load Product Data It’s very nice, very smooth, very quiet. I alternate between it and a stationary bike 5-6 days a week |
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Quoted: It’s less about whether or not you’ll continue to use a rowing machine specifically and more about whether you have the discipline to be regularly physically active at all. If you do, you’ll use it regularly. If not, it won’t matter what kind of machine it is - it’ll just collect dust. I got this one earlier this year: https://www.cyberfit.com.au/pub/media/catalog/product/w/a/waterrower-natural-water-rower.jpg www.amazon.com/dp/B0053BMWWU It’s very nice, very smooth, very quiet. I alternate between it and a stationary bike 5-6 days a week You make valid points. I've seen reviews of that one and it looks nice. Do you have to worry about the water having stuff grow in it? |
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Quoted: Concept 2 Model D and a Peloton bike at home, and a LifeCore R100 rower and Keiser M3 bike at work. Rowing machines are great workouts. Yes, you get bored. I alternate between them and an exercise bikes to try to stay motivated. Honestly I like the bikes better, as they are quiet and I can watch a movie or something on TV. I dropped the Peloton subscription, and just use the bike in front of the TV instead. Didn't feel I was getting $40 a month out of ladies in spandex yelling at me while riding to music I hated from 30 years ago. (Side note, I understand you can hack the Peloton screen; it's just a large Google tablet with an autorun app, but I haven't done it as of yet). Get both? https://www.rowbike.com/ @delagem |
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Was a rower in HS, part of college, on-again-off-again after that for a bit, so I've logged literally tens of thousands of kilometers on a Concept 2. Picked one up again about a decade ago thinking I'd get back into it... nope, fuck all that. God only knows how many hours of my life wasted on those miserable things. But yeah it's a hell of a workout if you use it correctly. It's still down in the cellar if anyone wants it. |
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Quoted: I'll do that...thanks for the tips! Quoted: Quoted: Sign up for Concept 2's online log, look at the "standard" distances/times and people's performance on them, and then set goals and work for them. Besides being a great machine, the C2's real strength is the Performance Monitor and the ability to actually gauge your progress. No way I could just get on and row for a specific period of time or distance, without a goal. I sold my rower after my deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism. Partially because rowing closed my leg right in the area where the DVT happened and it hurt, but mostly because in warmer months I ride a bicycle and would rather do something more similar for indoor workouts. I used the money from the rower to buy Concept 2's bikeerg and I love it. I'll do that...thanks for the tips! I don't know exactly what we're getting at here, but go on Concept2's own page and it's pretty cool. A fella' who had the highest measured lung capacity ever became paralyzed, and now he uses Concept's skiing machine, or whatever. Anything stationary is boring as fuck, IMO. To get out on a real-live bicycle for 40 minutes beats 20 minutes on a Concept2 anyday, but it's not always possible. I'd do the bicycle indoors if I could figure out how to make that conversion. It's not at all straightforward, what with axle widths and axle types, and what-not. In any case ... |
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Quoted: Great workout!! Legs, back, arms, core all at once. If you're doing it right, it will suck hard. I strictly lift weights. If I had to use a machine, I'd get a good rower. Right. I have a bad shoulder that I get an idea I can fix if I crank my Concept2 up to 8. I do it, and it works. How you set it does different things for you at different times. |
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Quoted: I’ve put 5,000,000 meters on mine. Best bang for buck cardio machine. That's a heck of a lot of use there, stud! I rowed in college (early 80s) and have the early model C2 (not even a cage around the fan). Don't use mine at home, but do use the Model E at the gym. Great, all encompassing workout. Between that, lifting some weights and swimming, you can't do much better. The games help with boredom. If you're keeping track of your numbers just keeping the effort up also helps keep boredom at bay. For example, if you are able to keep a 2 min/500 pace for 20 minutes, then up the resistance until you max it out and then increase the pace at a lower resistance, etc. As stated, $450 is a very fair price. If you don't like it, sell and you'll get every penny back. As you seem to know, technique is everything on a rower to get the best efficiency (distance over time) as well as results for your body. |
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Bought a Concept 2 Model D recently, got tired of it after a few months. Sold it. Still not tired of my 45lb kettlebell, which has been my homie for years now. Think I paid something like $50 for it. That fucker kicks my ass 2-3 times a week and probably will for a long time to come. I did treadmills for years though. Go figure. |
| Concept 2 here and a Nordic Track Elliptical. I alternate between the 2 every other day. On the rower, I average anywhere from 5400 - 5700 meters for 30 minutes with 3 intervals of either 7 or 8 minutes with either 2 or 3 min of a "rest period" where you still row. 3 miles are done on the Elliptical on those days. To keep from boredom, I watch some of the Darkhorse rowing routines on Youtube and follow along as I row.... |
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You got a great deal OP, those machines are well built and well engineered. The ones at my gym thrive on a constant diet of abuse. I've done some maintenance on them and I'm very impressed with their design. If you have the newer (PM5?) monitor you can connect a phone app and log your workouts. With the older one (PM3?) you have to connect a USB cable. As others have said, learn proper technique to get the best benefit and avoid injury. Mix up the workouts. Change up the damper settings. If you don't already train with a heart rate monitor, get one and use it. If I was going to get a machine I'd get a C2 rower. And I say that as a former bike racer who loves spin bike workouts. |
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I did a Darkhorse workout tonight. I need to concentrate on keeping my drive more consistent and how to consistently pivot with my hips at the correct time. I'm not exactly a limber guy so my heels also come off the platform in the catch which annoys me. I think I'll change the damper to 4 from 5 to lower the drag factor a bit and see if that helps me. I have a long ways to go before I'll say I have good form. Attached File Attached File |
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Quoted: All that exercise equipment eventually just sits and people sell it for pennies on the dollar. Yep. I had a fucking fit each time a huge cardboard box with an exercise machine addressed to my wife would show up at the door. The damn things are fucking big, ugly, and sit out in the middle of your room like some kind of sex-machine..... and will never get used after a week or two. I tell my wife all of that which of course starts an argument. Of course she proved to me again that I'm just a genius prophet who can correctly foretell the future! |