Concept 2 Rowing Tips

Check out these Concept 2 (C2) Advanced Rowing Tips, advice and videos.

Tip #1. Plan your workouts in advance but be willing to adjust depending on how you are feeling. Feeling great? Go for it in time or intensity.

Feeling stressed out and tired? Make the workout relief. Cover the monitor, turn on the radio or TV and just row for the release of it.

Tip #2. Include a period of warm up and cool down in each workout. This time can also be spent working on proper rowing technique.

Tip #3. Experiment periodically with both your wind damper setting and your race stroke rate. You may find that a change in damper setting may make you slightly more efficient and complement your improving cardiovascular conditioning and strength. This may also be true with stroke rate.

CrossFit – C2 Rower: Technique Refinement

Check out the Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine

Tip #4. Be sure to supplement your Concept 2 Indoor Rower workouts with body exercises that encourage additional flexibility and reciprocal joint and muscle strengthening.

For example, try push ups, pull ups, stomach crunches and back arches, as well as simply bending over and touching the fingers to the toes, letting gravity help lengthen you out a little.

Question: Can I get a black Concept 2 rower for under $1000 at Amazon.com?

Answer: Yes; you can get a Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine (Black) for $900.

Quick Rowing Tips with Jason Khalipa CrossFit Coach and Athlete

Check out the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne Exercise Bike

More Concept 2 Rowing Tips

Tip #5. Be sure to schedule in rest days as well as test days.

Tip #6. Keep a log. This helps in terms of motivating yourself by noting your improvement and helps identify a successful series of workouts.

How to Get Better at Rowing and Improve Your WOD’s

Tip #7. Train with a friend either on two Indoor Rowers or by alternating pieces on one Indoor Rower while one of you is stretching or doing body exercises.

Tip #8. Enjoy the rowing. It is a great way to spend some time with your body! Tune out everything else and push yourself.

Rowing with Greater Intensity

Groundwork and Preparation:

Rowing:
Try to row a minimum of 30 minutes per session, aiming for an average workout length of 45 minutes.

Aim for 4-6 long workouts per week. This can include cross-training sessions like trail-running or biking.

Intensity of long sessions should be moderate-sometimes a little easier, sometimes a little harder.

Keep one shorter, more intense interval session per week in your training mix. You can do this at the beginning of a longer row, finishing the row with steady state after the intervals are done.

Strength Training:
Use a low number of lifts (reps), and high resistance to build your maximum strength. A standard lifting protocol is 3 sets of 8 lifts (reps), using the heaviest weight that still allows you to complete the sets. Or use the C2 DYNO and the appropriate resistance will automatically be created for you.

Safety: If you are using free weights, find a lifting partner or personal trainer to be sure you are lifting properly and safely.

Aim for three sessions per week for the whole body, or alternate upper and lower body every other day.

Here are a few questions that athletes in our gym have asked about rowing and buying a rower.

Question: “Coach, where can I buy a used rower?”.

Answer: If you live in an semi-urban area check on Craigslist and you can find a rower used for about $800 to $900.

Question: Can I use the Concept 2 to train for 5k run?”. Absolutely. There are CrossFit athletes that use the rower and don’t run long distance and enter and local 5k run and place in the top spots in their age group.

Question: What are some tips to decrease time on the Concept 2 rower? Check out the tips above and your time will definitely decrease for the 1k row.

Question: What is a good time for the 5k on a Concept rower? Check out the online database for competitive rowing times here: http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/racing/records/world

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