Rowers....

[thrasher15]

Have pretty much a complete home gym setup. But thinking a rower could be a nice addition. To be honest its been years since I've rowed or used a machine.

Is it a good investment for me given my goals? can it workout most upper body muscles? if not which are the main one's it neglects? will it help me obtain that elusive six pack?

[swanso5]

the actual movement won't do any of those specifically...you're thinking of effort, a hard effort on anything will get you those elusive results

www.uponlinetraining.com

[beachdog]

If used for high intensity interval training (HIIT) of say, 30sec sprint followed by 30sec rest - Repeat by 10 or, 500m sprints or 1000m sprints, then the Concept2 Indoor Rowing machine gives the highest intensity workout of any piece of equipment in the gym, or if you buy, at home. But, at around $AUD 2,200 they are expensive unless you intend to utilize it 4 to 5 times weekly. It is excellent for raising your aerobic capacity (VO2 max), anaerobic threshold and lactate tolerance and this is the reason that many sportspeople use it for cross training apart from water rowers who use it in the off season and on inclement weather days.

The muscles worked, however are primarily in the legs as the initial pushoff (drive) by the legs, is responsible for 65-70% of the total exertion involved, the upper body (arms/shoulders/chest) not coming into play until after the handle has passed over the knees and the final drive is initiated as the handle comes back into the lower rib cage. It is vital to use correct technique and you can view these on video by going to the USA site of Concept2.
You can see then, that the rower is used for its aerobic benefit and not to build muscle as such.

Hope this helps - regards, Graham, (Current Australian age group record holder for the 500m Fly & Die sprint; and 1000m sprint; and 2km enduro event; Immediate past world number one ranking for these events - World rankings are cleared and recommence on 1st May each year )

[thrasher15]

Thanks guys. Great info there Graham just what I was after particularly the breakdown of what it works.

[thrasher15]

Oh and Graham no world records here in fitness BUT havn't lost an arm wrestle in 5 years. No accurate numbers but probably something like 30 wins or so.

[Packard]

I have a Concept II rower. It is commercial gym grade equipment and used by an individual it should last a lifetime.

It is the lowest cost commercial gym grade cardio equipment on the market.

It is the go-to equipment for college and high school rowing teams.

It works a larger group of muscles than stair machines or jogging machines.

It is relatively quiet.

It strengthens the back which will improve your posture. An improved posture is the quickest way to improve your overall appearance (physically).

All the other rowers I've see are of significantly lower quality and will not last as long.

The Concept 2 will fold up and can be closeted. It weights about 40 pounds.

I like the machine and use it 5 times a week.

[beachdog]

Absolutely spot on, Packard, in your critique.
If you couldn't get to the gym, then a Concept rower would be a great investment. After all, if you have a bout of insommnia at 0200, you can get out of bed and rip into the machine instead. Also, good for you to mention the back because I have a compression fracture at Lumbar 1 (compression # - natural degeneration. This can be filled with surgical cement later as the wedge fracture opens up) The rower causes no pain even with this spinal fracture.

I did forget to mention to Thrasher that they have a built-in computer system that contains all the programs that you would ever need. Also the damper (resistance) setting on the flywheel can be varied from 1 thru 10.
A DS of 4 simulates the feeling of being on the water and is preferred by water rowers for indoor training. Damper settings of 5 or 6 are usually used in competition because if you go much higher over distance, you may burn out/explode before finishing. Not uncommon to see even experience rowers collapse because they went out too hard, or had too higher a setting ( 8 - 10)
The computer automatically adjusts for the variables e.g. altitude, air temperature, dust buildup in the flywheel housing.

At a sanctioned competition, Concept HQ supply the software that allows banks of ten machines to be hooked up and the progress while rowing will be displayed on a giant screen, showing each competitor as a "rowboat" with their name on it. The "boats" advance over the distance with distance being displayed and times and ultimately, your finishing time.
No, it does not make you a coffee afterwards.

[beachdog]

Hey, thrasher15, that's a fantastic record for arm wrestling, providing you were up against victims of your own size and not little old ladies from the Retirement Village
I wont challenge you as I have two tendons completely torn in my right shoulder and one in the left also, a legacy of the days when I thought that I was invincible, felt no pain, and indulged in tournament karate.
Not worth getted repaired now as a rotator cuff/shoulder reconstruction is carried out separately on each shoulder and you are out of action for some six weeks each time, can't lift your arm above the horizontal and can't drive a vehicle or even make love !!

[Packard]

Hey, thrasher15, that's a fantastic record for arm wrestling, providing you were up against victims of your own size and not little old ladies from the Retirement Village
I wont challenge you as I have two tendons completely torn in my right shoulder and one in the left also, a legacy of the days when I thought that I was invincible, felt no pain, and indulged in tournament karate.
Not worth getted repaired now as a rotator cuff/shoulder reconstruction is carried out separately on each shoulder and you are out of action for some six weeks each time, can't lift your arm above the horizontal and can't drive a vehicle or even make love !!

Hire a professional. They would know how to deal with these sorts of things.

[beachdog]

Well....that could open up a whole new thread about the most productive and soul-satisfying forms of "exercise"

[thrasher15]

Hey, thrasher15, that's a fantastic record for arm wrestling, providing you were up against victims of your own size and not little old ladies from the Retirement Village
I wont challenge you as I have two tendons completely torn in my right shoulder and one in the left also, a legacy of the days when I thought that I was invincible, felt no pain, and indulged in tournament karate.
Not worth getted repaired now as a rotator cuff/shoulder reconstruction is carried out separately on each shoulder and you are out of action for some six weeks each time, can't lift your arm above the horizontal and can't drive a vehicle or even make love !!

Oh chit no, everyone from truckies to a 6th degree black belt to builders.
Its a dangerous sport for sure, one of the guys I wrestled once had his tendon ripped off his bicep and was out of action and work for sometime, still see the scare. I have been fortunate no serious injuries to date.

[thrasher15]

I have gone off the Idea of getting a rower. My reason being is I was after a machine that gave more of an upper body workout. 30% or so during the movement is not what I'm after.

[beachdog]

That's fair enough - indoor rowing machines have a stack of advantages as outlined before by Packard and myself, but not the choice if you are looking for upper body hypertrophy.
Instead, choose the most effective exercises for those areas, and, particularly with the biceps/triceps w/o, go for supersets with the last set always going to point of failure. Remember, for hypertrophy, low reps with heavy weights. But, you probably know all that by the look of your photo.

[Packard]

Upper body cardio machine: Speed bag.

It's cost effective, durable and works the upper body cardio well.

A heavy bag will tire you out before you get enough cardio work done, so the speed bag is the way to go.