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Indoor Rower

The Damper and Drag of Olympians

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Jul 30, 2018

Concept2 generally recommends a damper setting on the indoor rower between three and five. Damper Setting is not resistance. The damper controls the air flow into the flywheel. It affects the feel of the stroke, but does not directly determine the resistance—which is generated by the speed of the rotating flywheel. A setting of “10” is not “better” nor indicating strength or speed. In fact, we asked some of our favorite Olympians and coaches what damper setting they use and why. The answers and their reasoning, below, may surprise you.

The athletes we interviewed prefer to adjust their indoor rowers to a specific drag factor instead of to a damper setting. Drag factor is recalulated on every run-down of the flywheel and takes local conditions into account. Indoor rowers adjusted to the same drag factors will feel similar, regardless of what damper setting is used to achieve that drag. It is important to note that the Performance Monitor self-calibrates, so regardless of damper setting or changing conditions, your true effort is measured. Here's how to Display Drag Factor on your Performance Monitor. Continue Reading ›

New Adaptive Record Categories

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Jun 25, 2018
Adaptive athletes have been racing at indoor rowing events for over 20 years. There are lots of modifications possible with the indoor rower to make it inclusive, whether a tractor seat, adapted handle for athletes with a single arm, or the Voice Guidance mode in ErgData iOS which reads out performance data for visually impaired athletes. Continue Reading ›

What is the Erg?

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Jun 06, 2018
The family of ergometers—the Model D Indoor Rower, SkiErg and BikeErg.

An “ergometer” (“erg” for short) is a device that measures work. Concept2’s Indoor Rowers, SkiErg, and BikeErg are all ergometers and this is a feature that sets them apart from many other exercise machines on the market. Continue Reading ›

Rowing is a Leg Sport

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Jun 04, 2018

Some people associate rowing with a traditional rowboat, where you sit on a fixed bench and row using just your arms, back and core. While these boats have been used for ages for recreation, fishing and transportation, they are not particularly speedy, streamlined or efficient. With the addition of a sliding seat, rowing (for recreation or racing) is a full-body motion that engages all of the major muscle groups of the body—most notably adding the legs. Continue Reading ›

What Is The Ideal Rowing Stroke?

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May 22, 2018
In our minds, we often “see” ideal rowing technique: A fluid motion that initiates the stroke with the legs, engages the back and core, and finishes with the arms. The drive is strong and the recovery is relaxed and long. And yet, why is it that we always seem to find faults with our technique? We are all constantly looking for improvements (or we should be!). It is difficult to demonstrate “perfect” technique, even when working with the most decorated athletes in the sport. If you watch Olympians, you’ll see many variations in how they row. Different body shapes, sizes, styles and biomechanics guide our actions. If we find the “perfect” stroke, how do we sustain it? What is ideal technique? Can you see it in your mind? Or are we all chasing something unattainable? Continue Reading ›

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