Gear
We put the word out to the entire club to pick their favorite rowing or erg music. Here’s the result. A lot of fantastic music in there. Some weird ones too, but I guess you never know until you try.
Happy rowing!
So, personally I think Jess is a very good rower. I am probably biased but still, her power to weight ratio is unmatched in our club in my humble opinion! 
Anyway I found this book in the back of her car. She says she hasn’t really read it that seriously yet but is hoping to. Has anyone read it before? Can you let us know if it’s any good by posting in the comments?
Rowing Faster by Volker Nolte
While there’s nothing like getting up at the crack of dawn to get out on the water and row with your crew, sometimes you just can’t row outdoors. This could be due to weather, or scheduling, or even just because you’re working on some drills or technique with your coach and he/she needs better access to you. When rowing indoors we use the Indoor Rowing machine, or Ergometer (shortened to Erg).
There are a few common Ergs on the market these-days, that vary in style and cost. By far the most common erg is the Model D or Model E, made by Concept2.
The Concept2 erg operates mechanically, and simulates the rowing stroke very accurately using a wind-resistance flywheel attached to a chain. The seat slides backwards and forwards on its railing, just like your seat does in your boat. Concept2 ergs are highly reliable and used all round the world by some of the best rowers out there.
The major differences between the Model D ($900) and Model E ($1260) are to do with the construction – the Model E is slightly more sturdy, but the Model D is also near-indestructible. Another difference is that the Model E is slightly taller, meaning the seat is higher, making it possibly easier to get on and off if you have a tough time bending down.
They are connected to mini-computers and LCD screens which provide instant feedback on your stroke, with very detailed information, including 500m split, distance, stroke count etc. There are even some cheesy but fun games built into the mini-computers, such as The Fish Game, which make your tedious rowing piece a little more fun.
There are two types of monitors (computers) available, the newer PM4 and the older PM3. I’d suggest getting the PM4, although I’ve never used one myself (the PM3 still being quite common). As I understand it, it has more advanced networking capabilities than the older one.
Regular erg practice can improve your technique, stamina, speed, and possibly help you lose weight.
They’re both available direct from the manufacturer, Concept2, and also on Amazon.
Here’s a link to the Model E on Amazon:
Concept2 Model E Indoor Rowing Machine
And here’s a link to the Model D:
Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine
Last Tuesday I had the chance to try out the new iPhone app from Performance Phones LLC using NK’s speed coach technology. The app is called Speed Coach Mobile, and uses the accelerometer and GPS system built in to the iPhone to record data about your rowing workout.
You can get the app by clicking the link below:
I mounted the phone next to the Cox Box, in two duct taped ziplock bags, with some silica gel to absorb any condensation inside the bags. The iPhone is very fragile when it comes to water exposure, even more than a regular phone or device: it has a water sensor that causes the phone to irreparably shut down at the slightest exposure to water (I tried out this feature a few months ago, ack).
Output from Speed Coach Mobile, Facebook, and Google. Click to enlarge.
Having the app next to the trusty Cox Box, I was able to compare the accuracy of the strokes-per-minute feature. I am happy to say that the two devices were within half a beat of each other for the entire workout. It was very impressive.
The main screen of the app shows 500m split, strokes per minute, distance in meters, time of current interval, average split, stroke count, interval number, and time of day. All these fields are customizable so you can set it up to show more or less.
In the preferences you can set it for the various types of boat you row, for example, row, kayak, even dragon-boat. As far as rowing goes, it’s designed to work with any size boat, from single scull to 8′s.
Our plan was to do 3x 12 minute pieces at 90% pressure, followed by 6 minutes of paddle / rest. It was very simple to program this workout into the app and things were looking good, but we ran out of space in the marina to do the workout. It would be very good for that kind of thing though because of the timing and interval features.
Today I have uploaded the workout details to Facebook, where you can tag the team members, and even your coach. A stack of data is available, graphs and maps too.
An aspect of the app that is not so good is that the upload to Facebook costs money (I don’t know how much per upload). They give you 15 free uploads, but still, I don’t like that, considering the app’s steep cost of $65. I understand that the app was difficult to develop, and that the rowing community is relatively small (their reasons for the high price), but that seems irrelevant to me, the end user. How about pricing the app at $70 and providing free uploads? Most Garmin sports watches have free upload software that comes with them.
That said, the cost is still roughly half the price of a real Speed Coach (not including the cost of your iPhone), and it is a fantastic product. I absolutely recommend it.
For more information head to iTunes:
