Getting My Ass Whipped ...

If you’re a rower, you have probably had “some” interaction with an erg, aka ergomoter – as in a rowing machine. Most in the community are familiar with the industry standard, a Concept2. Almost every rower groans when you mention the erg. Competitive rowers have spent hours and hours and hours on the machine, building their endurance and proving their mettle to the coach and team. The essential measure is your split, meaning how fast you can row in minutes in 500 metres.

I recall GLRF member @adtan, a one-time Danish national team member, relaying that his split time for 20 minutes on the erg was really slow, at 1:49…. Such a humble guy…

Recently, I stumbled upon a WaterRower for sale that was just too good to pass up. I had tried GLRF member @steveo25 aka Den Mother and Kapuna Steve WaterRower at his place in NYC and loved the smooth feel. I discovered that my uncle was also a devoted WaterRower user. But I always thought a piece on the WaterRower was just a nice walk in the park. Little did I know how brutal the workout can be. A 30 minute piece at a stroke rate of 24.5 not only whipped my ass but provided a new awareness to every major muscle group in my upper legs.

The biggest drawback to the WaterRower has always been the monitor. It was cumbersome and unrealistic. The new S4 monitor offers every conceivable workout you or your Lucifer-like coach could ever devise. So now you can really track your whipped ass progress (in my case) in excruciating detail. So what makes the WaterRower so different than the Concept2? The simple answer is the feel. It is sooooooooo smooth, and for a sculler, it really replicates the feel of the drive of the legs into the footrests. While the Concept2 uses air resistance, the WaterRower uses water resistance. The enclosed container takes advantage of the principles of hydrodynamics to create continuous and increasing resistance the faster you row. It also helps to fill the tank to the maximum recommended level if you really want to feel the ‘boat’ at full power.

Apples and oranges: I’m not sure that the split times easily equate between the Concept2 and the WaterRower but if you’re just focused on an excellent endurance workout, give the WaterRower a go.