Concept 2 Rowing Machine

Is your New Year’s Resolution ‘to get in shape’? If you or anyone you know is interested in purchasing a Concept 2 rowing machine (aka an ergometer or "erg"), now is the time!

The action of the concept 2 is very smooth and easy on the body joints. The key is to simply start easy and work on your form. Contrary to popular belief rowing does not in itself make you muscle-bound. Rowing at a moderate pace is an excellent fat burning tool. The c2 is not going to work miracles without commitment so you need to do it to get results. The machine uses a fan/flywheel for resistance so it does not need to be plugged in. The only maintenance really needed is oiling the chain once in a while and wipe down the rail to keep it clean. If you use the machine a LOT in a dusty area you may need to vacuum dust from the fan for peak performance.

The c2 has been on the market for over 2 decades and is a proven machine free of useless gimmicks. Colleges, gyms, high schools, hotels, corporations often buy these machines because of the durability, quality of workout, and reasonable price. Almost every rowing club has a few c2’s for its members to use in the winter. There are many c2 racing events held around the world for those who like to compete in a live setting.

Unique in its design and geared to provide an intense cardiovascular program as well as working all the major muscle groups this machine is everything the home or club fitness enthusiast could ask for. The design of the equipment and the natural movement of the muscle groups when exercising also provides opportunities for using the Concept 2 rowing machines in sports rehabilitation training.

Concept 2 rowing machines are also known ergs. This is a shortened version of the full name, ergometer, which comes from Greek and literally means a "work meter". Ergs have changed and developed over time to the effective exercise and training equipment that they now are.

This is a more affordable alternative to the Concept 2 rower (see below). As far as air resistance rowing machines go, it is great value for money. In fact it costs less than many hydraulic rowers and there really is no comparison. It’s sturdily built and looks very similar to the Concept 2.  Bigfitness are the best place for this rower as they sell it for the same price as the older Integrity 2000 model. The best low cost air rower.

Used in the majority of fitness clubs the Concept 2 is without doubt the best air resistance rower on the market. It was originally designed by Peter and Dick Dreissigacker, competitive rowers who wanted to accurately replicate the fluid drag of a boat, while keeping within the budget constraints of the typical home user. Professional rowers use the Concept 2 as part of their training program. The best air rower without contest.

If these machine do breakdown, which is very rare, it normally is simple to sort although certain problems can be a big hassle. You can actually get people to do a service job on them (row doctor, NK or various other local companies) which come and check them over. The normal problems are either running out of batteries, which is pretty simple to change (back of monitor) or more troublesome damage to the cable which links the monitor to the fan (due to bad handling and pulling monitor forward rather than pushing backwards when in storage) when u will probably need to get it service. The slide sometimes gets dirty, with a mixture of wheel marks, dust and grim and this makes sliding up and down it less easy; this can be easily sorted by a wipe with a damp cloth.

One of the most unique features of the Model D Concept 2 rowing machine is the powerful PM3 that is included as a standard feature on the model. This advanced performance monitor is a menu-driven on board computer that takes all the tedious paperwork and logging out of the rowing exercise. The PM3 uses a C2 log card that allows you to set up your own personal training workout and use a simple push of a button to start it up rather than having to reprogram every use. In addition the C2 log card can be removed and the program downloaded to your personal computer for additional data monitoring.

One of the big problems with working out at home is the isolation and lack of competition and support. The indoor rowing enthusiasts have addressed this concern by setting up indoor rowing competitions. The Amateur Rowing Association and other rowing groups such as the C.R.A.S.H-B rowing club have been strong supports of these events.

Indoor rowing competitions have become very popular in a wide variety of settings. Schools across the UK and other countries hold indoor rowing competitions as part of their year long rowing training and conditioning exercises. will mark the beginning of the Concept 2 indoor rowing competitions for schools. It is free for schools to join the Concept 2 indoor rowing program. In Korea an indoor rowing competition is held yearly for blind individuals with a volunteer calling out information to the rowers that are competing.

The inclusive nature of indoor rowing makes the sport appealing to people of all ages and levels of experience. The categories in a competition depend on both age and weight and are calibrated on a Concept 2 rower to provide a standard for measurement. The indoor rowing competitions are usually 2,000 meters.

These annual indoor rowing competitions are held in Boston Massachusetts and started in 1980 by a group of Olympic rowers in the area. The original name of the organization was the Charles River Association of Sculling Has-Beens hence the C.R.A.S.H-B name. It was later changed to Charles River All-Star Has Beens, but the tradition continues. They originally raced five miles, but the competition has now been shorten to the 2, 000 meter sprints. All rowing equipment used is the Concept 2 Model D rower.

The position of the handle (which tracks the arm movement) and seat (which because of the constraints tracks the knee joint movement) are used to evaluate the performance of the manual control in coordinating the voluntary movement of the upper body to that of the FES controlled lower extremities. As basis for comparison, two typical cycles of normal rowing trajectories by a healthy subject are shown in Figure 2. As shown in the figure, the motion is well coordinated and intra-cycle and cycle-to-cycle transitions are smooth. Two typical cycles of the rowing trajectories and corresponding electrical stimulation patterns for two paraplegic subjects are also shown in Figure 2. Subject specific stimulation timings are adopted to achieve the desired rowing patterns.

This competition was first held in 1991 and attracted 200 competitors. Now held in Birmingham, England the competition attracted over 3000 participants and is the world?s largest indoor rowing competition. Like the C.R.A.S.H-B competition is features Concept 2 rowing machines on a 2,000 meter sprint.