Row, Row, Row...Your Machine- The Concept II
Written: Dec 07 '00 (Updated Feb 17 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Works whole body, easy to use, comfortable
Cons: Can't read while rowing or drink water, can be hard on the knees
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend the Concept rower for an excellent total body workout or for a 10-minute warm up before weight training.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Concept II |
For the first time in many years I used the rowing machine at the gym. It is a Rowing Ergometer Model 6 made by Concept. I’m very glad I decided to write this review because like a lot of us we get stuck on the same machines and don’t try new ones. I liked the rower a lot. I did not think I would. I can’t categorically highly recommend it, though, because there are some caveats that come with my review of this machine. I will put it on my love list because in and of itself it is an excellent machine and workout.
What I like about the Concept Rower:
• It has a very comfortable, oversized seat
• The seat glides easily back and forth making rowing pleasurable
• The foot rests are nicely made with inserts in the heal for your sneaker to fit into and straps around the top of your foot
• The bar the your hands grip to do the rowing has rubber on each end making it comfortable to hold; it also makes it less slippery if your hands start to sweat
• It has the following displays: you can set the time; you can see how many calories per hour you are burning and how many total calories you have burnt
• Although it is recognized that the calorie expenditure shown on cardiovascular machines can be off by as much as 20% relative to other machines (the stationary bike, for example) the rower appears to burn more calories. It is in the elliptical machine category for calorie burning, again, if I am to believe the read out. It showed that I was burning an average of 420 – 450 calories per hour. That is less than the elliptical machine when I am working hard, but more than the bike.
• It has settings from 1-10, which can easily be adjusted to make it more difficult to row. 10 is the hardest. There isn’t the drastic difference between 1 and 10 on the rower as you will find on the elliptical machine if you go from 1-10!
• It offers a total body workout. It does a great job of simulating what real life rowing is like working your legs and upper body at the same time making a great way to warm up before your weight training.
What I don’t like about the Concept Rower:
• It can be hard on the knees. Working this machine requires your knees being bent when you go forward on the rowing action. After a short time I felt it in my knees and I have no knee problems. Perhaps over time, my knees would get used to that.
• Since you are using both hands you can’t read while on this machine or drink water unless you stop.
• One reason I like it is also a reason I don’t like it. This explanation involves a bit about my weight training philosophy.
- It is fairly well known that if you are weight training you do not want to work the same muscle group 2 days in a row. There is a simple reason for this: During weight training, assuming you are using heavy enough weights, you are making small tears in your muscles. Your muscles are not getting stronger during your workout, but after your workout during the healing of the tears phase. Thus you must give your muscles a rest and give them a chance to heal and get stronger.
If, for example, you work your biceps on a Monday and again on Tuesday, the small tears you made on Monday have no time to heal. Basically your workout on Tuesday is a waste of time; it is counterproductive and you can end up injured.
If I work my upper body on Monday and work it hard and then Tuesday do a hard workout on the rowing machine, I am using the same muscle group two days in a row. If I work my upper body as hard as I should be, I shouldn’t have the energy after weight training to be able to row efficiently. So in either case the rower can be counterproductive if you are a weight trainer.
Many of you are not, though, and you concentrate on cardiovascular workouts. This is a terrific machine in that case and I would recommend giving it a try. I also would recommend it if you are taking a couple of days off from weight training, having worked out on Monday let’s say, you are taking Tuesday and Wednesday off, then I would say go ahead and row to your heart’s content on Wednesday, aware that if you work too hard on the rower, you may be sore if you intend to work your upper body on Thursday.
The fact that I am getting into this detail shows that I think the rower is a very effective machine. If it weren’t then what order you work which body part would not matter!
Every morning I see two men in their 70s on these machines and they work them very nicely. It is a safe machine. You won’t fall off of it; you don’t need any balance for it and it is easily on your bones and joints than running, in my opinion.
In conclusion, I highly recommend the Concept rower for an excellent total body workout or for a 10-minute warm up before weight training. If you have trouble with your knees, though, I would stay away from it and go with the elliptical machine or treadmill, which don’t require the same kind of joint movement.
If I can answer any questions about this product or weight training in general, feel free to e-mail me.
Other reviews you may be interested in:
Thane Ab-DOer
NordicTrack Classic Pro
Precor Stationary Bike
StairMaster
Precor Elliptical Machine
Precor Stretch Trainer
Cybex Treadmill
ConceptII Rower
Recommended:
Yes
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