Concept 2 interval session.

Hi folks, Here's a workout you can try on a Concept 2 rower.
It's a toughie, of course, I know of no other kind'. You can use the rower or indeed any other form of CV equipment. In my description here, I have gone for my personal fave piece of CV kit, the Concept 2 rower. It's a terrific piece of kit that simply can't be beaten as a means of improving your fitness and stripping away your body fat whist at the same time working all the muscles of your body. Being non impact it's also easy on the joints.
At the end of this piece I will also go into detail on 'Drag factor' and what it means and why it's important to you.

OK, the workout itself. here goes:

In total you will do 4 to 6 intervals. Each interval will last 6 minutes. However, each interval is further split down into 3 intervals. These intervals will last 3 then 2 then 1 minute hence making a 6 minute overall interval.
For example: 3 minutes at 2:10 pace followed by 2 minutes at 1:55 pace followed by 1 minute at 1:40 pace
You will follow this patten 4 to 6 times for a workout that will last between 24 and 36 minutes. Simply set up the rower for 4 to 6 times 6 minute duration with no rest in between each 6 minute segments.

Why is this workout so tough? Well, providing you choose appropriate pacing, there won't be much let up in the intensity throughout. In order to help you choose the correct pace you will need to be aware of your 1 minute 'quick' pace. This isn't a flat out pace but certainly a pace that will be difficult to maintain for a minute.
Once you have established this, reduce it by 10 to 15 seconds to get your other two paces. So, for example, if your quick pace is 1:50 per 500 metres then your 2 minute pace will be between 2:00 and 2:05 and your 3 minute pace between 2:10 and 2:15 per 500 metres. A 10 second differential is clearly going to be tougher than a 15 second one.
The discipline in this session is not so much the 2 and 1 minute sections although they 'should' be tough, but the 3 minute section. When you have finished your 1 minute piece, you will just want to stop and try to get your breath back but don't! That first minute of the 3 is a real killer despite the lower pace but slug it out. You will recover though once you get past this tough minute. By the time you get to minutes 2 to 3 of the 3 minute section you will be in recovery mode and be ready for the faster intervals to follow.

So, to simplify: 4-6 rounds of 6 minute duration. Each round to consist of:
3 minutes moderate pace, 2 minutes fast pace, 1 minute near max pace. Repeat.
I'm sure you can understand why this would be easy to translate to other pieces of CV kit.

Drag Factor

We're all aware of course of the slider control on the fan wheel of the rower, you know the one, it's usually set on 'number 10' whenever you get on the machine. This slider determines the amount of air allowed to enter the flywheel. A higher number will allow more air in which will in turn, slow down the fly wheel quicker. Guys tend to favour a higher setting due to their ego getting in the way but the fact is a higher setting won't actually suit many people. Higher numbers generally suit more powerful rowers whilst light weight rowers would be better served on a lower number. It takes a bit of experimentation to find the right resistance which maximises your performance. Many of the competitive rowers use a damper setting of between 4 and 5 since this best represents rowing on water. I, personally use a damper setting of 5 on my Concept 2 at home.

However, there is another problem here. Not all rowers are the same. This is where drag factor comes in. On a new or indeed a well maintained rower, the drag factor (the resistance at the flywheel) on the number 10 setting is approximately 210. On my rowers at my local not very well maintained gym, the drag factor rating is only 90 on the number 10 setting. This is because they are clogged full of dust and in desperate need of a service.
To display the drag factor on either a Model C rower or Model D just follow the instructions below.

To view drag factor: on a Model C rower

Turn the monitor on.
Wait for zeros to be displayed.
Simultaneously press Ready and Rest.

On a Model D

Press Menu|Back until the Main Menu is displayed.
Select More Options.
Select Display Drag Factor.
Take a few strokes. After a couple of seconds, the monitor will display the drag factor.

Once you know how to do this you can then determine a 'drag factor' that suits you and set each rower you use to the appropriate intensity. Now you will have consistency across all rowers which is very beneficial if you are using multiple rowers at your gym. So, don't go by the number on the slider but set the slider instead until it produces the correct drag factor number.
Experiment with different drag factor settings until you find one that enables you to produce your best results.
Finally, bear in mind that at a lower drag setting, such as 50-70, the flywheel will spin up quite quickly but that doesn't equate to quicker rowing times since you will get less meters per pull. On a higher setting such as 130-180 you will clearly have a lot more resistance when you pull, but providing you have the power you will produce more metres per stroke. It's all about finding the balance. I like to equate it to either a diesel or a petrol engine, which are you? A petrol, Lots of revs (high stroke rate, low resistance) or a diesel, Lots of torque ( low stroke rate high resistance, probably somewhere in between!

Try the session, it will be tough so long as you select the correct pace settings.
Good luck people!