How the Water Rower Works

If you’ve never seen a Water Rower before, prepare yourself for a revelation. The sleek design is so stylish and luxurious that you’ll never again see exercise equipment in quite the same way. The machine itself is a visual symphony of American hardwoods, anodized steel and the smoky, fluid curves of the polycarbonate tank that holds the water. The classic elegant design of the Water Rower fits right into the décor in most homes, like a carefully chosen piece of fine furniture. It’s specifically created for the home gym, and designed to fit into a small space. When it’s not in use, you can simply stand the WaterRower on end, and it takes up less space than a dining room chair. All in all, the Water Rower looks far more like an elegant, up-scale sculpture than a serious piece of fitness equipment.

Make no mistake, though. A serious piece of fitness equipment is exactly what it is. The Water Rower was designed by rowers for rowers, and that shows in everything from the tiniest details (like the non-slip grip on the aluminum oar) to the patented water paddle mechanism that makes the Water Rower the closest possible experience to rowing on the water. That makes possible a smooth, flawless rowing motion that exercises all of your large muscle groups at once – without putting undue stress on joints and bones. It’s stylish, timeless, elegant – and the best aerobic workout that you can find anywhere.

Short History of the Water Rower

Rowing machines have been around for well over 100 years. One of the earliest patents for a rowing machine was filed with the U.S. Patent Office in 1872, and when the YMCA decided to add gymnasiums to their facilities, indoor rowing machines were among the first exercise machines introduced. Those machines were nothing like the Water Rower, though. The old-fashioned rowing machine consisted of a seat that rode on a pair of rails as the rower pulled on ‘oars’ and pushed with his legs.

Since one of the key elements of the exercise in rowing is the drag on the oars as they pull through the water, older rowers used bands attached to the seat to mimic the water’s resistance. If you wanted a harder workout, you used stronger bands with more resistance. The first major design innovation to the rowing machine was the ergonomic rower, which replaced those bands with a flywheel that used air to mimic water resistance. Since 1981, when the ergonomic rower was introduced, people have used air, bands, chains, pulleys and even magnets to make rowing a rowing machine feel like rowing a boat. It wasn’t until 1988 that John Duke, a member of the U.S. National Team in rowing and a naval architect, patented his unique WaterFlyWheel design. The WaterFlyWheel is the heart of the Water Rower’s unparalleled rowing experience.

Why the WaterFlyWheel Makes the Water Rower Unique

One of the beauties of rowing as an exercise is that the harder you row, the more resistance there is against your oars. The more resistance there is, the stronger your workout. Most rowing machines use some mechanism to simulate that resistance. The most popular and well-known is the Concept 2, which uses a flywheel spinning in the air. It’s noisy, and the resistance needs to be manually set to change the level of your workout. Because the resistance is artificially set – or imposed – you run the risk of straining muscles by trying for a workout that’s beyond the limit of your capability.

Not so with a Water Rower. Because the resistance in the rower is provided by water, it works the exact same way that water does – makes sense, doesn’t it? Here’s how it works:

At the front end of the Water Rower is a tank of water. When you row the machine, you’re turning a paddle wheel inside the tank. The paddle wheel’s turning makes the water in the tank spin. The harder you row, the faster the water spins. The faster the water spins, the more resistance there is. The more resistance there is, the more you get from your workout. To get a more powerful workout, all you have to do is work harder.

Because the resistance is geared to your ability, it increases naturally as your own strength and abilities increase. There’s far less risk of overstraining yourself by setting the resistance higher than your body is ready to handle because the resistance is self-regulating. You never risk working your body harder than it is ready to work.

Filling the Water Rower

The first time you use your WaterRower, you need to fill the water tank with water. The manufacturer suggests that you use plain, ordinary tap water to fill the tank, because it contains chemicals that inhibit the growth of algae. After the tank is filled, the only maintenance it will need is an occasional chlorine tablet added (every 6 months to 2 years, depending on the amount of sunlight on the water tank.)

The amount of water that you put into the tank determines how hard a workout you’ll get. The suggested amounts are:

Children: 12-14 liters
Women: 14-16 liters
Men: 16-18 liters

There’s a handy level gauge marked on the side of the tank so that you know how far to fill it for each level of workout.

The Water Rower – As Close As You Can Get To Rowing Without a River

Rowing on a Water Rower is as close as you can get to rowing on the water without being on the water. The ergonomically designed, padded seat glides soundlessly and smoothly on anodized steel runners attached to wooden rails. There’s no clanking or banging, no mechanical sounds to break your concentration on the rhythm of your rowing. Instead of your ears being assaulted by the hum of the flywheel whirring through the air, the only sound you’ll hear is the pleasant, rhythmic rush and whoosh of water. The rhythm, say many rowing enthusiasts, helps keep the pace of your workout steady, and adds to the feeling that you’re gliding along on the open water.

Living with the WaterRower

The WaterRower is designed to fit into any lifestyle, into any style. It comes in three different “series” with several models available in each series. The Natural selection is crafted of solid ash, and stained in either oak, or rose and black. The Designer series is elegantly styled in different materials, including models in black walnut, cherry wood and stainless steel. The M series is designed for the commercial market, and features a low-rise and a high-rise model each designed in brushed stainless steel.

Each model is available with or without the computerized monitor, and there’s an option to add a monitor later if you choose to buy without at first. The monitor does far more than keep an eye on your speed or your heart rate. Through a variety of functions, you can use the S4 monitor (the latest upgrade) to monitor your progress, keep track of your workout statistics, tell you when you’re working at optimum benefit level – even tell you how fast you’re rowing and how many miles your machine has been rowed overall.

The Water Rower gives you all the benefits you’d get from taking a scull out on the river – a full, low-impact aerobic workout that works the arms, chest, back, shoulders, legs, thighs and glutes – all in the comfort of your own workout room. It does it with a machine that’s so well-designed and stylish that it fits into any room style and décor. Beauty, utility and unparalleled quality all rolled into one compact fitness machine. It just doesn’t get much better than this.

Kristopher Gardner is a freelance writer and home exercise enthusiast providing information about indoor rowing machines at http://www.All-Rowing-Machines.com.

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Do's And Don'ts Of Using Rowing Machines In Your Workout

When you begin using rowing machines in your workout you will naturally be excited to use the equipment and want to begin exercising on it as soon as possible. Though you should be aware of many of the exercise routine do's and don'ts.

When you begin working out do so moderately. Don't use a tension setting at first. Just get used to the machine and the way it works. You can add tension to the rowing machines setting later on but for starters see how the rowing machine feels.

Do not exercise too much. As mentioned previously don't add to the tension setting until you are used to the machine. When you are regularly exercising, vary your workout routine between heavy and light settings and fast and slow rowing. Also make sure that you give yourself at least twenty four hours between workouts so that your muscles have time to recover.

Make sure that you are doing warm-up and cool-down exercises. These are stretches designed to loosen up your muscles and work out the kinks that may develop during the workout routine. The warm-up exercises will make you more limber too and prevent possible sprains.

If you do manage to injure yourself on the rowing machines don't try to push through it. When you feel pain that is a signal from your body telling you that something is wrong. Its not a good idea to keep pushing yourself when working out on rowing machines. Especially as back injuries tend to be the most common injury from this type of machine. So stop and relax to keep a small injury from turning into a big one. If your pain doesn't go away in a few days make an appointment to see the doctor.

Also remember to stay properly hydrated. Rowing machines can give you a lot of calorie burn but it can also make you dehydrated. Don't forget to check out rowing machines reviews online for more information.

Read more rowing machines articles and rowing machines reviews news or visit our rowing machines site.

History of the Concept 2 Rowing Machines

When most people evaluate their overall fitness level, there are very few that do not have goals they would like to meet to improve their performance. There are three major areas or concerns that most people indicate impact on their ability to increase their fitness level:

 

•The time factor. Many people are so busy they simply don’t have additional time in the day for longer or more frequent workouts.

 

•The cost factor. Going to the gym or working out at home can be costly both in gym memberships and home fitness equipment prices.

•The boredom factor. Whether at home or in the gym the workouts become old quickly and it is hard to get enthusiastic about returning.

 

These factors are even more pronounced if you are working out at home. Due to space and cost restrictions there are limits on the equipment that most of us can purchase to set up in a home gym. Luckily there are some impressive total body workout home fitness equipment products on the market. One such piece of equipment is the Concept 2 rowing machine.

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.

Evolution of the Concept 2 rowing machine

There are currently four models of the Concept 2 rowing machine and each one has improved on the last. The idea for the indoor rower was developed by two brothers, Peter and Dick Dreissigacker, both who are avid rowers and in 1976 were in training for the Olympic trials in pairs rowing. They were designing their own oars in the back of a bread truck that doubled as their home. While the trials for the Olympics did not go as planned, the carbon fiber oars that they developed did. The Dreissigackers moved in their combination home and office truck from California to Vermont to set up a shop to make carbon fiber oars. They bought an old dairy barn and began the process of converting it into a shop and producing rowing equipment, starting with oars. Since that time the company has grown and expanded to include many different types of products for both land and water rowing.

 

•1977 the first set of carbon fiber oars were used in the World’s Championship.

•1978 colleges and universities began using the Dreissigacker oars for competitions with outstanding results.

•1980 the brothers look for ways to keep rowing over the long Vermont winters and experiment with a bicycle nailed to the floor and a pull chain. The concept of the rower is developed and improved.

•1981 the Model A, known then as the Rowing Ergometer was produced. It was made largely from bicycle parts.

•1982 the C.R.A.S.H–B rowing club in Boston called to discuss setting up an indoor rowing race.

•1984 the Dreissigacker brothers moved out of the barn and into a commercial facility due to the overwhelming response and demand for the Model A.

•1986 the Model B rower was developed that added a better, safer design including a flywheel cover, more natural rowing movement, and a performance monitor.

•1991 saw the introduction of the Model C rower. More streamlined and ergonomically designed the Model C rower became very popular for both club and home fitness use.

•2003 was the year the final version of the Concept 2 rower was introduced. The Model D rower is the most advanced of all the rowers that Concept 2 offers with a powerful performance monitor, heavy duty construction, ergonomically re-designed handle, quiet performance and impact-resistant flywheel cover. There are significantly more damper settings available on the Model D rower than on any other rower model. The chain can be easily removed for cleaning and the outlet strip is made of stainless steel to prevent any rusting.

 

 

The Model D PM3

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 onboard computer that takes all the tedious paperwork and logging out of the rowing exercise. The PM3 uses a C2 logcard 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 logcard can be removed and the program downloaded to your personal computer for additional data monitoring.

Indoor rowing competitions

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. 2005 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.

C.R.A.S.H-B Sprints

These annual indoor rowing competitions are held in Boston Maschettutes 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.

Anyone is able to enter the event and all that you need to supply is your correct name and your last 2000 meter ergonomic score. This allows the organizers to place you in the correct level for competition. The competition attracts people from all over the world, with hundreds competing in each category.

British Indoor Rowing Championship

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.

In addition to the sprint competition the BIRC includes a 4000 meter four person team relay competition.

The Future of the Concept 2

The popularity of the sport continues to increase and expand. With advances in the science of fitness and health the benefits of a Concept 2 rowing machine become more evident. The Dreissigackers continue to stay on the cutting edge of rowing equipment production and are always looking for ways to improve the product and to promote the sport. With advances in technology and design there just may be a Model E Concept 2 rowing machine in the future.

John Phung is a certified personal trainer and successful writer for http://www.all-rowing-machines.com, providing information about Concept IID rowing machines, Water Rowers, and more.