Low intensity training and stroke rates.

Hi Mr. Muller, I am currently training at a Canadian National team satellite training centre in St. Catharines, Ontario. For steady-state rows that I am only interested in long continuous rowing, is it better to be at a slightly higher stroke rate such as 22 or 24 instead of putting more pressure on at a rate of 18 or 19? Or do you suggest something entirely different for a 90 min row? Your input would be appreciated.

My answer:
>Hello
>No probelm, I am glad to answer you. I used to row at
>21. MAKE sure that you put the ergometer on slides if
>you use the concept2. If you can use a rowperfect
>even better. You should grab a DVD that I sell on my
>website for rowing technique. Does Canada still teach
>an extreme layback at the finish?
>Take short water breaks when you row your 90' pieces.
>Make sure that you put carbs and electrolytes in the
>water and drink approximately .5 litters every half
>hour.
>Sincerely,
>XENO

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Rowing can make you enjoy working out and help you burn calories!

40 Pounds Lighter
by Teresa Wiltz
After a lifelong battle against fat, she transformed her body—and her community.
The look in the mirror
Health reader Ruth Lytle-Barnaby, 44, figured she’d been born with the fat gene. Puberty first packed on the pounds; a sedentary lifestyle sealed the deal. After years of grad school, marriage and kids, a full-time job, and a full-time diet of processed food, “one day you look in the mirror,” she muses, “and you say, ‘Oh. My. God.’”
The makeover trigger
In 2004, Lytle-Barnaby was asked to be the subject of a makeover by a local magazine publisher who knew her from her work as the executive director of Community and Foundation Development for Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. She was paired with a nutritionist and trainer. And she was nervous: “I just knew I wasn’t capable of losing weight.”
How she dropped the pounds
Lytle-Barnaby’s savvy trainer kept boredom at bay by switching up her workouts, from the elliptical trainer to the stair machine to the weight room. After 6 months of healthier eating and daily workouts, she’d lost 40 pounds and four dress sizes. Today, Lytle-Barnaby’s never felt better. She’s cut way down on fast food and has embraced a new passion: rowing crew with her husband. And she even looks forward to working out—something she does nearly every day.
Slimming down her city
In 2005, Lytle-Barnaby and a group of colleagues founded the Coalition for Activity and Nutrition to Defeat Obesity (CAN-DO), which promotes health and fitness to local companies and the community. It flourished, and more than 800 hospital employees joined CAN-DO’s first lifestyle challenge. In just 3 months they logged a million exercise minutes and lost more than 1,500 pounds. Inspired, CAN-DO has started extending the challenge to other businesses around the city.
While Lytle-Barnaby’s biggest sense of accomplishment comes from watching the fitness spark catch fire, the admiring looks from old acquaintances don’t hurt, either. “I’m a work in progress,” she says. “And I like it.”

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Exercising prior to joint replacement quickens recovery time. Indoor rowing is great.

DGNews


Exercise Prior to Hip and Knee Replacement Reduces Need for Inpatient Rehabilitation

HOBOKEN, NJ -- September 29, 2006 -- Osteoarthritis is increasingly common among aging Americans and is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Exercise is often used in treating osteoarthritis and is an important part in rehabilitation following joint replacement.

The level of function prior to knee and hip replacement has been shown to be strongly related to function after surgery, yet little is known about the effects of exercise on patients with end-stage osteoarthritis. A study published in the October 2006 issue of Arthritis Care & Research examined whether an exercise program prior to hip or knee replacement would benefit patients in terms of function, pain, and muscle strength before or after surgery.

Led by Daniel S. Rooks, ScD of New England Baptist Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, the study included 108 patients scheduled to undergo hip or knee replacement between November 2001 and November 2003.

The patients were divided into two groups: 54 patients participated in water and land-based exercise three times a week for the six-week period immediately before surgery and 54 controls received educational materials. Prior to surgery all patients were questioned about their level of function and were evaluated in terms of lower-extremity strength, balance, and mobility. The exercisers participated in strength training, aerobic and flexibility exercises that were individually tailored to each person's fitness level, performed in a group and supervised by a physical therapist.

The results showed that patients who exercised reduced their odds of discharge to an inpatient rehabilitation facility by 73%. "The potential economic implication of this finding is noteworthy and should be examined in future studies, particularly with the rise in inpatient rehabilitation use," the authors note. The exercisers were also more likely to walk more than 50 feet at the time of hospital discharge. Those who exercised responded differently before surgery and immediately following surgery depending upon the joint replaced: although patients who exercised increased lower-extremity muscle strength, only those undergoing hip replacements showed improved function before surgery.

"Our findings show that an appropriately designed program of water and land-based exercise involving cardiovascular, strength training, and flexibility activities can be a safe, well tolerated, and effective approach to improving function and muscle strength in middle-aged and older adults with severe osteoarthritis of the hip and knee," the authors state.

They point out that patients participated in strength training for only 3 weeks (9 sessions), which is well below the recommended duration required to bring about significant strength gains. They suggest that the increase in strength was due to a combination of increased neuromuscular coordination and a reduction of fear about anticipated pain associated with increased muscular effort. They note that knee replacement patients would probably need to participate in strength training for a longer period of time in order to experience increased function prior to surgery.

The fact that the patients responded differently depending upon what joint was being replaced suggests the need for different approaches for people with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Also, because several participants who dropped out of the study did so because of the travel required to get to the group exercise location, the authors suggest that future studies should consider the location and convenience of the exercise sessions.

They conclude: "Additional attention should be placed on testing postoperative interventions for building on preoperative gains in function and fitness, adapting the intervention more successfully for the TKA [knee replacement] population, and examining the cost effectiveness of exercise for patients undergoing total joint replacement."

REFERENCE:
"Effect of Preoperative Exercise on Measures of Functional Status in Men and Women Undergoing Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty," Daniel S. Rooks, Jie Huang, Benjamin E. Bierbaum, Sarah A. Bolus, James Rubano, Christine E. Connolly, Sandra Alpert, Maura D. Iverson, Jeffrey N. Katz, Arthritis Care & Research, October 2006; (DOI: 10.1002/art.22223).


SOURCE: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Fighting Cancer through aerobic exercise such as rowing is the way to go!

This is a nice short article which underlines the benefits of aerobic training to stay healthy and help prevent cancer. The benefits of rowing as arguably the greatest form of exercise is still pretty unknown to the general public and many doctors and writers... In this article dragon boat paddlers are wrongfully called rowers. This is a good mistake because even though they did not mean the true form of rowing, the article came up on the rowing website www.row2k.com. In the end rowing is so superior to any other form of aerobic exercise because of of its full body motion and ZERO impact movement. Ok, I am getting off my rowing high horse, enjoy the article. XENO over and out.


Cancer prevention through exercise



By Margaret Evans
Sep 26 2006

Fourteen years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was caught in its early stages and treated with surgery, chemo, and radiation. I spun through the fear-driven loop of ‘what if…’, ‘why me…’, ‘how come…’ But I got on with practical living and adopted a holistic recovery approach by staying fit. I’ve always ridden horses but that’s not aerobic from a cardiovascular point of view, except for the horse. So, to be fit to ride and to use fitness to distance myself from cancer, I took up jogging and resumed with more focus a regimen of yoga exercises.

I had a stubborn belief that exercise and some kind of fitness regimen would be helpful for recovery and staying healthy. Turns out, I wasn’t too far off track in linking exercise and cancer recovery. Current science is pointing toward fitness as a means to keeping breast cancer at bay.

Donald McKenzie, a professor and cancer researcher at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine, specializes in sports medicine and exercise. His pioneering research into lymphedema, the accumulation of upper body fluids in people who have had their lymph nodes removed or radiated as part of cancer treatment, led him to theorize in 1996 that strenuous, upper body exercise like rowing might alleviate the build up of fluids and other complications from lung diseases. His theory led to the launch of the celebrated Dragon Boat races, the rowers all breast cancer survivors.

His theory begged answers to two tantalizing questions: Could exercise help prevent the onset of breast cancer and could exercise help prevent a recurrence of the disease? According to many recent studies across Canada, the results are leaning toward a very encouraging yes.

“There have been some good studies done,” said Dr. McKenzie. “The vast majority show that aerobic exercise has benefits to help prevent the onset of cancer with as much as a 30-40 per cent reduction in risk. In terms of primary prevention (to prevent breast cancer) the results are clear. For secondary prevention (to prevent recurrence of breast cancer) exercise makes sense.”

Why?

Across the country there have been over 200 studies in recent years focused on the link between cancer and exercise. A few facts are emerging. Regular aerobic exercise changes hormones, reduces obesity, and lowers fat levels. The current focus is gauging what exercise-induced changes occur to the metabolic system, insulin levels, and key hormones like estrogen and androgen.

Breast cancer is a hormone-influenced disease. Estrogen and androgen levels rise in post-menopausal women. Hormones are produced in body fat and if women have significantly increased their weight by over 12 kg since age 18, they could increase their exposure to risk by perhaps 40 per cent. But as exercise burns body fat it lowers hormone levels, therefore lowering the risk.

“It is generic exercise,” said Dr. McKenzie. “Women need to do something aerobic like walking or jogging.”

How long should each session be? How many times a week? To what intensity? Gym work? Distance running? Power walking? Cross-over sports? Interval training? An ongoing study at the University of Alberta involves 330 cancer-free women between 50 and 74 years of age who have been put on an intensive five-day-week exercise program for the first time in their lives. Their blood and body fat levels will be scanned and scrutinized to find links between exercise-induced changes and body chemistry. Results are expected this fall.

Exercise not only combats breast cancer but it also appears to be valuable for other forms of cancer including colon, lung, endometrial and possibly prostate cancer.

Grabbing those running shoes has taken on a whole new fitness meaning.

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Tim Mclaren coming to the US (and he also loves the Rowperfect)

US Rowing + Great Coach = Olympic Medals

Well, the first two parts to this equation has happened here in the United States. My former coach from Brown University, Steve Gladstone, who now coaches the University of California Berkley has hired Tim McLaren to head the California Rowing Club. Steve has long wanted to see a more successful U.S. rowing team at the World Championship and Olympic Games, will his wish come true?

In October the 300 millions American will be born. That is a lot of people. Yet the United States have had in comparison to smaller rowing countries a deplorable result of international rowing medals per capita since the beginning of the modern Olympics. US sculling boats have a catastrophical record in comparison to its sweep rowing program. The explanation for this is that all Universities with a crew specialize in fours and eights.

I often hear that the US is too large for its own good to crank out medals. Too many coaches are teaching different techniques and when the time comes to form the national team there is hardly any time left to practice before the major international competition. Mike Teti the US head coach, figured out how to shrink the vast US territory into Princeton New Jersey. He has created an environment for sweep rowing talent to train together and to find local jobs. His system is working. The result is that the US is producing medals in the men’s and women’s eight.

Princeton, New Jersey… sounds nice, but between November and April it is C O L D and definitely not the environment that I would choose to train in. So I wonder where the rest of the people are who are interested in sculling at the international level. If they are not the runts of the Mike Teti sweep program, they are scattered throughout the US. There seems to be a Boston and Seattle enclave for sculling programs, but I am not going to vaste out time talking about those obscure programs. The bottom line is, there is no successful small boat US flotilla that can make a dent in the medal count at the Olympics and world championships.

Now the US has Tim Mclaren! Right from the get go I can tell you that I am a believer in Australian coaches. My own Aussie coach Marty Aitken helped me figure myself out to win Gold and Silver in Atlanta and Sydney. If you are an Australian you ought to feel good about what I am going to say. You people are roughly 20 million or less and your per capita medal count is ridiculously high at the Olympics. Jeez, I wonder how that is possible… Simple, Aussie’s have good athletes and great coaches. Marty was so methodical with my training that I NEVER had a doubt that I couldn’t do the job at the major yearly rowing championship. He introduced me to methodical lactate testing and cross training that kept my thirst high for on the water rowing.

Lactate testing is arguably a foreign concept for rowing training here in the US. Yet, today it is a simple process to monitor lactate levels in athletes and benefit from its information. It boggles my mind that the high performance committee of the US Rowing Federation has not gotten a clue yet and informed the thousands of rowers and hundreds of coaches about its benefit to avoid overtraining. When it comes to sculling styles there seem to be as many as there are coaches here in the US…

BUT! Other countries better beware and not get too comfortable things are going to change. Tim Mclaren has a proven Olympic record and is about to build a system that will crank out highly trained athletes who understand the subtleties of training and rowing small boats, which in turn will create superb large boats. My prediction is that we will see a rapid convergence of rowing talent to the California Rowing Club. Heck, if I were still in competition mode, I would migrate to see Tim… I guess I am not too old for that yet… Hmmm this makes me think… In any case I am wishing Tim and his family a great time.

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

From a U.K. Paper

Note from me. 99.9% of the rowing machines available to the unsuspecting public are static machines. Rowing machines which do not move back and forth. Much healthier rowing machines are the ones that are DYNAMIC such as the ROWPERFECT and the Concept2 on Slides (cumbersome equipment needed when you using a C2)


23:21
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No pain, more gain: Why exercise can transform your life
By Anastasia Stephens
Published: 26 September 2006
1. CYCLING

Cycling, even for short periods, gives you an all-round aerobic workout. But cycling regularly and for long distances can strain your knees and, if you're a man, may put fertility at risk.

"The main problems I see with cycling involve the hips and kneecaps," says Gavin Burt, the London-based osteopath and spokesman for the General Osteopathic Council. "If your thigh muscles are out of balance, your kneecaps won't be stable - they'll move slightly sideways with the bending motion of your knee. That can cause grinding and inflammation."

Cycling can also harm male fertility. Recent studies show that 3 per cent of male cyclists who ride regularly become impotent, and virtually all of them felt pain or numbness before the problem occurred. The studies found that the more a person rides, the greater the risk of impotence or loss of libido.

Risk reduction Burt recommends the following exercise to strengthen your quadriceps and surrounding muscles. Lie down on your back with a rolled towel under your knee. Keeping your heels on the ground, press each knee down into the towel as if trying to straighten your legs.

Men who cycle for short or moderate periods shouldn't worry about fertility. Serious cyclists should take regular breaks along you cycling route - say every 30-40 minutes. Some bicycle seats such as Easy Seat (from £30; www.derri-air.com; 001 406 889 5288) are now specifically designed without the usual "nose" that compresses blood and nerve supply.

2. RUNNING

Running isn't as bad for your knees as most people think, says Siobhán O'Donovan, the chartered physiotherapist and sports rehabilitation specialist. "A study at Stanford University looked at the cartilage in the knees of runners," she says. "They found that in people who took up running while young, and continued to run, the sport had a cartilage-strengthening effect." For this benefit, you need to start running in your 20s, while your body is still growing. A sudden decision to take up running and cover long distances, without preparatory training, can cause knee strains.

The main risk for regular runners is Achilles tendonitis. "If the arch of your foot is slightly collapsed, your Achilles tendon will be slightly twisted. Run on it repeatedly, and the tendon will eventually become strained and inflamed."

Risk reduction Build up any running regime slowly and seek appropriate advice in choosing a good pair of shoes. O'Donovan, the clinical director at Meridian Sports in Bolton, recommends seeing a podiatrist or sports professional to get your feet screened. "This will identify if you have low or collapsed arches," she says. "You can then rectify the problem."

3. SWIMMING

Swimming is a great low-impact sport which strengthens and tones muscles of the whole body - and gives cardiovascular fitness a boost. But take into careful account which stroke you use. While front crawl is great for improving all-round muscle tone and fitness, O'Donovan believes breast stroke is so harmful, it should be banned.

"It's bad for your neck, back and knees," says O'Donovan. "Keeping your head above water compresses your neck, contributing to neck pain and tight shoulders. It also strains your lower back. Knees also suffer. "Your knees joints are made to kick up and down, not to kick out sideways as in breast stroke. This movement can strain ligaments and irritate membranes within the joint."

Risk reduction If you insist on doing breast stroke, you can minimise the strain by keeping your head in the water while swimming and coming up for breaths of air. Burt recommends reducing knee strain by propelling yourself forward using the momentum of your upper-body and kicking gently with your legs. Never extend them completely so that they are straight.

4. TENNIS

Beware of the classic tennis injury, tennis elbow. Caused by the backhand movement, the muscle and ligament leading from the forearm to the outer elbow becomes torn and inflamed.

Risk reduction As tennis elbow is painful and difficult to treat, your best strategy should be prevention. Using a double-handed backhand, where you use both arms to take the impact of the ball, will help.

Burt recommends this exercise for people with tennis elbow: place a moderately tight elastic band around the fingertips of your injured arm. Pull open your fingers against the resistance of the band and repeat several times every day. The exercise builds "support muscles" which help you use your arm while the strained ligament recovers.

5. ROWING

Rowing is one of the best sports for a strong back, but rowing machines in the gym can put your lower back at risk unless you get tuition in technique, says O'Donovan. Rowing outdoors may also put your lower back at risk if it is stiff. If you have scoliosis - a sideways curve along the spine - one side of your back may end up stronger than the other, causing muscular imbalances and strain.

Risk reduction O'Donovan suggests that you first ask yourself whether rowing is the best sport for you. "If your lower back isstiff, rowing could easily strain the joints, causing irritation and muscle strain," she says. "In extreme cases, it could lead to a prolapsed or slipped disc." If you do row, it's best to get professional advice. Burt says: "Your legs, low back, upper back and arms should all be involved in one effortless movement to propel yourself with each stroke."

6. YOGA/PILATES

While yoga and Pilates help prevent injuries by improving flexibility and strengthening abdominal muscles, both can cause the very injuries they're designed to protect against. "Overstretching can tear muscle fibres and irritate tendons or ligaments," says Burt.

Risk reduction Warm up properly before any stretching to prevent muscle tears in stiffness the following day, says O'Donovan. In winter, when the outdoor temperature is cold, give your body a good 20 minutes to warm up.

7. SNOWBOARDING

You don't get a rush without risk. And when it comes to winter sports, snowboarding tops the list for both. It offers speed and adventure along with a risk of knee strain, whiplash and wrist injury. "Your feet are fixed on to the snowboard in a way that stresses the knees," says Burt. "And if you fall, your upper body twists but your low body is fixed - that can snap and strain the cruciate ligaments of the knee." Falling forwards or backwards at speed on to compacted snow can cause wrist sprains and whiplash injuries respectively.

Risk reduction Get instructions and don't take on difficult slopes before you're ready. Protect your wrists from fractures or sprains by wearing wrist guards. Knee-braces worn under your salopettes can reduce any twisting when you fall.

Tips for safe and successful sport

Siobhán O'Donovan suggests picking a sport that will complement and help your physiology - then building up your fitness routine at a gradual rate. "I wouldn't recommend that someone prone to shoulder dislocation takes up rugby, for obvious reasons," she says. "Likewise, I'd be careful about suggesting rowing to somebody with a stiff lower back." Often, she adds, people may be predisposed to particular injuries without their realising.

Most people wouldn't know if they had a low foot arch, or if their pelvis was slightly twisted leaving one leg slightly longer than the other. These conditions are very common and can lead to muscular imbalances, tightness and injury in a wide range of sports.

She recommends a pre-exercise screen: an examination that looks at foot posture, leg length and your muscle balance. Orthotics and specific exercises can then ensure your bio-mechanical alignment is good to begin with.

A thorough warm-up routine is recommended before any sport - consisting of around 20 minutes of gentle aerobic activity and some stretches. It's vital not to overstretch early on, or you risk causing tightness and strain. Remember to finish any brisk activity with a 10-minute warm-down to help your physiology gradually adjust from an active to an inactive state.

Pre-exercise screening (£50 for one hour) is available at Meridian Sports in Bolton (www.getmebetter.co.uk; 08007 312 738). Consultations with podiatrists and physiotherapists are available at Health and Fitness Solutions, London (020-7702 1112).

For further details on sports injuries and rehabilitation, go to www.sportsinjuryclinic.net.

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Tori Amos ROWS!

I picked up this piece of information from Row2k.com today. They had a link to some newspaper. Now we just need to know all the celebrities who row indoors. Forget about the celebrities who row on the water.

Question for Tori Amos:


HOW DO YOU STAY IN SHAPE?

I am convinced that Frenchwomen don't get fat because they eat two or three proper meals a day - real food. I don't do sugar substitutes.

I play the piano for a few hours a day - it's a real workout. Then I get on the rowing machine for about 20 minutes four times a week. And a sauna about five times a week. You can steam toxins out. Just sit in there for about 20 minutes and drink two big bottles of water. It changes your health.

XENO

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

What do you do when you can not run for exercise anymore?

Running injuries, there are many. However few are the people who can run all their lives. It surprises me that no one really notices this. Every morning we drive our children to school and I see a few runners/joggers out the car window circling the back bay. To simplify my description of the runners I will break them down into three groups. There are the ones who look born to run with zero body fat and stepping very lightly on their feet as if their body were filled with hydrogen, only the ball of their feet touch the ground. I can honestly say that I don't see too many of this kind. My second group is the cross training kind, there stepping is considerably heavier and their pace is slower, but still look as if they could benefit from running. The third group which is also the most painful to observe are the people who one morning had a sudden mirror image shock and came to the conclusion that they had to whip themselves back into by buying running shoes at Sports Chalet and hitting the back bay bike path.

All three groups have one thing in common. Their shelf life as runners will sooner than later hit the expiring date. The countless pounding of the pavement damages feet, ankles, knees, hip joints, lower back and to extreme cases shoulders.

If you fit in one of the three categories mentioned above, be careful and make sure that you allow yourself recovery time between running workouts. Down time from running is important. Use cross training as a form of down time. You can call it alternative active compensatory workouts which can be a quicker way to recover from strenuous exercise. You can cross train by lifting weights, spending time on the elliptical trainer, stair master, walking uphill, and what the heck ROWING INDOORS if you really want my opinion. Word of caution if you bike... avoid roads with traffic. It is likely that you don't live in Orange County. Around here it is totally asking for trouble if you ride your bike on main roads.

Over and out.

XENO

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

I dug up a postcast that I did on endurance radio in 2005

http://www.EnduranceRadio.com Interview with Xeno Muller – January 12, 2005 <>: “Welcome back to www.EnduranceRadio.com. This is Tim Bourquin. Thanks very much for joining us again for another interview. We’re got something a little bit different for you today. We’re going to be speaking with Xeno Muller. He is the gold medalist for Switzerland in the 1996 Olympics in single skull, which is rowing, and also a silver medalist in the 2000 Olympics, so we’re going to be talking to Xeno about how athletes can use rowing to get some good exercise and building endurance, and he’s certainly the expert in that arena, so we’re going to hear from him. A couple of things first of all, the race of the day today is the Powerman Ohio 2005. The race is going to be on May 14 th or 15th, 2005, in Ohio. You can check out more information about that race at www.powermanohio.com. So we’re going to be right back to speak with Xeno Muller in about 30 seconds.” “Dehydration can diminish your energy and impair your performance. Scientists at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute have been studying athletes for nearly 20 years and understand what endurance athletes need to stay hydrated. Gatorade Endurance Hydration Formula contains a five electrolyte blend consisting of sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and magnesium, formulated to replace the fluids and electrolytes you lose during longer more intense workouts and races. Find out more about Gatorade Endurance Hydration at www.gatorade.com today. Is it in you?” <>: “Xeno, thanks very much for joining us this evening, I appreciate you talking to us.” <>: “Hi Tim, it’s a pleasure.” <>: “Well its good to do this interview because we always hear that triathletes and even adventure racers and endurance athletes in general get stuck in a rut, especially over the winter months maybe, where they’re tired of just going out for a run, or they’re tired of doing miles and miles on the bike. You offer something a little bit different in terms of rowing. Talk to us about how that helps builds endurance.” <>: “You know rowing for people who do a different sport could be considered as a great cross-training exercise. I, myself, when I was training for the Olympics, and over the years, I needed cross-training exercises to keep my body healthy, away from injuries and not get into a mental rut like you just mentioned. Rowing is a low impact sport. It involves all of the body and it’s a weight resistant exercise, which helps you develop your endurance, in a rowing specific way, but it certainly can help runners or swimmers or cyclists gain more endurance and more strength overall.” <>: “Now obviously you’re sitting down either on a rowing machine or actually in a boat when you’re doing this, but you’re not just using your arms and chest because actually you’re using pretty much a lot of muscles and a full body workout.” <>: “Two thirds of the power that you produce comes from the leg drive and the lower back, and then one third of the entire stroke is the upper body and then finishing with the arms, that’s right.” <>: “Now how much of this, in terms of building strength and endurance, is about doing the right technique as well?” <>: “Well the right technique is key in order to prevent people from getting an injury. The key thing in rowing is to be able to apply the leg drive while you have a forward body angle with the upper body, hinging from the hip joint so that the small of your back is one piece with your pelvis, and as you drive the legs you keep the arms straight so that you can really just push with the legs only, and then once the leg drive is almost finished then you chain on with the lay-back, a swing-back, with the upper body. Once the upper body is almost at its final position that’s when you bring in the arm draw.” <>: “Now what kid of set-ups do you use in terms of doing endurance training? How long are you rowing for, and are you doing it in intervals where you’ll do it long, or shorter and then faster? How does that all work?” <>: “Well quite an interesting question. Ninety eight per cent, I mean I’m rough here, but I can definitely say its really really a lot of endurance training and it a target heart rate, which is the aerobic threshold that two millimoles of lactic acid that the body produces, that is where you do 98% of your training in rowing. Why? Because the sprint racing and I say sprint racing even though its seven minutes long roughly in the single skull, it is quite a sprint. Often times we compare it to 400 meters, or even 800 meters. People are not quite certain where you would put rowing in there, but what’s important to know that 80% of a 2000 meter race, you heavily rely on the aerobic capacity which is at two millimoles of lactic acid, and of course we are producing more lactic acid in the race, but if our aerobic capacity is not built enough, we will very quickly, as athletes, over produce lactic acid without breaking it down during our race.” <>: “Now you talked about how you do lactic acid testing are part of your training. Talk about that.” <>: “Well the device that now is available in 350 box. Its called The Lactate Pro and I’m no sales person for that device, but the reason why I’m really enthusiastic about it is because five, six or seven years ago in order to have accurate lactic acid readings you would have had to buy a machine that was about US $8,000 to $10,000. Now you can buy this small device, it looks like a glucose tester, at Savons, and this thing, of course, tests your lactic acid and you prick your ear lobe and with a tiny tiny little drop of blood that you put on a little test strip, that’s stuck in the lactic acid measuring device, within a minute you know your lactic acid, you know exactly what your exertion is in your body and then all you have to do is make sure that you are writing down at what heart rate you were pushing what lactic levels.” <>: “Now I want to ask you about once you have this information what you’re supposed to do with it and how you can improve your tolerance of that, but we need to take a quick break. We’re going to be right back to speak with Xeno Muller. “As an endurance athlete you have special hydration needs. Introducing Gatorade Endurance Hydration Formula, developed for elite and endurance athletes for use during their longer, most intense workouts and races. Research shows you’re going to sweat out more essential fluids and minerals during prolonged training and races. Find out how to put them all back properly at www.gatorade.com. Get the edge you need to achieve that PR you’ve been training for. Gatorade Endurance Hydration Formula, nobody does hydration better. Is it in you?” <>: “Xeno, once you’ve done this test and you find out what your lactic acid threshold level is, what are you then supposed to do with that information?” <>: “Once you have those numbers. For example if your aerobic threshold; the rule of thumb is that the aerobic threshold is around two millimoles of lactic acid. Once you know that; what has been studied and found out is that once athletes start doing their volume training at two millimoles of lactic acid, they become more and more performance at that level, which means months from the day you first tested yourself at two millimoles of lactic acid, a month later you will find out that at the same heart rate with the same millimoles of lactic, your power, your wattage on the Ergometer, or on the bike, or the speed that you can run at, has increased. So just by knowing that this aerobic level has increased you know that overall, in a max effort over several minutes, or even in a marathon situation, you will be more performance.” <>: “I’ve seen the rowing machines in the gyms, but you don’t see too many people on them too much. Is it because they simply just don’t know how to do it properly?” <>: “To be honest I think rowing is a fairly obscure sport for people on the street. They may see it every once in a blue moon on TV in a Hollywood movie, or they see it every four years at the Olympics. I think rowing is, in a way, certainly less accessible just because you need a boat out on the water. However, there are two really good rowing machines out there that can now be used for group workouts, and I am the first place here in the United States, in southern California, that has these rowing machines set up for people that are non-rowers to come, get the technique, come in with a dry shirt and leave with a sweaty shirt, and have had a great workout, a superior workout.” <>: “Well lets talk about that too because I want our listeners to understand two things. First of all we don’t endorse any products and rarely do we talk about it this much, but I think this is so unique I do want our listeners to know you’ve got available, so talk about your studio.” <>: “Well thank you. The reason why I’m enthusiastic about it, and lets deviate from plugging myself, lets just use rowing as an opportunity for people that, A, cannot run or cannot swim or cannot bike. For example, people with a leg injury, or whatever it is. Rowing in an organized group with people telling you how to do it is an absolute new ...” <>: “It sounds like a spinning class almost.” <>: “It sounds like a spinning class, but the thing is because the people sit on the seats, and even can actually put one leg out to the side and not use that ankle or not use that knee that maybe hurt, they can row along with just using one leg and both arms, and the same thing is true with the arms. So there are so many different ways of using this sport of rowing indoors for people who are slightly at a disadvantage, temporarily or permanently, and they can still have a great workout because its low impact, and that’s what we at the Iron Oarsman here in Costa Mesa. Anybody, whether they are tall, short, overweight, elderly, youngsters, they all have a niche in their way to be able to row and get the best out of it.” <>: “Well of course our listeners can go to Xeno’s website at www.gorow.com and find out about his iron Oarsman studio. Xeno, unbelievably we’re out of time already, there’s a lot more we can go into but we’ll link to your site and hopefully listeners can visit you and find out a little bit more about that.” <>: “It was a pleasure.” http://www.EnduranceRadio.com offers online radio programs and interviews with endurance athletes and coaches at all levels. Visit their site today and listen to everyday athletes just like you and also professional endurance athletes talk about how they train, eat and race. Weekend warriors and serious competitors alike will find something they can implement into their own training and technique immediately from each day's program. A new interview is posted each weekday.

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Rowperfect Coming To the USA and Canada SOON!

“ The Rowperfect rowing simulator has been an integral part of our training since 1997. With the ability to link machines together and also connect them to PCs we've had the opportunity to achieve so much more in our training off the water. Over the period we've made tremendous technical progress. The live feedback from the PCs has enabled the athletes to make changes and see the outcome instantly.

The importance of the machines can be gauged by the fact that we bought two machines in Australia and used them right up to our final race in the Olympic final. I'd be quite happy to use the Rowperfect as our training machine all the time.

It's the closest thing to rowing we've got and you don't even have to carry it down to the water. ”
Martin McElroy, Coach Great Britain Eight, gold medallists Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

“ I have always been a fan of ROWPERFECT. Not only does it provide immediate feedback from the visual data but it also gives the rowers a clear message that they can transfer easily to the boat.

Using it, from the early development right up to the Olympic final, was a major factor in the success of our Gold Medal Eight. ”
Harry Mahon
Cambridge University Boat Club and Great Britain Olympic Coach

“ Since a diagnosis of advanced osteoarthritis in both knees was made over a year ago, my mobility has been greatly reduced. The ability to walk or do any weight-bearing exercise is not possible. Surgery is my only alternative.

Meanwhile, my son introduced the Rowperfect Rowing Simulator to my life and it has been a lifesaver. It enables me to exercise daily without any adverse effects on my knees. It also keeps my heart, blood pressure etc in order, preparing me for surgery and after surgery recovery. The low impact on my knees compared to other rowing machines at my gym seems to make it totally stressless on my body, whilst maintaining a positive mind attitude.

I strongly believe Rowperfect is as necessary for the well-being of older people as it is for younger athletic folk. It is both effortless and effective. With the enjoyment of daily use, I have discovered a certain pleasure of recognising its results. ”
Sincerely, Noeline Le Couilliard

“For the last two weeks before I departed for the 1989 World Championships in Bled, I was training on the Rowperfect exclusively. This gave me an advantage over my competitors, because I could hone my timing at the catch to perfection, not hindered by weather conditions or waves, and this certainly contributed to my world championship of that year. ”
Frans Göbel, World Champion l/wt mens 1 x 1989-90

“Thanks for teaching us to 'Rowperfect'. ”
Pymble Ladies College, 2000 Australian Champions, NSW Head of River winners.

“What do I think of Rowperfect? It brought me three world championships. ”
Peter Haining, Mens l/wt Single Scull 1993-1994-1995

“First of all I would like to say that the RowPerfect is a great training tool and the few days I have it, it earned its' money. The information and feedback for the rower is really good. You can see how they change and adapt. I am very impressed. ”
Cristian Felkel, Head Coach South African Rowing Union

“It feels like a boat. We used it a lot in training and it was the last thing we did before going to the Olympic final. ”
Simon Dennis, Great Britain Olympic 8+, Sydney 2000

“Cambridge have used the ROWPERFECT Rowing Simulator for some years now and it has been an invaluable coaching and training tool. It closely reproduces the feel of the boat and is kinder on the lower back than fixed head ergometers. ”
Robin Williams, Cambridge University, Head Coach

“I have been working with some novice scullers over the last 8 months, and they are now sculling like professionals. This is primarily due to the Rowperfect which we use every day. ”
Gerry Farrell, Captain Neptune Rowing Club Dublin

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

2000 College rowing scholarships for women!

As a result of Title IX, the NCAA only gives rowing scholarships to women. According to the NCAA, there are 86 Division I and 15 Division II colleges that offer rowing scholarships, which equals close to 2,000 college rowing scholarships for women in the NCAA.

The best of all is that women do not even need to know how to row on the water. If high school aged female students perform well on the ergometer during a 2000 meter erg test, they are as valuable as an on the water recruit. If you have questions about this, call me.

XENO

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Training on Static Rowing Machine Discussion, from Ivan Hooper 14/06/2006

A Discussion of Rowing Ergometer Use

Following on from my recent email regarding injury and illness statistics, I would like to raise some comments and considerations regarding the use of ergometers for training. I have noticed that there seems to be a trend towards increasing use of the ergometer in training, particularly doing low rate work down to ratings as low as 12. I understand the benefits that this type of work can produce, but I would like to make you aware that this form of training is not without risk of injury.

In some of his regular newsletters, Valery Kleshnev highlighted the fact that the kinetics and kinematics of ergometer rowing are different from that of on water rowing. On an ergometer, the handle force has a higher peak and develops later, the stroke length tends to be 3-5% longer and the curve of foot stretcher force is considerably moved towards the beginning of the stroke. An important point is that the legs:trunk:arms proportions of power development on an ergometer are 37%:41%:22% compared to 45%:37%:18% for on water rowing. This means that the trunk is doing a larger proportion of the work on an ergometer. I believe all of these factors lead to an increased load applied to the structures of the trunk, and particularly the spine. Greater work done by the trunk could produce earlier fatigue of the trunk muscles, placing the spine at risk.

Holt et al (2003) studied the effects of prolonged ergometer rowing. Over a 60 minute piece there were significant changes in the way the athletes moved. Lumbar spine range of motion at the catch and total lumbar spine range of motion increased during the piece. The gradient of force production decreased, and the ratio of drive to recovery time increased, over the piece. The authors attributed these changes to fatigue of the trunk muscles during the piece, reinforcing that fatigued trunk muscles may lead to low back injury.

Teitz et al (2002) conducted a retrospective study of 1632 US intercollegiate rowers. By the use of detailed questionnaires they established that 32% of these athletes had experienced back pain of at least one week's duration during their rowing careers. The use of rowing ergometers for greater than 30 minutes per session and free weights were the variables most consistently associated with back pain.

In my experience, I feel that athletes often pay little attention to their rowing technique when on an ergometer. The level of coaching supervision is often limited as well. The result is that athletes spend time on the ergometer under greater trunk load than when on the water, with poor technique and poor postural positions. The end result is an increased load on the spine which can increase the risk of injury.

It is very common for athletes to report that they feel that the ergometer was highly related to their back pain. And those athletes with current back pain regularly report that ergometer rowing aggravates their pain more than on water rowing. When this feedback occurs over a significant number of athletes over a number of years it is difficult to dismiss.

Unfortunately I believe that we are seeing an increase in the number of low back injuries amongst rowers. The three month injury and illness statistics that I recently sent to you highlighted the fact that back injuries are having a significant effect on team preparation, both at an individual and crew level. Even though I am sure that there are many causes of this increase in back pain, evidence and experience suggests that ergometer use is a significant one.

While I am the first to acknowledge that the ergometer is a powerful training tool, I ask coaches and athletes to give due consideration to the risks involved. Please consider the time spent on the ergometer, the rates that training is done at, the supervision provided and how diligently athletes concentrate on their technique.

I hope that we can all work towards a reduction in low back injury rates. For every back injury that we avoid, that is an extra 30 days (on average) that the athlete can spend training properly! Any feedback regarding this subject would be most welcome.

References:

Holt P J E et al. Kinematics of spinal motion during prolonged rowing. International Journal of Sports Medicine 2003; 24: 597-602.

Kleshnev V. Rowing Biomechanics Newsletter; www.biorow.com :April 2001.

Kleshnev V. Rowing Biomechanics Newsletter; www.biorow.com :October 2003.

Kleshnev V. Rowing Biomechanics Newsletter; www.biorow.com :January 2005.

Teitz C C et al. Back pain in intercollegiate rowers. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 2002; 30 (5): 674-679.

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Dynamic rowing machines versus static rowing machines from Ivan Hooper 15/09/2006

A Discussion of Fixed vs Dynamic Ergometers
Since I sent out some comments regarding ergometer use, I have had quite a few emails back regarding the use of the Row Perfect ergometer, or putting the Concept II ergometer on sliders. I am aware that there is some work underway investigating this issue, but currently there are not a lot of papers that have been published.
In working through some of the literature I came across a website that goes some way towards explaining the physics of ergometer rowing (Dudhia, 1999). It discusses that a fundamental difference between the linear mechanics of a ‘static’ ergometer (such as a Concept II) and a boat can be illustrated by the following test:
• If you sit at front-stops on an erg and then push your legs down you move backwards relative to room by an amount equal to your leg length
• If you sit at front-stops in a single and then push your legs down (oars out of the water) you only move backwards relative to the bank by an amount ~20% of your leg length - the rest of the motion is taken by the boat moving away from you.
This is a result of the action-reaction principle (Newton's 3rd Law). The force applied by your legs to the stretcher acts equally on you and the stretcher. In the static case (ergometer), the stretcher is effectively attached to the whole planet so doesn't move - you do all the moving. In the dynamic case (boat), the mass of the single scull is much lighter (typically 10-20%) than you, so it moves further than you do.
This is not just a matter of the frame of reference: in the static case (ergometer) you are actually performing more work accelerating your whole body weight up and down the slides, thereby creating high levels of kinetic energy. In the dynamic case (boat) your body weight is relatively stationary, creating much lower levels of kinetic energy and thus requiring less work to be done to reverse this kinetic energy. It results in an athlete needing to put in six times more energy just accelerating and decelerating their own body weight, compared to on water rowing.
A ‘dynamic’ ergometer, such as the Row Perfect, attempts to simulate the mechanics of on water rowing by having the stretcher/flywheel also mounted on a rail. Attempts have been made to simulate the same effect by mounting the Concept II on sliders.
Most of the literature that I have read was performed examining the Row Perfect ergometer in a mobile and fixed state. The weight of the Row Perfect mobile power head is approximately 19kg, which is not that dissimilar to the weight of a single scull. This is the weight that an athlete’s leg drive is moving every stroke. Hence the manufacturer’s claims that the mechanics of the Row Perfect and on water rowing are similar.
The weight of a Concept II is nearly 28kg. When you include the mobile component of the sliders, the weight is around 35kg. If you consider the mechanics discussed earlier, when a Concept II is mounted on sliders there would be more motion of the rower and less motion of the ergometer when compared to the Row Perfect. Hence, my thinking is that sliders probably go a long way to replicating the mechanics of on water rowing, but still involve forces nearly double that of the Row Perfect.
There are two recent papers that have both described the mechanics of static versus dynamic ergometers, using the Row Perfect in both a dynamic and fixed state. Bernstein et al (2002) found that average stroke length on the static ergometer was 53mm longer. They discussed that this is due to the higher kinetic energy associated with moving the whole body mass, as was discussed earlier. Colloud et al (2006) also discussed the higher inertial forces generated during the transition between the recovery and propulsive phases, especially at the catch.

This kinetic energy, and / or inertia, has to decrease to zero for a change in direction to occur, thus something has to exert or absorb forces. Coming forward this force is absorbed by passive tissue structures of the knees resulting in an 8-10% increased leg compression (Kleshnev, 2005). It is reasonable to assume that the lumbar spine also absorbs some of this kinetic energy, creating an increase in lumbar flexion. Holt et al (2003) supported this when studying the effects of prolonged ergometer rowing. Over a 60 minute piece there were significant increases in the lumbar spine range of motion at the catch and total lumbar spine range of motion.

At the finish it is the large hip flexors that act to decrease and reverse the kinetic energy of the trunk (Rekers, 2006). This places very high loads on the lumbar spine, equivalent to doing prolonged sit ups. This places large sheer forces across the structures of the lumbar spine, potentially contributing to injury (Stallard, 1994).

Both Bernstein et al (2002) and Colloud et al (2006) found higher maximum stroke forces and power when using the static compared to the dynamic ergometer. They suggest that the passive structures of the rower’s joints could be loaded more at the catch on the static ergometer when the lower limb joints and trunk are fully flexed. They both propose that these higher forces, imposed over a longer stroke, may be associated with injury.

Undoubtedly, higher forces applied over a longer distance means more work done by the body’s muscles. More work done means earlier fatigue. Fatigued lumbar spine muscles may allow even more lumbar flexion, transferring higher forces to the passive tissues of the spine. The combination of lumbar flexion and muscular fatigue has long been identified as a cause of lumbar spine injury amongst rowers (Reid & McNair, 2000).

After repetitive motion, protective muscle activity has been shown to be reduced, often for a number of hours after the exercise is completed (Gedalia et al, 1999) The ramification for rowers is that, during this period, the athlete may be more vulnerable to injury, even when they may not be experiencing high loading on the spine (Reid & McNair, 2000). Ergometer use and weight training are two modalities that are likely to load the trunk muscles more than on water rowing. Based on the findings mentioned above, placing these two training modalities in close proximity is likely to increase injury risk.

In discussing ergometer versus on water rowing, Kleshnev (2005) noted several differences. He stated that the legs execute more work on a stationary ergo, but in a slower static motion. On the water the legs work much faster at the catch, when the force is not very high and therefore execute less power. In this aspect a dynamic ergometer stands somewhere between a stationary ergometer and on water rowing.

This may be an aspect that coaches wish to utilise if they are looking to enhance leg training, but I question the value of this when the load and contraction speeds are significantly different to on water rowing. The other issue is that once the legs fatigue, the trunk then becomes a greater contributor to total work performed. As mentioned above, this leads to a fatigue of the trunk muscles, placing lumbar spine structures at higher risk of injury.

In conclusion, the information that is currently available supports the idea that ergometer use is a risk factor for lumbar spine injury. It also suggests that the Row Perfect places much lower detrimental forces on the rower than the Concept II. It seems that placing the Concept II on sliders is also a way of reducing these detrimental forces, but this is probably not as effective as the Row Perfect.

At this point in time, the Concept II is the standard for conducting physiological testing of the elite rower. I do not propose that this change immediately, but I do think that what machine we test on in the future needs further examination and evaluation. Issues such as injury risk and physiological specificity need to be considered when selecting the most appropriate way to test our athletes.

In summarising the information that is currently available regarding ergometer use and its effects on injury, I would like to make the following recommendations:

• Reduce the volume of work done on Concept II ergometers in the stationary setting.

• Keep the maximum length of a piece on an ergometer less than 30 minutes. If more than 30 minutes is to be done in a session, make sure that the session is broken up into shorter pieces with appropriate rest and stretching in between the pieces.

• Where appropriate, use either the Row Perfect or Concept II ergometer on sliders.

• Where appropriate, use other forms of cross training. Consider using cross training in conjunction with ergometer training in order to achieve the necessary training volume.

• Endeavour to place ergometer sessions and weights sessions on separate training days, or at least several hours apart.

• Provide good supervision of technique while athletes train on an ergometer. The level of attention to technical detail on an ergometer should be no different to when training on water.

• Ensure that athletes understand that the need for good technique while training on an ergometer is as important as when on water.

• Be aware that some people will never have problems on an ergometer, while others may have significant problems. Coaches should be prepared to individualise training programs to suit each athlete.

The recommendations made in this article are based on a balance between possible injury risks, and the acknowledged benefits of ergometer training. Ideally these recommendations are designed to stimulate thought when devising training programs. I would encourage coaches to consider both the potential benefits and the potential risks of all forms of training.

Finally I would like to remind everyone that coaches have a duty to make their crews as fast as possible, without causing damage to the people for whom they are responsible (Stallard, 1994). An ongoing challenge for all coaches is to minimise the potentially detrimental aspects of their training programs.



References

Bernstein I A et al (2002) An ergonomic comparison of rowing machine designs: possible implications for safety. British Journal of Sports Med; 36:108-112

Colloud F et al (2006) Fixed versus free floating stretcher mechanism in rowing ergometers: Mechanical aspects. Journal of Sports Sciences; 24: 1-15

Dudhia, A (1999) The physics of rowing: dynamic versus static ergometers. http://www.atm.ox.ac.uk/rowing/physics/index.html

Gedalia U et al (1999) Biomechanics of increased exposure to lumbar injury caused by cyclic loading. Part 2. Recovery of reflexive muscular stability with rest. Spine; 24: 2461-7

Holt P J E et al (2003) Kinematics of spinal motion during prolonged rowing. International Journal of Sports Medicine; 24: 597-602.

Kleshnev V (2005) Rowing Biomechanics Newsletter; Vol 5: No 1

Reid D A & McNair P J (2000) Factors contributing to low back pain in rowers. British Journal of Sports Med; 34:321-325

Rekers, C (2006) Personal Correspondence.

Stallard, M (1994) Regatta; 66, p22.

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

An Australian Made Rowing Machine Is About To Make Its International Debut And Gives Rowers The Possibility To Choose Their Land Equipment.

A couple of years ago, I met Mark Campbell of Rowperfect, Australia, over the phone. I was looking for other rowing machines to use at the Iron Oarsman, which would be more space efficient and lighter to use for smaller people.

Our fleet of Concept2 machines are tightly lined up in front of a wall of mirrors which leaves little foot space for people to get on and off the machines. I am always worried about the danger of someone tripping over the metal edges of the C2 slides. I brought up this space issue to Concept2 and asked them to consider building a narrower bow slide, which would use less floor space and make getting on and off the machine safer. Concept2 was not able to make any changes and I am still worried. Luckily the Rowperfect’s foot print is roughly 9/10 narrower than the Concept2 on slides. The added floor space is invaluable to the safety of the people who row at the Iron Oarsman.

Smaller sized people welcome a lighter machine to slide back into the catch and the smooth connection through the leg drive. This feel is due to the light weight of the Rowperfect which is roughly half the mass of the Concept2 machine. This weight issue was never as clear as when I rowed Mark’s Rowperfect. After we met I was given one of six Rowperfect prototypes, which you can see in action over our webcam at www.ironoarsman.com.

Mark’s newly designed prototype gave me immediately a superior sense of indoor rowing enjoyment that was greater than my maiden voyage using the C2 slides. The feeling of a direct catch through the leg drive was crystal clear and immediate. I couldn’t help but fall instantly into a rhythm that I remembered from rowing the single scull.

My advice to any rower is to consider training on a dynamic rowing machine when rowing on land is required. Now there are two choices one is the Rowperfect and the other the combination Concept2&C2slides. Until 2000, I used to complete a quarter of my land trainings on a stationary Concept2 rowing machine. The constant back and forth movement of my body would strain my lower back and over-compress my knees at the beginning of the stroke and at the finish tighten my hip flexors. At the completion of 90 minutes of steady state rowing, I would need several minutes before I could stand straight. After the Sydney Olympics, I decided to borrow Concept2 Slides from a friend of mine and use them during my indoor rowing workouts. The feeling of floating back and forth was instantaneous and liberating. Using the slide’s pendulum effect made the decision easy to take the plunge to start an indoor rowing studio. I was right. Indoor Rowing on slides is a constantly growing success at our rowing studio. It has now been three years since I started the Iron Oarsman and our 18 Concept2 rowing machines have spun over five hundred million meters.

Go visit www.rowperfect.com.au and note all the single scull Olympic and world champions who have used Rowperfect in the past. Rest assured that as soon as the first Rowperfect rowing simulators roll of the production line, I will be updating the equipment at the Iron Oarsman with Marks fantastic machine. Sincerely, XENO

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

A list of rowing machines. Soon the Rowperfect will sit at the top.

GEAR
A row of new options
Roy M. Wallack
September 11, 2006


The days when every serious exerciser had a fold-up air-piston rowing machine rolled under the bed are long gone (probably because those flimsy machines weren't very good). But a new generation of rowers is trying to rekindle the rowing flame. With smooth, solid motion and more user-friendly features, they make it easier for all ages to get the terrific all-body strength and aerobic benefits for which rowing is known.
A natural frame of mind

WaterRower: Wooden water-resistance machine that gets out of the way fast.

Likes: Immerses you in a feeling of real rowing. The water resistance (pulling a rotor through water housed in a horizontal, see-through polycarbonite drum) produces a quiet, toilet-bowlish "whoosh" that is smooth and soothing. A nylon pull-strap helps make the machine more natural and quiet than the rattling, chain-driven Concept2, bottom. Also, the wood-framed machines (in oak, walnut and cherry) look more natural in a living room. (A metal Hi-Rise version runs $1,795.) Very space-efficient storage; lifts up and sets on end in seconds, with a tiny 4-square-foot footprint. Very comfy, padded, oval handle. Good monitor data.

Dislikes: No adjustable resistance levers like on the other three models tested. You simply increase resistance naturally, as you would on water, by rowing faster. (Some people may see this as a positive.)

Price: $1,095 to $1,495. http://www.waterrower.com or (800) 852-2210.

*

No-frills action at a low price

BodyCraft VR100: Good quality, low-cost fold-up model that uses a combination of air and magnetic resistance.

Likes: Sturdy, smooth, satisfying stroke action. Very comfortable, contoured seat. Quiet nylon strap. Highly motivating "air conditioning" action; the fan blade vents funnel air directly onto your face, rewarding you for making strong pulls. Folds for storage into a 16-by-24-inch space. Has a built-in heart rate monitor receiver (chest strap is optional).

Dislikes: Somewhat unreliable readout monitor; strokes-per-minute, total strokes, distance and speed seem to fluctuate too much. Foot pads are not adjustable and not fixed, so they pivot when you push off (which is initially uncomfortable to those used to the rowers at the gym). Also, seems too cramped for people taller than 6 feet.

Price: $699. http://www.bodycraft.com or (800) 990-5556.

*

Easy enter-exit machine has fans

Concept2 Model E: A chain-driven, fan-resistance rower with a tall seating position specifically designed for older users.

Likes: Same solid feel as the Concept2 Model D, yet with the seat positioned 6 inches higher, making it easier to enter and exit. Highly motivating monitor has programs that allow you to "race" icons of other boats. It can even store old workouts in memory so you can race against yourself. Heart-rate monitor and chest strap included. Seat is slightly more padded and contoured than on a normal Concept2.

Dislikes: None — except for the extra $200 you pay over the Model D.

Price: $1,200. http://www.concept2.com or (800) 245-5676.

For more fluid resistance

First Degree Fluid Rower: Heavy-duty, adjustable, water-resistance machine.

Likes: Very smooth, solid, quiet and "immersing" due to the use of a nylon strap and see-through water chamber, which sits vertically. It also has adjustable resistance, so you can change difficulty with a light fingertip touch on a large handle. Overall flawless operation. Racy looks, too.

Dislikes: Not as pretty or as portable as the WaterRower. Has wheels to roll away, but can't stand straight up.

Price: $1,699. http://www.firstdegreefitness.com or (206) 285-5219.

- Roy M. Wallack

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

In the name of Steve Irwin you can make a donation to Wild Life Warrior

Here is the link to donate to Steve Irwin's cause.

http://www.australiazoo.com.au

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

A great story about the Iron Oarsman & Xeno Muller Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist

FOCUS ON HEALTH:
Please leave boat at the door
Indoor rowing is becoming popular for those seeking a low-impact, highly effective workout.

By Amanda Pennington

COSTA MESA — As her daughter's wedding approached last year, Newport Beach resident Kathi Glover was looking for a way to tone up and look her best. After a woman in her bunco group invited the other members to join a class, Glover discovered rowing, a low-impact way of keeping fit. Quickly, she became hooked.

"I wanted to get in better shape than I thought I was," she said. "I needed an upper-body workout."

Glover, who is in her 50s, continued with the classes and watched what she ate, which led her to drop a number of dress sizes in about seven months.

"That's why I kept doing it, it was a total overall body workout," she said. "I wouldn't think you'd be working your legs as much, but you're working the legs, arms and abdominal muscles."

Glover gave up her previous regimen, which included running the stairs at Newport Harbor High School, and upped her routine from two days per week to five or six because it was fun and effective.

Indoor rowing is especially effective for cross training, said Xeno Müller, who opened the Iron Oarsman indoor rowing gym in Costa Mesa three years ago.

Because rowing uses all the major muscle groups, Müller said, it's good used in conjunction with popular workouts including Pilates, tennis and golf.

"The goal about improving your main discipline is to be able to cross train for maximum effectiveness," he said, standing in front of his 18 rowing machines at his small 17th Street studio. "Indoor rowing is the perfect ambassador to cross training."

Müller, who won Olympic Gold and Silver for Switzerland in the men's single skull rowing in 1996 and 2000 said he started his business to "open up rowing to a lot of people."

Typically indoor rowing was used only by those competing in the sport, and the equipment was generally sold to boat houses and universities, Müller said.

"It boggles my mind that rowing has never really surfaced, but it is about to surface," he said. "It's the only sport that's zero-impact and you can do it while you're seated."

Like most exercise programs, it's not necessarily for everyone said Janet Grattan, a physical therapist at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian's Outpatient Services.

"It can be nice to use as cross training tool, and a lot of people do really well at it, but the mechanics are not ones I find as useful as other modalities," she said.

During the workout, your feet are strapped in and you engage the gluteus muscles while hinging at the hip. The user sits up straight and tall and follows through with the arms, engaging the back and stomach muscles as well.

"If you can sit on the couch pain-free, chances are you can row pain-free," Müller said. "That's a big thing."

Indoor rowers can also connect with others throughout the world through the Online World Rankings put out by Concept2, the manufacturer of most of the rowing machines in Müller's studio. In the 2006 season — May 2005 through April 2006 — Glover ranked 2,812 out of 4,065 worldwide users who individually posted their results. After each class, rowers can track how many meters they've rowed. Since she started, Glover has logged more than 5 million meters. The gym itself ranks No. 2, Müller said.

"You can row about 8,000 meters per workout, or about five miles, and you can burn more than 350 calories," he said. "The better you get, the more you can burn because you become more efficient."

The workout, according to Müller and his wife Erin Müller, draws a different crowd than your local gym or spin class.

"It's a different crowd on a different wavelength," Erin Müller said. "People who may get intimidated by going to a regular gym come here and are comfortable."

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Steve Irwin passed away.

My entire family loved watching Steve and his wife Terri in the show the Crocodile Hunter. It is with great sadness that we learned of his untimely death during a diving accident. From the bottom of our hearts we wish his wife and children courage and our deepest sympathy. We loved his enthusiasm and love for nature. We will miss his presence very much.
XENO and Family

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

How to use a rowing machine, but where are the rowing moves?

I always look for different advertisements showing off the virtues of rowing. This one is pretty colorful. It shows a bunch of unconventional exercises, yet nothing about how to row properly... I know that the number one deterrent from rowing any type of machine is that most people don't know the technique. In the end the marketing people of this add are trying to sell the rower not for its rowing but for its versatility for other non-rowing exercises...

XENO

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Pilates is getting on the trail of indoor rowing!

I googled the terms "indoor rowing" combined with "pilates" and found that the pilates people are looking for a form of exercise that combines pilates fundamentals and aerobic conditioning and the result is INDOOR ROWING.
I will keep you posted!
XENO

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

For Boomers and Beyond, Learn to Row hour at the Iron Oarsman

Boomers and Beyond

I have a special event for you!

Learn to row hour at the Iron Oarsman with me, XENO MULLER, Olympic Gold and Silver medalist.

WHEN: September 16. 2006 @ 12:00 noon
WHERE: The IRON OARSMAN, 440 East 17th Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Participation is limited to 18. Each participant will get a special Rowing DVD!

Call to make reservations.

Sincerely,
XENO
xeno@ironoarsman.com
949-400-7630 phone

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.