Not every day is clement or good to be out on the water (OTW), but, here in Durham hardy competitive and recreational rowers could be OTW almost every day, the river Wear doesn’t freeze over, flooding is more likely. This is not the case in many countries where rivers and lakes freeze for months a year. To overcome the winter training hiatus indoor rowing machines were developed in mid-1970’s the most notable of which was by a company named Concept 2 based in Vermont, USA. Quickly, the indoor rowing machine equally referred to as the ergometer or ergo, became a key element of training year round not just when the water is frozen or in flood!
Ergometers are training tools in their own right; it is often cited that 75% of the body’s muscle groups are used; the physiological effort and skill required particularly the legs and body movements are very similar to rowing; for newcomers to the sport time spent mastering a proficient style in the gym would be rewarded in a boat.
For those who prefer gym based exercise the ergometer is ideal, come rain or shine. It’s a time efficient way for people of all ages and abilities worldwide to achieve a full-body, low-impact workout. Whether you want to keep fit, improve health and wellness or train to be national or world champion the ergometer is ready for you any time you are able to step into the gym.
DARC has a fleet of 24 Concept 2 model D ergos each with PM5 (internet compatible) monitors- an important feature because so many training plans and virtual competitions are available online. The addition of two Concept 2 erg bikes and a ski erg means just about every muscle group is covered. The ergometer removes all the variable aspects of rowing OTW. The monitor provides valuable data about your workout, the key performance measure is the time taken to row the equivalent of 2000m OTW and the split time i.e. the time per 500m. For example, a person who takes 8 mins 40 secs to row 2000m has a split time of 2 mins 10 secs per 500m, usually expressed as 2:10.0/500m.
Indoor Rowing Championships (IRC) started in 1981 rapidly becoming prominent events in the rowing calendar. DARC members in junior, senior and master’s categories have won medals at the British IRC. Jill Prescott and Roger Stainforth have set British and world records and both won the World Championship.
