Progress

optimistic_

Ages ago, Transform asked me to post up how i was getting on if I started to jog in the mornings and continue with other training etc.
I never posted a log, more out of not being able to post too often in work than anything else – but systems are down at the moment.

January – Resolved to restart gym training having given up due to a family issue in the months previous. Never took measurements at this stage. Was aimless.
February – Began HIIT after reviewing several sports training methods. Again no measurements, and no real diet monitoring. Made some progress. Enough to be commented on etc. (slimmer, “in shape”
March / April – Decided I would like to take up outdoor jogging each morning. Injured my foot the first week. Jogging and treadmill were out for 1 month+. Still did cross trainer, to a lesser extent. Walking was tough.
May– Took measurements! Weight in at 84kg, approx 21%BF (callipers, but self measured so accuracy is questionable – several of the same measurements taken to ensure consistency in the measurements) Began free weights, calorie monitoring in earnest etc, operating on deficit.
Most current: Continuing free weight lifts, (weights one day, HIIT the next with one day’s rest per week – occasionally miss a day due to social occasions) Weights consist of bench, deadlift, squats, rows, pullups, dips etc. Majority of HIIT is cross trainer, have started incorporating the odd day of rower, still finding this a killer. Jogging every weekday morning for 30 minutes, upping to 50 next week. (gym sessions are evening time)
On cardio days, I will throw in sets revolving around 500m row, 15 pushups, 5 pullups, 5 dips – do that for about ¾ rounds before doing any HIIT.

This has been the quickest progress, I’m at 81kg, 18% BF, feel great, looking better and still have a long way to go. (again BF measurement is quite possible off, as it’s home measured, but as above, several measurements from same area to ensure consistency). Diet is clean around 90% of the time. I’m sure if I cleaned up more I would drop BF faster, but I like the odd night out, or “unhealthy” meal every now and again.

If this should be in logs, feel free to move, just figured it might not belong there as it’s not a running log, and contains no real progress re lifts etc.

Big thanks to everyone who’s ever given any advice directly to me, or to others, coupled with everything else that’s been a great help.

Khannie

Fair play to you.

One thing I'll say: I have found it very difficult to get my heart rate up high on the cross trainer compared to a treadmill (or, my preference, running outdoors). I've no problem getting myself to 160 on the treadmill, but for whatever reason (I'm guessing it's the lack of weight bearing) I find it difficult to hit 160 on the cross trainer.

Now I know some people will say "oh just work harder on the cross trainer". What I think I'm saying is that perceived effort for the same heart rate is higher on the cross trainer.

The rower is a total winner for HIIT though. I both love and hate it.

optimistic_

Cheers Khannie,

I'm actually looking to moving over to the rower, but f*ck me, ten minutes on that and i'm dying. It's a concept 2,and i tend to put it at full whack when i use it.

I've weights tonight, I think i'll just suck it up and swap the cross trainer for the rower tomorrow night. I'll have jelly legs for the walk home.
On my cardio days i do like to do about ten mins of running, and ten mins rower. I reckon i'll do ten mins run, ten mins cross trainer, then pushups, pulls etc, then hit the rower for HIIT....then die.

Really enjoying my morning runs now too.

optimistic_

sorry - meant to say if anyone had advice or comment to please feel free to add your two cents, or fifty quid if you have it.

May as well post a typical diet here as well, if there's anywhere i'm going drastically wrong, people might point it out, Ì do try to stick to everything i've learned from the stickies as well as elsewhere.

06:05 - Half banana
06:10 - 30/40 min jog
07:10 - 40g porridge oats (made with water) with other half of banana, sprinkly of cinnamon, spoon of honey. - Day on day off i will have 3 eggs here instead with one slice of granary bread.
09:30 - snack - beef jerky.
11:30 - Snack of either berries or banana - or oat cakes (2)
13:00 - Lunch - Either chicken breast with stir fried peppers (olive oil) or occasionally raw chopped peppers - or smoke salmon fillet with raw or stir fried peppers - or turkey breast with broccoli (raw)
With lunch i'll either have light cottage cheese blended with berries, or a muller light - I'll admit i tend to have a 25c freddo here too. Shame! I know!!
17:45 - 18:30 - After that lunch I'm usually not hungry again til around now - Will usually just have a banana here (carbs for workout!)
18:45ish - Gym. Roughly til just after 8 - including showers etc.
20:00is - protien shake (one scoop) or beef jerky (25g)
20:30 - As lunch without chocolate bar or muller. Will usually have cottage cheese here.

Obviously drink a lot of water, especially during and after the gym - tend to make sure i drink 2 litres during the working day. Have one or two coffees a day also.

TommyKnocker

Hi Optimistic

Like Khannie, I think the rower is the bee's knees for HIIT.

One thing I would caution though is to try and row with good technique. I found that once I paid attention to my technique I could row for much longer.

Have a look at this video for good rowing technique on the Concept II.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqVmMd7FdAA

Also set the damper control to about 4, as it is said that this gives you the best match to rowing on water.

I often row for around 1 hour. I do the first 10 minutes concentrating on my stroke technique and breathing (breathe in on the recovery and out on the drive). Then I set the monitor for intervals. I do 12 x 80 seconds hard with 60 secs recovery. For the hard part I would usually be rowing at around 34 strokes per min (SPM) and would cover around 370m. I would be rowing very lightly on the recovery, maybe 14-15 SPM. The Interval section of the workout takes 28 minutes.

So I have now been rowing for 38 minutes in total. I will now row for 4km at around 22 SPM, working on stroke efficiency. I would be aiming to complete the 4km in around 18:30 ish.

I will then spend 5 minutes rowing really easy just to recover slightly before stepping off the rower.

Like this you do not feel the hour going by :D


Best Regards,

M

optimistic_

Great!
Rower is going to be my new interval home!

Thanks for that lads!

(setting the rower to 4 makes me very happy ... 10 was murder. Cold blooded, heartless murder)

TommyKnocker

optimistic_ wrote: »

Great!
Rower is going to be my new interval home!

Thanks for that lads!

(setting the rower to 4 makes me very happy ... 10 was murder. Cold blooded, heartless murder)

Don't worry, damper at 4 can still wipe you out

Check out this video with Pinsett vs Cracknell. Look at how fluid their stroke is, but watch the pain on the faces from about 2:20 on wards and how totally fcuked they are at the end.

This is why I love the rower.


Best Regards,

M

Khannie

Nice video. That's what I try to look like getting off the rower.

Transform

optimistic_ wrote: »

Ages ago, Transform asked me to post up how i was getting on if I started to jog in the mornings and continue with other training etc.
I never posted a log, more out of not being able to post too often in work than anything else – but systems are down at the moment.

January – Resolved to restart gym training having given up due to a family issue in the months previous. Never took measurements at this stage. Was aimless.
February – Began HIIT after reviewing several sports training methods. Again no measurements, and no real diet monitoring. Made some progress. Enough to be commented on etc. (slimmer, “in shape”
March / April – Decided I would like to take up outdoor jogging each morning. Injured my foot the first week. Jogging and treadmill were out for 1 month+. Still did cross trainer, to a lesser extent. Walking was tough.
May– Took measurements! Weight in at 84kg, approx 21%BF (callipers, but self measured so accuracy is questionable – several of the same measurements taken to ensure consistency in the measurements) Began free weights, calorie monitoring in earnest etc, operating on deficit.
Most current: Continuing free weight lifts, (weights one day, HIIT the next with one day’s rest per week – occasionally miss a day due to social occasions) Weights consist of bench, deadlift, squats, rows, pullups, dips etc. Majority of HIIT is cross trainer, have started incorporating the odd day of rower, still finding this a killer. Jogging every weekday morning for 30 minutes, upping to 50 next week. (gym sessions are evening time)
On cardio days, I will throw in sets revolving around 500m row, 15 pushups, 5 pullups, 5 dips – do that for about ¾ rounds before doing any HIIT.

This has been the quickest progress, I’m at 81kg, 18% BF, feel great, looking better and still have a long way to go. (again BF measurement is quite possible off, as it’s home measured, but as above, several measurements from same area to ensure consistency). Diet is clean around 90% of the time. I’m sure if I cleaned up more I would drop BF faster, but I like the odd night out, or “unhealthy” meal every now and again.

If this should be in logs, feel free to move, just figured it might not belong there as it’s not a running log, and contains no real progress re lifts etc.

Big thanks to everyone who’s ever given any advice directly to me, or to others, coupled with everything else that’s been a great help.

super job man and keep up the great work and remember to foam roll with all that training you are doing!!

optimistic_

Thinking it might finally be time to invest in a foam roller!

Cheers Transform..

Any phyusical shops selling foam rollers by the way?

Mellor

Just on the damper settings on the rower,
I normally have it at 10, i'm assuming reducing it to 4 has an affect on the time per 500m (for the same spm)

TommyKnocker

I'm not 100% about the damper. But I read some where (and I hope I have this right) a high damper setting has more effect on slower paced rowing and a low damper settign has more effect on faster paced rowing. I haev also read on a number of sites that between 3 and 5 are the closest approximation to rowing on the water. So I also row at 4.

See this from the Concept US site http://www.concept2.com/us/training/basics/damper_intensity.asp

Or this from a crossfit site http://robscrossfit.wordpress.com/2009/04/04/the-concept-2-rower-and-you/


Best Regards,

M

AntiVirus

I'd leave the damper setting on 10 as long as you don't intend on taking up rowing as a sport. Having the setting on 4 just means its like rowing a light boat on water, have the setting on 10 means its like rowing a heavier boat on water.

When you have the setting on 10 each stroke will move you further than if you have the setting on 4 but each stroke is going to be harder as you're pulling a larger boat.

I start my gym sessions a bit like you, 10 min run at 14.5kmph, do my weights and finish up with a 2000 metre row, it really kills me!

Keep up the good work!

TommyKnocker

AntiVirus wrote: »

I'd leave the damper setting on 10 as long as you don't intend on taking up rowing as a sport. Having the setting on 4 just means its like rowing a light boat on water, have the setting on 10 means its like rowing a heavier boat on water.

When you have the setting on 10 each stroke will move you further than if you have the setting on 4 but each stroke is going to be harder as you're pulling a larger boat.

I start my gym sessions a bit like you, 10 min run at 14.5kmph, do my weights and finish up with a 2000 metre row, it really kills me!

Keep up the good work!

Hi There

The folks at Concept would tend to disagree though

From the Concept link above

The best damper setting for a great cardiovascular workout is in the range of 3–5. Rowing with the damper setting too high can be detrimental to your training program because it may reduce your output and increase your risk of injury.

The link I just added to my previous post from the crossfit site is pretty informative too.


Best Regards,

M

AntiVirus

The best damper setting for a great cardiovascular workout is in the range of 3–5.

This all depends on how long you're rowing for. If you're doing 10000 metres you would not set it to 10 as you'll quickly burn out, but if your doing a sprint to 2000 metre's 10 would be better.

Rowing with the damper setting too high can be detrimental to your training program because it may reduce your output and increase your risk of injury.

"can be" is the important bit there.

Everyone is different, what someone may find easy to do someone else may find it difficult. You set the damper setting to what you find is your best setting. They work a bit like gears on a bike, not everyone is on same gear when cycling on a flat road, up hill or down hill.

I read a lot about the differences in damper settings and ended up doing 2000 metres with a setting of 4 and the next day 2000 metres with a setting of 10, I was able to do a much faster time on the 10 setting than on the 4.

I'd suggest that the op try this and see which he finds is best for him.

AntiVirus

Rowing in a setting that results in too high a force can be detrimental to your training programme by reducing your output, your enjoyment and the duration of your workouts.

Below is the full question where this quote is from, it makes alot more sense below

Question: "If I am exercising why don't I want to work at the highest force possible?"
If you were weightlifting you would be interested in creating a high force to work against. However, indoor rowing is intended to be a cardiovascular workout lasting 20, 30 or more minutes. You should not be limited by muscular fatigue before your cardiovascular system is able to benefit. Rowing in a setting that results in too high a force can be detrimental to your training programme by reducing your output, your enjoyment and the duration of your workouts. You should choose the setting in which you can achieve your best output score.

Rowing 2000 meters should take anywhere from 6.5 - 10mins a cardiovascular workout lasting 20, 30 or more minutes you won't do on a damper setting of 10. The op is not doing 20-30 minutes, again its up to the op to find out what he finds best

EDIT: Link to concept2 website where this is taken from http://concept2.co.uk/rower/air_resistance