- Getting started on the rowing machine
may be one of the most challenging exercises
that you choose to undertake,
and a lot of people struggle
with knowing what mechanics to use
or even just improving their aerobic system
so that they can last long enough to get great workouts.
Well that's what the beginner series is for,
that's what this workout is for, so hang tight.
We're gonna go through a 10 minute beginner workout
that's gonna run you through drills
and get your aerobic system ready and feeling good,
to be able to help you grow on this machine.
I always like to shoutout these beginner workouts
because my dad is really the inspiration for most of them.
After my first bout of workouts, he messaged me and said,
you know it's really cool that you're doing these.
He has a rowing machine in his basement.
I made him get one.
He said it's really cool that you're doing these
but I can't make it for a 20 minute workout.
I just don't last.
And so, it caused me to revisit why
I was programming workouts the way I was programming them
and to be honest, it really impassioned me
to make sure that I was creating a set
that worked for people who are just getting your start,
getting onto the machine for the first time.
You wanna see success.
I want you to have success because by doing that,
creating a really great, little habit
where you complete the workout and feel good about it,
you're gonna wanna come back to this thing
and learn more and more and more,
so stay tuned as we get deeper
into these beginner series workouts.
They're made for you.
They're made for my dad.
I hope that you guys tune in with me.
If this is your first time here, welcome.
I'm Shane Farmer, and this is Dark Horse Rowing
where you build the life that you wanna live,
and we just happen to use rowing to help you do that.
Today's workout is 10 minutes.
That's it, beginning to end.
Two minutes of drills, eight minutes of workout,
where the objective is A, with those first two minutes,
crisp technique,
give you something to work on so you can focus,
and then for the next eight minutes,
we're going to be sitting at a stroke rating of 16,
focusing on holding stroke rate
because that is the primary variable
that I want you to get comfortable holding
when you're new to this machine.
Learn how to control stroke rate,
and everything else comes much easier afterward,
so that's what today is about.
So inside of that eight minutes,
we're gonna look at it as like four consecutive
two minute segments.
Each segment, the stroke rate stays the same throughout,
so 16 all the way through,
but every two minutes we're going to try and get faster.
Well how does that make sense, Shane?
You're saying if I have to hold stroke rate
then I can't go faster,
because my stroke rate or my cycle time stays the same.
Well, that's a great question.
I'm glad you asked.
Thank you for bringing that up.
The point is that when you keep a stroke rate the same,
we have to find a way to get power otherwise,
or get speed on this machine otherwise,
and that comes from pushing harder or pushing faster,
while still maintaining the same stroke rate,
and if that doesn't make sense, it's okay.
It's gonna make sense once we get into this workout.
So, with that being said,
let's talk about getting into this workout.
As always, our variables for these workouts,
make sure that you have water nearby and handy,
a towel nearby and handy,
that you've got some headphones in
so that you can hear me as I'm coaching you through it,
and then I always encourage you to have two monitors set up,
number one, a laptop or a screen on a wall
so that you can watch this video,
and then a second so that you've got your phone
sitting on top of the monitor tracking your data.
If you have a Concept2,
I suggest you download the free ErgData app.
Just search for it in the App Store
or whatever kind of phone you have.
Download ErgData.
It connects wirelessly to your monitor if you have a PM5,
and it just sends your data into the Concept2 logbook
so you can track all your workouts,
so that you can have your data,
'cause one day, you might like it,
or at least you'll just start tracking
how many meters you've been rowing.
Again, I keep saying this,
I gotta shout out this new phone mount that I have
on top of my monitor.
It'll be linked in the description below,
but this thing has just been fantastic,
and I love the color of it.
It kinda looks like it's wearing a little elf hat,
which, you know, I enjoy as well.
So if you don't have a phone mount
or you don't know where to support your phone,
check out this phone mount.
It's from Vapor Fitness.
Link in the description below.
But it's just a really great way
of setting your phone up so you can track what you're doing.
Okay, setting up the monitor.
From the main menu, you are going to go to select workout,
that's the B button,
and then new workout, that's the D button.
From there, single time, B button,
and it should be blinking 30 minutes.
You're gonna hit that minus button twice.
That's the C button.
One, two.
That's going to give you 10 minutes on the screen.
From there, let's actually, well,
no, we'll keep the split length the same.
It should be two minutes.
That means that every two minutes,
the machine is gonna just check in with how you're doing,
and at the end, your results will be read out
to you in two minute increments,
which is exactly what we're gonna do for the workout.
So from there, to set the workout,
you're going to hit the check mark,
that's the E button,
and we've got 10 minutes on the screen.
So make sure your monitor is set up,
get strapped in, get warm, get ready to go,
and I'm going to meet you here at the catch,
ready to start this workout.
Okay, I've got my handle.
I got 10 minutes on the clock.
I'm sitting ready at the catch.
Come join me.
We are going to start with legs-only rowing.
That means I'm gonna lock my trunk in place,
my arms are going to be straight,
and I'm gonna focus on just pushing through the legs,
and we're gonna do that for the first 30 seconds.
Sitting ready.
Go.
(upbeat music)
Learn how to brace
through your midline as you're doing this.
Keep the hands relaxed on the handle.
Feel the feet pushing into the machine.
Don't be tempted to lead with your head.
Don't be tempted to lead with the shoulders.
Right, lock in your core,
like somebody was gonna punch you in the gut.
Okay, we're gonna add in the hip swing.
In one more stroke after this one, adding in the hip swing.
Here we go.
Still no arms.
Now we're focusing on leg drive,
and then swinging the hips open.
We call this reverse pick drills.
Follow me.
Match my stroke.
Okay, we're gonna add in the arms in two seconds
on this one.
Nice, adding in the arms here.
In five seconds, we're gonna drop the arms back out.
Two, one.
Here we go.
Legs and body only again.
Follow me.
Match up.
Don't speed ahead.
In five, we're gonna drop the hip swing.
Here we go, dropping the hip swing on this one.
Pushing through the legs.
Okay, we're gonna go to a full stroke.
Here we go.
This is going to send us into our workout
in five, three, two, one,
stroke rate comes down.
Match me on stroke.
I'm setting a 16 for you.
These first two minutes
are just about pushing light and easy.
Just match stroke rate.
Don't be working super hard right now.
Learn how to move well.
Good, you're just cruising.
Stroke rate is right on.
In 10 seconds, we're just going to start pushing
a little bit harder,
and every two minutes after,
we're gonna go a little bit harder.
Just a little.
Two, one.
Stroke rate stays the same.
Try and make your fly wheel a little louder.
You should see your split drop now,
but the stroke rate stays the same.
Good.
Keep matching my stroke rate.
Just more out of the legs.
Brace tight every time.
Settling in.
Feeling your body tense up every stroke,
as you need it to have tension
to create resistance on the machine.
Your body doesn't wanna be lax anywhere
if we're trying to make the machine move faster,
especially when we're holding the stroke rate the same.
In five seconds, we're gonna go a little bit faster,
only by pushing harder.
Here we go.
Drop it down again.
Fly wheel gets a little bit louder now.
Staying strong.
Bracing through the legs.
Feel how the leg pushes against the machine.
Your butts, your hamstrings,
your backs should all be working right now.
In 10 seconds, we shift again.
Three, two, one, shift.
Stroke rate stays the same.
Fly wheel gets louder.
Try to push the machine across the room.
Accelerate faster that direction.
Feel what it's like to push faster
with the same stroke rate.
You should really feel like you're working right now,
and you've got this.
One more minute to go.
30 seconds.
Nice.
That's 10 minutes.
Good work, guys.
Getting your life to where you wanna go
is all about building the habits that you need
to move the process along,
to move your life in the direction that you want it to go.
Getting a workout done like this,
if this is one of the things that interests you,
if you wanna be on this machine,
spend the time building a base, getting confident,
building the habit around being on it,
focusing on mechanics, and building your base,
your ability to last longer and longer and longer,
so that you can progress into our intermediate
and our advance workouts,
and that you feel confident and comfortable
when you get on this machine.
Seriously, great work
getting done with these beginner workouts.
I can't emphasize enough how important it is
for you to really last through these 10 minute workouts,
gain the confidence, build the habits,
and work on those mechanics,
because that is what's going to help you
get to the next level, to level up,
to move forward in your life,
to jump into our intermediate and our advanced workouts.
This is the base that you need to develop,
and if you enjoy this and you want more,
make sure that you it that subscribe button
and the bell next to it so you can become a member
of the PDP Army, the Push Don't Pull Army,
and you get alerted whenever we come out with new videos,
and check out the rest of our beginners playlist
so that you can gain more confidence on the machine.