Best products from r/Rowing

We found 36 comments on r/Rowing discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 126 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

Top comments mentioning products on r/Rowing:

u/exlaxbros · 18 pointsr/Rowing

>I would argue that it is just as important at that stage to build strength as to build aerobic fitness. A well monitored weights program can help build the base strength needed for proper technique and to prevent injury.

Thank you. On that topic, as long as we're beating sacred cows...

Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, and other linear progression programs are not designed for athletes. Period. They are designed for recreational novice lifters to become recreational not-novice lifters. Sure, maybe Ripp used some variation of it with his Wichita Falls HS football team, but the program itself is designed for people who go to the gym, hit the squat rack, then go home and watch Netflix. I have asked in other threads for anyone who pulls sub 6:30 and has trained Starting Strength for more than 3 months to come forward. I have yet to hear from anyone.

Rowing uses a lot of back and legs. Duh. Squatting and/or deadlifting 3 times a week AND expecting you to improve by X increment every session also uses a lot of back and legs (duh) and is a recipe for plateaus, injury, and ineffective erging and rowing.

The purpose of strength training for rowing is to make you a better, healthier rower. Not a powerlifter, not a bodybuilder, not to get striations in your pecs, not to be a Navy SEAL.

Consider another approach that takes into account the variable of sport training. This will usually be lower volume, higher but not maximal intensity (ie weekly/daily 5RM's), a broader exercise selection, and a more flexible progression of weight (ie not linear progression).

The broader exercise selection is important to prevent injury. Rowing is an asymmetrical, but two-dimensional sport. "3d sports" involve movement in different planes, running, jumping, etc. Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are great. But so are overhead presses, front squats, chin-ups, dips, incline presses, push presses, romanian deadlifts, and face pulls.

For the same reasons that the blanket recommendation of "2x45 mins every day" doesn't always hold up, "do Starting Strength" isn't the best recommendation. It's an easy answer often provided by novices to other novices.

Westside for Skinny Bastards is a good program.

Bigger, Faster, Stronger is a good program.

Forgive the T-Nipple link, but 5/3/1 is a good program and is based on Bigger, Faster, Stronger with a little more math.

What these programs have in common, and why they're superior for athletes, is the flexibility and the lower volume and frequency. Go harder when you can go harder, don't go as hard when you can't go as hard. You'll have to learn exactly what that means and how to manage it. This is referred to as "autoregulation" in strength training, but that's not as important as just doing it. It will be more natural, more beneficial, and lead to more enjoyable and productive training for pre-college athletes.

u/jakesky100 · 4 pointsr/Rowing

I would recommend the DJI phantom quadcopter. Whichever way you go with this, it will most definitely be a quadcopter for aerial footage. The DJI phantom is a high end, yet a more consumer type quadcopter that is meant for this type of stuff. People have absolutely used it for filming water sports and a plethora of other things. As for the learning curve, you need practice before taking it out over water. Whatever camera you are using with it should probably be waterproof for safety. Practicing it is not very hard, but really lots of fun! Just take it to a field and see what you can do. The good thing is that it is pretty replaceable concerning parts.

Price wise, on Amazon it will run you $480 USD. This does not account for cameras. Also, the best camera to use with this specific quadcopter is a go pro. I am sure you can buy attachments for other cameras as well.

Here is an amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/DJI-Phantom-Aerial-Drone-Quadcopter/dp/B00AGOSQI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396139801&sr=8-1&keywords=dji+phantom

Hope this helps!

u/readyallrow · 6 pointsr/Rowing

Learn

  1. The drills the coaches like to do before you get in the boat. This means asking them directly what the drills are, what their purpose is, what you should be focusing on when you do them, etc. Talk to the experienced coxswains about how to call them. Bring a notebook and write it all down because you. will. not. remember it if you don't and then you'll have wasted everyone's time.
  2. The names of the people in your boat and what seat they're in. This might change day to day but it's your responsibility to know who is where before you get on the water. Calling people by their seat number kinda gives off the impression that you don't really care enough to learn their names or who's in what seat.
  3. How to keep your personal relationships with the rowers off the water and outside of practice. (Elaborated a bit on here.) On the water and at practice you're not their friend or enemy, you're their coxswain. That means that you need to learn how to treat everyone equally regardless of your relationship with them (positive or negative).

    Bring

  4. A positive, "let's get shit done" attitude every day, even on the days when you feel like shit.
  5. A recorder every single day you're on the water. Listening to yourself and getting feedback from others is how you improve.
  6. One more layer (for top and bottom) than you think you'll need and a waterproof jacket and pair of pants to put over everything. You're stationary for pretty much the entire duration of practice which means you're going to get colder faster than everyone else. You can always take layers off if you get too hot but you can't put on what you don't have. The waterproof stuff is great even when it's not raining because inevitably there will be some splashing, waves if it's windy, etc. In May when it's warmer it's not such a big deal but you don't want to be sitting in the coxswain's seat, not moving, with wet clothes on.

    Carry (in a small backpack like this or a waterproof bag like this)

  7. A notebook (and writing implement of your choice) every single day. Before you go out, write down the lineup and get the workout (or at the very least, the warmup) from the coach. Ask questions and take notes on anything you don't know/understand once they give it to you. After practice is over, write a quick summary on how it went, what you did, what did you specifically work on (calls, steering, etc.), etc. When you get home, go through it again and fill in any details that you didn't write down before. Refer back to this frequently so you can see the trends with your boat(s), keep track of any technique issues that individual rowers have problems with (and how/what to say to fix them), etc.
  8. A 7/16 wrench because you never know when a nut and/or bolt will need to be tightened.
  9. Spare band-aids, alcohol swabs, Neosporin, and athletic tape because when rowers get a blister they rival toddlers in their ability to whine incessantly so having stuff on hand to take care of them will just make your life easier.
  10. Bonus If you cox women, always have a few spare rubber bands on hand so you don't have to listen to anyone complain about how their hair is in their face while they're rowing.
u/RayDeemer · 7 pointsr/Rowing

Heh, of course no one can hold their best 500 m time for 2k. But if you're well-trained, you should be able to predict your 2k time to a very rough approximation from your 500 m time. Yours isn't that far off, I would say. My bests were around 1:29 and 1:44.

A couple caveats: It's not a direct linear relationship, as split scales to the 1/3rs power of power output, and human power output is, obviously, a function of exertion time.

The linked plot appears in Bicycling Science, which has a ton of interesting information about human power output and endurance in general, which is applicable to rowing.

EDIT: Now I'm bored and curious. I'm going to apply the Concept II formula to the data in the human power curve. I will report back with a rough idea of humanity's rough limits for split vs. time. If I'm still bored, I'll give best efforts to distance and compare with actual records.

DOUBLE EDIT: Here we go! The splits here are comically low, which I believe reflects the fact that they're not only best efforts, but best efforts for an ideal mechanism, which the erg, while pretty good, is not.

TRIPLE EDIT: And here's the theoretical best times!. All the same caveats apply as before. Also note this is a log-log scale, rather than a semilog scale as before. The record data came from concept II. There actually is an individual 1 megameter record, but it's off the plot range it's so high. I'm not fixing the spelling error in the first plot.

u/ToesInHiding · 2 pointsr/Rowing

Three options TO WASH:

  1. wash it alone on delicate cycle.
  2. wash it by hand. Woolite makes excellent delicate detergent. Rinse it really well and then very gently squeeze the water out — be careful to avoid squeezing where the logos are.
  3. wash it in a delicates bag like these with other workout clothes of similar colors. Warm cycle only. Never hot water.

    TO DRY:
    Lay flat. I really like these for sweaters, unis, and other things that should dry flat so as to avoid stretching the shoulders in weird ways.

    r/CleaningTips/ sub is also a good resource for laundry quandaries :)
u/eulers_number · 1 pointr/Rowing

Boat Race before last the bowman of the winning boat was 5'10", huge heart and lungs, and weighed in the mid 80's (KGs) if I recall, so built pretty solid.

To go sub 6 is the elite standard, but don't forget weight adjustment, there's no point going sub 6 mins if you weight 200kg, no one's going to enjoy dragging a hippo in thier boat if he's not pulling his own weight and then some, the calculator and an explanation of weight adjustment are available here http://www.concept2.com/us/interactive/calculators/weight_adjustment.asp
Train on sliders, or take out a single, there is 10x the chance of an injury in land training than on the water.
long steady pieces are also good, don't even go for distance, just sit on an erg for 30 mins, an hour or even 90 mins, it won't wreck you because it shouldn't, but it will improve your times.

READ: You're going to have to live and breath rowing, I'd recomend the following (Not that I've read them all, but i've ordered them and almost finished the original print of Rowing Faster)

http://www.amazon.com/Rowing-Faster-2nd-Volker-Nolte/dp/0736090401/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314681440&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/High-Performance-Rowing-John-McArthur/dp/1861260393/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b http://www.amazon.com/Lactate-Threshold-Training-Peter-Janssen/dp/0736037551/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314681471&sr=1-1

You're gonna need to know more about rowing and training than anyone on the team, because the hours you'll be putting in will make you your own coach.

u/cyclopsus · 2 pointsr/Rowing

Try Magic Eraser. I'm not sure if it's perfect for that, but I have great success using magic eraser on on regular white shoes so I would try it on boat shoes too. In case you don't know what it is, here they are on amazon.

u/HistoryTeacherHelp · 1 pointr/Rowing

I'd raise the back of the erg, try and find something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Step-Original-Aerobic-Platform-Circuit/dp/B017NTH3D2/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1486001641&sr=1-3&keywords=aerobic+step

Put the erg right in the center and do steady state, I build up to 90+ minutes on this for my athletes.

You do have to start slow as it's more load on the lower back. So I usually do our "bread and butter work" (8x10 min On, Sr 18-20, 3 Min Rest, Not trying to kill it but stay constant all the way through) and I'll have them raised on the last two or first one and last one and slowly build them to full.

Meters makes Champions but being smart and safe in training keeps you on top.

u/mrhalfblind · 1 pointr/Rowing

I have been using my Garmin Soft Strap HR Monitor since this summer for workouts and steady state. It's a good basis if you're going for target heart rate zone training and focus primarily on that which I believe is good to follow by when you train 10+ times a week for over 2 hours to see if you're overworking your body.

The only downside to this one is it has a list of compatible devices that are fairly expensive or using the Garmin Fit app to track sessions which requires a smart phone. All in all it made sense for me as I cycle frequently as cross training and fits for both worlds but I'd look over other options first. Good luck finding one!

u/OARneryRower · 1 pointr/Rowing

This Etsy account has some cool rowing shirts that you don't see at every regatta (so they probably won't already have one).

Seat Pads are comfortable if your rower is older or bony :)

Rowing Faster by Volker Nolte is a pretty good resource for rowers looking for training advice.

u/Casemander · 9 pointsr/Rowing

Oakleys are fine but if you, like me, are a hoary codger who hates spending money I highly recommend this total knockoff brand which I wear myself.

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Effective
  • Less guilt when throw across the room when you don't PR, because they're not Oakleys
  • Already polarized, something Oakley charges an extra $60 or something for
  • Comes with extra frames that you will never use

    Cons

  • They aren't brand name, if that matters to you


    Really, these are very good glasses that have an extremely similar look, and more importantly, the same exact function as Oakleys. By that I mean they wrap around your head and provide full coverage of your face. Highly recommended.
u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/Rowing

If the bar is moving back, it is not moving up. Any movement of the bar other than up represents extraneous, wasted energy. As the bar clears the knees and the body opens up, one may feel like they are leaning back, but the desired path of motion for the bar is a straight, vertical line.

It's referenced more convincingly in Starting Strength, but my copy is out with a friend at the moment...

u/notjohndoetoo · 3 pointsr/Rowing

I have the Polar Ft1 Heart Rate Monitor. Its cheap (~$48), comes with a watch and heart rate strap. It does its job and its accurate. I like the watch in general too, since I'm basic.

Just get it.

u/souscoder · 6 pointsr/Rowing

I bought this chest strap and have been very happy with it:

Garmin Heart Rate Monitor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UOD5QM?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

It supports ANT+, so it easily pairs with the PM5 and PM4.

u/ThisIsCALamity · 2 pointsr/Rowing

Boat bright is what Pocock reps recommended for my crew for their white shells. But you should also wax at least once or twice per season, preferably right after you use the boat bright. I think I've used this in the past. Without waxing, boat will look beautiful right after cleaning, then stains will come back within a week of regular use.

u/BraveHartt135 · 3 pointsr/Rowing

I'm a HS rower and have stuck by a Polar FT1 Heart Rate Monitor for land workouts. It's entry level (<$40) and very reliable. Downside is the necessity to wear a chest band, which can sometimes get in the way on the water.

I'm interested in upgrading as well, but Polar would be a great place to start as far as HR monitoring goes.

u/fizzierthunder · 2 pointsr/Rowing

I have used this one for ~2 months. Works great, no complaints. It was only $25 when i bought it, but if it needed replaced at $40, I wouldn't hesitate. That said, it's the only one I've ever used, so I don't have any basis for comparison. Good luck.

u/scipio_major · 2 pointsr/Rowing

Starting Strength is a book/lifting program that's a pretty good starting point for doing barbell lifting.
https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738/

u/JFA_1 · 1 pointr/Rowing

This one has worked pretty well for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0711Z574V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I haven't flipped the boat while using this, so I don't really know how effective it is. I use the arm strap to attach it to the rigging (the boat I usually rent has stern mounted rigging, so I can attach it right in front of me).

u/joe12321 · 2 pointsr/Rowing

Unbeknownst to me when I bought my rower, the cheap heart rate chest strap I got with an old Garmin running watch connects to the PM5. (Any ANT HR monitor should.) It's some version of this guy:

https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-10997-00-Heart-Rate-Monitor/dp/B000UOD5QM/ref=sr_1_1?srs=2529458011&ie=UTF8&qid=1487881147&sr=8-1&keywords=heart+rate+chest

I haven't had any problems with it! Cheap and easy.

u/lovemeinthemoment · 2 pointsr/Rowing

I erg in either Nike Metcons or these https://www.amazon.com/adidas-Mens-Adipower-Weightlift-Shoes/dp/B01MSCYIDN

I love erging in my weightlifting shoes. I swear they give me 2/3 seconds faster split. But I only want to take one pair to the gym so I usually take my Metcons.

u/Metroplexsupreme · 3 pointsr/Rowing

Look up star-brite. it removes scum from the cells in the paint, just make sure to wax the boat afterward thoroughly, otherwise the stain will come back much worse. do not brite the boat too often, otherwise it has a strong chance to strip paint over many uses.

​

http://www.starbrite.com/category/hull-bottom-cleaners

Wax that pocock suggests

u/beardywi · 3 pointsr/Rowing

If you're going to only use it with a PM5 there's no reason to spend well over $60 on a Polar when you could spend $20 on this Garmin strap that does the same thing through ANT+ and (from my personal experience) will allow you to connect your phone at the same time.

u/robywar · 2 pointsr/Rowing

While I use this test and have adapted it a bit for my crew, I didn't invent it. I found it in the book "Rowing Faster" which, while a bit dated, I highly recommend.

Remember, all this test shows is your max power, how long it takes you to get there and how long you can maintain a signifigant percentage of it.

This test isn't so much an indicator of how well you'll do on a 2k than it is an indicator of who you'd want in your boat at the end of one. You cannot look at the results of this and know what a given rower will pull, but it will almost always tell you from a given set of tests which rower will have the better score.

It's not a "workout" (though it will be one of the worst minutes of your life if you do it properly), and not a test for which you should train. It IS the kind of test that one would do to determine lineups though.