HIT rowing

This topic contains 5 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by CazT 5 years, 2 months ago.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

hakedarby

11:21 am
1 Nov 15
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With my age at 70 and my wife at 66 coupled with a large garden and a sedentary cat and the shops so far away we have to use the car, our life takes on struggle sometimes. We have found that with our trusty rowing machine we can do a warm up/warm down plus the interval training in about 15 mins a few of the other exercises then a few hours gardening has helped enormously.
Has anybody else been surprised as us with this Fast System!

slg

1:55 am
3 Nov 15
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Hi,
I also do HIT rowing. I try to do 2 or 3 HIT sessions on my rowing machine per week. I do 1 min warm up and one min HIT until 15 mins and then add 5 mins reg rowing or get to 3 k (which ever comes first). I love it and it makes a difference. If I do not have access to a rowing machine I sprint out doors or on a treadmill.

CazT

7:17 pm
9 Aug 16
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I have started doing a HIT workout on our rowing machine. I do a slow warm up for 1 minute then 20 secs of hard rowing followed by 10 seconds of gentle, barely moving. I do this for 8 cycles. It gets my heart rate up to about 80% of max which I’ve read is right for my age (67). Would it be OK to do this a couple of times in a day (not necessarily every day though)?

CazT

9:52 pm
13 Jun 17
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Just as an update, I have continued with the HIT rowing, Tabata style, two to three times a week, though had 10 days off when we went on holiday. I have found that now I can manage more strokes per 20 seconds (20-22) than before (18-19) and my heart rate now reaches 94% of max. I assume this means my aerobic capacity is improving but don’t have the equipment to measure it. I can say, though, that I always feel invigorated afterwards (and warm for some time!) and I feel quite fit and lean so it must be doing something for me. I also fast twice a week (5:2).

petetherower

8:00 am
28 Aug 17
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I started the 5:2 3 weeks ago and have lost just under 4kg. On fast days I do interval sessions on the C2 rowing machine. These can be 6x500m with 3 min rest in between or 10x250m with 2 min rest. Both are killer workouts but I’m a rower and like to compete. Obviously weight is an issue in rowing in a boat and I’m amazed at the speed of weight loss and muscle retention. I tend to only have one meal in the evening around 7pm and will do the workout on the ergometer at around 5pm so i can satisfy my appetite afterwards. On non fasting days I tend to do the long sessions 60min plus on water or erg. These are especially hard on the day after fasting even if I go slow but I can feel my body just burning up excess fat, it’s very motivational. So HIT type workouts on fast days and longer workouts on non fasting days. It seems to work well…..

BobbyG

12:11 pm
23 Feb 19
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I am pleased to see that others use a rowing machine to do HIT. I was put off in the past because it was argued (apparently) that you couldn’t raise the activity level high enough on a rowing machine. I can’t see much difference between a rower and a stationary cycle? Surely both use the leg muscles to do the moving? The slight bonus with the rower is that it exercises the arms and upper body, especially the tummy – at least it feels like it to me!
I have just started doing intermittent fasting again after a long break and it’s really working well for me, but I have never been a great sports fan ( I do a lot of walking though and at least an average of 60 brisk minutes per day – up and down hills (I live in North Wales)).
I suspect that, as others have mentioned, it all depends on taking the heart up a notch or two, though CazT’s 94% of max sounds a bit too strenuous for me (I’m 65). I can work out what’s recommended and give it a go and maybe post on my experience.
This morning, before I broke my fast of 36hours, I did: 2 minute warm-up, 30 sec. flat out, then 2 mins moderate, 30 sec. flat out, 2 mins, 30 sec and a final warm-down of 2.5 mins to round off a 10 minute session. That seemed to get the blood pumping – I’ll put my heart monitor on next time and see what that suggests in terms of zones etc.
I’ll try and report after a week or so with about 3 sessions per week.

CazT

1:02 pm
23 Feb 19
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Hi Bobby,
It’s good to hear of someone else trying HIT rowing too. Actually I’m 69, going on 70, fit but not obsessively so, and I found that by doing a 3 min warm-up, then 20 secs fast, 10 secs slow 8 times produced a heart rate of about 90% of max without me feeling worn out. I’ve noticed on the gym bike too that my heart rate seems to fairly easily get up to around 150 on ‘effort 4’ even when I’m not particularly tired so I’m not sure whether this is good or bad! I’ve got a new rowing machine at home now (Xmas present) so will see how that goes but I’m persuaded that rowing is indeed a really good form of exercise and quite enjoyable. If you’re interested there are a couple of videos online called Go Row Indoors that you might like, by someone from the British Rowing Association – a 20 min workout. Hope to hear more about your experiences.