Indoor Rowing

Filed under General Rowing by Rower's World on January 23, 2012 at 10:37 pm {no comments}

Rowing comes in many shapes and forms. Today we will be talking about a type of rowing that doesn’t even require water – indoor rowing. Indoor rowing is a type of rowing done on a specific machine. It has its own following and has been established as its own sport. In modern times, indoor rowing machines are frequently referred to as ergometers (erg or ergo for short). Ergometers measure the amount of work or energy that is performed, and indoor rowing machines calculate the amount of energy a rower is producing while on the machine.

History of Rowing Machines

Early rowing machines are said to have existed starting in the mid 1800′s. WB Curtis issued a US patent for a rowing type machine in 1872 based on a hydraulic damper design. Rowing machines using a linear pneumatic resistance have been around since the early 20th century, however, they neither simulated actual rowing nor measured energy outputs. In the mid 20th century, John Harrison of the Leichhardt Rowing Club in Sydney, Australia designed a rowing machine out of a heavy iron flywheel using a mechanical friction brake with leather straps. However, humidity often affected the leather straps causing less accurate results.

As time went on, the technology of rowing continued to improve. In the 1970s, the Gjessing-Nilson ergometer was produced in Norway. By using weights hanging from a strap, an adjustable friction was produced and energy was able to be calculated. For many years, this machine was the international standard for rowing machines. As technology continued to improve, other types of resistance-based machines were introduced to the world of indoor rowing.

The company Repco produced their air resistance ergometers in the 1980s, and the Concept 2 ergometer was introduced to the world in 1981 by the infamous Dreissigacker brothers. The Concept 2 ergometer’s accuracy and size were a catalyst in spurring the sport of competitive indoor rowing. This design would be further improved in later years.

Notably, Casper Rekers, a Dutch engineer, developed the first rowing simulator in 1988. In 2004, Rekers co-founded a business called Rowperfect P/L. This business would produce a variety of new indoor rowing designs – one such included a handled spring mechanism and a flywheel placed above the simulator bar.

Design and Layout of Rowing Machines

Most indoor rowing machines consist of a type of ‘energy damper,’ or braking mechanism, attached to a flywheel that is connected to a chain and handle. By pulling the handle, the flywheel is engaged. Furthermore, a foot stretcher (where one puts his or her feet while rowing), is attached in the same area as the flywheel and the energy damper. The seat is attached onto a rail and can be moved closer or further away from the flywheel. Finally, a handle is attached over a fog or pulley, which is attached to the flywheel. By pushing on the foot stretcher while simultaneously pulling on the handle, the action of rowing is simulated. There are three designs, which allow the foot stretcher and handle to move in accordance with one another. These three designs are fixed feet, floating feet and seat, and fixed seat.

In fixed feet or wheel rowing, the foot stretcher and flywheel are stationary and the seat slides along a rail. This is a classical design, and is comparable to the seat sliding on rails in the boat.

In floating feet and seat, the seat and foot stretcher both slide on a rail. It is comparable to the seat sliding on the boat with the boat sliding relative with the rower on water.

Lastly the fixed seat design has the seat fixed with the foot stretched sliding away from the rower.

In summary, depending of the design on the ergometer, there are many different mechanisms for rowing machines. Machines which have a digital display of output measure the speed of the flywheel during the stroke and record how much it decelerates during the recovery. By calculating the inertia of the flywheel, a computer is able to calculate the speed, power, distance, and energy usage a rower is exerting while exercising or competing on a rowing machine.

Exercise

Rowing machines are often used for exercise purposes. Indoor rowing typically uses the cardiovascular system and workout times can vary. Interval training is often used in indoor rowing, and rowing is considered an anaerobic exercise and a strength + endurance sport.

Considered to be a low impact sport, the most common rowing injury is the lower back. However, proper technique allows participants to stay injury free. Proper technique includes maintaining a correct rhythm, exhaling on the drive and inhaling on the recovery, and focusing on technique and breathing. Rowing is further an intensive calorie-burning exercise and is said to be an effective tool for weight loss programs.

Ergometer Testing

Coaches use ergometer tests to gain a better understanding of fitness between rowers. Theses tests are a part of athlete selection for many national rowing teams. In these tests, rowers will have a set distance, usually 2000, 5000, 6000, or 10,000 meters, and will try to row it in the fastest time possible. It should be noted that these ergometer tests are not a definitive measure of an athlete’s fitness and only provide an outline of an individual’s rowing skill. An individuals weight, technique and teamwork all play a large role when rowing on an actual boat.

The Technique of Rowing

While rowing on a machine, there are four basic phases in completing a single stroke. These phases include the catch, the drive, the finish, and the recovery. The catch is the initial part of the stroke, the drive is where power is generated from the rower, and the finish is the last part in a stroke. Lastly, the recovery is the initial phase in beginning a new stroke. These four steps repeat until the objective, either time or distance is completed.

Competitions

Competitions for indoor rowing are held all over the world. The CRASH-B Sprints, a famous world championship event is held in Boston, Massachusetts each February. The British Indoor Rowing Championships are held in Birmingham, England in November. The main event for most competitions is the 2,000 meter event. Competitions also typically include a 100 – 500 meter sprint as well asa team relay type of competition.

Most competitions are organized into categories based on sex, age, and weight class. These events are all ages, with the fastest times coming from the 20 – 40 age bracket. Many open events at the World Championships are dominated by “on-water rowers.” Olympic world medal champions Pertti Karppinen, Rob Waddell, and Steven Redgrave have all won world championships or set records in the sport of indoor rowing.

Indoor rowing is a competitive and strenuous sport just as outdoor rowing is, and it is interesting to learn about its present and past.

Rowing as Competition

Filed under General Rowing by Rower's World on January 11, 2012 at 7:28 pm {no comments}

Rowers can approach their sport leisurely or competitively. In the United States, all types of races are called regattas. However, in the United Kingdom, the term regatta is only used to describe head – to head races during the summer season. During the winter, the United Kingdom hosts time trials or Head races.

Rowing is demanding as a sport in many ways and incorporates aerobic and anaerobic activities. Rowers must breathe in a specialized manner as the sport tends to compress the rowers’ lungs. Rowers must often inhale and exhale twice per stroke, and breathing is never free and relaxed. Rowers need to master the basics of rowing. Furthermore, competitive rowing comes in many different types. Competitive rowing events can be ‘side by side,’ ‘head races,’ ‘bumps races,’ ‘stakes races,’ as well as ‘world championship Olympic races.’

Side by Side Races:

A ‘side by side’ race is a common race which involves two to six different boats. These races are commonly held in the spring and summer months, and whichever boat crosses the finish line first is the winner.

The length of the race varies. Standard Olympic and World Rowing Championships races are 2,000 meters long. United States high school races on the east coast tend to be 1,500 – 2,000 meters, and masters rowers(rowers who are older than 27 years of age) tend to be a bit shorter – 1,000 meters. Furthermore, races distances are different and can vary from dashes or sprints, which can be as little as 500 meters long, to marathon races which can be over 150 kilometers. The Tour du Leman in Switzerland is a 160 kilometer race, and the Corvallis to Portland Regatta in Oregon, United States, is 185 km. It is notable that regattas are typically between 500 meters and 2,000 meters in the United Kingdom.

Side by side competitions are typically organized by a series of rounds, the fastest boats qualifying for the next round. The next type of race we will be discussing are Head races.

Head Races:

head races in competitive rowing

Another term for head races are time trial races. These races usually take place from fall to early spring. Boats begin rowing at intervals of 10 – 20 seconds, and are expected to row around 2,000 to 12,000 meters. While races such as Pairs Head are shorter, other races, such as the Boston Rowing Marathon are longer.

The Head of the River Race, founded by Steve Fairbairn in 1926 is the oldest and most famous head race. It takes place on the river Thames in London, United Kingdom. Another type of races are bumps races.

Bumps Races:

In bumps races, rowing crews are lined up along a river at specific intervals. All crews begin at the same time and attempt to catch up with the boat in front of them. If a crew is able to pass or physically hit a crew in front of them, they are awarded with a ‘bump.’ Because bumping involves physical contact with other boats, it is common for boats and other equipment to become damaged in bumps races. Bumps races are multi-day races, and the crews will line up in the order that they finished the previous day. Both Oxford and Cambridge hold bumps races twice a year for university students. “Town Bumps” races are also open to non-student rowing crews. Notably, the ‘City of Oxford Rowing Club’ organizes Oxford’s races, and the ‘Cambridgeshire Rowing Association’ organizes Cambridge’s races. The next topic we will discuss are stake races.

Stake Races:

In stake races, crews compete against one another. Usually done two at a time to avoid collision, competitors line up at a set point and race to a stake or other marker, then return back to the original start. The stake race format was commonly used in early races in the United States. Finally, the last competition will discuss is the world rowing championships and the Olympics.

World Rowing Championships and Rowing at the Summer Olympics:

Every four years, the World Olympic Games are held where 14 select boat classes are raced. Men and women are divided into select categories: men, lightweight men, women, and lightweight women. Men race the quad scull, double scull, single scull, coxless four, and coxless pair. Lightweight men race only the coxless four and double scull. Women race the quad scull, double scull, single scull, eight, and coxless pair. Lightweight women only race the double scull.

This concludes today’s article on rowing as competition.

Rowing Equipment

Filed under General Rowing by Rower's World on January 6, 2012 at 10:14 pm {no comments}

For this article, I am going to discuss the equipment used by rowers. The first thing I am going to discuss is the boats used for racing. Racing boats, more commonly referred to as shells, are long and narrow and thickest in the middle section of the boat. Most boats also have a fin near the back to increase the effectiveness of the rudder. While once made from wood, shells today are typically made up of carbon fiber due to its lightweight, durability, and strength.

How Are Types of Boats Classified?

Boats are classified depending on the number of rowers (1, 2, 4, or eight) and the position of the coxswain. It is important to note that although culling and sweep boats are nearly identical to one another in shape and form, they are identified by different names. Furthermore, equipment adjustments can be made to effectively accommodate the physique of the crew. These adjustments are commonly referred to as the boat’s rigging.

How Does One Steer?

Steering if done by scullers pulling harder on one side of the boat. Some boats also have a rudder controlled by the coxswain or a member of the crew. When a specific individual controls a rudder, a special show is worn, which controls a cable attached to the rudder.

What About the Oars?

Oars are necessary to propel the boat through the water. While originally made from wood, oars today are typically made from carbon fiber or other synthetic materials. Oars are 250 to 300 cm when used for sculling, and 340 to 360 cm when used for rowing. The flat end of an oar is called a blade, and measures 50 cm long and 25 cm wide. When used in sweep oar rowing, an oar is commonly referred to as a blade. In sculling, an oar is referred to as a scull. Lastly, the spoon of oars is typically painted according to club affiliation. This is useful in identifying rowing boats from a distance.

Is it Possible to Row Without Water?

When one is unable to practice rowing on a large body of water, ergometer rowing machines are used for training. While ergometer rowing machines cannot simulate many aspects of rowing on a lake, it is useful in training basic body positions and movements while giving the user a solid workout. Indoor rowing has become popular in its own way, and there are numerous indoor rowing competitions. A notable competition includes the Would Champion CRASH-B Sprints, which is held in Boston every year.

Where Does One Keep Boats When Not in Use?

The Open Water Rowing Center in Sausalito

When not being used for practice and competition, racing boats and equipment are stored in specialized storage areas call boathouses. These boathouses typically consist of a long two-story building equipped with racks (horizontal, metal bars) on the primary floor. Equipment is stored close to the boats. On the second level, boathouses often have a gym, bar, or relaxation area used by rowers in their free time. Sounds pretty good to me!

History of Rowing

Filed under General Rowing by Rower's World on January 3, 2012 at 10:09 pm {no comments}

As long as rowing has been referenced, like many physical activities, it has always had a strong sporting-type affiliation with itself. Egyptian inscriptions have documented that the powerful warrior Amenhotep was indeed a skilled rower, while 13th century Venetian celebrations always included boat races as well.

Rowing has been documented for quite a long time, and as long as there has been rowing, there is sure to be racing as well. In terms of ‘modern’ day rowing, races among the River Thames in London were common among the professional watermen there – think ‘water taxis!’ The Doggett’s Coat and Badge race began in 1715 and still has managed to continue on to this day. Furthermore, throughout the 19th century, these races became somewhat of a spectacle, gathering large crowds and providing a source of entertainment for the masses of people, similar to modern day sporting events. These races consisted among professional rowers who would compete in prized matches among various rivers consisting throughout Great Britain. The river Tyne was an essential racing spot for rowers. As for races in America, the first race began in 1756 between a pettiauger (perriauger) and a Cape Cod whaleboat. In an undoubtedly heated race, the pettiauger proved victorious.

Amateur competition began sprouting up in England during the end of the 18^th century. Notable rowing clubs which existed at this time period consisted of the Manarch Boat Club of Eton College, the Isis Club of Westminster School, as well as The Star Club and Arrow club for those not in school. The University of Oxford had its first bumping race in 1815 while recorded races at Cambridge did not begin until 1827. Notably, Brasenose took claim to be Oxford University’s first Head of the River and the claim of the ‘oldest established boat club in the world.” The race between Oxford University and Cambridge University in 1829 was the second most intercollegiate sporting event. Increased popularity for boat races would express itself in many ways. The town Henley would begin hosting its annual regatta in 1839.

Furthermore in the history of rowing, founding in 1818, the Leander Club is the world’s ‘oldest public rowing club.’ The Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club, which was founded in 1836, takes the title as the second oldest club and pushed off rowing as an established and organized sport in Germany. Gambled, wagered matches throughout North America and England would attract large crowds. The first exclusively rowing club in the United States was the Detroit Boat Club, established in 1839. The first American college rowing club was formed at Yale University in 1843. Furthermore, America’s oldest intercollegiate sporting even is the Harvard-Yale Regatta, which has been continuing since 1852 when in times of peace.

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