In the GymI had a question that was specifically about the use of rowing machines, but my answer (below) can also apply to exercise bikes or a mixture of the two in the gym. Bike work can include faster leg movement with lower resistance for variety. You could also add the following to a rowing/biking session for a more rounded workout:
Plus some high knee work to maintain/improve stride length. A low impact version would be slow cadence walking on the spot with maximum knee lift and 'big arms' - this can also be done stepping up onto a bench. A higher impact would be high knee running whilst facing and leaning against a wall. When doing the exercises that focus on specific muscles or doing more intense exercises I'd probably do repeats with 20-30secs on / 20-30secs off. Swiss Ball work is also very good as part of the mix. QUESTION - Using a rowing machine: "I am trying to work out how to integrate sessions on a Concept 2 rower with my training - to save my ageing knees more than anything! What could I do to replace my usual Tuesday and Thursday running sessions (between 5 and 8k running on the downs_?" ANSWER: 5-8km running including hills might take 25-40 mins, so I would mimic those sessions time-wise on the rower. I'd probably make the 25 mins a continuous steady row with occassional bursts of effort (maybe 20-40secs each). [Maybe get off half way through for a couple of minutes to loosen up]. For the steady bits try to get your breathing rate similar to your runs. I'd make the 40mins a more intense / power session - reps with rests. You could do timed intervals in a downward pyramid:
[A variation of this would be 3 reps each 30sec, then 3 at 1 min, than 3 at 2mins / break and repeat in reverse.] In all cases I'd be making sure my legs were doing most of the work, I'd probably use arms and back less than an ideal rowing stroke. I like to measure things, so once a month I'd be timing a 4km row, or similar. |