Last year while traveling on a work trip, I encountered my first rowing machine at the hotel gym. I may have seen a rowing machine, but definitely left me with no memorable impression and certainly never used a rowing machine before. I was recovering from a broken toe at the time, so running on the treadmill was out of the question for me. So I decided to try out the rowing machine, the Concept 2 Rowing Machine to be specific. Immediately I was impressed by the machine. The workout was a lot harder than I expected, that means it was a great workout. Since that trip I have been considering getting the machine at home, but I wasn’t sure how my wife would feel about it.
Last Month, my wife and I were on vacation on the a cruise and encountered the same rowing machine. This time, there are two machines on the cruise, perfect opportunity to have my wife try it out. She instantly feel in love with the machine and was impressed by the workout using the machine. So this month, with wifey’s approval, I purchased the Concept 2 ROWERG to use at home.
After having it for almost a month now, there are definitely pros and cons to the machine.
First all the pros. This machine is simple to assembly, easy to use, and probably the most effective cardio equipment I have ever used. The purchasing process was extremely easy on the Concept 2 website. It’s just like any other modern online store website, enter your information, pay with a credit card, and submit. I thought it may take a while for Concept 2 to deliver the rowing machine, but I was surprised by the speed of the shipping and delivery. It took about three business days for Fedex to deliver the machine to my front door. It may have helped that Concept 2 ship from Vermont and I live in the Northeast, not very far from their warehouse.
The machine was extremely easy to assemble. The machine is essentially shipped in two pieces, the front with the resistance wheel and the seating rail. The only assembly that requires a hand tool are the legs. C2 included a torx screw driver with the hardware kit, so I didn’t even need to use my own tools. The provided screw driver is also of excellent quality. Once the legs are installed, I just have to connected the two pieces in the middle, they simple snap together and forms a very rigid structure.
I decided to put in the machine in the basement, so it is out of the way of everyday living. Even though the machine can be taken apart after each use, I just don’t think that is very practical to take it apart after every use. The resistance control is extremely easy to use, it ranges from 1 to 10, and it’s adjustable by a lever on the side of the machine. The machine also comes with a performance monitor called PM5. This is a simple no frill performance monitor. It is in black and white, but provides all the metrics one needed to track a great workout, calories, pace, distance, and projected distance. The PM5 also comes with pre-programmed workouts based on distance, time, or output to get beginners started as well as fun games as part of the workout.
The machine is extremely well built. The handle is comfortable and sturdy, fits well with most hand sizes. The handle is connected by a nickel plated chain that is smooth and looks to be very low maintenance. The seat slides smoothly on the steel rail allowing for a full range of rowing motion. The foot pedal is also adjustable for any size shoes. The PM5 can be turned on by pressing the button or simply start rowing, it automatically shutoff after several minutes of inactivity.
Now here are what I see as the cons of the machine. First, I am not a big fan of the roller used for the seat to slide along the rail. The roller is made out of plastic, which is surprising considering the other parts of the machine are made out of metal. After using the machine consistently for a few weeks, I can see flaking of the plastic roller. The roller is thick and feels smooth overall, so I don’t think it will degrade quickly, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it will last forever. Probably a part that needs replacement every few years. The second con is the seat. I don’t like the seat. It’s ok for short duration use, but when using it everyday, it gets a little uncomfortable. The seat is made out of hard durable plastic but there is no cushion. This could just be personal preference, but I would like to have some sort of cushioning on the seat. Lastly, I am not a fan of the device holder. I like to use an ipad to watch shows while doing my work out, the ipad fits nicely in the holder but the weight of the ipad would tip over the monitor arm.
Overall, I think the machine is great and I love it. I will probably took to make some modification in the future to make it more comfortable and even better.
Do you have a rowing machine or is considering one?
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