I’m getting the hang of it now. I was missing that coast/glide portion of the stroke.
I’ve downloaded a couple of apps to try. I honestly don’t need fancy or even special workouts. (At least not yet.) My idea at this point is to do a 10 minute session 2-3x per day to compliment cycling.
A fairly simple thing to try would be trying to maintain whatever pace/500 (or power) you’re targeting with the lowest possible stroke rate. It forces you to slow down the recovery and in order to maintain the average power increasing the power produced during the drive; most of which would have to come from your legs.
Another tool you can use is the force curve in the C2 monitor to analyze your power delivery through the stroke to make sure you’re being efficient.
I’m enjoying rowing. I just use the Concept2 app and then put a video on my laptop for entertainment.
Rowing is making me feel energized! I do 2-3 10-15-20 minute sessions every day. I’m getting HR into the Z2 level after about 8 minutes. I tried some intervals - 30 seconds on / 30 seconds off.
I lowered the foot holders two notches which gave me a longer stroke. This helped quite a bit with the catch. At first the stroke felt really short.
If this is the type of thing that motivates you concept 2 runs challenges through their log book. The current on being a January resolution type event with various options for goals. I’m trying the ski(erg) every day in January myself. For 15 minutes if I’m checking a consistency box, 2-3x 20 or something similar on harder days.
Remember that a Concept 2 was originally designed to replicate, as closely as possible, actual rowing, which it does very well. I used to row and I have sat on C2s for hours. I could never do it again. It is extremely boring. I could not do it watching movies. It is very different to cycling. With cycling you are maintaining a constant force and, for me at least, I can zone out and do the work. With rowing, it is like repeatedly deadlifting - there is an element of pick up with every stroke - just like actual rowing with the catch. There is also a lot of back in rowing. Rowers have massive backs. I still do, for my size, and I haven’t rowed in 20 years. I would not see it at all as a complementary exercise for a serious cyclist - possibly something to do in the off season for a bit of a change. But if your goal is general fitness, core strength, etc there is nothing better than rowing for a total body work out. If you can actually stick it.
I should add - if anyone seriously wants to do a lot of indoor rowing, then get yourself a couple of lessons from someone who actually rows, or go to your local rowing club, or at least take a look at some pros doing it. There is a proper technique. If I had a pound for every time I’ve been in the gym and seen someone on a C2 potentially injuring their back with terrible technique… particularly when they’re really trying to go for it. Jesus. These things are actually pretty dangerous if done excessively without the correct technique.
I’ve been doing 25-30 minutes every morning. I put on some kind of youtube video with headphones. This is just a bit of zone 2 something else to add on to my fitness.
It actually feels energizing the rest of the day having spent 30 minutes on the rower.
Sometimes I’ll do another afternoon session.
Well done for sticking with that - it will certainly reward you - just not for me after having done too much of it in my youth.
I feel like a lot of people don’t realize you can get injured on an indoor rower. I think they believe low impact means no risk of injury.
I’ve watched a lot of technique videos and done a lot of the technique drills as my concern is tweaking my lower back rowing.
I like indoor well enough but in small doses. I don’t know how some people do like 1 million meters in a year.
Depends, what do you consider “small dose” 
I did indoor rowing just for 1yr before getting into cycling. Mainly long steady aerobic endurance workouts for general fitness. During that year, totaled 100hours, 1.1M meters. For comparison, on bike I did ~550hours on following year. Felt roughly same from recovery perspective.
Looking back, I was actually lucky: without any theoretical exercising knowledge, accidentally progressed quite well. Did not push too much too fast while muscles developed faster than ligaments and tendons. Within that year 2000m 9:54,9 → 7:08,4 as lightweight. Nice, but not too good, aimed for sub-7min time.
Anyway, I don’t think I could do it in parallel with cycling, both are too much leg oriented. Now I use SkiErg instead for ~30min / ~6km as warmup for cycling oriented body weight training in mornings.
My small dose would add up to 1.7M meter per year. The way I see it, I work from home and can watch a video rowing just the same as I would sitting on my butt all day.
It’s great that there is no prep or suiting up. Jump on and row while watching something I would have watched anyway sitting at my desk.
For me, as indoor rowing is a supplement to cycling, a small dose is 1-2 times a week less than 40 minutes a session.
My week, generally is, 2 harder rides indoor cycling sessions a week. 1 longer outdoor ride on the weekend. 1 medium run on the weekend. Then 1-2 indoor rowing sessions during the week with a couple short strength workouts a week. If I’m more in build phase for a a bike event rowing might be minimal.
So I’m not getting anywhere close to a million meters a year.
Did quick estimation for SkiErg that I think I can do in parallel to biking:
Ofc, this is just estimation. Whenever HRV trends downward, will start skipping SkiErg.
3,000,000m is very low. I would do that in 18-24 months or so. My C2 is nearly 20 years old and still as good as new. They are a proper piece of kit.
Start by keeping your stroke rate low (20-22spm) and concentrate on technique. Once your technique is good, you can up your stroke rate and push as hard as you wish.
For me I found it easy to just follow along with videos from dark horse or RowAlong where they would be doing the slower stroke rate and I could just focus on matching them in the video.
My wife really enjoyed rowing at her gym over the last few years, we’ve been thinking about getting a rower for her (and for me to try out as well I suppose). It was one of those things she took to right away and she usually wins the overall (men and women) rowing races they have.
When she was in college a coach approached her to join the rowing team (She’s a pretty striking 5’10" Norwegian). She regrets not doing it but back then she was stuck in the I hate being this tall and I want to be a little girl that gets more attention phase of life 
I think she liked the Concept2 because they had those at one of her gyms.
I’m nowhere clsoe to the volume or time on the trainer as just about everyone here and I’m completely done with indoor cycling, I get how you feel.
Exactly. I think I have a childish mindset in that I loved riding bikes as a kid and was pretty heavy into the trick bmx bike scene that exploded in the 80’s (Hutch Trickstar FTW!) so I associate such joy with being on my bike it really is only an outside activity for me at this point.
No doubt. I’ve mostly glared at my trainer (even bought an H3 in the hopes of compelling myself to get back on it) these past two years. With winter finally waning here in the Inland Northwest I’m actually thinking about riding outside; the motion is awesome, the air is fantastic, the sounds sights and smells. The only thing replicated on the trainer is that you’re pedaling and that is for sure the least interesting thing about riding a bike. The rest is distractive flapdoodle.
For sure this happened to me on the trainer I’m 100% done with it.
I noticed in reading through this thread that some recommend shorter workouts on the rower. I’d probably get bored on a rower as well (although I’ve never rowed outside so maybe I wouldn’t know any better like I do for cycling) but is 30 minute sessions a few times a week enough to get that good all over body workout many have talked about?
I know my wife would like one she’s talked about how much she enjoys it for a while it’s probably time to get one. Sounds like it might be a good few times a week all over workout that also maintains cardio as well.
Rowing is one of those sports, strangely like golf, where it can be absurdly frustrating unless you do it very regularly. There is nothing better than the feeling when a well-practised eight or four is all moving in sync - it’s almost effortless. There is nothing more frustrating and annoying than a scratch boat all mis-timed and lurching all over the place, with everyone seemingly fighting each other and their own blades. I have in the past had the offer of joining some local guys just to go out every week or so for a paddle. No thanks. It will be horrible. If I want to row I’m going to have to do it five days a week or not at all.
You can of course learn to scull so you can do it on your own but my god is that hard. The width of the shell is narrower than your arse and your centre of gravity is a couple of feet above the water. One mistake and you’re in the drink. I rowed sweep oar for years. Got into a scull and felt like an idiot. Tried a double scull as I thought it would be sat better but it was even worse. It would require a lot of patience and practice but I am sure, if mastered, would be sublime on crisp mornings when the water is like a millpond.
And if you get an indoor rower then, in my humble opinion, the Concept 2 is the one, although anecdotally I’ve hear that WaterRowers feel very nice too and they certainly look and sound a lot nicer.