Concept2 News

GoRow iPhone App

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:30:00 +0000

GoRow is an iPhone & iPod Touch App developed specifically for rowers (both water & indoors). GoRow allows you to maintain a workout log, plan your training, analyse your recent workouts and set personal targets, all within your iPhone.

Entry of workout data is quick & easy and you can see all the important information at a glance. Tapping on a workout instantly displays more detailed information calculated from that workout. Workouts are organised according to week and planning your workouts is as simple as entering a workout with a date in the future. Tapping the Sync button synchronises your entire workout logbook with the Concept2 online log. This works both ways so you can still enter workouts online or via other mechanisms if you wish.

GoRow also analyses your data in various ways, it can produce charts for your recent workout times over many different distances. On the same chart are displayed your target times & the trend of your recent workouts. The trend-line attempts to show you how your times are improving and lets you figure out what paces & distances you should be aiming for. Charts can also show the spread of either paces or distances for your recent workouts, this lets you see how you've been working out and where you've been focussing your effort.

The calculators section of GoRow brings together in one place many of the rowing specific calculators that previously have been spread around on various websites, it contains:

Average Split (of many splits)
Watts to Pace converter (and vice-versa).
Stroke Power Index (some people find it useful).
Distance Per Stroke (given time, distance & SPM)
Target Pace (from distance & time).
2K Time from Watts.
VO2Max calculator (same as on Concept2.com)
Predicted time (Pauls law)
Weight adjustment (For OTW rowers)
Body Mass Index
Basal Metabolic Rate (to workout how many calories you need per day).
Row Calories (estimated calories expended during a row).
Target Distance (given a pace and duration).

On appropriate calculators, you can set a personal target with a single tap after you've calculated what pace/time/distance you want to set it at. The Targets list is a set of distances and/or times that are set to the points you're aiming for in your training (e.g. sub-7 2K). GoRow will monitor how well you're doing and calculate an estimated completion date for that target based on your recent workouts.

GoRow brings together a large set of rowing resources and packages it in a handy App complete with synchronisation to the popular Concept2.com online log. There is also a one-tap Personal Bests banner to search through all your workouts and create an image for use in online forums such as the Concept2 forums. And finally, GoRow is being actively developed, so if you think of anything you would like in the next version of GoRow, contact Steve Tickle via info@gorow.net and he'll do his best to help you out.

For more information on GoRow, go to www.GoRow.net. There is also a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/GoRow/334524518373?ref=ts and a Twitter stream (@GoRowApp) for announcements.

Lincolnshire Wins East Midlands School IRC

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:50:12 +0000

96 rowers from Lincolnshire helped the county win the first East Midlands School Indoor Rowing Championships at Grantham Meres Athletics Arena on Friday.

With over 30 rowing machines running at one time, the competition included individual races, team races and 'frantic' relay events. Over 280 children from across the East Midlands battled it out to become the East Midlands Indoor Rowing Champions, but Lincolnshire came out on top in the overall county standing.

Pupils from Kings School, Kesteven and Grantham Girls (KGGS), Central School, Grantham Church School, Lincoln Christ Hospital School and Cherry Willingham Community College were all involved in Lincolnshire's victorious win.

The team events were based on the total number of meters rowed by the teams. The Kesteven Kestrals who were made up of rowers from Kings School and KGGS were victorious in both Key-Stage 3 and Key-Stage 4. (Results shown below)

Coordinated by the Competition Manager team and Concept2, the project was a pilot event to increase the number of schools taking up the offer of indoor rowing. The organisers want to appeal to youngsters who do not necessarily excel in the more traditional sports that schools offer.

Shane Ward is a Competition Manager based at the Lincolnshire Central and South West Lincolnshire School Sport Partnership. He says:

"This is a great schools sporting event that is a real spectacle. The fact that schools can race against each other on big screens will be a great experience for the children and something they won't forget."

Janet Inman is Head of Sport at the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership. She says:

"It's great that so many of our counties schools are getting involved in indoor rowing. Lincolnshire Sports Partnership support school initiatives like this to get more children involved in sport. The Competition Managers and School Sport Partnership network have done a great job in getting nearly 300 pupils involved."

Rob King PDM City of Lincoln School Sport Partnership:

"Indoor Rowing is a great sport to get children involved in physical activity. Events like these demonstrate can have a massive effect on children's perception of keeping fit, active and healthy".

The event was a result of a number of School Sport Partnership Qualification events from Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Download the full results spreadsheet.

Stroke For Stroke Raises 40,000

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:53:35 +0000

Stroke For Stroke had more people taking part than ever before. With some remarkable group and individual efforts boosting the kilometres rowed and money pledged, the campaign to raise vital funds for The Stroke Association has had its most successful year yet - around £40,000 has been raised so far and over 350 people took part in this year's challenge.

GB Rower Anna Watkins clocked up some of the week's first kilometres, before offering her expert advice and tuition to Siemens staff taking part in the challenge at its headquarters in Frimley.

Listed below are some of the achievements made throughout the week on your rowing machines:

An employee at Siemens' Nottingham site, who individually rowed a total of 100km over the week, raising almost £200.
Employees in Newcastle took up the challenge to row the distance between the Newcastle Facility to Seabank station, totalling 480km. The final distance reached was a staggering 646km, and funds raised are still coming in.
Employees at Osram took part in a rowathon, aiming to row a total of 50km in one day ? which they completed in six hours ? they have raised £500 to date.
A number of Siemens Healthcare employees based the Uptime Centre raised nearly £1,000 and many are now vowing to take to the gym more often as a result!
A group of four Healthcare and SIS colleagues in Frimley joined forces to row nearly 80k, smashing their £500 fundraising total and collecting over £1,000.
Staff in Congleton completed 175km in just 4 days. More than 30 employees took part and have so far raised around £500.
Staff in Derby challenged themselves to row over 100km between them over the week, and ended up clocking up 174km, raising £250 to date.
Siemens? Crawley site raised £600 with a combination of the sponsored row, prize draws, cake sale and other fundraising activities.
Tonbridge staff rowed 140km, raising around £300
The Communications team in Frimley rowed 116km throughout the week raising £898.
Two highly competitive teams at SIS in London rowed nearly 250km between them raising an impressive £1,100 to date.

2 Upcoming Charity 100k Rows

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:05:13 +0000

Sport Relief is back this month and as part of the Dumfries and Galloway College's Activities David Hislop is planning to complete the 100k row on Tuesday 23rd March starting at 8 in the morning and hoping to finish in 7 and a half hours or less. Later in the year (Sunday 1st August) Richard Hardie is also planning to row the same distance for the Chest, Heart & Stroke charity, a charity close to his heart as explained by Richard on the C2 Forum, if you want to help Richard reach the £500 target he's set himself you can donate on his JustGiving page. Richard's 76 year training partner Jim Tutt will be rowing alongside Richard for the full 100k and in doing so is looking to set a British Record for his age category.

Lwt 100K Record Broken

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:28:36 +0000

Last weekend Hywel Davies broke the Lwt 100K Individual World record by over 7 minutes, below is his report of the row posted on the Concept2 Forum, there is also a video of the row on Hywel's YouTube channel.

In 1997, I was part of a team that set one of the early 100k indoor rowing records for Heavyweights. We did sets of 500m all the way through and did 5.39.

In January 2007, I was part of the Riptide Rowers LWT team that set the world record at 4.39 doing the 10 stroke method. However, having adventure raced around the world, done numerous 100mile time trials, 13 Ironman races and 1 double Ironman race, I certainly thought I had the minerals to have a crack at the 100k solo LWT record.

I started back rowing on 1st December 2009, and in 2 months I have rowed over 1 million metres, including a British marathon record of 2.36.43.8. So of course, a little more training the attempt was on.

On Sunday 7th Feb, 6 days before I get married, I rallied around to get member of Rugby Triathlon club to race in teams of 3 against me. So the challenge was set. My race plan was simple. Hold 1.55/500m pace for the first 50k, considering I can do 42k at 1.51, this was going to be easy. I would evaluate a rest break and toilet stop then schedule another at 75k then go through to the finish. Simple in theory.

So onto the row. Conscious of not going off too fast, I started at 1.53 pace?.which felt very easy and tried to back off, but could not. Went through the marathon distance in an uneventful 2.40 and onwards to 50k in 3.11. I was having thoughts about the Heavyweight record too but being sensible, I took my break at 55k. BIG mistake.

Getting back on the erg I was bloated from energy drink, started burping and coughing. My back seized up from standing up too quickly to run out and I was now in trouble. I could not sustain 1.55 pace and hovered around 1.57/1.58 until 65k when I went BANG. Dizzy, irritated by everything, dry skin, dry mouth and burping fluids. Hip flexors began to seize, biceps aching and I was not in a happy place. I put the handle down every 2500m but was aiming for breaks every 10k. I had lost it. 75k to 80k was even worse. Pace dropped to 2.05 pace and eyes were closed, head down. I was intending to look up and see 3000m or so had passed but often it was not even 300m. Friends were coming over to see what I wanted and I was either being rude of speaking some Russian dialect that I could not understand. I could not speak, make sense or even tell someone how long a kilometre would take. I was losing it.

At 80 I worked out that I had 1 hour and 25 mins left to break the record. 2 x 10k in 40 mins was not possible and I was feeling a little anxious. Having been on target to beat it by 20 minutes, it was now a possibility that I would not do it and for the first time in a long time, I actually felt like giving up.

Never in all my ironman races, double race or adventure race had I ever felt this bad, that there was a chance I could just pass out and stop. I could barely pull the handle let alone at any pace. I battled through the next 5k but then with 15k to go I worked out that an hour left is nothing in training, but now it was going to be a maximal effort. So be it. If it was easy, everyone could do it. Calling on my reserves of energy, motivation, experience and training I powered on without stopping and held a low 2.00 pace through to the finish.

Collapsing off the erg my back crunched worryingly as I lay on the floor but in the comfort of knowing I had taken 7 mins off the world record.

I was hoping for more and expected it to be much easier, much faster and much more enjoyable. That was hard?harder than anything. Knocking on the door of failure with 2 hours still to go is not a happy place, but it has been conquered, its done and now I can rest.

Not sure how many rowers out there hold both the individual and the team world record, but I do. That, I am happy with.

RAF Indoor Rowing Championships January 27th 2010

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

This year's Royal Air Force Indoor Rowing Championships (RAFIRC) was held at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire. Around 70 people, including for the first time, a handful of civilian rowers from various rowing teams from round the country took part.

The blue ribbon event of indoor rowing is the 2000m. This along with a 500m sprint and a team relay event to finish meant competitors were up for a gruelling but good quality session.

The categories were split into Male and Female, Heavy and Lightweight and Junior (Jnr) and Senior (Snr).First race of the day was to be the female Jnr lightweights, which saw the current RAF ladies squash champion, Claire Cyprus, change her area of expertise to indoor rowing and win the 2000m event in a time of 8:01.6.

The men's Jnr Lightweights put on an excellent display, with notably Dan Garrett and Toby Rose, both of East Midlands University Air Squadron (EMUAS), demonstrating almost perfect rowing technique. A close battle between the two ended with Dan coming through victorious in an excellent time of 06:49.2.

The ladies heavy weight category was won by RAF Rower Katherine Linton from RAF Brampton, in a superb time of 7:41.9. Also in this race was Katherine Hammond of RAF Digby who, previous to the IRC, had very little experience on a rowing machine. Her quality 7:49.7 time got her a well deserved 2nd place in the category.

The day slogged on with the Men's Snr Lightweight being won by David Dickinson from RAF Leeming, with a time of 7:04.5 and the Men's Snr Heavyweight being won by Chris Morrill of RAF Coningsby, winning in 6:51.5. The penultimate 2000m race of the day, the Ladies Snr Heavyweight, included 3 ladies from the same Indoor Rowing Team, Sub 7. A good race put Helen Haggerty in top spot with a very respectable 7:51.7.

The last and fastest race of the day which saw the top 5 men go sub 7 minutes was won by RAF Rower Chris Nash, who just managed to pip under the 6:30 mark with an excellent 6:29.6.

A brief respite was followed by the 500m sprint event. The fastest men's time of the day was an outstanding 1:22.9 by EMUAS student Mark Smith with the ladies fastest time of 1:42.1 being produced by Katherine Linton. The day was finished off with a team relay event, which saw the home team, RAF Digby cruise over the finish line and take home the silver ware.

The various prizes were distributed to the category winners, with a surprise presentation for 78 yr old ex-SAC Charles Morley who's 2k time of 9:31.2 showed us all that you are never too old to! A big thank you to Concept2 for providing the rowing machines, and equipment needed for the day and especially C2's Ben Addison who managed to keep all the races on time.

If you are interested in taking part in next year RAF Indoor Rowing Champs, please contact Danny Graham, PEd Flt , RAF Digby 01526 327448.

Scottish IRC 2010

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:52:42 +0000

Over 500 individuals and teams competed at the 2010 Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships held at the Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh on Sunday 31st January 2010. Full results are available in the National Championships section.

In addition to the normal races over various distances and times, the Championships played host to a special event in the form of an attempt, by Matthias Auer of Clyde ARC, on the World Lightweight Marathon Record. Matthias amazed the crowd by maintaining a split of 1.47 for almost two hours of rowing, smashing the previous record by over two minutes and recording a time of 2hr 29min 56.7sec.

There were a number of notable performances in the Junior Championships including Kerion Brown(Clydesdale ARC) winning both the U17 and the U19lwt boys events and from Emily Colley of Glasgow Academy who won the U16 girls event before later claiming a silver in the Open Women's category.

The fastest individual times for 2km came from Callum McBrierty (George Watson's College) and Karen Benett (Clydesdale ARC), with Callum posting his time in the U19Hwt event and then leading George Watson's College to victory in the U19 Team Event.

Victor Gilbert of Age Without Limits, the Championships oldest competitor at 82 was narrowly pipped for Gold in the over 60Hwt by George Meredith, 61, of Gravesend IRC. George had earlier taken 2nd place in the Lwt category behind John Howie of Midlothian. It was a successful day for the Howie household with Barbara Howie also winning the Women's Adaptive Event.

The team events again proved hugely successful with Team AEGON retaining their title, in the Men's Team, despite strong opposition from Aberdeen Boat Club and HMS Vanguard. A composite of Glasgow based rowing clubs were winners of the Women's Team.

The event also incorporated the Scottish Universities Championships with Strathclyde University's Mike McLaren and Megan Mackie winning the Men's and Women's Open Hwt titles respectively. Megan's result was even more impressive considering she was forced to re-row after a technical problem with her ergo. Heriot Watt University retained the Victor Ludorum, for the most successful club, with consistent point scoring and a clean sweep of wins in the team events.

The Championships concluded with the newly offered 500m sprint category providing a great climax to the day. Indeed the Men's Lwt event saw a dead heat between Shaun Callaghan and Colin Barnet of Team AEGON.

Photographs of the days racing are available at www.darrochphotography.ifp3.com and www.cofd.co.uk/.

Snowdon Rowing Challenge

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:05:45 +0000

A breathtaking indoor rowing challenge between the top 6 UK university rowing clubs: Cambridge Unversity BC, Imperial College London BC, Oxford Brookes University BC, Oxford University BC, Reading University BC and University of London BC. In the 1950 Boat Race, Lord Snowdon, then Tony Armstrong-Jones coxed the Cambridge crew to victory over Oxford. This event will celebrate the 60th anniversary of that race and will raise funds for Lord Snowdon's charity, The Snowdon Award Scheme which provides grants to students with a physical or sensory disability, to help them complete further or higher education or training.

The Snowdon Rowing Challenge will take place on Friday 5th March 2010 at the Porchester Hall in London. It will be the finale of a major event celebrating Lord Snowdon's 80th birthday, his charity's work, and the launch of The Snowdon Alumni.

Each club will provide a team of eight oarsmen. Half will be current students and half prestigious alumni. In view of the profile of the event and the highly competitive nature of the sport, each club is looking to provide the best possible team and a number of Olympic and World Champions have already volunteered to take part, including Tom James (Cambridge), Sir Matthew Pinsent, Andy Hodge, Jonny Searle (Oxford), Steve Trapmore (IC), Alex Partridge (Oxford Brookes) Dr Richard Budgett (UL).

Each team will have an ergo (rowing machine) on which they will race as a relay team. The race will last for 20 minutes 15 seconds, which was Cambridge's winning time in the 1950 race. Film of Lord Snowdon's Boat Race will be shown on big screens alongside the digital read-outs of distances travelled by each competing team.

The race will be fun, noisy and highly competitive: a great spectacle. The winning team will be presented with a glass challenge trophy in the form of a rowing blade.

The rowing community at each university will help to raise sponsorship for their teams in advance of the event. For more details

Hugh Mcleod with OUBC president and chief coachThe Challenge is being organised by Dr Hugh McLeod, who received an award from the charity in 1988 and coxed for the University of London Boat Club in 1988/9. Please contact Hugh for further information (07890 145339 or alumni@snowdonawardscheme.org.uk ).

Euro & Scottish IRC Results

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:48:23 +0000

Last weekend was a busy weekend for indoor rowing with both the European and Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships taking place.

17 British competitors travelled to Kettwig in Germany for the European IRC and are bringing back 2 gold and 7 silver medals from the championship, for full GB results and a link to the complete results please go to the Euro IRC section.

The Scottish IRC took place at the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh on Sunday 31st January with a record entry, full results can be found in the National IRCs section.

It is never too late to take up indoor rowing!

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:52:37 +0000

It is never too late to take up indoor rowing as part of a regular fitness training programme.

Just ask Monica Sutton, who began rowing at the age of 58 in an effort to lose weight and improve control of her diabetes, reports NHS Choices.

Since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in her early twenties, Ms Sutton's weight had crept up to nearly 20 stone.

She had no success with diets or the gym and said being overweight made her feel uncomfortable, unfit and less confident.

Then in May 2003 she injured her foot on the treadmill and began using an indoor rowing machine as it was non-weight bearing.

Ms Sutton found rowing suited her perfectly and even discovered a competitive side to her personality she never knew she had.

She started training to compete in indoor rowing events, even winning a bronze medal at the 2003 British Indoor Rowing Championships, presented by Sir Steve Redgrave.

Ms Sutton now frequently competes at indoor rowing competitions and has a mantelpiece stacked with medals to prove it.

What is more, since taking up the sport she has lost weight - dropping from dress size 26 to size 12 - and now has no trouble managing her diabetes.

Rowing offers a complete low-impact body workout and is a great aerobic alternative to cycling and running, good for the cardiovascular system and works the abdomen, back and upper body.

A fitness regime can also help tackle stress and reduce both cholesterol and the chances of related heart problems, according to Heart Research UK

For Ms Sutton, indoor rowing is now an important part of her life.

"Rowing has bought fitness, weight loss and a huge circle of friends," she told NHS Choices.

She added that rowing was a very sociable sport which had given her a much-needed boost to her self-esteem.

"This impacts on every part of my life," she explained.

Posted by Linda Jacobs

Fitness training DVD rentals up by 200 per cent

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:45:00 +0000

Rentals of fitness training DVDs have increased by about 200 per cent this month as people make a bid to get fit after Christmas.

Davina McCall's Davina Fitness 2009 DVD is the most popular in a list of the top five celebrity workout DVDs, according to figures released by LOVEFiLM, with Robin Antin's Pussycat Dolls Workout in second place.

Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow's trainer is in third place with the Tracey Anderson Method - Mat Workout and Jessie Wallace's Look At Me Now and Trudie Styler's Warrior Yoga are in fourth and fifth place respectively.

Darren Bignell, communications manager of LOVEFiLM said: "Whether we stick to them or not, the majority of new year's resolutions are fitness related, so we're always interested to see which celebrity workout DVD fares the best in the January rush."

Another which should have made the top five is Concept2's technique and training video which offers tips that both the beginner and experienced indoor rower may find useful.

Posted by Matt Wallace

Scores of schoolchildren compete in indoor rowing competition

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:24:14 +0000

Concept 2 indoor rowing is the latest event to be included in an annual sporting event sponsored by the Sports Council in Scotland.

More than 40 teams from primary schools in the Isle of Lewis pitted their rowing skills against each other yesterday (January 21st) in the 2009/10 Lewis and Harris Sports Council Sports Festival, reports the Stornoway Gazette.

But they were not taking to the oars completely cold. Active Schools Coordinators have been taking rowing machines around all schools in Lewis and Harris to give the pupils tips on technique and a chance to practice.

Seven teams of four rowers took part in relay events and individual sprint races at the big row off in the Lewis Sports Centre.

Steven Munro, community sports development officer, said that indoor rowing machines were a fantastic way of keeping fit, whether for increasing stamina for distance events, improving fitness for explosive events such as football and rugby, or looking for a whole body workout for general health benefits.

For details of other indoor rowing events going on across the UK visit the Concept2 racing calender.

Posted by Stuart Davies

Fitness training for 'more energy and confidence'

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:21:27 +0000

A mum-of-two who embarked on a fitness training programme with Sharron Davies has described how her subsequent weight loss has left her with more energy and confidence.

Sarah Brooks, aged 34, lost nine pounds and is back in her size ten jeans after taking up healthy eating and regular exercise under the advice of the former Olympic swimmer.

"Exercise and healthy eating has become part of our routine now," Ms Brooks told the Times.

She added that though it is not always easy to find time to exercise, it was worth making the effort.

"Everybody has been so complimentary," she said. "We've got more energy and I feel more confident."

Ms Davies added that taking more exercise could help people feel more in control of their life, leading to a better mental and physical outlook.
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress, according to the NHS.

Posted by Tim Bergman

Stuck in an exercise rut? Change your attitude!

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:03:30 +0000

Even the strongest new year resolutions can start to wobble towards the end of January but, rather than give up, re-assess your situation and resolve to carry on.

Just a few more days should see new exercise regimes and diet plans become habit, and once they do there will be no looking back.

Be specific when it comes to exercise goals, advises American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer Paul O'Brien.

He tells Mayo News that writing down goals and reviewing them regularly is the first step to success.

Then, ensure your attitude is working with your plan, not against it.

"Really examine the effect not exercising will have on your life," he suggested. "List all the benefits you foresee.

"Do this simple exercise and see what happens to your attitude."

If you find exercising alone a challenge, why not join the Concept2 Challenge Series and pit yourself against fellow indoor rowers.

Exercise to beat stress, heart problems

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:55:31 +0000

A fitness regime can help tackle stress and reduce the chances of related heart problems, it has been pointed out.

More and more research is revealing the link between stress and heart disease and heart attacks but people should be taking more action, says Denise Armstrong, lifestyle manager at Heart Research UK.

"The main thing is to take onboard the practices which will reduce stress or alleviate the damage in the body caused by stress," she commented.

When we get stressed, the body produces hormones such as cortisol which can lead to a higher risk of visceral fat. This, in turn, increases the risk of diabetes and high cholesterol, which are risk factors for heart disease.

Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and keep the whole body in shape and should be coupled with a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

Taking to an indoor rowing machine a few times a week may lower the number of cases of heart disease seen in the UK each year - it currently claims 91,000 lives.

Exercise 'may help grow brain cells'

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:52:34 +0000

Staying active and enjoying a regular fitness regime can help to grow brain cells, according to new research.

Scientists from Cambridge University and the US National Institute on Ageing in Maryland found that mice which had unlimited access to a running wheel scored twice as highly in memory tests as sedentary mice.

The active rodents were also good at separating two very similar memories.

A few days of running led to the growth of hundreds of thousands of new brain cells, which improved the ability to recall memories without confusing them.

This suggests that aerobic exercise is important for critical learning and cognitive function and may slow down mental deterioration associated with ageing.

Such positive outcomes could also apply to other forms of exercise such as indoor rowing, explained Dr John Buckley, a British Association of Sport and Exercise
Science accredited exercise physiologist, lecturer and author.

"These benefits will also apply to any physical activity that is performed at similar weekly frequencies, durations and intensities that engage large muscle groups in rhythmical fashion," he added.

Posted by Linda Jacobs

How to stick to new year diet and exercise regimes

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:54:45 +0000

As January nears an end and February looks set to welcome back more snow and ice, sticking to new year resolutions of eating a healthy diet and maintaining a fitness regime is becoming a difficult task for many.

Comfort foods become even more appealing and heading out to the gym after work and braving the hazardous weather conditions is far from the ideal way to spend a winter's evening.

But success is not out of reach. Simply by recognising the challenges facing your new routine you can tackle the problems that derail even the best-laid plans, explains the Mirror.

The first thing the news provider warns against is setting unattainable goals, pointing out that when they are not achieved, people become despondent.

Instead, set achievable, short-term aims, rather than planning to lose three dress sizes in a month or never eat chocolate again.

Enlist the support of those around you, be they colleagues, friends or family, it continues.

Make sure they are aware of what you are trying to achieve so they do not unwittingly sabotage your efforts by offering you biscuits or suggesting after-work drinks on your intended gym night.

Snacking is allowed, but should be healthy. Opt for a piece of fruit in the afternoon rather than a chocolate bar.

That said, do not use one slip-up as an excuse to give up entirely. Just move on and be prepared to admit that some "bad foods" or "naughty moments" will slip through.

And when you are feeling low and likely to turn to the ice cream, choose a coping strategy for emotional times that does not pile on the pounds. Talk to a friend or paint your nails.

Take time to discover an exercise regime that works for you - hitting the treadmill every day for 30 minutes does not suit everyone, so try a dance or aerobics class and test out different equipment such as an indoor rowing machine.

By being honest with yourself about what you can achieve and the steps you can take each day to reach those goals, your new year diet and fitness regime will become your way of life.

Posted by Tim Bergman

Beat 'Blue Monday' with fitness training

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:38:18 +0000

With freezing weather, dark nights and Christmas but a distant memory, the third Monday of January has been designated the most depressing day of the year: 'Blue Monday'.

However, psychologists and fitness training experts alike agree that exercise can help to beat the blues.

Globe Life reports that Karen Liberman, executive director of the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, recommends working out at higher than your normal intensity level for an extra boost of endorphins, the feel-good brain chemicals which are stimulated by exercise.

Numerous studies have shown that exercise can help in the treatment of mild to moderate depression, Ms Liberman told the news provider, and while pushing yourself to go to the gym is often difficult when you feel listless, the payoff is worth it.

"On Tuesday you’ll be a little sore, but I think there’s real merit to … pushing the endorphins past the level that they would more likely be at," she adds.

In addition, executive fitness trainer Jim Stubbs clams that one of the best things we can do to maintain emotional and physiological stability in winter is to take regular exercise.

Posted by Stacey Potts

Percy and Simpson World Champion Stars

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Beijing gold medallists Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson have scooped the World title after a thrilling final race climax to the Star World Championship Regatta held in Rio de Janeiro, which came to an end today (21 January).

The six-day event held at the newest Olympic venue saw difficult light wind conditions with the pair fighting for their title amongst an 81-boat-fleet boasting 11 former world champions including 33-year-old Percy himself who won the title in 2002.

Simpson commented; 'It's been a tough week with very difficult conditions so we are really pleased to have won. Brazil is the home of Star sailing so it's a very special event for us to have won especially here.'

Yesterday saw an opportunity for the Skandia Team GBR duo to clinch the title a day early in the penultimate race having created a 19 point lead in the first four races. The Swiss pairing of Flavio Marazzi and Enrico De Maria, currently the top ranked sailors in the world, however put paid to that posting a sixth place in the race delaying the championship decision until the last days racing.

Percy and Simpson went into the final race in a comfortable position needing post a ninth or better themselves or ensure the Swiss finished the race outside the top three boats to in order secure the title. The pair employed a match racing strategy against the Swiss but with extremely shifty light winds in Rio's Guanabara Bay, the race proved quite a challenge making for an exciting finale to the week.

Percy commented; 'We started off chasing Mazzari to the unfavoured end of the course but when the wind shifted 40 degrees to the left it then became the favoured end of the course and we had managed to push them in to a good position!

'We managed to catch up so we were quite close to him in the end and then we were able to relax and enjoy the last lap of the course knowing we were world champions,' he continued.

With light airs it was all about boat speed and Percy was keen to pay tribute to his crew.

'Boat speed is 90% down to the crew and Andrew really made it easy for me this week enabling me to point the boat in any direction and go faster than anyone else,' he concluded.

Skandia Team GBR team mates John Gimson and Ed Grieg finished the regatta in 41st place.

In winning the regatta and world title Percy and Simpson beat defending world champions George Szabo and Rick Peters (USA) who finished in 28th as well as top Brazilian crew Torben Greal and Marcelo Ferreira who finished third, Greal having picked up the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award in 2009. Swiss Mazzari and De Maria finished second.

Simpson concluded; 'It's not been an easy week and we made some mistakes ' it's a good reminder for us we've got some work to do to be the best for 2012 but we're really chuffed to have won.'

The Olympic champions will hold the world title for 22 months with the next world championship not taking place until December 2011 in Fremantle.

Junk-food diet 'may cause depression'

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:19:38 +0000

Women who suffer from depression and anxiety should take a close look at their diet, Australian researchers suggest.

Showing once more that you are what you eat, the findings of a new study reveal that eating junk food not only plays havoc with your figure - it also has negative effects on the mind.

Women who ate primarily processed, refined, high-fat foods over ten years were more likely to have mood disorders, according to Dr Felice N Jacka and her team at the University of Melbourne.

"There's no magic diet," Dr Jacka said, urging women to eat a diet mainly of vegetables, fruit, whole-grain foods, low-fat dairy products and lean meat.

Processed foods and sweet treats should be reserved for "sometimes foods", she added.

Reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the research revealed that eating healthily can aid physical health and support mental well-being.

A diet consisting of primarily hamburgers, white bread, pizza, chips, beer and sugar-laden food was associated with more than a 50 per cent greater likelihood of depressive disorders.

Conversely, depression and anxiety disorders were around a third less likely among women who ate a more traditional Australian diet of fruits, vegetables, beef, lamb, fish and whole-grain foods.

The researchers are now calling for more studies on the relationship between diet and mental health.

Concept2 advises the use of the Nutracheck Weight Loss online food diary to keep track of eating habits.

It points out that keeping a record of what you eat works by making you more aware of your habits, focusing attention on the problem areas.

"Understanding the balance between calorie intake and exercise is the key to successful and sustainable weight loss."

Tim Bergman

Regular exercise 'can fight off dementia'

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:40:24 +0000

Fitness training and eating a balanced diet will keep the heart healthy and in turn may offset dementia, it has been suggested.

Mid-life heart health and diet are connected to later development of dementia, explains Timothy Parry, spokesman for the Alzheimer's Research Trust.

"The best advice in mid-life is to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly, though it's never too late to improve lifestyle and reap the many health benefits it brings," he commented.

Indoor rowing is a great way for people of any age to stay fit and get some exercise as it is not load-bearing and works all muscle groups.

Those taking to an indoor rowing machine for the first time should ensure they get the technique right in order to make their workout as efficient as possible and avoid potential injuries.

When starting, lean back slightly and keep legs straight with the handle drawn in to the body and elbows by your side.

As you extend your arms, rock the body forward, then bend the legs until they are pressed against the body.

Pull down and back with your legs to return to the starting position.

Posted by Matt Wallace

Regular fitness training can help prevent migraine

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:46:01 +0000

Regular fitness training can aid in preventing migraines, according to new research.

Experts at the Migraine Trust say that moderate exercise can reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks in some people.

This is due to the fact that exercise stimulates the body to release natural pain-controlling chemicals called endorphins, plus natural anti-depressant chemicals called enkephalins.

A well-planned exercise programme could therefore reduce the need to take medicine to deal with severe headaches and migraine.

However, the Migraine Trust notes that in some people exercise can trigger a headache, making it difficult to continue a workout.

This may happen because the exercise began suddenly with no proper warm- up, meaning the body has a sudden demand for oxygen.

Alternatively, if exercising on an empty stomach, the headache or migraine could be due to falling blood sugar levels.

While it is not a good idea to eat a large meal prior to exercising, the NHS recommends eating about two hours beforehand.

If you need a quick energy boost before exercise, try eating a carbohydrate-based snack such as a cereal bar, banana or small sandwich about 15 minutes before you start.

Posted by Stacey Potts

Lose weight, and keep it off, with regular fitness training

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:53:13 +0000

The only way to lose weight, and keep it off, is by exercising.
And while it may seem counteractive, you will also need to increase your calorie intake to match your increased activity.

The Telegraph notes that a 60kg woman doing high-intensity exercise, such as indoor rowing, for an hour three times a week, should aim for around 2,300 calories a day.

Meanwhile, a 76kg man doing high-intensity exercise for an hour four times a week, should consume around 3,000 calories.

Health experts recommend that women should not dip below 1,500 calories a day and men 1,700 calories.

Carbohydrates have been given a bad rep and those aiming to lose weight may be tempted to cut them out altogether. However, carbs are essential for energy - especially when you are exercising.

The news provider advises people to ensure that starchy carbs like wholemeal pasta make up 33 per cent of their diet, fruit and vegetables another 33 per cent, milk and dairy foods 15 per cent, and meat, fish, eggs or other protein sources 12 per cent.

Foods that are high in fat and sugar should make up no more than eight per cent.
Posted by Linda Jacobs

Regular fitness training 'can help prevent osteoporosis'

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:52:20 +0000

Regular fitness training, combined with a healthy diet, can help prevent osteoporosis in later life.

Osteoporosis is a condition affecting bone density, meaning they are more prone to breaks and fractures.

Although an individual's risk of developing the condition is partly genetic, the National Osteoporosis Society states that by investing in our bone 'bank' by taking plenty of exercise we can help keep bones strong as we get older.

Weight bearing exercise is particularly good for strengthening bones, as well as jogging and use of an indoor rowing machine.

Experts also recommend eating a well balanced, calcium-rich diet.

In addition, teenage girls who diet to reach size zero are at increased risk of developing osteoporosis, according to a long-term child development study.

Research by Bristol University found that fat mass plays an important role in building bone and striving to be thin could cause long-term damage to the skeleton.

Osteoporosis costs the NHS and government £2.3 billion a year, statistics from the National Osteoporosis Society show.

Posted by Stacey Potts

Regular fitness training 'still important in older age'

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:59:04 +0000

However fit and healthy you might be, it is an inescapable fact of life that the body becomes more difficult to maintain as we get older.

But regular fitness training remains one of the best ways to keep your body in optimum condition, whatever your age.

As well as being a great way to reduce blood pressure and improve general health, fitness training is an excellent hobby for those looking for new ways to enjoy their spare time after retirement.

Despite this, statistics show that seven out of ten adults do not do enough physical activity - at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week, as recommended by the NHS.

Now recent research from Canada may well provide an extra reason for older people to get moving, reports Saga magazine.

Dr Kenneth Madden of the University of British Columbia carried out a study on adults aged 65 to 83 who had controlled type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol and found that aerobic activity made their arteries less stiff and artery walls more elastic.

The study group agreed to undertake vigorous physical activity using treadmills and cycling machines for one hour three times a week, supervised by a personal trainer.

Three months later Dr Madden found the group had experienced an impressive 15 to 20 per cent reduction in arterial stiffness - a factor which greatly increases the risk of heart disease.

Dr Madden told Saga that though there seemed to a "knee-jerk reluctance" to getting older adults to exercise, he did not have any problem keeping participants engaged in the study.

"People always underestimate what older adults can do," he added.

Saga noted that the results of the study seemed encouraging, particularly to those who felt they had left it too late to exercise.

However, the magazine advised that anyone who had not been physically active for a while should begin exercising with common sense, starting slowly and building up gradually.

It also recommended to see your GP and ask their advice before you begin, especially if you have any conditions affecting your health.

Indoor rowing is just one form of exercise suitable for older people.

Impact-free, it is designed to be gentle on muscles and joints and the intensity is completely user-controlled, meaning you can row as hard or as easily as you want.

For more advice to older people thinking of taking up indoor rowing, see the Concept2 training guide.

Posted by Matt Wallace

Indoor Rowathon for Hope and Homes for Children

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:50:00 +0000

The first annual Indoor Rowathon for Hope and Homes for Children, organised by the Vale of York Support Group, took place at the St Alban's Sports Centre Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th October 2009.

Over 600 students, staff and members of the public took part in this exciting new event. Using 32 Concept2 rowing machines they attempted to row a combined distance of 2,360 kms, equivalent to a journey between Ampleforth and Odessa in Ukraine, in order to raise money for Hope and Homes for Children. Mark Cook had come to Ampleforth to present a Headmaster's Lecture to Sixth Form pupils a few weeks before and they had been extremely moved and motivated by his talk.

At 5 pm on a cold Friday night the first participants, 6 members of staff and 5 students, set off on their individual journeys, each covering a distance of 50 kms. Asked once whether using a rowing machine felt the same as rowing in a boat, Sir Steve Redgrave said 'if you put a rowing machine on the water it sinks.'Undeterred by this, and five hours later, the first wave of rowers were, between them, half way across the North Sea. On Saturday morning ten teams from local sports clubs competed with 'home' teams in a closely fought 10 km relay race, won in a time of 34 min 59s by 'Micky Slacky', a team comprising 5 Ampleforth members of staff. At lunchtime, a series of 2 km individual races were held, with David Dickinson the overall winner in a time of 7:03.40.

Throughout the afternoon a succession of willing victims, aged between 2 and 78 years old, came along to row in their own time to move the combined distance closer to its ultimate target. On Sunday morning, the pupils of St Martin's Ampleforth Preparatory School took part in a house relay event over 90 minutes. By the end of an extremely close race, which finished in a dead heat between Etton and Fairfax Houses, a further 237 kms had been added to the total, by which point the rowers were in eastern Slovakia about to cross into Ukraine. On Sunday afternoon the Ampleforth 25 km House Relay Race took place. Using four machines per house, connected as a virtual Coxless Four, teams of around 40 pupils per house took turns to row flat out for long as they could manage. The atmosphere was sensational and the noise level generated by supporters was mid-way between the front row of a Robbie Williams concert and the deck of an aircraft carrier during take off. With their boats displayed on a large screen above the rowing arena and with all crews within a few metres of each other throughout most of the race, the intensity of effort remained at maximum for nearly two hours. In the end, the team from St Thomas' won the boys' Race in a time of 1 hr 40:43 (an average split/500m of 2:00.9) with the girls' Race won by St Margaret's in a time of 1 hr 57:22. By the time the last crew had crossed the line the total distance rowed had risen to 2,362 kms and the rowers were pulling noisily and with great celebration into the port at Odessa.
The event was hugely enjoyable for all who took part, whether they set themselves an individual target or were prepared to die, or at least make themselves feel seriously unwell, for their House. At time of writing the event had raised over £20,000 for Hope and Homes for Children.

From the school's perspective the event engendered a tremendous sense of House spirit as well as reinforcing the pupils' sense of service to others less fortunate than themselves, something which the school's own fundraising arm, FACE FAW, already does much to encourage. It was such a success that Ampleforth has expressed a wish to hold it as an annual event. The organisers would like to thank Concept2 for the loan of the machines, the event sponsors: R&R Ice Cream, Denison Till and White Cube, the staff at St Alban's Sports Centre and everyone who took part, raised money and came along to support.

Stay hydrated, exercisers reminded

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:44:10 +0000

The human body is made up of about two-thirds water, so staying hydrated is vital, especially when exercising.

Those sticking to their fitness regime should be drinking about two litres of water per day more than usual, the Consumer Council for Water suggests.

It explains that drinking enough water helps to boost energy, heightens concentration, fights infections, is good for the skin, aids weight loss and enables you to get more out of your exercise.

Drinking plenty of water every day is one of the simplest and best things you can do for your body, explains Dame Yve Buckland, chair of the Consumer Council for Water.

"Just a two per cent loss of water from your body can result in a 10 per cent drop in physical and mental performance, so it is important to make sure that we stay well hydrated at all times, whether at work, at home or at the gym," she said.

The body urges everyone to start their day by drinking a glass of water and continuing to have water throughout the day.

Keeping a jug chilled in the fridge and adding lemons, limes or a sprig of mint can make keeping up your water intake more appealing.

The council points out that tap water in the home costs just a penny for ten litres, meaning Brits can drink the recommended two litres per day for just 85p a year.

Concept2 also highlights the importance of taking on plenty of fluids when exercising, pointing out that this will help to dissipate the heat produced by physical activity.

High water-content foods such as tomatoes, soups and cucumber can also be used to boost fluid levels and cool liquids are more quickly absorbed than hot drinks, it continues.

Sports and energy drinks can also aid rehydration, as they contain easily digestible fuel in the form of carbohydrate particles to boost energy stores.

Posted by Stacey Potts

Indoor rowing machines given top marks by fitness training expert

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:07:05 +0000

Indoor rowing machines have been given top marks by fitness training expert Matt Roberts.

Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Roberts - who counts Tom Ford, Naomi Campbell and Amanda Holden among his celebrity clients - hailed indoor rowing as "the ultimate full-body cardio exercise".

"Rowing strengthens your heart and lungs and builds powerful arms and lats (upper back) while reducing body fat," he added.

Mr Roberts, who runs a string of personal fitness training clubs around London, explained that on average, use of an indoor rowing machine burned 600 to 800 calories per hour.

In addition, he awarded the equipment eight marks out of ten as a tool for successful weight loss.

Mr Roberts is the man behind the PHA fitness training plan, which combines the resistance training with a cardio workout.

By alternating the use of an indoor rowing machine with dumbbells or resistance tubes, the PHA plan claims to offer fast results for those who want to lose weight and get fit.

For more fitness training tips using an indoor rowing machine, visit the Concept2 website.

Women are 'experimenting with different types of fitness training'

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:14:33 +0000

Women are breaking away from their regular fitness training routines and experimenting with different types of exercise, according to one health expert.

Research analysts Mintel reported last week that 23 per cent of consumers cancelled gym memberships in 2009, with a further six per cent planning to do so in the future.

However, Joanna Knight, editor at Women's Fitness, said that women were not just looking for ways to save money.

"Women are trying to find new ways of exercising which energise and excite them more than their regular gym routines have previously," she explained.

Ms Knight added that she believed fitness was a highly personal thing, and while some people preferred to work out at the gym others were happy to use other measures to get fit such as home gym equipment and workout DVDs.

Women who lead active lifestyles can reduce their risk of developing breast cancer by up to 18 per cent, research from the Journal of the American Medical Association has found.

Forget the gym - 2010 is all about home fitness training

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:55:31 +0000

With many people experiencing the all-too-familiar bloated feeling that inevitably follows a season of festive indulgence, boosting personal fitness training by joining a gym is one of the most common new year resolutions.

However, with January ideals widely believed to be doomed to failure, it should perhaps come as no surprise that a recent survey by Sainsbury's found £200 million is wasted each year on unused gym memberships.

And with the average gym membership in 2009 costing £442 according to Mintel, it could well turn out to be an expensive - if well intended - mistake.

In addition, it seems the current economic climate has had a big impact on how consumers feel about their gym membership.

Mintel's survey reveals 23 per cent of consumers say they have already cancelled their gym membership, with a further six per cent planning to do so.

However, it is not necessary to commit to an expensive gym membership in order to lose weight.

Home gym equipment such as an indoor rowing machine will save you money in the long run and allow you to get fit without even leaving the comfort of your own home.

A home gym is the most cost-effective way of keeping fit, personal trainer Ray Klerck told the Independent. The only real hurdle, he added, is motivation.

"You have to be diligent about training, otherwise your fitness purchases - and your expanding belly - will soon be gathering dust," Mr Klerck warned.

One of the best ways to maintain motivation when fitness training is to sign up for competitions. This will give you a concrete goal to aim for and ensure you put in the hours on the gym equipment, rather than the couch.

Concept2 organises a range of race events for all levels and abilities, including the Race Night Series.

The last event in the current series takes place on January 11th and all that is needed to take part is a Concept2 rowing machine with a PM3 or PM4 monitor, a computer connected to the internet and Digital Rowing's RowPro software.

So what are you waiting for? Get involved!