Articles
The Rowperfect Rowing Simulator has been the subject of a range of articles and academic papers since it was first designed by Casper Rekers.
Consumer magazines and rowing magazines have reviewed the Rowperfect.
Academics have undertaken sports science research comparing "fixed head" ergometers to "floating head" rowing simulators like Rowperfect.
There have also been comparisons between Rowperfect and on-water sculling. These are more detailed, but no less interesting for the insights they offer into how to improve your rowing and sculling using land based training aids.
Consumer Magazines
Australian Ultrafit Magazine reviews Rowperfect They lent a RP to the journalist for a month and she couldn't get enough of it!
Road Testing the Rowperfect by David Cameron. Rowing MagOZine, September 2005
Ergo Design and Safety UK Regatta magazine wrote the article below about Ian Bernstein's research, 2002.
Sport Science Studies
Discussion from Australian Institute of Sport on Fixed versus Dynamic Ergos 2006 The Australian Institute of Sport has words of caution for coaches using rowing machines as land training aids, 2006.
Ivan Hooper on guidance to coaches on using indoor rowing machines and injury prevention The Rowing Australian SSSM Co-ordinator discusses the different kinetics and kinematics of ergometer rowing compared to on-water rowing and the associated increased loads on the spine and hence injury risk, 2006.
Sliding Rigger Physics by Casper Rekers - why the RP is not the same as a sliding rigger boat
British Journal of Sports Medicine article 2002 Ian Bernstein and his team review fixed and floating head rowing machines. They conclude that "The stroke length is longer and the mean forces are higher on fixed compared with floating power head ergometers. Therefore direct research into injury rates with the different ergometers would be very desirable."
Western Australia Institute of Sport researches into Rowperfect as an aid to on-water training, 2001 Basically they say it's a good thing! the RP is a good subsitute for a real boat. "The technique used on the Rowperfect was similar to that for on-water sculling, thus validating its use in off-water training."
The Dynamics of Rowing Simulators Verified by comparison to a Racing Shell 1993, Casper Rekers A paper presented to the UK ARA conference in 1993 when Casper first launched the Rowperfect Rowing Simulator.
Articles about Rowperfect
Will Hoodless White Paper A White Paper on how one top club athlete uses the Rowperfect to improve his boat speed, 2006.
The Rowperfect Challenge If you only read one article on this page - make it this one. It shows the results of an informal trial between RP and C2 by a coach using on-water sculling technique improvement and video analysis as the measures of success. You've got to try this for yourself with your coach! 2006.
Thor Nilson on coaching with Rowing Machines Thor is FISA's International Development Director and a top international coach. We met and interviewed him in Seville 2004 and this is one of four separate articles published in the Rowperfect Newsletter from that interview.
A guide for coaches on using RP Written by Casper Rekers the inventor of RP, here is some advice for coaches on using RP.
C2 Versus RP The inventor of the Rowperfect explains how fixed and floating head ergometers differ. This was written in response to the article below from UK Regatta Magazine where Concept 2's Ian Wilson stated his views on the British Journal of Sports Medicine research by Ian Bernstein above.
Applying British Rowing Technique was a round-Britain one-day workshop run by the regional ARA. It was run in 7 of the regions during 2005. Rebecca Caroe presented a paper on how to use drills and exercises to teach the correct technique and how the rowperfect force curve illustrated the application of power. There are sample force curves in the slides showing good and less-good curve shapes.
Rowperfect Coaching Drills were the outcomes of the workshop above. Each part of the stroke cycle is isolated and a series of exercises and drills explained that can assist coaches in successfully communicating the technique to athletes. By experiencing part of the 'learning' in the static environment of a rowing machine with the force curve to illustrate good execution before doing it in a boat, many athletes learned good technique faster. [Bonus link: The Stroke Cycle]
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