Rowperfect Dynamics
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Optimum training levels (under & overtraining)
Rowperfect dynamics
For the correct simulation of the dynamics of a racing shell, at both turning points, at the catch and at the finish, the moving mass of the flywheel/stretcher combination is essential to train the correct coordination and timing. In addition to that, the speed/force relation of
the handle during the stroke should also be as identical as possible to that in the boat, because this is essential to have a good "feel" during the stroke itself.
A good simulation of the "feel” during the stroke itself can only be obtained when the following condition is met: The kinetic energy of the rotation of the flywheel at the average flywheel speed during a stroke should be equivalent to the kinetic energy of the translation of the boat at the average boat speed during a stroke.
This condition is met by the combination of sprocket size [the chain run has 2 sprockets] and the moment of inertia of the flywheel of the Rowperfect It then results in the same drive time [same speed of muscle contraction] as in the boat; provided the correct resistance disk is chosen.
Injury prevention
Rowing well in a single scull uses a maximum 10% of leg strength to reverse the body momentum at the catch and a negligible amount for the hip flexors at the end of the stroke. The same is true for Rowperfect (in fact slightly less at the catch due to the elastic rope). By contrast in a stationary ergometer, up to 90% of leg strength is used at the catch (and hip flexors at finish) to reverse the body momentum.
This leads to:
* Over compression of knees (at the catch)
* Jerk of hip flexors and back (at the finish)
Over time these repetitive shockloads can result in injury to lower back, knees and tendons. On a stationary ergometer, the harder you go the more damage you can do. This situation is even more dangerous for the younger athlete as their cartilage is softer.
For training to have an optimal effect, the load on the rower needs to be kept within a certain bandwidth of the maximum allowable load. Too low a load provides no training effect, too high can lead to injury. The speed of adaption to higher load varies from one tissue to another. Muscle (from four weeks), bone, ligaments, tendons, cartilage (over one year). Numerous independent, University tests have repeatedly proven the Rowperfect to be safer than conventional fixed head rowing machines.
On a traditional ergometer, the rower strains against a fixed point, the equivalent of trying to “row” Mother Earth, or a boat which doesn’t move. By allowing the resistance mechanism to slide, and introducing an element of balance to ensure equal loading of the spine, the Rowperfect consistently reduces the forces acting on the rower’s body, especially the forces acting on the knees and lower back at the beginning and end of the stroke.
In addition, perhaps most crucially, the total weight of the sliding mechanism is matched to that of the single scull / portion of crew boat, ensuring the “feel” is exact and truly sport-specific.
Recovery after Injury/Surgery
This same unique Rowperfect feature – the ability to row one legged –
has been successfully used by those recovering after injury or surgery
to one leg, keeping the uninjured leg strong. Remarkably, even the
injured leg benefits – maintaining strength in one limb actually
results in nerve stimulation of its pair, a phenomenon known as
cross-education.
Much recent research points to the benefits of exercising one limb, and
particularly one leg, at a time. A unique feature of he Rowperfect is
the ability to easily row one-legged.
How to coach one legged rowing
Simply remove one foot from the
footstraps and rest it on the floor, slightly to the side. Particularly
when used in conjunction with the Rowperfect interface, and under
qualified supervision, this feature can help identify and then
eliminate bilateral deficits; a relative weakness of one limb compared
to its opposite—a very common trait.
And whether we have a bilateral deficit or not, there is no doubt that
rowing the rowperfect one-legged will certainly increase Core Stability
- often in a surprisingly short time, as the rower is quite literally
forced to brace the core in order to take even a single stroke.
How can one legged rowing assist recovery from injury? Thanks to a
well-documented nervous system adaptation known as cross education—the
nerves of a limb or muscle group are stimulated when its pair is
exercised—the Rowperfect can be used to train the opposite leg as part
of a recovery program. Of course as the injured leg recovers, it will
be exceedingly easy to monitor the true gains in both strength and
coordination of that leg by using the Rowperfect Interface force curve!
Cross-eduction or cross-lateralisation are terms to describe the effect whereby when one limb is exercised the
contralateral (“other side”) limb is also stimulated by the equivalent
nerves on its side. The un-exercised limb will gain both strength and
coordination, not as much as the exercised limb, but very significantly
more than would occur had it not been stimulated.
The implications for
recovery after injury or surgery are enormous: not only can the athlete maintain their aerobic capacity after, say, a knee injury but when the
knee recovers enough to be used again, it will be supported by muscles
which are far more advanced in their recovery than would be the case if
he/she had not used their Rowperfect during the rehabilitation process.
And of course the inertial forces acting on that rehabilitating knee
will be up to six times less than would be the case if the rower was
using a stationary rowing machine.
Optimum training levels (under & overtraining)
The goal of training is to make the heart more efficient and increase its power output.
A special Rowperfect feature for monitoring progress is the Performance Factor. If a heart rate monitor is installed, the system uses the heart rate and the power generated by the rower to calculate the energy dissipated per heartbeat (Performance Factor).
The performance factor is a very powerful tool for optimising the performance of a rower and a crew. Like an engine, a rower has a certain combination of work per stroke and stroke rate where his body works at its highest efficiency. At too heavy a gearing, the rower will not be able to exhaust himself, because his muscles give up prematurely, and at too light a gearing the rower cannot use the force of his muscles to their full extent. His optimal performance lies somewhere in between.
From our experience we know that the loss in performance of a rower or crew, when not geared correctly, may be as high as 10% of his or her power output. To obtain the best possible performance, it is therefore of prime importance to determine the optimal gearing/stroke rate combination for a rower and a crew.
This can be done most efficiently on the Rowperfect, by measuring the power output / stroke rate relation at various levels of gearing, and optimising for maximum performance factor, subsequently transferring the same "feel" of gearing to the boat.
Using a heart rate monitor
Not all heart rate monitors give the same output. And these can differ when used for ergo training and water training. The Rowperfect can very accurately predict heart rate training zones for on-water sessions—yet another advantage that the co-ordination pattern used is the same as the boat. However heart rate determined on a single action indoor rowing machine may be quite different to on-water due to the different muscles used.
Heart monitoring also provides an early warning system for health problems, onset of viral infections or over-training.
Bilateral Deficits
A Bilateral Deficit is simply unequal strength or coordination of opposite limbs. We nearly all have one arm stronger than the other and we know which one. What we often don’t now is that the same may be true for our legs and trunk – we use our legs unequally, perhaps stand unequally as a result, leading to lower back and other postural problems over time.
By rowing using ONE LEG AT A TIME (with the other foot resting on the floor) in combination with the Rowperfect Interface and qualified supervision, Bilateral Deficits can be identified and corrected. The implications for those with back pain or postural problems may be highly significant.
The Rowperfect, perhaps more than any previous exercise machine, can be used to identify AND correct bilateral deficits.
Whether with or without the interface, row using one leg at a time
(rest one leg on the floor). You may quite quickly realize that one leg
is definitely stronger – you may be shocked at the size of the
discrepancy. However, by regularly doing 20-30 strokes one-legged
before each session (whether on- or off-water session) you should
rapidly find the strength evens up.
You may find that as a result of
the increased awareness you have developed, that your general posture
improves.and this alone has been known to improve some longstanding
lower back problems. The Rowperfect, especially with the Force Curve
demonstrated by the interface, can both identify and (with qualified
direction) correct BDs. BDs are implicated in the development of
chronic back pain and certainly eliminating them is likely to improve
the performance of any athlete, especially if that athlete happens to
be a rower who has been subconsciously applying unequal pressure with
his feet, a tennis player who favours one leg, and so on.
Rowperfect Limited Tilt Seat
One of the great benefits of on-water rowing is the development of balance skills. These skills enhance the development of the core strength muscles of the spine and abdomen and their refinement forms an essential part of the challenge of on-water rowing.
Rowperfect’s labile (moveable) seat increases safety for the user. The labile seat forces the rower to sit symmetrically, which helps to equalise the loading on each side of the spine. Balance can only be achieved when loading on each side of the seat is equal.
The very first Rowperfect had a non-tilting seat like standard rowing machines. However following a discussion with a physiotherapist, Casper Rekers realised that a seat which required balance would be of potential benefit to users; and the Rowperfect Limited Tilt was born.
The seat is balanced on four bearings running on the outsides of the main bar. If the seat is unevenly loaded—a tilt of up to 7 degrees is possible to each side— enough to alert the user to that uneven load and then make appropriate changes in his posture and balance to correct it. In a very short time this correction becomes automatic and subconscious: a skill has been acquired.
Experience with a wide variety of athletes of various abilities, from Olympic rowing medalists to intellectually disabled athletes, has confirmed the value of the Rowperfect Limited Tilt Seat. We at Rowperfect strongly believe that the long-term benefits of our tilting seat are another clear reason for you to choose the Rowperfect Rowing Simulator.
Proprioception
Proprioception is best described as how things “feel”. It is the combined feedback from our bodies which tells us the tension in our muscles/joints/tendons, and the inertial forces we are experiencing (balance and momentum transfer in the case of rowing, but more complex in a diver in the middle of a twisting triple!). Proprioception is a combination of General System (effectively tension and pressure receptors in the muscles, tendons and ligaments) and Special System (middle Ear receptors—balance/momentum). The proprioception benefits of he Rowperfect are particularly obvious in the sport of rowing, but there is abundant evidence that development of proprioceptive systems is beneficial for other sports: If you can learn to row a particular Force Curve on the Rowperfect, it really could improve your ability to control your golf swing/kick a football/land after leaping to take a high mark. May seem implausible, but it is true.
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