The Concept2 website: more than a rowing machine

Originally published in GP magazine .

Written for GP magazine around 2007. This is the version I submitted - the published article may have been edited.

I have recently started rowing as part of a lose weight and get fitter programme. I have never enjoyed running and have always worried about the potential damage to my knees, so when one of my patients told me he enjoyed rowing and reckoned it would be good for me, I decided to look into it. As usual I did a huge amount of research and very quickly worked out that one of the most popular rowing machines is the Concept2. This is a serious piece of kit that can be found in many gyms, and I hope to own one eventually. It is very robust and comes in a variety of models. It comes with a rowing computer that not only allows you to see how far and fast you have rowed but will allow you to take part in races against computer opponents, or even other people on other machines connected via the internet! There are also several built-in programmes for training and weight loss.

Even more impressive than the machine is the website that goes with it, www.concept2.co.uk. Although a large part of the website is obviously aimed at encouraging you to buy one, there is a huge resource of information which is both interesting from a health professional’s viewpoint and also well worth suggesting interested patients have a look at. There are numerous case studies of people who have lost large quantities of weight, to give people inspiration. There are clubs to join depending on how many million kilometres you have rowed on the machine. There are documents to download on how to lose weight and the best regimes for fitness and endurance training, and there is also a specialist programme for rugby players and a 253-page document that includes more sports physiology than was taught at medical school.

I am now aware of different target heart rates for different types of exercise, and understand different ways of measuring level of exercise and different ways of assessing fitness. Reading the website has made me more confident when discussing exercise for fitness and weight loss with patients, and has stopped me just saying you need to eat less and exercise more. Also, previously I was never particularly interested in what exercise patients were doing, assuming that any was good and that those going to a gym would have been shown the right kind to do. Now I can pontificate on different regimes, though I always suggest that patients get more expert advice as well. The number of patients who have used one is also quite surprising, and I have a league table going of who has the fastest time over 2000m.

For serious athletes, a physiotherapist colleague suggested www.pactraining.co.uk as an excellent resource for extended non-rowing training schemes. The website costs money to join, so it is only for the interested, but it has some excellent videos and comes highly recommended.