First, a little background. I''m going on 67 and I''ve been interested in sports and fitness since high school, more or less continuously. Non-stop athletics as the USAFA, then after pilot training in 1969 starting with the original Aerobics book by Kenneth Cooper. I stopped running to preserve the joints and switched to biking about twenty-five years ago. Also, a bike on a stationary trainer, a ski machine, weight training, etc. I wore out a rowing machine once, the kind with hydrolic pistons. About three years ago I integrated the Tabata Protocol into my workouts. That''s a kind of interval training. You can look it up. Really works better than aerobics and takes much less time. The down side: it is anaerobic, in the red zone, pure agony if done right. My hope was this rower would work for TP. It does. I was surprised to see a review here that said it didn''t work for intervals. My guess is it was a technique problem since he mentioned arm fatigue. It takes a while to learn the correct rowing motion so that you can efficiently exert max force. I''d suggest beginners watch videos on youtube or get some personal instruction.Pro: Solid, smooth, quiet, well designed. The sound of water is very nice. Have it out on the porch now. It''s portable enough to move fairly easily. Resistance depends on two things: 1. volume of water and 2. how hard you push. Mine lacks any knob to adjust resistance.
Con: I started out with short sessions. One day row; one day bike. After a few days I worked up to 2,000 meters. Everything seemed fine. The next row day I was thinking 3,000 meters. I sat down to row. After a stroke or two I had to stop because of a sharp pain in that part of the anatomy that interfaces with the seat. Took a while to figure out what had happened. The seat has a raised center ridge which rubs a part of the bottom which does not normally experience rubbing or any seat contact at all. Visual examination confirmed two small areas rubbed raw. It''s been five days and I still can''t bear to sit on that seat. Other seats are fine. After trying several pads I found some foam that works well. See my photos at the top of the page showing the ill considered ridge and the foam fix.
Conclusion: Worth the money even with the seat issue which may not bother anyone else. Rowing is great exercise. I''ll continue outdoors until freezing temps at which time I''ll replace the water with Vodka. Just kidding. I''ll bring it in.
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This is a nice looking machine. Easy to put together. If you are looking for a machine with strong resistance, this is not the machine for you. Resistance is nice though and it will have you sweating and feeling a work out. I love the machine.I am in my late 50''s, and would categorize myself as an enthusiast. Worked out and have played various sports most of my life. Being a "boomer" my knees are beginning to feel a little creaky. I have a work out area with a great old AidDyne I have had for years, a recumbent bike, universal weight machine, and a set of free weights. I decided to sell my tread mill since I walk and hike alot. In it''s place I purchased the FD Pacific rower. I was considering a fancy wooden WaterRower, but after trying both machines out, I opted for the FD Pacific Rower. The assembly was easy, took about 45 minutes. The mid leg height bolt adjustment is a little odd, but workable, just make sure you use the correct nut, since the instructions are not super great. Filling the water drum was simple: a siphon tube is provided, all you need is a clean bucket and a slightly elevated stool. The drum fills up to the 17 liter level quickly. The manual suggests dropping chlorine tabs every 6 mos or so to keep algae from forming (assuming you have the machine out in the sun). The machine seems to be very well built and designed. The welds are seamless and the paint is of very good quality. everything lines up, and it definitely has a "gravitas" to it. The size is just right, a little over 6 foot lying down, and it does flip up for storage. The workout itself is truly low impact, only in that there is very little stress on the joints. Keep in mind you should have some level of fitness before you go "all out" on the rower. The experience is very pleasant, and almost meditative as you row and hear the water "swooshing" with every stroke. The stroke is consistent throughout its range and there are no lag or dead spots. The computer is not the best I have used, but good enough. It can link to a Polar heart monitor if keeping your V02 max in high range is important. I work out while watching tv or listening to music, so the quietness was important to me. I did consider a Concept2 but with the AirDyne now being my noisy machine, the FD PR is perfect in regards to quietness. I can now do multiple circuit training which keeps me from getting bored, or I can do a straight up 40 minute work out on the rower and then shift to weight work after. I find the seat to be very comfortable and slide very smooth. There are plenty of you tube videos on proper technique for water rowing, so this should not be an issue. So, in summary: for a "natural" water indoor rowing experience with low stress on the joints, relatively easy assembly, what appears for now to be very good build quality, and actually a surprisingly full body work out, fair price, I would endorse purchasing this machine. One more thing, if you have lower back problems, check with your doc first. However, if you use it properly, you should have no problems with injury. Will check in again in a year for a progress report.Want First Degree Fitness PACIFIC Challenge AR Adjustable Resistance Fluid Rower Discount?
The instructions on how to assemble this rower, are really simple and easy to understand. I love this ROWER! They tell you to start out with 5 mins a day and then you do it for longer periods. I did it for my first 5 mins and I have already worked up a sweat! It is smooth,a wonder sound with each row, great exercise! You perform the movements CORRECTLY and you will be very satisfied...haha..Save 36% off
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