The Dynamic is a great tool to feel how a boat moves. It doesn’t have the draw you get from the chain on the standard model and therefore you ‘have to’ create a momentum and flow to your stroke similar to that of rowing a single. There is a small amount of elasticity in the machine but you have to keep your hands moving etc like you do when you row on the water. You also have to have a ‘hang’ to be able to drive your legs and have a natural body open through the stroke. A constant rhythm will allow you to be efficient and sustain and good training pace. I personally feel that I have been able to adjust my technique on the Dynamic to that of what we are trying to achieve on the water. It has helped a lot with being able to work on what I perceive to be the best way of moving a boat out on the water.
My advice is: don’t be afraid of it! People can be reluctant to change, but change can also be a good thing. Persevere with it, as your numbers may be a little lower to start with, but the more you use it and get the feel of how you should be rowing it, the better your numbers will be. The feel is a lot different and if you do a period on the Dynamic and then switch to the standard, you will notice a HUGE difference in what is happening with the way you ‘have’ to row the machines.
I'd recommend the Dynamic Indoor Rower to anyone who wants to progress their technical ability. It is a great machine and a great step forward into a more technical specific boat feel machine. Anyone will be able to use the machine, but will they be able to use it to the best of their potential! That is what people need to ask themselves and then train, train, train, to achieve it!
Eric Murray is part of the famous Kiwi Pair and is an eight-time World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist
First off, I am very used to the Model E and must say I love it. So much so that I was extremely hesitant to try the Dynamic. Once I saw the Dynamic video I knew I just had to take the chance and upgrade. I can tell you this was my best move. For some reason I never tried the slides but always wanted to try them. With the Dynamic I got them and I just kick my self everyday for not doing this sooner. The new double movement shaved off 2 minutes on my 3000 meter (huge), and I feel every back muscle get that much stronger every time I use it. And WOW the pectorals and external obliques, can you say goodbye to the love handles or what! There is not one muscle group neglected. Total choice workout.
My overall impression, without a doubt: I will never go back. The Dynamic is a keeper. With the Dynamic Rower I finally get the workout I've always deserved but could never find. A lifetime fan here.
2:49 Minutes
We have four of them here and they are great machines—very compact and portable. It’s just very durable. It’s very familiar. It has the monitor the way we like it. It gives you the same information. It definitely feels like a boat. I’m very excited to have one, and we’ll be using them a lot. I think people should buy them, use them in their programs, and they will have an impact. Concept2, thank you for making such a high-quality dynamic erg.
I find that rowing on the Dynamic is much more like actually rowing on the water, and very much like rowing a single, which I started doing over 50 years ago and continued through the mid 1990s. I have owned and used all models of Concept2 ergometers continuously since they were first sold, most recently the Model D on slides. The Dynamic requires greater effort on the recovery, replicating the need in a single to pull the boat forward up under your body with your feet while controlling your upper body motion as your reach toward the catch. And all packaged in a small footprint and profile.
The Dynamic rower puts me in the same position as I am in the boat. It allows me to focus on the same posture modifications that I do on the water without having to think about the set of the boat. Also, it is easier to identify and correct bad technique, because I am staying in the same spot, not sliding back and forth. I am able to work on the basic aspects of the stroke thoroughly off the water, so that when I am rowing in my boat, those things come naturally.
I am a former dentist now disabled and have upper back, neck, shoulder, and arm issues. I like the fact that I can get an aerobic work out and tone nearly every muscle at the same time. The likelihood of injury is low if I am sensible. Also, I can row any day, any time. I started out with 5 minutes a day, 3 days a week so as not to get injured and not to have a heart attack. I added a minute a week, and now I can row 30 minutes per day, 6 days per week. I can already see results and know that persistence will pay off. I know that this machine was designed for serious athletes, but I think your market really could include just about anyone who needs regular exercise. Unlike other forms of exercise, I actually look forward to rowing. Before I know it, the 30 minutes is up. If I am stressed out, I feel calmer after rowing. About 3 months after I began, my husband, without any suggestion from me, started rowing! Thank you for that!
It does not appear that you need any new comments in support of the Dynamic Rower, but I love it. My day job impairs my ability to spend mornings on the river in my single scull.
The biggest surprise with the Dynamic was how much better it feels on my old back. I was in an automobile accident on my way to the Olympic trials in 1992. The accident resulted in back surgery to remove a lumbar disc (L5-S1). One of my physicians told me that I would never row again. Twenty-two years later, I am still rowing, but I will confess standard ergs (even on slides) bother my back. On-the-water rowing is much easier on it. The Dynamic is a different. Because it eliminates the back-and-forth shift of body mass, it gives me a terrific workout with dramatically less wear-and-tear on my lower back. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am looking forward to another twenty-two years with Concept2.
Tori Murden McClure is the first woman to row the Atlantic solo (1999), the author of A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean, and the president of Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.
I first started rowing competitively at school in 1989, and after 3 seasons I had a BIG break from the sport—18 years! I have now rejoined a local rowing club as a competitive Masters Rower and use the Concept2 to supplement my on-water training, and also compete at indoor competitions. I was one of the first in Australia to take delivery of the Dynamic Indoor Rower, which I am really enjoying.
I first saw the Concept2 demo'd in IMPACT fitness mag. Prior to purchase, I briefly tried out another Concept2 model in a fitness store. I could tell that the Concept2 was well made, and I was more impressed with it than the other models they had available. Now I love my rower. It was what I'd expected. When rowing, I usually close my eyes and envision being on the water. Listening to music helps me keep a beat. I find it to be very meditative and a great stress reliever. I haven't used it as much as I wanted to, or would have, to date. Back pain (apparently caused by shortened psoas muscles from running), prompted me to buy the rower. Opening up spine from rowing felt good but NUCCA chiropractor advised not to use. I've since defied his recommendations and am back rowing and just concentrating on psoas stretching more. It is going well. I'm glad I have an upper body alternative now to my newly acquired recumbent bike.
First, congratulations on building a professional and high quality machine. The product engineering and design is impressive and looks like it was built to last a lifetime with minimal maintenance. Completion assembly was straight forward, comprehensive and finished like clock work right down to the stainless steel Torx screws dipped in Loctite. I kayak, however the rowing machine is a new experience. I tried the erg machine, which I like, at the health club, but I prefer the Dynamic and would recommend it. Cardio and strength training at the same time is very efficient use of workout time. The machine footprint fits right in the living room.
After several serious injuries and surgeries, I wanted to regain overall strength and fitness. I have used other Concept2 ergs in the past but felt that the new design would be more fluid and balanced. I was not disappointed. The Dynamic really forces you to focus on form. This, in turn, prevents "cheating" as you become fatigued. From the vantage point of someone trying to come back from injury (and prevent future injury) the focus on balance and fluidity allows the weakened areas to catch up rather than be compensated for. I also notice that the Dynamic seems to work the core muscles better than the earlier models. However this may again be the result of the need to focus on correct form. I had earlier written you regarding the wonderful help I received from your customer service rep. As a result of her knowledge and assistance, I felt comfortable on the new design almost immediately.
We are still in winter in Upstate New York, so I have not been rowing on-water this year. I just got my Dynamic in the Fall of 2010. I know it will help me or at least give me a jump start when I get on the water. When on the Dynamic, I focus on technique and get a good aerobic workout. I believe it has helped me to stay flexible and improve core strength.