Eric Murray
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