Feel is the first thing that comes to mind but I think the main reason is that they do not reward the core to extremity (sp?) movement pattern of an efficient rowing stroke. However, I reckon you would be better off sitting in front of a Seated Row machine on a skateboard (Search concept 3) than buying a cheapy. I have sat on quite a few cheap rowers in my time searching for an alternative. Unfortunately, the best i can suggest is to find a real old C2. This is not a dig at you - I know that these are a pricey bit of kit and it would be nice if there were a real alternative.
If my rower kids didn't have access to C2s elsewhere, though, I'd get the C2 first, and the bumper plates second.Ĭhris, in my time here the one question that has been almost universally unanswered has been the "Will this cheap rower do the job?"
Using it over the winter, my daughter substantially improved her times between the club's mandatory monthly 2k tests on C2s.Īs long as you work for intensity in other ways, you can work around not having a decent monitor showing your "split," though it's a real pain.Ī C2 is sitting high on my to-buy list, but the Integrity works well enough for my CrossFit purposes that I'll buy a Pendlay bar and bumper plates first.
My bottom line? It's better than having no rower at all.
I suspect I can get another year or 18 months out of the machine, but would rather upgrade sooner. By now, I've replaced one nylon belt that got abraded on a sharp screw, and need to replace the wheels on the sliding seat. The action's smooth, though, and ours has lasted for about 2 years - with 3 of us using it pretty regularly. There's nothing to tell you your stroke rate, or rowing for watts, or even to give you a "split." So you're really only able to reliably row for time. Rowing for time is fine, but we've found that the distance calibration doesn't match up with what we get on C2 rowers, and I dunno if the rowing-for-calories estimate is accurate. It will get you by in the interim, but you will want to upgrade when you can. IMO, comparing an Integrity with a C2 is like comparing 1" barbell weight set with an Olympic weight set. They row on it during the off-season, and on C2s at the rowing club when the team's training together. 2 of my kids are rowers, and it's all I could afford.
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