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183 of 187 found the following review helpful:
Intregal part of my 75 pound weight loss!!! Mar 23, 2009
By D. Fraser
I own the Concept 2 Model D. I purchased it last year after an exhausting field and internet search. I "casually" used it for several months until a few months ago when I became very serious about losing weight. I now use the rower 5 to 6 times a week 30 minutes minimum- with an average of 45 minutes and occasionally (usually Saturday mornings) a 60 minute workout. I do not overdue the individual workouts, and maintain about a 23 stroke per minute rhythm.
I chose this rower for several reasons. First, the great reviews on internet websites. Secondly, I was very impressed with the sales associate. He did not try to "oversell" me, instead he convinced me that for my needs the model D was more than sufficient. Third, I was fortunate enough to try one out at a friends home gym- I was impressed. Lastly- this is a high quality machine- very sturdy and well designed.
I utilize this machine, along with a low carb diet and walking 3-4 miles 2 to 3 times a week, to lose 75 pounds! I started this last September 2008- weighing in at nearly 300 pounds at 6'1". As of now, end of March 2009, I am down to 225 and feel great! That's it, no magic other than consistency! If it were not for this rower, my efforts would have been much, much less successful. (I tried walking alone on previous attempts and walking by itself as the main exercise did not cut it for me for drastic weight loss.)
This rower offers a full body workout! I ordered the machine and it arrived inside of a week. The rower literally snaps together. I did call customer service with a couple questions, and they were very helpful and walked me through the set-up. It is sturdy for big guys like me. The only maintenance I have done is an occasional wiping of light oil on the pull chain- that's it. The machine is not so noisy that I can't watch TV while working out. I strongly recommend this rower!
TWO YEAR UPDATE (2/12/11)- I still use the rower and it is still in PERFECT condition! The seat is a bit softer but no wear or tear. 4 friends have purchased this rower after trying out mine. About a year ago I reached 215 pounds using the same program described above. Then, totally unrelated to the rower, I pinched a nerve in my right shoulder from an old dislocation I had as a kid. I had to stop rowing because of the discomfort. Within 6 months I gained 10 pounds and was up to 225 again. My shoulder had healed so I tried this rower again, only this time instead of extended cardio several times a week, I incorporated the rower with Dr. Al Sears high intensity interval training, three times a week for about 12-15 minutes. All I can say is "wow", within 6 weeks I blasted 25 pounds off with no discomfort. The rower was perfect for his method! I also experimented with a powerlung, and used it for once a week, 10 minutes at low intensity. My lung power greatly improved. Although I have not religiously used the powerlung once a week, I try to use it whenever I am in the mood- about once every two weeks. The result has been great.
146 of 150 found the following review helpful:
"The Rower" Oct 17, 2008
By New England Yankee
You need go no further than a major crew regatta such as the Head of the Charles to understand why Concept2 rowers are regarded as the best available. Generally there are only a few rower manufacturers represented in vendor alley, and the one with the crowd will be Concept2. Found in crew boathouses everywhere, not only are they well-built and smooth, but can even be linked together to work in unison for training purposes. It's actually quite amazing to see in action. Concept2 also has an enormously enthusiastic user base that competes across the world. That's indoor rower competition! You'll also find Concept2 rowers in gyms everywhere - they're very tough.
Concept2 makes two models. They are actually fairly close in specs and the pricing difference is a few hundred dollars. This listing is for Concept2's D model with their PM3 electronics module. I view the principal difference between the D and E models as height (the E is a bit taller). The E also comes standard with the PM4 module, while the D is available with either the PM3 or PM4. For most people the major difference between the 2 modules is that the PM4 comes with heart rate monitoring and a chest strap. If you don't need HR monitoring or already have a standalone monitor, you'll be quite happy with the item presented here - the D model with the PM3.
59 of 60 found the following review helpful:
One of the best purchases for fitness you can make Dec 06, 2009
By A. Weist
"drsimnal"
I bought a Model D with the PM3 monitor in August, 2009. I have been overweight my entire life and in November of 2008 I finally decided to change my life. I started a new way of eating with Nutrisystem and I started exercising. I bought an elliptical and treadmill to join my stationary bike and started losing weight. As I slowly became more fit, I kept researching other things I could do to keep my interest in exercise going. I'd never seen an indoor rower, but read about them as being terrific exercise in various places. I started looking really hard at them when I realized just how great a workout they offered at a low impact. Concept 2 is considered the standard in rowing machines. I was very pleased with the price point as well. I'd already spent a lot of money on the treadmill and elliptical and didn't want to drop a lot more. One very nice thing about Concept 2 machines is that they hold their value very well. I couldn't find a used Model D in my area on Craigslist, but the Model C's and B's were still selling for great prices. That helped solidify my decision to purchase a Concept 2.
Ordering was easy. I got the PM3 monitor because I already have a polar watch/monitor and because it was slightly cheaper. I initially didn't get the polar receiver, but have since bought it as it is much easier to look at the monitor and see my HR than having to try and peer at my watch. I chose the Model D versus the Model E again because of price. The only difference between them (other than the Model E only comes with the PM4 monitor) is that the Model E sits up higher off the ground. I'm still pretty spry, so I didn't care about this. And I find that I have no problem sitting on the rower or getting off of it. It was delivered in one big box (but the whole thing is much, much lighter than most other fitness machines like my treadmill and elliptical which required common freight shipping). I opened the box, removed the 2 pieces, screwed in the 4 feet and was rowing within a half hour. Very, very easy to set up.
I really like the ability to track the distance and time that I row and trying to improve my times. The software that comes with it includes an online log book that you can upload your data to and even rank yourself compared to others in your class [male/female, age and weight (lightweight vs. heavyweight)]. The Concept 2 following is huge; there is a forum for people in the U.S. and a more active one for people in the U.K. There are several training programs developed by different people that you can follow. There is third party software that you can buy (limited versions ship with the rower for you to try) like RowPro where you can actually link online and race people from around the world! There are even indoor rowing championships/contests all over the U.S. using...what else? Concept 2 rowers, of course! Once you row 1,000,000 meters on your machine, the company will send you a t-shirt. There are also rewards for people rowing longer distances. There are contests as well. Right now, I am aiming to row >100,000 meters between Thanksgiving and Christmas. For everyone who does accomplish this, Concept 2 will donate a certain amount of money to one of 3 charities (you get to decide which one receives the donation for your part). What a great company!
I row while I watch TV; usually a sporting event (Pittsburgh Penguins hockey is my fave!) I have no trouble hearing the TV. I row a combination of intervals and longer distances. I've definitely seen improvements in my cardiovascular fitness. I still do a variety of exercise, including using my treadmill and my elliptical. Of all these activities, I think rowing wins hands down in terms of how effective a workout it is. I've enjoyed it so much that I bought a Model D for my dad to use at his house (and I can use it when I visit!). He is recovering from bypass surgery and started rowing in rehab. He really likes it too. I recommend using some sort of gloves for your hands; I've developed calluses where the bar is held, but I wear some weightlifting gloves while I row so I can keep a good hook on it (I sweat a lot). I bought the dust cover for it too as I have animals and lot's of dust in my house. If it is set up, you can put the dust cover on, but if it is taken apart the cover won't fit it. When it is taken apart, it takes up very little room. I just set it in a corner. Putting it back together is very easy, but I have learned to be careful as you can pinch your finger if you don't pay attention.
Overall, I think this is one of my best fitness purchases. It is a very solid machine and I know there are many people out there who have had their machine for many, many years. I can't see my much more complicated elliptical or treadmill lasting that long. It provides a fabulous workout and I love the ability to rank myself against other women in my age and weight class from around the world. I like seeing if I can improve my times. And I love the ability to break it apart and stick it in a corner when I have people over. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to get fit. I've lost over 100 pounds so far, feel great and look great. A priceless combination!
62 of 65 found the following review helpful:
This machine is the universal rowing standard Sep 30, 2008
By J. Flanders
The Concept2 Indoor Rowing Machine is the universal standard for quality rowing machines. If you want to perform this indoor exercise correctly, this is the machine to use. If you visit any high school, college, or club rowing program you will find Concept2 rowing machines are likely the only rowing machines they use. It is good for sweep rowers and scullers, gives you lots of workout feedback, and requires very little maintenance. My model D has over 2,000,000 meters on it and neither of us show any sign of slowing down. Older, used Model A, B, and C indoor rowers still retain their value, work well, and have faithful and dedicated users. If you're going to purchase an indoor rower, make an investment for the long-term because this machine (or the Model E) is the only one to consider.
36 of 36 found the following review helpful:
Great Product, Terrible Shipping Mar 16, 2009
By Erik Mazzone
I love my Concept 2, it is a great rower. I heartily give this product a 5 star review. I would not extend that rating to the shipping from Amazon, however.
The rower arrived on time but one piece (the plastic arm that holds the connects the monitor to the rower) was snapped in half. After reading the reviews here and seeing that at least one other person had the same experience in ordering from Amazon, I believe that somewhere in Amazon's supply chain they are handling these boxes (which are marked "fragile") improperly. The extensive styrofoam inserts in the box designed to cushion the machine were broken as well. It must have taken no small amount of force to accomplish that.
The story has a happy ending though. I was truly dreading having to send this back to Amazon, and my one limited experience with Amazon's customer support was not promising. However, I contacted Concept 2 directly, and they were an absolute pleasure to deal with. They explained to me how to remove the broken piece (which turned out to be extremely easy)and they shipped a new piece via UPS that same afternoon, no questions asked.
Concept 2 was fantastic and the machine is great, and I would strongly recommend the product to anyone thinking about purchasing a rowing machine. The only thing I would do differently is I would buy the machine directly from Concept 2 rather than Amazon.
Generally, I love Amazon, I use Amazon Prime, and I purchase everything I can through them. I have never been disappointed before by Amazon, though I have never had anything this large delivered by them, either. The damage combined with the poor experience with customer support leads me to summarize the transaction:
Buy this rower, but buy it direct from Concept 2.
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