During the lockdown I started getting back into the old fitness and I found this 30 day rowing challenge really good. Some lad from Galway who is a freak of nature ( Climbed Everest, rowed from Ireland to America in a kayak), that sort of mad shit , came up with it. @niallon11 probably knows him. Some of the days nearly killed me off. I did it for 30 days and I was glad to see the back of it. Then I knew I was tricking myself because I didn't take the proper rest breaks because I didn't know how to program the machine. One little youtube video later around the Concept 2 rowing machine and I knew how to program the intervals and breaks. I took note of all my times so as you need them in future challenges but fuck me. It really tested my mind and body. I would be fit enough but this took me to another level. It doesn't matter what level you are at but after 30 days you can really feel your muscles beginning to tone. Rowing is one of the hardest machines out there so I never really took to it so I decided I had to go for it as it is seen as more beneficial than a treadmill.
So let's take a look. The challenge is to row 2000 metres every day for 30 days. It doesn't matter if it takes you 7 minutes which would be elite or 30 minutes (on 80 fags a day), Your next day is based on the time you did on the previous day so it doesn't matter how fit you are. So the trick is not to go mad on Day 1 which will give you a chance on day 2-30. But no matter how easy you go, you still have to beat the previous day and this balances out after around 9 days when you have to do 100m x 20. Holy maloly. I found some of the days that I thought would be easy very hard. Day 9 was very hard with only 40 second breaks between 100 metres. After 1000 metres the sweat is pouring off you. Day 17 is another hard one. 150/150/1700. I could bearly walk after it. The 45 seconds on and 15 seconds break was a vomit inducer also. But as the days go by and the legs and arms begin to tighten things start getting easier. I finished the challenge on day 31 in under 9 minutes. I would like to break 8 minutes but that's a long way away. My technique is still a bit off. But take a screenshot and have a go. I never got on a rowing machine in my life until 3 months ago. Now it's part of my daily routine. You can find this guys instagram posts where he goes into more details on how to control your thought process when you are in bits called the controllable. He is now doing a new rowing challenge that I am currently doing. I will let you know how that goes.