Yes I know! As soon as you read the title you immediately thought:
"So I put it to the maximum"
If you have, know that maybe it's not the best thing for your training. Let's take a step back and try to understand what the damper.
Index
WHAT IS THE DAMPER
The damper is the lever to the side to the fan cage, on which we find numbers from 1 to 10, which regulates the amount of air that enters you at each stroke.
The damper influences the feeling of rowing, but does not directly affect the resistance.
With a low damper setting, the remoergometer looks like a light boat; with higher numbers it looks like a cruise ship.
Regardless of the setting, you will need to increase the effort to increase the intensity.
HOW TO SET THE DAMPER
To make it very simple, putting the damper on the 10 lets in a lot of air into the fan and consequently the greater the work necessary to make it rotate and vice versa by putting the damper on 1 it will let less air enter the fan cage facilitating its rotation.
Making a comparison, rowing with the damper to the maximum is like riding a bicycle and pedaling in the hardest gear and vice versa. I challenge anyone to face a climb with "hard" marches. Most likely after 1km you would come down and continue on foot.
The same thing applies to rowing, during training it is necessary to set the damper according to the distance and the strokes per minute we have set.
SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES ...
If I'm using a rowing machine for a background work, the damper sets it between the 5 and 7, because I will be shooting with low blows trying to check the technique, and at every stroke I will seek air resistance.
If, on the other hand, I use the rower inside a WOD, I will set the damper between 3 and 5, because I will row at higher strokes, between the 28 and the 32 shots per minute, thus trying as little as possible the arms that will already be asking for mercy after the first push-ups or ring muscle ups.
These damper values apply to men for women. Instead for those who are beginners, I recommend working with dampers between 1-3 during WOD; and between 2 and 4 during training dedicated to the rowing machine.
THE FAMIGERATO DRAG FACTOR
If you have reached this point it is time to talk about the drag factor, but don't worry it's not a dirty word!
The drag factor measures the fan deceleration between one shot and another depending on the amount of air that slows it down and therefore according to the damper you have set.
Setting the drag factor before starting the workout will allow you to always paddle the same air resistance.
This is because setting the damper to 3 on one rower can feel like a 6 on the other, this difference particularly from the amount of dust that collects in the fan housing.
When you use different machines, maybe you should adjust the damper lever to get the drag factor and the feeling you prefer; simply by clicking on the initial menu:
- Other options (More Options)
- Display drag factor (Display Drag Factor)
- Start rowing until you find the resistance that you feel most, raising or lowering the side lever of the fan ... which you now perfectly know what it's called!
Personally, I train by setting the drag factor among the maximum 120 140, a middle ground that is good for every workout, for women I recommend swinging between 100 and 130.
Now you have some basic knowledge to tell your neighbor about: "Come on, lower that lever!", but if it is a damsel you have a great topic of conversation!
Let's try?