Concept 2 Rower Model D Reviews

So there you are, you’ve just finished an intense weight lifting session. And when I say intense I mean you went beast mode in the gym. But as you were heading toward the locker room for a shower it suddenly dawned on you… CARDIO! You completely forgot to do your daily cardio routine, so reluctantly you head upstairs to the dreaded “machine area”.

But this poses a little bit of a problem, what machine to hop on for 20 minutes of self inflicted hardship (Okay, that was a little dramatic but surely you guys understand the struggle). Anyway, your usual go to cardio machines are the treadmill, elliptical cross trainer and the good old trusty stationary bicycle.

But as it goes in most health clubs/gyms all your go to cardio machines were occupied. And then out of the corner of your eye you see some signage that reads: Concept2

So you decide why not give the rower a go for a change. Now whether or not this story sounds familiar or even at all relatable, this notion is far from uncommon. In fact, as a seasoned Athletic Trainer and rehabilitation specialist, I spent more hours in gym and training facilities than most people spend in their homes.

Summary

When it comes to cardio equipment the rowing machine remains a cut above the rest. Yes, it remains one of the most under utilized pieces of equipment in most gyms. But my clear bias toward the Concept2 rower stems from years of personal user satisfaction.

It’s ideal for home and gym based use, easy to set up and maintain. Honestly, the Concept 2 Model D Rowing Machine is in my professional opinion, one of the most versatile, effective and valuable pieces of cardio equipment on the market today.

I can testify to the fact that the rowing machine is one of the most under utilized pieces of equipment. I mean think about it? In your local gym, how many stationary cycles and treadmills are there in comparison with Concept2 rowing machines ? And don’t get me started on home gym set ups, there is little to no chance that most people will have a rower as opposed to the trusty treadmill or classic elliptical cross trainer.

Pros & Cons of the Concept2 Model D Rower

However, this doesn’t make sense? The Concept2 rower is one of the most effective cardio machines on the planet. It is after all, the world’s best selling rowing machine. Which begs the question, why is it so widely unpopular?

Let’s break it down and try to understand the rower a bit better. The test subject I chose for my study (It’s actually just a personal experience review, but study sounds way cooler) is the Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine. The reason we chose this specific model is because despite the fact that Concept2 has a few models on the market, the Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine is undoubtedly the most common.

Alrighty, let’s start off with a few of the things we don’t like about the Concept2 Model Rowing Machine:

Size, look despite it not being significantly heavy or particularly high in stature, 9 feet in length is still 9 feet feet. Which is a lot of space you would have to sacrifice for one of these machines. And even if you were to store it vertically in your garage or something you run the risk of it falling and getting damaged. Not to mention the annoying fact that you would need to pick it up and lower it each time you would want to get a session in. Talk about effort!
Stability, now I know this one might seem a little far fetched but hear me out. Yes, the Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine has an awesome ergonomic and user friendly design. Unfortunately, it's not all that great, you see the flooring you place the rower on will place a vital role in its stability during use. That is because once you start rowing at a high RPM the machine has a tendency to slip forward or backward depending on where your dominant power output is coming from (Upper or lower body). So in short, tiles or vinyl flooring are bad. Rubber flooring or concrete plastered flooring is good.

And that’s about it. No seriously, in terms of genuine cons there aren’t many more issues I can find wrong with the Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine. Why, you ask?

Well lets list a few of the pros of this specific model:

Ergonomic design that is easy to use.
Self propelled, so it saves you money by not making use of electricity
Lightweight, at just 26kg it is significantly lighter than your standard treadmill or elliptical
Durability, seriously just make sure you oil the chain often, and these things will last a lifetime. (We have a Concept2 machine in our clinic that is over 13 years old!)
Software, the Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine comes equipped with pretty cool software. In addition to being able to connect to a Concept2 cloud based community that allows you to take part in online challenges and indoor competitions. The software also has unique features like customisable programs and game challenges for the young ones.
Comfortability, this is particularly attractive for those users looking to log times over 30 minutes. Most cardio machines become particularly uncomfortable after the 20-25 minute mark. That’s not the case with the Concept2 to be honest, so much so that some athletes even clock distances of over 50,000 meters in one session.
Value for money, honestly in the greater scheme of things the Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine provides amazing value for money when compared with any of its competitors. Seriously, it's like a fine wine and 60s muscle car, it gets better with age and retains its value for a long time.