FAQS

Useful Info

HOW DO ZOOM ERGOS WORK?

We publish workouts on the ergo, and you can sign up to join any of them either in their entirety or just to be involved in part of the session. We send you a Zoom link, which you then click into at the appropriate time.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

It costs nothing to join a session. All the sessions are provided free of charge. Just do your ergo alongside others who are doing the same work-out, hosted by someone who is volunteering for the whole session.

DO I HAVE TO DO THE WHOLE WORK-OUT?

No - you just join for whatever part you want. Some of our sessions are an hour or more of steady state, and you can join them at any time, for as long as you want. You aren't obliged to do anything competitive: you can just train alongside people who are training too.

CAN I USE ANY TYPE OF ROWING MACHINE?

Yes! Most of the imagery on here is Concept2, but that's just because it was the easiest imagery to source. Any rowing machine will work. No-one is looking at your split or testing how hard you are working: it's all about just moving in synch with the rhythm of other people who are working out like you are. It's not a competition: it's a way to make training more interesting, like when you get on an ergo alongside someone else in a gym.

CAN I HOST A SESSION?

If you know you are going to be on your ergo at a set time, and would like to suggest a workout or even host a session, please get in touch. We would be more than happy to add your workout to the schedule for others to join you.

SHOULD I HAVE MY MICROPHONE ON?

Keep your microphone off during the session, because otherwise anyone who has their Zoom set to 'speaker view' may get you instead of person leading the session, and not realise it til they are up and running. They won't want to get off to change it! But if you have questions to ask before or after the session, just ask away with your mic on. Alternatively, type your question in the chat.

SHOULD I HAVE MY VIDEO ON?

It's up to you whether you turn your video on or off. Because of latency issues, you sadly can't see everyone moving perfectly in synch, so on the whole people will not look at mosaic view on Zoom, and people probably won't see you anyway.

WHAT IS THE BEST ZOOM VIEW TO PUT ON?

Latency issues mean that you won't see everyone moving in perfect synch on a mosaic view, so you might find it best either to pin the person leading the session, or to select speaker view. Hopefully, everyone else will have their mic off, and so the noise will only come from the person leading, and you will get him or her to follow.

SHOULD I TURN MY SOUND UP OR DOWN?

Different leaders will take different approaches to the sessions, and you will get used to who talks and who doesn't. But when you have someone who does talk, you will want to hear them. Our advice is to wear earphones, or to turn your sound up to maximum: the leader will be talking over the sound of their own ergo and yours, and not all of the leaders have microphones. If you want to hear their words of advice or change calls, you will need your sound right up. If you normally erg with headphones on and wish to continue to do so, you might want to leave one ear open and just listen to your music in one ear. Of course, you are not obliged to listen to the calls, and can just follow what you are watching - or just use it for background company, if that's what you want to do.

WHERE SHOULD I PUT MY OWN CAMERA?

Well what's your best angle?! ;)

Seriously... some people have a cradle that they put on top of a PM5 (if they are using a Concept2), but that can be a bit scary as they head forward, unless you want to offer everyone a cox's view. The most successful angle is probably at about 10.30 or 1.30 from sitting back on the machine. Really, though, it doesn't matter. No-one's here to analyse your technique! Do whatever you are comfortable with.