by Cynthia Wall

Created on: February 20, 2009   Last Updated: March 02, 2009

You're 30 minutes into your workout on the ergometer and your knees are killing you. Since you've been using it every day this week, all the muscle groups that felt like they were getting ripped yesterday are positively searing with pain today. Your sweat is puddling on the plastic seat that is hurting your butt. You've got blisters on your hands and your heels feel like a pit bull is chewing on them. Having fun yet?

The ergometer is a specialized rowing machine, made up of foot straps, a sliding chair, an oar-like apparatus, and a digital readout. Rowers can set the pace at increasing difficulties which stress the body to the point of pain. Ask anyone who has used this device and you'll find those who love it and those who hate it.

THE POSITIVES:

The Ergometer gives a total body workout with special emphasis on strengthening the back. It is a good simulation of real rowing (other than no scenery) and burns calories at the same or greater rate as an elliptical machine. It has settings from 1-10. Each notch upward makes it more difficult to row, comparable to the difference between relaxing on the river to an all out sprint.

The touch-pad located on the top of the flywheel allows you to set your time or preset your distance. You can calculate watts of energy generated (now to hook it up to the lights!), calories expended, meters rowed, and strokes per minute. One of the more popular brands, The Concept Rower, is praised for its comfortable, oversized seat, the heel-padded foot rests and the rubber-tipped rowing bar.

There are portable models as well so you can take your torture machine on trips with you, all the while reciting "no pain, no gain." The truth is that no matter how much people say they hate the erg, it does maintain and even increase muscle strength in the off season.

The ergometer even allows for winter competitions. The CRASH-B-Sprints in Boston is a 2000 meter race held on ergometers colleges send their fastest rowers to this elite competition. While states below the northern snow line may be able to practice on rivers and lakes, the ergometer levels the Mother Nature playing field.

THE NEGATIVES:

Some people regard the ergometer as an unforgiving beast. Once you've set the distance and put the flywheel in motion, there is no coxswain to slow the pace when he senses his crew getting tired. The sweat generated by the fierce pace necessitates the use of a fan just to be even halfway comfortable. With no outside air to cool you, the plastic seat becomes

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