Ed Baker - 2000m time trial on the erg (Concept2 indoor rowing machine) 

This video singlehandedly inspired me to row in college. I figured if "some random guy" could do it, I could too. That was before I knew who this absolute legend Ed Baker was and before I knew just how brutal a sub 6:30 2k could be. Convinced by mom to buy a concept 2 rowing machine in october and trained like a monster for 3 months after seeing it. Started at 7:12 2k at 162 pounds and I'm currently 155 pounds bodyweight with a PR 6:35.1. I actually got a response from the MIT coach a few weeks ago. Thanks for the inspiration man truly.

Wow, Ed! What an incredible job! You have incredible endurance and are an amazing athlete! Keep up the great work!

Unbelievable man. After I watched your video, I went to the trash can and threw up. I started rowing about 6 months ago. Still feeling my way around.

I know the exact feeling you had at 1:33 ..... Why am I doing this!? 😂

I'm watching this while eating a Big Mac

6:22 and talking straight after. You sir are a machine! Bravo. ❤

Awesome effort mate. Congrats. My whole body ached while watching you...

Nice work, Ed!! This was the best 2K clip that I've seen as it shows all the relevant stroke rate, heart rate and splits. Now if only I was 30 years younger....

I watch this every time I have an erg test next day.. ❤️👍🏼

This is some insane conditioning you got there. The entire time I was watching your heart rate, and it stayed under 180bpm for almost 7 minutes. That is extremely impressive considering the amount of intensity you are applying. That's a mighty strong cardiovascular system you got there!

Motivational for me. I just purchased a C2 Model D for home use a few days ago and I just did 8:32 today. I am no longer in the shape I used to be but 5'10" 220 lb, I'll take it. :)

At 1:52 you can visually see the fear of 2ks when he is about to start and his heart rate rises 20 bpm😂

Man, i am impressed. Totally alone, no music, and you still row that good. I am sure you can row Even faster, when i passes my last meter i am not able to walk or talk for 4 minutes at least

Awesome job! I just began rowing a few weeks ago and am learning a lot but have a ton of respect and appreciation for this effort. Ouch! I’m still rowing pretty slowly to try and perfect the form and technique so I don’t injure my back, but will begin getting better the more I row. This gives me a big goal to shoot for! Keep up the hard work!

I'm a fellow New Englander, 46 y.o., about the same weight, and just started in Jan. I suspect you started out in pretty great shape given your incredible endurance. My goal is 1 million meters this year, and I'm well over a quarter of the way there. Thanks for the inspiration.

Damn you're a killer. I pulled a 6:36 2k at 168 lbs and thought I was tough...

Incredible performance. Well done!

I really think you should aim to have your drag factor lower and try to rate a bit higher. At around 160lbs I pulled a 6:27 so this is still better than my PR, but I have seen a lot of elite level rowers and nobody has their drag factor this high. Even the heaviest and strongest elite rowers row at 130-135. Lightweights tend to row at 120-125, and rate around 35-38 and even 40 in the last 400m. I think that if you try pulling a bit "lighter" but 2-3 rates higher, lactic acid would kick in a bit later and maybe you could squeeze in a stronger last quarter and shave off a few seconds.

This is amazing,To think i "WAS" pleased with my 8 minute 2k. Must try harder.

Very impressive. Faster than I could ever hope to go.

This is something to behold. EPIC performance, Ed!

Fantastic work. I'll be pleased if I ever reach this level. LOL at the end "I don't know if I can go any faster than that". That's when you know you've been erging : )

You are as good as the HWT female winner at world indoor rowing championships. Not bad. Congrats! Considering your age, you have the olympic form! I was all in pain watching what you do. I just spit my lungs out after 5000 m in less than 20 minutes... My PR at 2000 m is some 7:22 - a minute worse. I do not know if I will ever be able to finish 2000 m in less than 7 minutes... I am 46 years old and row for some 2,5 months already. Previously I trained on a stationary bike, but I see, that rower pulls the form of an athlete on totally another level... Rower is truly a wonder machine. And the one least used on gyms. Not without the cause. It is highly demanding - technically and physically. But rewards very much.

Best time ever rowing for Cal Varsity for me was 6:19 weighing 182. Your time is killer. That was one of the first ERG tests after I swam all summer with pulling paddles in addition to training. Made a huge difference on my finish and wind. Dropped about 5-7 seconds of my former PR.

I did the same thing couple days ago and man that pace for 6:22 makes you feel like you just ran 6 miles from my experience.

Most impresssive Concept 2 rowing video on RU-vid. You have everything.

Congratulations, Ed. This row is inspiring and world class. Take the well-meaning advice as such. But stick with your coach. Xeno is fantastic. He is about as good and qualified as one can be. I trained with Xeno from 2005 until 2009 (I had to stop rowing then, when I became permanently disabled. Ten years ago, I was deadlifting while training for crash-bs. A woman left an exercise class carrying a "Body Bar." She wasn't paying attention and clipped the back of my right knee. As I fell, my back twisted. When I stood, I was bent at a 90-degree angle and had lost most use of my left leg. I have had 19 operations to fix the problems, but no (well, not much) luck. Also, your drag factor seems fine. US Rowing doesn't prescribe drag factors, but Team GB does. British Rowing requires national team Heavyweight rowers to use at least 138, and Lightweights to use at least 135. If you and Xeno conclude that 138 works for you, great. Plus, there's really not much difference between 135 and 138. See, Cam Buchan's November 2018 GB Trials vlog: (Episode 86, Season 2) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cq1eGij1QyY.html Again, well done, Ed. Thank you for sharing your moving, motivating, and awesome row. All the best, Jamie

Wow! High drag factor. But, nice job! I love, "That was hard." Yes indeed.

Sick time man. I just got my C2 and ran a 10:?? 2k and was trying to get an idea where I stood. Turns out I got a long way to go. You'll crush 6:20 bro.

Love the concept 2 for cardio...absolute smoker!

the drag factor is also super high, this guy is a monster.

You can get 3 seconds right now if you find a way to tighten the footstraps so they don't come loose in the first 300m (I forget what's allowed at Crash B's, but I used to loop the end that you pull on back through the clip if that makes any sense) and if you pick the rate up by lowering the drag a smidge while focusing on getting quicker around the front end.

If you put the drag lower and get the catch at the beggining of thr stroke, you'll be Faster and get better results, but you are in a good way. Very Nice test 💪🥇

Fantastic effort!!

Thanks for putting this up. For beginners--like myself, it's hugely helpful to be able to see someone performing at this level. It makes me understand the leg drive better etc. Great effort. Good luck going forward. Jocko

Kudos! The technique is nice, race pace is spot on and your strength endurance is really good. Play with the drag factor and aim for sub 6:18! Your years of training for running sure helped! As others have said, increase the control at the finish (row without the straps on for a couple of km every workout with a low df and "feel" the recovery) and keep your head steady and straight throughout the stroke. The engine is there, some technique tuning will get you sub 6:20 in very short order.

not bad for a skinny lad. drop the heel restraints down a little bit, and play with Drag factor to see if you can't go faster. You don't need Oly lifting shoes, just use Vans or Court shoes (badminton/squash). Oh an the guy below is right about the foot straps. Work on keeping your posture good in the final 500m, don't drop you head. But basically bloody fast. You can and will go faster if you keep training.

Incredible Ed!

damn for your age, weight, and time spent rowing that is very impressive. Keep at it

@Ed Baker You should try rowing with weightlifting shoes instead of the ones you're currently wearing. You have quite a lot of power in those legs, which are getting absorbed by your running shoes. Another detail I noticed was that you could try fixing the footplate so that the straps go over your toes rather than the laces. Also get out there and row on water. It's much more satisfying than looking at numbers on the screen. Keep up the good work!!

*Really easy to assemble, great smooth range of motion **bestgym.equipment** and zero noise! I totally love it. It is only an eight level so it’s pretty easy to use but a great machine. I love how easy it was to assemble. Great machine.*

Super impressed with this 👏 ❤

If he got under 6:15 technically he could qualify for the us men's rowing team.

Well done! Solid effort!

This is impressive.

Really aut standing and very recognizable towards the end. Head down and get it over with.. 😀

Great effort. Well done.

Wow, hoping i get to your level one day. I just got my PR at 1000m at 3:42 so I have a very long road ahead of me haha.

what a likeable bloke - I bet everybody was rooting for you! Well done. I am new to rowing - only rowed on the water 5 times. I am looking for a C2 now, not yet having tried this. However, it strikes me that your arms are bent fairly early in the drive phase, perhaps neutralizing some of the power of your large back and leg muscles? This could be where you find that missing 3 secs... Good luck.

My greetings ! This is a very worthy result. The lightweight is 38 years old and 6:22 is very cool. Of course, the work is not visible here from scratch. Training in running gave a good base. But this is the level of a master of sports.

Nice done! Great time and pace.

2k strikes fear into any rower at training, but wait until your coach tells you you’re doing a 5k

Amazing, man. Congrats!

Well rowed college! Good sprint for the finish.

Good job, Your just a kid. I am 57 and have a C2. Use it all the time. Love it. It is fun! I can do 230M in 1 minute. Only have had it a few months.

I’m 6’3 238 and I tried this today for the first time . Max resistant 2k in 8:31. I guess that’s okay for the first time .

crazy how fast your heart rate starts to recover after you finish. nice work.

I’m a gym rat and I have the money to buy some good equipment. I am so pleased with my purchase and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Super excited.

Bravo, Ed. Amazing. You use you legs well to lengthen the stroke.

Wow - tremendous performance. There is definitely 10sec in there to have. You forward reach is a little stretched - bring it back a tad. Stronger finish will get you the seconds.

Very impressive, world class for a amateur. What does your weekly training look like?

awesome job!

Well done. Really superb for a non rower, and a lwt at that. As others say, knock that drag factor down to 130 for all future work. Must feel like you're rowing through treacle.

Incredible

Dude is a beast!

Awesome row, well done !

Very good performance!!! Congratulations, no more to say. And I know what I mean, I went to European and world championships of rowing, stroke in a coxless four.

Dude those splits are really good

Drag is probs a bit heavy. Most rowers row with 110-120

Great stuff and not just for a lightweight (

Nice fast heartrate 183! :)

Great video!

Fantastic effort. Just noticed though you don't tighten your straps. I have mine as tight as possible. Also talking about drag I've only ever used damper on 10. But I'm 16st. Just cancelled my gym because they never clean or service the wheel and the results in the damper feeling to light. Thanks

If you sit up and shorten the stroke at the front end, you’ll take 5 seconds off easy. Think about Eric Murray when he rows/ergs. Posture up tall and shortens the catch on the front end without over extending. It seems counterintuitive, but for a shorter piece like a 2k, you will be able to keep the stroke rate up higher with less effort.

Well done

Hi Ed, if you want to go two seconds faster, get a second set of footstraps (or make your own velcro straps) and double wrap your feet. (there is just enough room on the concept 2 footrests). You will easily make up those 2 seconds. Concept 2 straps work loose way too easily with one set.

Well done.

Runners lungs! Great work!

That was impressive

very good for recent rower!!

absolutely brilliant time bud, but I am a very experienced rower speaking here, and I know you could certainly get your split down to 1:32 or 1:33 if your drag factor was lower and you picked up the rate. You should be over 35 spm and drag factor 130. Not to tale from your glory though, just that it would be easier to maintain a lower split when the chain is lighter.

Bro you really shocked me because you rowed WAYYYY better than someone with your type of body could row

When in the military years ago we had a unit rowing competition that everyone had to attend. I managed to win the heavyweight category with a 6:18 and I'd never used a rowing machine in my life. I was about 110kg and 6'3" tall at the time so I guess I just brute forced it through. After the comp I got an invite to the local rowing club, never took them up on the offer sadly. After all these years I never knew if 6:18 was a decent time or not???

Nice man, thats fast bro.

If you’ve tried a few 2ks with lower drag settings, we’d love to hear how it felt and impacted your time.

really impressive

Amazing performance! I can’t get near those times - current PB is 6:55.

XENO MÜLLER! You got my like here my friend! Good luck!

You're good mate

Solid time dude

I would like to criticize the form (arched back, loosed foot straps…) but I can barely row below 2:00/500m so I can't judge.

Crazy how you spent majority of that row pretty much at your max heart rate. If you change your drag and were a little stronger on your pull you would easily be there. Work on posture, strength of pull, and drag would be my best advice but regardless strong effort and great pr.

Good job

Beast!!!!!

I know this is old, but his form, drag factor,and shoe choice are holding him back a bit. Just improving that could really make him faster. Shoes are absorbing too much of the force and are decreasing power. A flat shoe like converse or even bare feet would definitely increase power, if only by a bit, and help his form. He’s overextending at the catch and his feet are applying power from the toes first instead of the mid foot(foot should be flat through drive). Finally, drag factor of 146 is too high. Something like 120-130 would help him rate higher while maintaining his power. Overall, very impressive. The form is100% understandable as having good for, on a 2k is very hard. If he’s still rowing, he could definitely get a lot faster still.

Respect man!!! Great work! I am far away from this. I am a runner but love rowing as a second training. I am glad when I can make 1000m in 3:10min. I have a lot to learn but you are an idol to me! Yeah Ricky that´s the feeling we all have slow or fast - why I am doing this :)

Not sure your shoes are the best for rowing. Small (4mm) to no drop shoes are the best to row.And I guess if you improve the power on your upper body your time will go from awesome to stellar :)

The thing is if you purchase an average rowing machine you'll never get up to these times no matter what you do! It appears that good times only really occur on the Concept 2 rowers! I'd like to see for example, someone on a family rowing machine getting great times.

Legit, Ed!!!

Cambridge mass is one of the goats