( 3 reviews )
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Posted: May 3 2009
Very satisfied with the Lifecore R100 after using it for two weeks. Extremely quiet and very easy to assemble. Works perfectly with my Polar heart rate monitor (and matches the heart rate shown on my Polar watch). I honestly cannot think of anything negative to say about this at all!
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Posted: Oct 12 2008
I love this machine. I usually hate doing cariovascular workouts and I hate running and Ive found it to be a beautiful piece of equipment.It is relatively quiet and much quieter than the schwinn airdyne I used to use. It is very sturdily built, has a great seat and I absolutely love the foot spacing on it. I am a big guy (250lbs) and I find it very comfortable. For a guy who hates workouts I unexepctedly find myself jumping on it several times a day for 5-10 minute workouts. It is very user friendly and very easy to work with.It has had a slimming effect on my body and it would be great for a bodybuilder or weightlifter trying to cut up or improve cardio without resorting to higher impact exercises.You can explosively row this machine and do interval routines with ease. Its effect on my back, shoulders and waist has been great and noticeable. I have not used other rowers like the concept 2 so I cannot really compare. I have used an older model A concept 2 and didnt like it that much. However, it is not a fair comparison as Concept 2 has many more modern models on the market such as the model D and E. I have not done any amateur or professional rowing so I cannot say whether any rowing enthusiasts would find this machine useful to training for their sports. For any other fitness enthusiast, fighter, endurance/strength athlete, or couch potato I cannot recommend this machine highly enough.
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( 1 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: May 28 2008
I tried the R100 vs. the Concept 2 in a store. The R100 is much louder than the Concept 2. It has more fan noise. The Concept 2 has a reputation of being very noisy. But they've quieted it down a lot. If you've tried a Concept 2 in a gym and thought it was a noisy beast, you probably tried an older one, or they weren't oiling the chain. I've worked out a lot on different rowing machines. If you want an intense aerobic workout, to breathe hard like you were running up a hill - go for a Concept 2 or maybe a water rowing machine. Air/water resistance is much better for intense workouts, because it firms up under a kick much more than magnetic resistance. So you can kick hard on it and put out a lot of power. Putting out a lot of power = raising your heart rate = burning calories fast. If you want less intense workouts, like for weight loss, or you need a machine that's very gentle on your joints, a magnetic rower might be fine. The R100 is an air/magnetic hybrid. I got the R100's little sister, the R900. After months of intense workouts I could no longer get my heart rate over 145 on the R900. I easily get my heart rate to 165/170 on the Concept 2. The R100 has the same resistance as the R900, except with a little air resistance added in. The little bit of air resistance would help to get an intense workout. But you might still end up having the same problem I did. If you're athletic, go for what you know will be a good workout - the Concept 2. Or maybe water rowing machines. I also wondered, dealing with Lifecore Fitness, about the quality of the company. They had false advertising about the R900 on their website for a long time. I got my R900 broken and the replacement I got was slightly damaged, and a part broke after a few months of using it. The R100 is probably no better built and no better shipped.
