RowingCoach 4+

SPM seems off.

Sadly, my new FDF fluidrower doesn’t connect to anything, so this app was my answer to log workouts into Strava. The ability to manually edit distance for an indoor row is fantastic (still wont import the distance into Strava though. It just shows up as an “activity” with time and heart rate.”

I’ve noticed, however, that the SPM has been way off as of late. I’m moving deliberately and my Apple Watch is recording the row, but end of workout it said in 8,000 meters I took 579 strokes at 19spm... when in fact I was averaging 28spm (manually counted for two minutes even)... which is more like 840 strokes. 19 SPM would be PAINFULLY slow...

Is there a way to recalibrate the app on my watch? I’m not moving subtlety and the back & forth of indoor strokes should be an easy thing to keep accurate with the accelerometer.

Only game in town

RowingCoach fills a real need for those of us wanting to log indoor rowing sessions via Apple HealthKit, especially when using an older machine lacking network or even Bluetooth connectivity. The key is taking full advantage of the Apple Watch, in detecting strokes and monitoring HR, and then integrating that with a mirrored display on the iPhone, to better monitor session parameters in real time and enable pausing as needed. Mark0Mark is correct that full, long strokes will optimize the accurate counting of strokes and hence stroke rate, although this may mean that variations in stroke rate, implemented by shorter strokes, may be harder to track accurately. Data output to HealthKit includes HR, active calories, and time duration, allowing compilation with other activities such as cycling, running, walking, etc. Session history includes rowing-specific parameters such as stroke count, pace and estimate of distance traveled. Let me add too that the developer is amazingly responsive to questions and suggestions, a real plus.

Doesn’t save distance

I was under the impression that this app would save the estimated indoor rowing distance to my Activity app, but it didn’t. At the end of my test workout, the RowingCoach app on my Apple Watch showed 1.6 miles. Great! I thought. I saved the workout but, alas, only time and calories were saved ... distance wasn’t. I always try to achieve the monthly goals that my watch sets for me, and often these goals are based on achieving a certain number of miles. That’s why I wanted my estimated mileage recorded. I’ll have to go back to using the meter on my Waterrower, not wearing the watch while I’m rowing, and then manually recording time, calories and distance thru the Apple Health app. Alas this won’t be an accurate calorie count!

Developer Response ,

Hi, thank you for your review! I will include the distance estimate of indoor workouts when exporting to the Activity app in the next version.
If you have any further feature requests, please let me know at mail@rowing-coach.eu