You can change the resistance on a Concept2 indoor rowing machine with the damper on the side of the flywheel - the company says it replicates the drag on different boat hulls - but for most of us in the gym it is more like the gears on a bike. Because there are no hills to climb this gearing comes down to a personal preference for whether you want to pull harder, or at a higher stroke rate - say strength balanced against quickness and stamina. Irrespective of how new or well maintained a rowing machine is the times for set distances, or vice versa, should be the same on different machines, due to the way the resistance/drag factor is measured and converted by the electronic performance monitor. However, if you want to follow a training programme or race against others and you use different machines, or the machine you use regularly is not well maintained then the drag factor for a relative damper setting will change. Say you use a different machines at your gym - a brand new one could have a drag factor of 220 at a damper setting of 10 whereas an old machine with a clogged fan cage could be 100 - you will be able to feel the difference and it will affect the way you row and your times. This video shows how to check the drag factor and vary it to your preference. Backing track 'Meat Grinder' (which I thought was appropriate) credit for copyright puposes to www.purple-planet.com

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