Every week at the gym for the past year or so I have been using the Concept2 rower. This machine has been an excellent product that keeps me in shape, is simple to use, more comfortable than its competition, and very durable. It presents an enjoyable and challenging cardio experience, it's very well engineered, it hasn't broken in all the time I've used it, and it has been very intuitive to use. I would recommend this unit to anyone interested in building core strength and maintaining cardiovascular health.
Like many other pieces of equipment in the gym, the Concept2 has a feedback monitor. This is called the PM2. The PM2 tracks your rowing cadence, your speed, calories, and your wattage output. The greatest thing about the feedback monitor is that like other pieces of equipment, you can track both your speed and your improvement over time. You can see how many calories you're burning, you can see how fast your going, and you can see your numbers increase as you get in better shape. But what sets this PM2 apart from the competition is that you can compete with your numbers against concept2 users all over the world. Concept2.com's website allows for you to track your performance on multiple levels, and you can see how you measure up against people who are your same age or sex. You can compete with people all over the world on a standard platform, which is amazing.
The Concept2 is also fan-and-chain driven, unlike the water wheels that are made by other manufacturers. You can choose your resistance on the fan, and then as you pull with the same pace your wattage output will go up. What's great about a fan as opposed to a water wheel is that you only need to oil the fan and chain. And you're not going to get weird "floaties" in the water that you often see in water-wheel driven rowing units. The fan also creates a nice breeze for those working out on the units in front of you, although this is an unintended consequence of its use.
The most important thing about the Concept2 rower is the fact that it strengthens two main things in the human body: the cardiovascular system and the "core" muscle groups. As we get older, our core muscles get weaker. It's necessary to work them and keep them in shape. The advantage to the Concept2 machine over the others is that it gives you a cardio workout at the same time that it strengthens your core muscles, the groups of muscles around the stomach and the waist. Sure you can go do reverse situps, forward situps, and then go get on a elliptical machine for your cardio, but you're going to get a much fuller workout by using the Concept2 for half an hour than fumbling around the gym for an hour.
In short the Concept2 is a great workout machine that's reliable, fun to use, and practical. It keeps your core strong, and builds cardio strength. It allows you to compete with others, and gives you feedback on your performance. It combines different exercises, and is an effective use of the limited time we all have for the gym. I recommend it to anyone looking at getting home fitness equipment. At around a grand for a unit, you'll be spending a lot less on the Concept2 than you will for a gym membership.