Drag factor is a number that measures how much air resistance the flywheel on a rowing machine encounters during each stroke. It typically ranges from about 80 to 220 on a Concept2 ergometer, and most rowers perform best somewhere between 110 and 140. Unlike the damper lever (the physical slider on the side of the machine), drag factor accounts for real-world variables like dust buildup, altitude, and temperature, making it the only reliable way to get a consistent feel from one machine to the next or one workout to the next.
Drag Factor vs. Damper Setting
The damper lever on a Concept2 is numbered 1 through 10. Many beginners assume cranking it to 10 means a harder, better workout. But the damper is just a vent that controls how much air flows into the flywheel housing. More air means more resistance on each stroke, less air means less. The problem is that the same damper position can produce different drag factors on different machines. A dusty flywheel cage lets less air through, so a machine set to damper 4 in a busy gym might produce the same drag factor as damper 3 on a freshly cleaned one. Altitude and room temperature also shift the relationship.
Drag factor solves this by measuring the actual rate at which the flywheel decelerates during the recovery phase of every stroke. The monitor recalculates this number continuously, so you always know exactly how much resistance you’re working against regardless of the machine’s condition or location. Think of the damper as the knob and the drag factor as the actual measurement of what that knob is doing.
How to Check It on the Monitor
On a Concept2 PM5 monitor, go to the Main Menu, select “More Options,” then select “Display Drag Factor.” Start rowing, and after a few strokes the screen will show your current drag factor. You can then adjust the damper lever up or down until you hit the number you want. It takes only a few seconds for the reading to update after each adjustment.
What Drag Factor Should You Use
The general guideline for aerobic training is a drag factor between 115 and 140. Within that range, recommendations break down by body weight and sex:
- Heavyweight men (over 75 kg): 125–140
- Lightweight men (under 75 kg): 120–135
- Heavyweight women (over 61.5 kg): 120–130
- Lightweight women (under 61.5 kg): 115–125
These ranges exist because drag factor settings in this zone most closely replicate the resistance you feel pulling an oar through water in a racing shell. That’s why on-water rowers gravitate toward them: the training transfers more directly to the boat.
What Elite Rowers Actually Use
Olympic-level athletes overwhelmingly stay within the same modest range, which surprises people who assume bigger and stronger means a higher setting. Eric Murray, New Zealand’s two-time Olympic champion in the men’s pair, rowed every piece at a drag factor of 130, including all his world records. That number was the standard across the entire New Zealand program, from junior trials through the Olympics.
Caryn Davies, a two-time Olympic champion in the U.S. women’s eight, rows at about 125 and calls the 120–135 range “normal” for rowing. Gevvie Stone, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the women’s single, goes even lower, targeting 112 for most workouts and only bumping up to 115 for low-rate pieces at 24 strokes per minute or below. Linda Muri, a longtime U.S. national team coach, personally rows at 115 and recommends 120–125 for her athletes depending on their strength and boat class.
World Rowing’s official test protocol specifies drag factors for its development program: 135 for open senior men, 125 for lightweight men and junior men, 120 for open senior women, and 110 for lightweight women and junior women. These are the numbers federations use when comparing athletes across countries, so they function as the closest thing rowing has to a universal standard.
Why Higher Isn’t Better
Setting the drag factor too high, say above 150, changes the character of the rowing stroke in ways that usually hurt performance. A heavier flywheel forces you to apply more force at the catch (the start of the stroke) just to get it spinning, which tends to slow your stroke rate. Lower stroke rates mean fewer power applications per minute, which generally produces slower split times than a quicker, more fluid stroke at a moderate drag.
High drag also shifts the workload toward raw strength and away from cardiovascular fitness. The stroke starts to feel more like a deadlift than rowing. For people training to improve their 2k time or build aerobic endurance, this is counterproductive. It also puts more stress on the lower back and knees because of the higher peak forces required at the catch. Rowers who spend most of their training at high drag settings often develop technique habits that don’t transfer well to the water, where the catch is quick and light.
Very low drag factors (below 100) present the opposite problem. The flywheel spins too freely, and you lose the sensation of “connecting” with resistance. It can feel like pulling through air with nothing to push against, which makes it difficult to train power application or maintain a consistent rhythm.
How Drag Factor Affects Your Splits
Your pace on the monitor (the split time per 500 meters) is calculated from how much work you put into the flywheel, adjusted for the drag factor. This means the machine already accounts for your drag setting when displaying your time. A 2:00 split at drag 120 represents the same amount of power output as a 2:00 split at drag 140. You don’t get “free speed” by lowering the drag or prove anything by raising it. What changes is how that power gets distributed across the stroke: higher drag rewards raw force per stroke, lower drag rewards speed and efficiency across more strokes per minute.
This is why most coaches tell athletes to find a drag factor that lets them maintain a smooth, connected stroke at their target rate, then leave it alone. Constantly adjusting between workouts introduces an unnecessary variable that makes it harder to track fitness progress over time.
Keeping Your Drag Factor Consistent
Because drag factor shifts as machines age and collect dust, checking it at the start of every session is good practice, especially if you use machines at a commercial gym where maintenance varies. It takes less than 30 seconds. If you always row at a drag factor of 125, you know that a faster split today compared to last month reflects a genuine improvement in fitness or technique, not just a cleaner flywheel cage.
If you’re new to rowing, start at the low end of your weight category’s range and spend a few weeks there before experimenting. A drag factor of 120 is a reasonable starting point for most adults. Once your technique is consistent and you can hold a steady stroke rate, small adjustments of 5 points in either direction will help you find the setting where your stroke feels most connected without grinding.