Am I doing well?

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I'm 15 and I just started rowing on the first day after winter break. I have been rowing for about 3 weeks now and I just pulled a 2.01/500m on my 6k yesterday twice at 29spm. Is that good for someone who just started and has never rowed before?

ANSWER: Hi Holland: I'm assuming you are male, but not sure you are a lightweight or heavyweight.  For all males in the Concept II database, ages 14-16, the average 6K time is 23:28.  You are a bit below average, but considering how new you are to the sport, your time will continue to go down.

Good Luck/AP

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Do you think protein supplements help improve time? I just bought some chocolate protein and ground flax seed oil, could these items help? I have read a lot of stuff saying that protein is a waist and that you eventually just end up producing expensive urine. What is your opinion?

Answer
Hello Again, Holland: If you use the supplements (along with a well balanced diet) to augment your weight training and endurance workouts, they will help your body to recover from the breakdown of muscle tissue that occurs whenever you workout and help rebuild more tissue than you-had pre-workout.  That's the whole principle behind working out.  Without proper nutrition, your body lacks the materials to rebuild muscle after hard workouts.

All that said, its hard to say how much the supplements will lower your time.  But generally, if you have more muscle, you can lower your 500 splits.

Good Luck/AP