Check the Drag Factor, Not Just the Lever

I'd check the drag factor before settling into the row. The damper can be in the same position on another rowing machine and give you a different load. Copying the lever position doesn't tell you enough.

The damper is the lever beside the flywheel cage. Moving it higher lets more air in, so the flywheel takes more work to spin up. Drag factor measures how quickly it slows between strokes. Dust in the cage affects that, and air temperature and altitude can affect it too. On the monitor, go to `Main Menu` > `More Options` > `Display Drag Factor`, then take a few strokes. The number appears as you row. Quick enough to check.

I'd start with a moderate load for general training. Something you can push against with your legs without feeling as though the handle is stuck at the catch. Push, and the handle moves. You shouldn't need to heave it away from the front.

Heavy can feel convincing, though. You're working hard just to get the stroke going. But if you're hauling with your shoulders or feeling a lot of strain through your lower back, I'd bring the load down rather than keep fighting it. And give it some time, because the opening strokes only tell you how it feels when you're fresh. Row for a while before deciding whether you can still push smoothly with the legs, without making the stroke jerky or forcing it to hold the rate you intended.

If it feels too heavy, lower the damper slightly and check the number again. If there's hardly anything to push against, try a small increase. Then leave it alone long enough to feel what changed. Otherwise you're mostly adjusting a lever.

A lower drag can feel a bit empty at the catch. That doesn't necessarily make it wrong.

The lighter load may suit a longer steady row, or a higher stroke rate. I'd judge it further into the rowing, rather than by how substantial the first pull feels. For harder intervals, you might prefer more load. I wouldn't turn it up automatically. If you can already apply power cleanly and keep doing that as the piece goes on, there may be nothing to fix.

Higher drag has a place in very short power efforts, but the handle still needs to move. A slow wrestle isn't what I'd want. And a setting that suits a short sprint may be unpleasant for a long piece.

Once you've found a drag factor that works through the session, note it down and check it when you change machines. The lever might end up somewhere else. That's fine.