Concept2 Erg Pace Calculator
Convert between /500m split, watts, and calories per hour on a Concept2 rower, plus total time for a target distance.
By Jonas Lindemann · Updated · How we build our calculators
2:00.0
/500m split
203
watts
997
cal / hour
8:00
to cover 2,000m at this pace
Note: Watts and split are linked by the Concept2 formula watts = 2.80 / pace³, where pace is seconds per metre. Calorie/hour is the C2 monitor estimate and isn't bodyweight-adjusted.
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Calculation Method
On a Concept2 rowing machine (erg), the three numbers everyone talks about — your /500m split, your power in watts, and your calories per hour — are all the same effort expressed three ways. This calculator converts between them using the exact formulas the Concept2 Performance Monitor uses, and tells you how long a target distance will take at that pace.
The Concept2 Formula
Concept2 defines power as a function of pace, where pace is your speed in seconds per metre. The relationship is a cube law — doubling your speed costs roughly eight times the power:
pace = (2.80 / watts)1/3
split = pace × 500 (seconds per 500 m)
cal/hr ≈ watts × 4 × 0.8604 + 300
Because power scales with the cube of speed, small split improvements demand large jumps in wattage. Shaving two seconds off a 2:00 split is far harder than shaving two seconds off a 2:30 split.
Split, Watts and Calories Reference
Use this table to sanity-check the calculator and to set pacing targets for intervals.
| /500m Split | Watts | Cal/hr |
|---|---|---|
| 2:30 | 90 | ~610 |
| 2:15 | 123 | ~720 |
| 2:00 | 175 | ~900 |
| 1:50 | 228 | ~1085 |
| 1:40 | 304 | ~1345 |
| 1:30 | 416 | ~1730 |
Worked Example
You hold a 2:00 /500m split. Pace is 120 s / 500 m = 0.24 s/m, so watts = 2.80 / 0.24³ ≈ 175 W. Over a 2000 m piece, total time = 0.24 × 2000 = 480 s = 8:00. The calorie estimate, 175 × 4 × 0.8604 + 300, gives roughly 900 cal/hr.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Calories are not bodyweight-adjusted. The C2 monitor uses a fixed formula, so a light and heavy rower at the same watts see the same number even though real expenditure differs.
- Damper setting does not change the formula. Watts and split are linked the same way at any drag factor.
- Pace must be held evenly for the target-time estimate to match reality.
Disclaimer: These figures match the Concept2 Performance Monitor's published relationships and are for training reference. Calorie estimates are approximate and should not be used for clinical or dietary precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Concept2 defines watts = 2.80 / pace cubed, where pace is your speed in seconds per metre. Rearranged, pace = (2.80 / watts) to the power of one third.
Power scales with the cube of speed, so shaving a couple of seconds off a fast split demands a much larger jump in watts than the same change at a slow split.
No. The Concept2 monitor uses a fixed calorie formula based only on power, so light and heavy rowers at the same watts see the same number even though real expenditure differs.