DFW_M5, they don't have a whole lot of resistance. My reaction was the same when I first tried one. I always set resistance to the maximum (although others will tell you that is wrong! but that is what I do). However, if you use the Concept II for a while it will surprise you and give you quite a workout. I think it seems light to us because it is not much resistance for a weight lifter, but the cardio that is also provided by the Concept II sneaks up on one. I like to try to make the watts go up higher during each pull, just to see how much I can sustain. Perfect form is very important in order to prevent back injuries, but then as a weight lifter you too are probably used to focusing on form when you work out. For me, the Concept II is a great way to lose weight, probably because of the cardio aspects. If you go to their website
here, you can compare your performance on the Concept II to that of others all over the country and world, and that is fun sometimes.