Rowing is an incredible form of exercise. It engages no fewer than nine major muscle groups and up to 85% of your total muscle mass. No exercise uses so much of your body in such a simple and accessible way.

While there’s nothing like the feeling of gliding over water, most people don’t have easy access to a row boat and a lake. Not a problem: rowing machines precisely replicate the act of rowing on water (and some even use water to do it).

In this guide we’ll look at the benefits of rowing machines, which type you should choose, how to use a rowing machine properly, and rowing machine workouts for beginners and experts.

 

Full-body benefits of rowing machines

Rowing machines offer a true full-body workout. They work every single one of your major muscle groups: arms, shoulders, back, core, hips and legs, all in a single, smooth and simple movement.

What are the full-body benefits of rowing? When your whole body is engaged, you burn calories and build muscle faster, and you achieve your fitness goals sooner: losing weight, increasing muscle mass and tone, or enhancing your endurance and performance.

That said, rowing is a choose-your-own-intensity workout. On one end of the scale you can test your body’s upper limits. On the other you can go for a casual row, safe in the knowledge that you’re working all your major muscles.

 

Rowing machines vs other cardio equipment

Rowing machines have a few advantages over other cardio machines like treadmills and bikes:

  • Full-body workout: As mentioned above, your whole body is engaged, whereas treadmills and bikes focus more on the lower body.
  • High calorie burn: By engaging all your major muscle groups, you expend a lot of energy on a rowing machine, which means you burn calories ultra-efficiently.
  • Low impact and comfortable: The smooth motion of a rowing machine removes the jarring impacts of a treadmill, while the seated position is more comfortable than that of a spin bike. Rowing machines are ideal for people with limited mobility or joint issues.
  • Strength and cardio: Where treadmills and bikes almost exclusively offer cardio, rowing builds strength too, helping you to develop muscle while getting you puffing.
  • Versatility: The barrier to entry is low for rowing machines – anyone can have a go – but they still offer a challenging workout for even the most advanced users.

 

Mastering rowing machine technique

Whether you’re rowing for fitness or fun, it’s critical that you know how to use a rowing machine properly, as bad form won’t deliver the results you’re after, and can even result in injury. Good rowing form is a four-step process:

  • Catch: Sit with your knees bent and your feet secured in the straps. Lean slightly forward with a straight back, your arms fully extended, and your hands gripping the handle.
  • Drive: Push powerfully with your legs, keeping your back straight. As your legs extend, lean back slightly and pull the handle towards your chest.
  • Finish: Sit upright with legs fully extended, handle at chest level, and elbows pointing slightly downwards.
  • Recover: Reverse the movement: extend your arms first, lean slightly forward, and bend your knees to return to the catch position. Repeat.

    • There are also a few mistakes that you should actively work to avoid:

    • Slouching: Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
    • Arms before legs: Push with your legs first; arms should follow after the legs are almost fully extended. Power should be 60% legs, 30% back, 10% arms.
    • Rushing: The recovery phase should be slow and smooth, taking twice as long as the drive phase.
    • Overextending: Avoid extreme movements to protect your back and joints.

     

    Sample rowing workouts: beginner to advanced

    What does a rowing workout look like? The movement is always the same, so workouts vary by length and intensity. Often rowing machines form one exercise within a broader workout routine, but here are some sample rowing-only workouts for different fitness and experience levels:

     

    Rowing machine workout for beginners (10 minutes)

    • Warm-up (3 minutes): Row at a gentle pace, focusing on proper form.
    • Steady state (5 minutes): Maintain a moderate, sustainable pace. Aim for around 20 strokes per minute (SPM.
    • Cool-down (2 minutes): Slow your pace gradually until you stop.

    Intermediate workout (15 minutes)

    • Warm-up (4 minutes): Begin by rowing gently then gradually increase the intensity.
    • Pyramid intervals (8 minutes):
      • 30 seconds at high intensity (SPM 26-28), 30 seconds recovery.
      • 60 seconds at moderate-high intensity (SPM 24-26), 60 seconds recovery. Repeat 3 times.
      • 60 seconds at high intensity (SPM 26-28).
    • Cool-down (3 minutes): Slow your rowing until you stop.

    Advanced workout (20 minutes)

    • Warm-up (5 minutes): Start with light rowing, gradually increasing to a moderate pace.
    • High-intensity intervals (10 minutes): 40 seconds all-out effort (SPM 28-32), 20 seconds easy recovery. Repeat 10 times.
    • Cool-down (5 minutes): Row lightly and stretch afterwards to aid recovery.

     

    Choosing the right rowing machine

    There are three main types of rowing machine, which mainly differ by how they offer resistance:

      • Air rowers: The most common type of machine, air rowers work in much the same way as an assault bike – pulling the handle of the rowing spins a large fan, which provides air resistance. The harder you pull, the more resistance you feel.
      • Water rowers: As the name suggests, water rowers use water instead of air to provide that resistance. The water usually sits in a tub at the feet of the user. Like an air rower, resistance increases as you pull harder.
  • Magnetic rowers: In magnetic rowers, which use magnets to slow down the fly wheel, the resistance is the same no matter how hard you pull.

    • All types of rowing machine provide a similar workout, so your ideal choice will depend on your personal preferences, budget and space (some rowers are foldable). 

     

    GymQuip: your rowing machine specialists

    Home to one of Australia’s largest fitness showrooms, and with over 30 years in the game, at GymQuip we’ve built a reputation for helping everyone from casual fitness fans to gym owners find their ideal exercise equipment.

    We offer high-quality machines built to last longer and help you to achieve peak performance. Our generous shipping and returns policy means we can also send a rowing machine to your door anywhere in Australia via our sprawling online store, with all purchases covered by our price beat guarantee.

    And if you’re not sure which rowing machine is right for you, get in touch with our friendly team today.