By Katy Loren
Anyone who’s been to their local gym during peak times knows how hard it is to outmaneuver the throng to snag an open treadmill. Your chances at an available elliptical or exercise bike are usually not much better.
However, even in the midst of a typical rush hour, there is one piece of equipment that you might just have a shot at . . . that forlorn, lonely rowing machine, just waiting for a friendly face to stop by. So, why can’t many of us bring ourselves to give it a whirl?
“Rowing may seem like a difficult, somewhat boring, and inefficient workout if you have not tried it because you are seated while you perform repetitive motions,” says Gretchen Zelek, owner of Go Gretch in Los Angeles and AFAA-certified group fitness instructor (IG @gogretch). “However, it’s fun, easy to learn, effective, and versatile. The rowing motion can even reduce stress, calm your mind, and help you relax.”
Here, Zelek shares everything you need to know to tackle this beneficial and underappreciated cardio activity, with a rundown of the many benefits, a how-to guide, tips for success, and easy ideas to get you started.
The Benefits of Rowing
The shame in people shying away from rowing as a cardio activity is that it’s effective at improving cardiovascular fitness, building endurance, and burning fat. “Rowing engages almost 90% of the body’s total muscle mass,” Zelek points out. “It offers a combination of strength training and cardio, as well as being an excellent calorie-burning exercise. It strengthens back muscles and builds core stability.”
Zelek compares that to the elliptical, which uses about 80% of the body’s total muscle mass. Running and biking are primarily lower body-focused and only stimulate about 50% of the body’s total muscle mass.
Despite the high muscle engagement, though, rowing is decidedly low impact on the body. “That means there is much less strain on joints than the other machines,” Zelek says. “It also contributes to better posture, balance, flexibility, and coordination.”
It even boasts some mental-boosting advantages. “The repetitive movement of rowing, unlike biking or the elliptical, allows you to relax and create a meditative state. You can ‘quiet your brain’ and lose yourself in the exercise, feeling like you are almost flowing through the motion.”
Muscles Worked
During the classic rowing motion, the first part of the stroke requires a driving action generated by the quadriceps, glutes, and calves. Then, the abdominals and obliques engage through the middle of the rep. To finish, the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, biceps, and triceps complete the action.
The Perfect Rep
If you think about the rower in four segments, the perfect rowing “stroke” involves the Catch, Drive, Finish, and Release:
• The Catch position is when the seat is at the back end of the rowing machine slider;
• The Finish is when the seat is down at the front end;
• The Drive is the hard push to bring the seat from the Finish backward to the Catch position;
• And then the Release is the return trip, from Catch to Finish.
We break down the key pointers for each segment below.
The Catch
• This is the start and finish position of each rep.
• Sit tall on the rower, your knees bent, and hinge from your hips.
• Your arms should be in front of you, long and straight, grasping the handlebar with an overhand grip.
• Look straight ahead (don’t drop your chin toward your chest or look at the ceiling), and inhale.
The Drive
In one movement…
• Slightly angle your body backward as you send your seat rearward by pushing through your feet and straightening your legs.
• As your legs straighten — make sure your quads and glutes are flexing and where the power is being generated — pull with straight arms first, then bend your elbows as your knees extend.
• Your breath should be held in this brief motion.
The Finish
• Your elbows should end bent at 45 degrees, close to your body, with the handle touching your sternum.
• Your legs should be extended, but your knees should not lock out.
• Exhale once you reach this point.
The Release
• Extend your arms forward, long and straight.
• Hinge at your hip, bend your knees and smoothly glide back to the “Catch” position.
• Inhale and, without a pause, start the next rep.
Top 3 Form Cues
1. “The most common mistake in rowing is poor posture through the motion,” Zelek says. “Remember to sit tall with a long spine, and don’t lean too far backward — think 1:00 on a clock face when leaning back.”
2. “Use your legs, glutes, and core, and don’t depend upon your arms for strength,” Zelek instructs. “Remember that in rowing, your arms should contribute only 10% of overall power.”
3. “Press through your heels,” says Zelek, “and ‘push’ away to straighten your legs before bending your arms and bringing the handle to your sternum.”
Related: Master the Pull-Up
Steps to Success
The intensity of your rowing workout can be measured based on the split rate, which is how many strokes it takes to row a certain number of meters, like 250 or 400.
Alternatively, strokes per minute (SPM) — a more straightforward metric — measures how many strokes you can take in, well, one minute. “There is a big difference between splits and strokes per minute, and new rowers can get very confused by it,” Zelek says. “Splits is your pace, which is directly related to your power. Meanwhile, split time is your intensity and stroke rate; basically, how hard you work.”
Strokes per minute have no impact on your intensity, she adds. “You could have no intensity and have an admirable stroke rate. Alternatively, you put more power and energy into a stroke — push harder through your heels and legs — you will need fewer strokes per minute to produce more power.”
With that information, you can control the intensity of your workout (how hard you want to push yourself) by adjusting the rower’s resistance level to make it harder or easier to pull and then increasing or decreasing the power you use in your pulls.
“Aiming to row 250 meters in a minute, called ‘Split per 250,’ is a decent goal for a cardio, higher intensity workout,” Zelek says.
When it comes to strokes per minute measurements, a general rule of thumb for maximal calorie burning (again, remembering that SPM isn’t a be-all and end-all metric) is 24 to 30 SPM. Keep in mind, though, that can be a challenging pace if you’re giving your all, so take your time over weeks or months to build up to that level if need be.
“Some rowers have interactive screens allowing you to take a class, compete on the leader board, or keep track of your splits and progress,” Zelek says. “It’s a very versatile workout, and It’s a very simple piece of equipment to learn how to use. You can also incorporate it into your other workouts, meaning you can hop on and off in between using other equipment or performing floor exercises.”
Zelek adds that it doesn’t matter what your fitness level is — anyone can row. “And the best way to get acclimated to rowing is to get on a machine and do it. The most important thing to remember, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned rower, is to maintain good form and controlled rhythm. By regularly rowing and practicing the proper form, you’ll discover that every time you row, your form, flexibility, breathing, muscle tone, strength, and flow will improve.”
Related: Why You Need to Do Cardio
