9 Benefits of Rowing Machine Workout/Exercises
1. Effective Calorie Burner
Rowing machine exercises are gasoline for stored fat. Ten minutes of a rowing machine workout burns 100-200 calories, depending on your body weight, intensity, and resistance used.
2. Great Full-Body Workout
Apart from working on your upper back muscles, rowing machine exercises also target your core, chest, biceps, forearms, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Therefore, you get a full-body workout without having to hop from one machine to the other.
3. Improves Muscle Strength
Rowing machine exercises help improve upper body strength and increase endurance (or stamina). Researchers have found that rowing machine workout helps people with spinal cord injury regain muscle strength (2).
4. Great For The Heart And Lungs
Rowing exercises help improve heart and lung function. Depending on the reps, sets, and resistance used for the exercises, you sweat and breathe in more oxygen, making your heart work harder to meet the oxygen demands.
5. Helps Build Muscle
Rowing exercise activates your muscles and causes wear and tear. When you rest and sleep, these muscles rebuild themselves stronger and thicker to give you that lean look.
6. Low-Impact And Low-Risk Activity
Rowing exercises are great for people with knee joint pain or arthritis. They are low-impact and easy on the joints. Rowing machine workouts also have a low risk of injuries. Make sure not to add too much resistance; add as much resistance that allows you to do 3 sets of 15 reps with ease. Add more resistance gradually as your strength increases.
7. Tones The Arms
Rowing machine exercises work on your arms, especially the triceps and wrists. Triceps are the muscles present at the back of your upper arm. Extending and pulling the rowing handle helps tone the triceps and forearms. Over a period, your arms start to look slimmer and more toned.
8. Reduces The Risk Of Diseases
Upper body fat is closely linked to metabolic complications of obesity (3). Getting rid of upper body fat helps reduce the risk of developing obesity-related diseases.
9. May Reduce Belly Fat
Rowing exercises work on your ab muscles. They are also good cardio and burn a good number of calories. Therefore, they can help you lose overall fat and tone up your belly region.
5 Rowing Machine Workouts
1. Row Warm-Up
Before you start a full rowing machine workout, you must warm-up. Here’s how to do it.
2. Simple Rowing
3. Water Rower Workout
This is similar to the simple rowing exercise. There is just a slight difference in the machine design. Here’s an inspiring video featuring Josh Crosby, World Champion Rower, doing this exercise!
4. Power Curls
5. Sprints Or Extreme Rowing
Practice these five exercises to see a visible difference in your energy, appearance, and well-being. Can you lose belly fat on a rowing machine? Rowing machine workouts work on your core. So, yes, you might lose some belly fat. But remember, belly fat is stubborn. You might need to follow these tips to get rid of belly fat. How long should you workout on a rowing machine? Start with 10 minutes and increase the time and resistance as you build strength and stamina. How many days a week should you use a rowing machine? Two times a week is ideal for rowing machine exercises. How does a rowing machine differ from a treadmill? On the treadmill, you walk or run. It does not target your upper back muscles. Can you lose weight on a rowing machine? Yes, rowing machine workout is a calorie burner, so you will lose upper back fat. Is rowing machine bad for the back and knees? Rowing machine exercise may hurt your knees or back if you do not sit upright or if there is a disbalance between your two feet. If you experience pain after doing rowing exercises, seek your doctor’s advice. Also, you must take your fitness trainer’s help to first get used to the machine and learn about correct postures. Is rowing machine bad for the hips? No, it is not bad for your hips. But if you have tight hip muscles, you must talk to your trainer and doctor before doing rowing machine exercises. How long should a beginner row? Start with 3 sets of 12 reps. Gradually increase the sets and reps as you build more strength and stamina. Is Rowing Everyday Good For You? Some people prefer rowing every day. Others like to row on their back workout days. The best way to know is to talk to your trainer and design a workout plan that suits you and your body’s needs. Rowing also helps people think, just like running or meditating. If rowing does not cause any discomfort or pain, you may go ahead and row every day to reap these health benefits. How can I make my rower seat more comfortable? Placing a soft cushion between your sitz bones and the hard equipment seat can help to relieve pressure and make your rower seat more comfortable. Once you feel more at ease in the seat, you will be able to row for longer and feel better about each session.
