How to Use a Rowing Machine – Explained for Newbies!

Rowing machines are on fire right now. Ofcourse, we don’t mean literally, but it has slowly become the bee’s knees of exercise machines!

The fact is, rowing machines are mainstream. You’ll see them in commercial gyms, rowing classes, leisure centres and people’s homes. Last week, I even saw former World Strongest Man and social media star Brian Shaw smash a 100m rowing record just for fun on Youtube.

So why is the rowing machine hyped up so much by amateur to Olympic athletes?

The main reason is that it provides a low-impact, full-body workout. You’re training all your major muscle groups without pounding the living daylights out of your joints. That makes it great for everyone, from weekend warriors to pro athletes.

If you’re ready to get your feet wet (or your butt, more like it) and learn how to row like a pro, here’s how to get started.

1. The benefits of using a rowing machine
2. The components of a rowing machine
3. Rowing terms you should know to evaluate performance i.e Split vs SPM
4. When and how to incorporate rowing into your workout
5. How using a rowing machine can prepare you for water rowing
6. How to get better using the rowing machine

Why Use A Rowing Machine: The Benefits

Rowing does more than let you flex on Instagram. It’s also more than a piece of equipment for people who participate in rowing sports. Let’s go through the primary benefits of a rowing machine and why everyone should use one:

A Full Body Workout: It may not look like it, but rowing trains nearly all of your muscles. Your legs, arms, back, and core must work together to adequately complete the movement. And when performed with a full range of motion at a high intensity, your body will be left feeling worked in no time.

Low Impact: Unlike running, jumping rope, or other forms of high-impact cardio, rowing doesn’t put pressure on your joints. You can get an intense workout without risking injury or unnecessary pain.

People suffering from joint pain, including those suffering from arthritis, can use a rowing machine to get their heart rate up without any issues. 

It provides a multi-faceted cardiovascular workout : Rowing improves your aerobic capacity, builds muscle endurance, and increases your metabolic rate. Best of all, you can do it at a low intensity for longer durations or high intensity for shorter spurts.

The Components of a Rowing Machine - Useful Terms To Know

Of course, you don’t need to be a rowing machine expert to use one. However, it’s helpful to know a few terms so you can understand instructions or your trainer better (should you wish to use one).

Here are a rowing machine’s functional components and their definitions:

Footplate: This is the rectangular platform where you place your feet and slide back and forth through your rowing motion. Just ensure to strap yourself over the ball of your foot to produce maximum force. You should also be able to lift your heels when pushing off.

Handle: The handle is connected to the flywheel and is the part you grab to pull yourself through your rowing motion. In an actual rowboat, the handle is referred to as an oar. 

When holding the hand, keep your grip light but firm and let the momentum do all of the work.

Rail: The metal track that supports the footplate and allows it to move back and forth.

Monitor: On most machines, there will be a monitor that displays various metrics such as time, distance, RPMs, calories burned, and other information. Use this info to track your progress over time.

The Damper: Your flywheel will contain an adjustable lever known as the damper. This lever allows you to adjust the resistance of your row. Higher numbers will provide more resistance and airflow, while lower numbers will have less.

Remember that setting the number to 10 won’t make you row and progress faster. You actually want to row for a certain amount of time or distance to get the most out of your session.

Rowing Terms Related to the Sport Itself

Now you understand the components of the rowing machine, let’s go through some terms related to the actual motion itself:

1) Split

The split of “split 500” is the amount of time it takes to row 500 metres. Once you’ve reached the 500-metre mark, it will be displayed on your display monitor.

2) Strokes Per Minute (SPM)

SPM is simply the number of strokes you perform in a single minute. The SPM for a standard workout is between 14-30. However, a higher SPM doesn’t always mean you’re rowing faster, as you can also increase speed by exerting more power and force in fewer strokes.

3) Paddle (or rest)

You’ll need to take a break if you’re rowing intensively enough. This is known as “paddling” or “resting.” And unlike an actual competition where you cannot stop, in a workout, you can take as many breaks as necessary to complete the session. Alternatively, you can slow down your rowing to rest without actually stopping.

Breaking Down the Rowing Stroke

The rowing stroke has four main components, which we’ll break into and describe down below:

1) The Catch  

This is your stroke’s starting position. Begin by bending your knees and leaning your torso forward, leaving your body in a 1 o’clock position. Your arms should be straight, and you should take hold of the handle.

2) The Drive  

Now it’s time to generate enough power for the stroke. Push with your legs, lean back, and pull with your arms.

If you’re struggling to perform the row in this order, just row using your legs. Afterwards, gradually add your arms and you’re right there. 

Common mistakes to avoid during the drive:

Pulling with your arms first: Only pulling with your arms dramatically reduces your power and efficiency. You’ll usually see the arms bending first during this technique.

Allowing your body to roll: You should lean back slightly during the drive. If your body moves forward, you lose some of the power and momentum generated by the legs. Keep your core tight!

3) The Finish 

This is the end position once you’ve completed your drive. Your legs should be fully extended while your body is leaning back slightly. You should also bend your arms, with the handle firmly against your shoulder plexus.

Things to avoid when finishing:

Shrugging: You shouldn’t be shrugging your shoulders when finishing. This will disrupt your motion for the next stroke.

Raising the handle too high: When finishing, don’t raise your elbows too high. The handle should be lower than your neck or face.

Leaning back excessively: Leaning back too much at the finish is unnecessary and won’t produce more force. Instead, maintain a slight lean at an 11 o’clock position.

4) The Recovery 

This is the motion to where you return to the catch position. During this phase, do the following:

• Straighten your arms
• Lean your body forward
• Bend your legs until you’re back to the catch

You’ll notice that this movement is the reverse

Common mistakes to avoid during the recovery include:

Rushing: Rushing your recovery will throw off your entire stroke. Make sure to take your time and return in the same order you started.

Stalling: You don’t want to pause at any point during the stroke. Make sure you’re constantly in motion.

Bending your legs before straightening your arms: Doing this will disrupt the order of the recovery and your overall stroke. You’re doing this wrong if you find yourself lifting your hand over your knees.

You’ll notice that this recovery is the reverse of the catch. It’s important to take your time during the recovery, as this is where you’ll generate power for the next drive.

When to Incorporate Rowing into Your Workout

Rowing is a highly versatile exercise, as unlike other cardio exercise machines like a treadmill, rowing works your upper and lower body. It also provides resistance, causing your muscles to grow and strengthen. 

Below are how you can incorporate rowing into your workout:

At the beginning or end of a workout

Rowing at the start of a workout will warm and increase blood flow to your body and muscles. If you’re preparing to do a heavy weight lifting session, rowing acts as a great warmup. 

Oppositely, rowing at the end of a workout will help you cool down. This will help your heart rate return to normal and help reduce any soreness from the workout.

During Circuit training

Circuit training involves performing different movements, like weights, cardiovascular exercises and bodyweight exercises. Rowing is one of the exercises that can be included in this circuit:

• Row for one minute
• Do ten burpees
• Perform ten push-ups
• Rest and repeat for five sets

During a HIIT workout

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training, where short bursts of intense exercise are done to improve stamina and burn body fat. As you can do rowing at a high intensity, it’s perfect for HIIT workouts.

A HIIT rowing workout can involve rowing at a higher intensity by either temporarily increasing the speed or its resistance, followed by a minute of rowing less intensely. Alternatively, you can perform a “Metre pyramid,” which looks like this:

• One minute of hard rowing, followed by one minute of rest
• Two minutes of hard rowing, followed by two minutes of rest
• Three minutes of hard rowing, followed by three minutes of rest

Once you reach four minutes of rowing, simply do the reverse:

• Four minutes of hard rowing, followed by four minutes of rest
• Three minutes of hard rowing, followed by three minutes of rest, etc

On its own

Rowing also can be done alone as a full-body workout. The intensity can vary to suit your fitness level, making it great for beginners or experienced athletes.

If you don’t want to vary speeds, maintaining a steady pace of rowing for 20-30 minutes is enough to burn calories and stimulate muscle growth. 

Find out your starting point by choosing a resistance that you can maintain for the full duration of your session. Even if you don’t hit the 30-minute mark, you’ll know you’ll need a slightly lower resistance next time.

How Using a Rowing Machine can Prepare You for Water Rowing

Rowing machines aren’t just for regular gym-goers, but people looking to take up rowing as a sport.

If you’ve never rowed on water, jumping straight into the first rowing boat you see is not recommended. First, you must familiarise yourself with the movement pattern, which can be done on a rowing machine. They train your muscles to perform the same motion on water but with a resistance of your choosing. 

Additionally, Olympic athletes and professional rowers use rowing machines as training tools, so you’ll be in good company. Since it’s not practical to row on the water all year round, rowing machines are the closest thing to simulating the real thing.

How to Get Better at Rowing

We’ve explained numerous ways on how to use a rowing machine in your workouts, but how do you consistently progress and become better?

Here are a few tips:

Practice consistently: Aim for 3 rowing sessions a week to maintain your current level and for progression. As rowing is a form of resistance training and aerobic exercise, you’ll notice positive changes in your strength and stamina.

Periodize your workouts: Remember to mix your rowing workouts up. If you row three times a week, dedicate one session to HIIT and the remaining to a steady state at two different resistances. You’ll simultaneously improve various aspects of your fitness.

Work on technique: Rowing is a complex movement that relies heavily on technique. If you need help visualising the correct rowing movement based on our guide, watch videos online to learn it correctly. 

Furthermore, you want to ensure your form doesn’t deteriorate throughout your workout. If you increase the resistance, don’t let your technique doesn’t suffer as a consequence. And when you are experiencing form breakdown, either decrease the damper, reduce your rowing speed or take a break.

Focus on improvement: Improve the intensity, stroke rate, and duration of your rowing workouts. Once you reach a certain level in one area, try progressing to the next.Eat healthily and consume enough protein: When you row intensely, your muscle fibres break down. To help facilitate optimal muscle growth, eat a balanced diet and get enough protein – like any other exercise.

How to Use a Rowing Machine - A Conclusion

The rowing machine may look like a techy piece of equipment, but it’s easy to understand when broken down. By following our guide, you’ll know how to use a rowing machine with ease and get the most out of your workout. 

Remember that continuous practice and focusing on technique will ensure you progress in your fitness journey. And all the while, you can enjoy the full body workout. So not only will you improve your cardiovascular health, but you’ll also sculpt your arms, back, and core. Now that’s a complete exercise!