Rowing Machine Workouts

A rowing machine works most of your body in one movement: your legs push, your body swings back and your arms pull. It’s low impact and packs a lot of exercise into a short session.

Getting started

• Strap your feet in so the strap sits across the widest part of your foot.
• Each stroke goes legs, then body, then arms. Push with your legs first, lean back slightly, then pull the handle to your lower ribs.
• Come back in reverse order: arms, then body, then legs.
• Start with 10 to 15 minutes at an easy, steady pace.

Benefits

Rowing uses your legs, glutes, back and arms together, so it builds fitness and muscular endurance at the same time. Most of the power comes from your legs.

It’s seated and smooth, so it’s easy on your joints.

Tips

• Keep your back straight and hinge from your hips.
• Drive with your legs. Your arms only finish the stroke.
• Take about twice as long coming forward as you do on the drive.
• Set the damper around the middle. A higher setting isn’t automatically a better workout.

Variations

• Intervals: 250 metres hard, one minute easy.
• For strength, train the same pull with resistance band rows or bent-over barbell rows.