How to use a rowing machine to lose weight and build endurance

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We analyze the technique of execution and the main mistakes and give a training program for beginners and advanced athletes.

Many modern fitness centers have rowing machines, but treadmills and ergometers are attracting many more people. Most often because fitness enthusiasts and athletes simply do not know how to row and why to do it. However, machine rowing has many benefits and may well become your favorite cardio exercise.

Why are you doing a rowing machine?

Helps to lose weight without harming joints

Rowing spends about 210 kcal for 30 minutes of work at an average pace (for a person weighing 60 kg) - the same as exercising on a stationary bike. Or even more. In a month and a half of training on a rowing machine, you can lose about 1 kg of fat and build 600 g of muscle without any diets.

Running burns more calories, but also provides shock to the joints of the legs, which can be a problem for older people with sore knees or a lot of excess weight.

During rowing, there is no shock load, and the body weight is supported by the simulator itself. Therefore, this type of cardio is perfect for people of any age and weight.

Harmoniously develop the muscles of the whole body

Unlike jogging or exercise on a stationary bike, in which the legs work much more than the hands, rowing harmoniously pumps both the upper and lower body.

In one full stroke, they manage to work the biceps and triceps, the deltoid muscles covering the shoulder joint, and the muscles of the body - the press and extensors of the back, the trapezium and the latissimus dorsi. As well as hip flexors, quadriceps and muscles of the posterior thigh group, buttocks, flexors and extensors of the foot.

In one study, 8 weeks of machine rowing increased torque (force × distance) in participants' elbows, shoulders, lower back, and knees by more than 30%.

In another experiment, a week and a half of classes increased the strength of the back muscles by 10, 7%, and the strength of flexion of the body (abdominal muscles) - by 36, 4%.

Build endurance

Like any cardio exercise, rowing develops general endurance and improves cardiovascular health. As a result of such training, you will be able to work at an energetic pace for longer, and everyday tasks will no longer cause shortness of breath and fatigue.

Promote posture correction

Rowing strengthens the back muscles and requires symmetrical, perfectly balanced movement of all muscles in the body, which can lead to improved posture over time. So, in one study, six weeks of training on a rowing machine five times a week reduced the Cobb angle for scoliosis by 1.1 °.

How to do the right rowing machine

Sit on the rowing machine, place your feet on the platforms and fasten the straps so that they are over the laces of the sneakers. You can adjust the custom liner to fit your foot size.

Grasp the handle of the exercise machine shoulder-width apart, bend your knees and roll the seat closer to your feet. Place your shins vertically, tilt your body forward so that your shoulders are in front of your hips, straighten and relax your arms. This phase is called capture.

Next, the stroke or deadlift phase begins. Press your heels into the support and push the machine with your feet, straightening your knees and at the same time slightly unbending your back. At the same time, do not strain your hands - in the first phase of the movement, they simply hold the handle.

Feet work determines 70% of your stroke power, so try to push off hard without using your arms or back. At the same time, keep the body rigid and tense, do not relax your back.

When the handle crosses the knees, bend your arms and pull it powerfully towards your body, bending back slightly. At the extreme point, your forearms should be parallel to the floor and your legs should be fully extended. This phase is called the end of the stroke, or exit.

Next, the recovery phase, or return, begins. Extend your arms fully and tilt your body forward slightly, bending at the hip joint. Then bend your knees and slide forward, transferring your weight from your heels to your toes and maintaining the position of your arms and body until you are in the starting position.

Continue rowing without pause at the extremes. Try to make the movement smooth and continuous.

What mistakes should be avoided while exercising on a rowing machine

Poor rowing technique makes you overexert, interferes with a powerful stroke, and increases the risk of injury. We will list the main mistakes common to most beginners.

Bending the knees to straighten the arms

At the end of the stroke, you should first straighten your arms and only then bend your knees. If you break this sequence, you will have to throw your arms over your bent knees, which will simply break your movement.

Rowing with bent arms

In the first phase, the arms are fully extended and relaxed. If you start the stroke with bent arms and keep them in tension, the biceps will quickly get tired, and the stroke will not be as powerful as if you were working with your legs.

Rowing with bent wrists

Flexing your wrists increases stress on your joints and increases the risk of injury. Keep your arms relaxed and keep your hands in line with your forearms, without kinking or kinking.

Raising the elbows to the sides

If you raise your shoulders and extend your elbows to the sides, your body is doing extra work that unnecessarily fatigues your back and shoulder muscles without providing any benefit.

Make sure that the shoulders are not pulled up to the ears, and the elbows are closer to the body and in the phase of the end of the stroke they go beyond the line of the body.

Extension of the trunk too much

If you bend back a lot during the exit phase, it will take a lot of force to bring your body back to the upright position. The energy required for this return exceeds the benefits of a longer stroke.

Extending the legs too quickly

You unbend your legs and drive back, but at the same time leave the handle in front and only then refine it with your back. With such a mistake, some of the energy from the kick with the legs is wasted. Make sure that the body and arms do not remain in front, but accompany the movement with your legs.

Premature inclusion of the back

If you lean back too early, the back extensors take up some of the work from the legs. As a result, the load on the lower back increases and the rowing efficiency decreases. So first push off with your feet and only then connect your back.

Strong forward lean

If you tilt your back strongly in the grip phase, so that the stomach rests on the hips and the shoulders extend beyond the knee line, the muscles in the lower back stretch and lose tension. Subsequent abrupt extension may result in injury. Make sure that your shoulders do not go beyond your knees, and your back is constantly "charged".

What exercises can be done to set the technique

Hand and body work only

This exercise will help you correct hand errors.

Straighten your legs completely, straighten your back and for a minute work only with your hands, pulling the handle to your chest. Pay attention to the position of your wrists, do not raise your shoulders or spread your elbows to the sides.

In the next minute, connect the case to work. Make sure that your back is not too bent back and remains "charged".

Working with a pause

Another hand exercise to teach you how to get in the correct position during the exit phase.

Stroke and pause. Check the position of the elbows, shoulders and wrists, the angle of the body deflection. If you imagine that your body is the hand of a clock, it should be at the number 11.

After a pause, straighten your arms, return and a new stroke.

Pause before the recovery phase

This movement teaches you to first straighten your arms and only then bend your knees.

Perform a stroke, then straighten your arms, tilt your body slightly and pause for 1-2 seconds. After that, end the recovery phase and take another stroke. Repeat 10 times.

Move only with your feet

This exercise is useful for those who have a hard time feeling the movement of their legs and work mainly with their back and arms.

Straighten your arms, fix the position of your back and work only with your legs, pushing off and approaching back. Do 10 of these strokes.

What to do if your back hurts from exercising on the rowing machine

Since rowing puts a lot of stress on the extensors of the back, if you have problems with the lumbar spine, start the session carefully and watch the sensations. Row for no more than 20 minutes without stopping, then take a break and do several stretches.

Pulling your knees to your chest

Grasp your legs under your knees with your hands and pull them closer to your chest so that your pelvis comes off the floor. Press your hips to your stomach and hold in the position for 30 seconds. Then return your feet to the floor, rest a little, and repeat two more times.

Back stretching on knees

Get on all fours, place your knees under your hips, palms under your shoulders. Then push your pelvis back and sit on your heels, lower your head. Spend 30 seconds in this position. Feel your back and shoulders stretch.

Stretching the abdomen

Lie on your stomach, straighten your legs. Leaning on your hands, lift your chest off the rug and stretch your head toward the ceiling. Do not lift your hips off the floor, do not lift your shoulders to your ears. Feel your belly stretch. Spend 30 seconds in this position, lower your chest to the floor, rest a little and repeat two more times.

How to use rowing machine to warm up

Rowing is a great way to warm up before power loads. Working on a rowing machine will gently warm up the whole body, activate the muscles of the hips and legs, “turn on” the buttocks, and warm up the muscles of the back, arms and shoulders.

To get started, do the articular warm-up and dynamic stretching from the video below:

After that, sit down on the simulator and row for 5-7 minutes at a conversational pace - when you can keep the conversation going without gasping for breath.

How to use a rowing machine to develop endurance

Below are two of the great simulator programs from coaches Terry O'Neill and Alex Skelton:

• Basic conditioning training suitable for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and have not been involved in sports and fitness for a long time. It will help you gradually adapt to the loads and, in 8-12 weeks, bring the sessions to 30 minutes of continuous rowing.
• Rowing for 20 or 40 minutes useful for those who have already mastered the technique, seeks to increase their performance and are ready to regularly practice from 3 to 5 days a week.

Basic conditioning program

Throughout the program, you will be working at 75% of your maximum heart rate (HRmax).

To calculate this indicator, use the formula: 220 - age = HRmax … For example, if you are 30 years old, your HRmax will be 190 bpm, and 75% of your HRmax will be 142 bpm.

If you are not tracking your heart rate with a bracelet or chest strap, use your sensations - work at a conversational pace. You can exceed it when you have strength and desire.

Exercise regularly - 3-4 times a week with a rest day between workouts. Start with the first step and move on to the next only when the previous one feels comfortable:

1. One minute rowing, 30 seconds rest - 5 laps … Each lesson add one circle until you get to eight. Then move on to the next step.
2. Two minutes rowing, 30 seconds rest - 5 laps … In the same way, add one circle to eight.
3. Three minutes rowing, 30 seconds rest - 5 laps … The same as in the first two steps.
4. Four minutes of rowing, 30-60 seconds of rest - 4 laps … Gradually add one circle at a time until you get to seven.
5. 5 minutes rowing, 30-60 seconds rest - 4 laps … Increase to seven circles and move on to the next step.
6. Add up continuous run time faster than previous steps. For example, try doing 4 laps of 7.5 minutes of rowing with a little rest in between, in the next workout, three laps of 10 minutes, or two laps of 15 minutes. When you get to 20 minutes of continuous work, start adding 2 minutes each session until you reach 30 minutes of rowing without a break.

Rowing for 20 or 40 minutes

This program lasts nine weeks and is divided into periods of preparation, development and strengthening. In each of them, the load gradually increases.

The program is designed for training 3-5 days a week. If you are arranging three sessions a week, do the first three workouts and then move on to the next week.

When it comes to training time, choose a program based on your capabilities. In the files below you will find tables with a training schedule:

How to combine rowing with other exercises

You can combine rowing with strength training and other types of cardio.

Such workouts really burn a lot of calories, pump strength endurance and save time, but at the same time they are suitable only for healthy people without a lot of excess weight and with some rowing and strength training experience.

We will provide several options from CrossFit.

Rowing Chipper

Perform in a row, if possible without rest:

• 50 air squats;
• 25 rowing calories;
• 40 Russian kettlebell swings;
• 20 rowing calories;
• 30 folds per press;
• 15 rowing calories;
• 20 push-ups;
• 10 rowing calories;
• 10 burpees.

Squat Complex

Do it as fast as possible:

• 150 air squats;
• 2000 m rowing;
• 150 air squats.