A beginner’s guide to the rowing machine

Rowing machines are on the rise. Long thought of as the ugly ducklings of the gym, tucked away in back corners, exercise machines are undergoing a makeover — just as indoor cycling machines did a decade ago.

The number of people rowing indoors increased by nearly 20% between 2014 and 2021, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, and the global market for rowing machines is expected to exceed $1.8 billion. 9.16 billion) by 2031. Some attribute this resurgence to CrossFit, which often features rowing machines (also called ergometers or dry rowing) in its daily workouts.

Riding on this new wave of enthusiasm, indoor rowing gyms have sprung up across the country, and fitness equipment companies like Hydrow have introduced high-tech home machines combined with guided classes, à la Peloton. Speaking of Peloton, the company announced in September the launch of a rowing machine – with displays and lessons similar to its famous bicycle – as its third branded piece of equipment.

For dedicated paddlers, this surge in popularity comes as no surprise. Rowing is a full-body workout that targets the muscles in your legs, back, core, and arms. It’s also great for the cardiovascular system because it challenges the heart in so many ways, said Dr. Aaron Baggish, professor of medicine at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. “What is unique [no remo] is that it combines the two fundamental stresses to which the heart responds, which are pressure and volume,” he explained.

But there is a learning curve when it comes to rowing. Proper fitness is key – not just to avoid injury, but to develop powerful, efficient movement and get a good workout in.

“Running seems very easy in a way, but getting the most out of it, becoming efficient, is very difficult,” said Aquil Abdullah, a former Olympic rower and Hydrow instructor.

The shape

The most important thing about rowing is that although it feels like you are pulling the handle (or the oars) with your arms, most of the power comes from your legs, right up until the end. “Rowing is a pushing sport, not necessarily a pulling sport,” said Neil Bergenroth, a rowing coach in Tulsa, Okla., who has a YouTube channel dedicated to teaching the sport.

A lot happens during a stroke, so the movement is usually divided into four steps: the catch, the pull, the finish and the return.

the footprint

In the grip position, the seat slides to the front of the machine. Your knees should be above your ankles, shins vertical. Your body is leaning slightly forward and your arms are extended, with your hands in front of your feet.

the pull

The pull is where most of the power and exercise in rowing comes from. Keeping your core tight, push the machine away with your feet, making contact with the sole and heel of your foot. “When you have your heel down, you’re able to utilize your posterior chain,” or the muscles along the back of your body, such as your calves, hamstrings and glutes, said Casey Galvanek, head coach of the National Rowing Association. US Youth National. This helps you generate more force using more muscles, he said.

After pushing your body back halfway, with your knees bent approximately 90 degrees, begin to lean back, rotating with your hips. You should feel your lats – the main muscles in your back – begin to engage as you grip the handle. Finally, bring your elbows back to pull the handle toward your chest.

Final

At the end of the row, you should be sitting up straight, with your core tight and your legs straight out in front of you. Your body should be leaning back about 30 degrees – think of the 11 o’clock position on a clock hand. The handle is pulled close to your body just below chest height so that the chain is horizontal.

Many experts actually recommend starting your workout in the final position to ensure your posture is correct from the start.

the resumption

During the resumption, you move back in front of the machine to prepare for the next pull. First extend your arms. Then, lean your body forward, rotating with your hips so that your torso moves from 11 o’clock to 1 o’clock on the clock face and you lean forward about 30 degrees. The movement should come from your hips, not your back, and your abs should be working.

“Balance or rotate your body with your pelvis rather than rounding over your navel,” Galvanek said. “Bending over will expose your lower back to possible injury.”

When leaning forward, start bending your legs to get closer to the front of the machine. During the retake, think “arms, core, legs” and move in that sequence. During the pull, the sequence is reversed: legs, core, arms.

The train

Once you’ve learned the fundamentals of the rowing motion, it’s time to test your form. As with most aerobic exercise, a rowing session can be long and slow (for resistance training) or short and fast (for interval training). If you’re new to the sport, do the moves slowly to make sure you’re doing them correctly. Rowing speed is measured by your stroke rate, which is usually displayed on the machine’s screen. Galvanek and Bergenroth recommend rowing for 20 to 30 minutes at a pace of 16 to 20 strokes per minute when you’re starting out.

As you become more comfortable and confident on the machine, you can move into interval training, rowing in shorter, faster strokes. For example, row for two to five minutes at a rate of 20 to 28 pulls per minute, followed by a one-minute break. Repeat three to five times for a 10 to 20 minute workout.

Another common way to structure interval workouts is by distance, which should also be displayed on the screen. A typical boat race is 2000 meters, and rowers often talk about their split times in 500 meters. A workout recommended by Abdullah is to row 500 meters, aiming for a time of two or three minutes. Take a 30- to 60-second rest and start again, repeating four times to reach 2,000 meters.

The water

If you want to try your hand at rowing on the water, see if there’s a rowing club in your area that offers introductory classes or is taking on new members.

There are two types of water rowing: double (sculling)), in which two oars are used, one in each hand; and the sweeping), which is always done with several people in the boat and where each one uses an oar with both hands. O double rowing can be done with one, two or four people per boat, and the sweep it is carried out with two, four or eight people per boat.

Rowing a boat can be more challenging than a machine because you have to fight other elements and, in some cases, work with teammates. However, your form should be the same whether you are paddling on dry land or in water.

Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves