Rowing Machine Workouts: The Ultimate Guide

Rowing is more than a cardio exercise. With every stroke, you engage muscles throughout your upper and lower body while challenging your cardiovascular system.

Whether you’re looking for new ways to build endurance or simply trying to shake up your routine, rowing machine workouts offer adaptable training for any fitness level.

WHY ADD ROWING MACHINE WORKOUTS TO YOUR ROUTINE?

Rowing machines combine cardio and strength training into one workout. Rowing for exercise engages every part of your body, from your legs and core all the way to your upper body, to work together.

Rowing is also a good workout, as it offers a flexible routine for people of all fitness levels. New gym-goers can control their pace and resistance while learning proper technique. More experienced athletes can use rowing machine training for high-intensity intervals, endurance sessions or conditioning.

A rowing machine also makes it easy to change up your workout. Depending on your goals, rowing fitness workouts can be short and intense or paired with strength exercises for a full-body training session.

WHAT MUSCLES DOES A ROWING MACHINE WORK?

Rowing machines actually work more muscles than you might expect.

Rowing uses several major muscle groups, including:

• Legs: Quads, hamstrings and glutes generate power as you push away from the footplates.
• Core: Your abs and surrounding core muscles stabilize your torso, transferring power between your lower and upper body.
• Back: Muscles throughout the upper and mid-back help you pull the handle toward yourself.
• Arms: Biceps and forearms assist during the pulling portion of the stroke.
• Shoulders: Your shoulder muscles support controlled movement through the drive and recovery phases.

Ultimately, the rowing machine provides a full-body workout, while also challenging your cardiovascular system.

BENEFITS OF ROWING MACHINE WORKOUTS

Rowing offers plenty of advantages, but one of the biggest benefits of exercising with a rowing machine is its versatility. You can use rowing machines to support a variety of fitness goals without a complicated routine.

Other rowing machine exercise benefits include:

• Improving your cardiovascular endurance
• Building up full-body strength
• Supporting low-impact training
• Adding variety to your workouts
• Helping improve overall conditioning

All these advantages of rowing machine exercises make it a great addition to your routine.

HOW TO FOCUS ON PROPER FORM WHEN USING A ROWING MACHINE

If you want to get the most from an erg machine workout, start by learning the basic stroke and how the machine works. Rather than pulling mainly with your arms, think of rowing as more of a coordinated movement involving the legs, torso and arms.

A basic rowing movement breaks down like this:

• Catch: Start with your knees bent, shins about vertical and arms extended. Maintain a strong, neutral position and avoid excessive rounding of your back.
• Drive: During the main drive, your power should come primarily from your legs and the rest of your lower body, such as your hips, not from your arms. That means starting by pushing through your legs, and as they extend, slightly open your hips and pull the handle toward your lower ribs.
• Finish: At the stroke’s end, your legs should be extended, with your torso slightly leaned back and the handle pulled toward your body. Relax your shoulders, and don’t shrug upward.
• Recovery: Reverse the sequence with control. Extend your arms, hinge your torso forward and bend your knees to slide toward the catch. When returning to the starting position, keep the recovery controlled and slightly slower than the drive as you prepare for the next stroke.

There are a few common mistakes beginners can make during their first attempt at rowing machine exercises, including rushing the recovery, rounding your back and pulling the handle too high. Focusing on proper form and allowing your body time to prepare for the next row after returning to the starting position lets you fully maximize each movement while avoiding injury.

If you don’t know where to begin, or want a more tailored rowing workout plan, EōS personal trainers can help refine your technique and build a program based around your goals.

BEGINNER ROWING MACHINE WORKOUT VARIATIONS

A beginner rowing machine routine doesn’t have to be complicated. During your first few rowing workouts, focus on smooth, consistent strokes and proper technique before worrying about speed or intensity.

Try this simple beginner rowing exercise routine:

• 5-minute easy row warm-up
• 30 seconds at a strong but controlled effort
• 90 seconds at an easy recovery pace

Repeat this interval about 6-8 times, and then end your workout with a 5-minute easy row to incorporate into your routine as a cool-down exercise. As you get more comfortable rowing, you can gradually increase the number of intervals or shorten your recovery.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROWING MACHINE WORKOUTS

There isn’t one single “best” way to use a rowing machine. A good rowing workout depends on your goals and whether you’re focusing on endurance, strength and conditioning or high-intensity training.

Cardio Rowing Workout

A steady-state rowing cardio workout is a great option for building aerobic endurance. Rowing is a good cardio exercise because you can maintain a sustainable pace that challenges your cardiovascular endurance without frequent stops.

For example, try:

• 5-minute warm-up
• 15-30 minutes of moderate, continuous rowing
• 5-minute cool-down

These row workouts can stand alone as cardio sessions or as part of a broader endurance program.

Full-Body Rowing & Conditioning Workout

For a more challenging full-body workout, alternate rowing intervals with other resistance exercises to keep your heart rate elevated while still emphasizing muscular strength and endurance.

A sample rowing machine strength workout could include:

• 2 minutes of rowing
• 10-15 squats
• 2 minutes of rowing
• 8-12 push-ups
• 2 minutes of rowing
• 30-45 seconds of a core exercise

Complete two to four rounds, depending on your fitness level. You can also swap exercises to complement your current strength program.

HIIT Rowing Workout

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, alternates short bursts of demanding work with easier recovery periods. Rowing fits this format well because you can quickly adjust your effort without changing equipment.

Try these HIIT rowing workouts:

• 5-minute warm-up
• 20-30 seconds of hard rowing
• 60-90 seconds of easy rowing

Repeat for six to 10 rounds, then cool down for five minutes.

These erg workouts provide a challenging conditioning session, so be sure to allow enough recovery time and avoid sacrificing proper form just to move a bit faster.

HOW TO ADD ROWING INTO YOUR WEEKLY WORKOUT ROUTINE

You don’t have to dedicate all your gym time to rowing. Ultimately, you want to match your rowing exercise machine workouts to your goals and overall training load.

But if you do want to incorporate rowing into your weekly routine, try:

• Adding it as a warm-up before strength training
• Using it as a cardio workout
• Taking advantage of it as a full-body workout
• Doing it as a finisher after lifting

Performing exercises with a rowing machine is also great for HYROX training, as the program includes a 1,000-meter row. Practicing on the rowing machine can help you prepare for the variety of exercises you’ll encounter during the event, especially when combined with strength training, running and other conditioning work.

BUILD YOUR GYM ROUTINE WITH ROWING

From steady cardio sessions to fast-paced intervals, rowing machine workouts can challenge your endurance, strength and overall conditioning.

At EōS Fitness, rowing can be one part of a more complete routine. Explore cardio and strength equipment to build your own rowing routine.

Get more guidance with our certified personal trainers to help create a routine based on your goals and needs. Start with our free Welcome Workout to see what a personal training session can look like for you.

Ready to put your rowing workout plan into action? Visit an EōS Fitness near you and give the rowing machine a try during your next workout.