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Does Rowing Machine Build Muscle Fast?

Jan 12, 2023 Easy Choi

Does rowing machine build muscle fast? Absolutely, it will help you have a fit body.Rowing machines workouts is the most efficient exercises to help you become lean and tone in a short time.

  • What are the different types of rower workout machine?
  • What muscles get toned from rowingexercise machine?
  • How to properly use a rowing machine?
  • Rowing Machine Workout benefits
  • Rowing workouts plans

What are the different types of rower workout machine?

When we are going to buy rowing machines, we are faced with many choices and there have some differences between the different types of rowing machines. There are three primary indoor rowing machines: air rowing machines, water rowing machines, and magnetic rowing machines. To help make your perfect choice, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about each of the three types.

Air Rowing Machines

Characterized by a flywheel, resistance is provided by air passing through the slats of the wheel.The wheel is connected by a chain to the rowing handle so when you pull the handle the flywheel spins. The faster you row, the faster the flywheel spins through the air, and so the greater the resistance, it makes complete a stroke more harder.Air rowing machines provide smooth action and adjustable resistance. You need to pay attention to the noise, the flywheel might make loud noise.

 air row machines

Water Rowing Machines

What makes them unique compared to the other types of rowing machines is that they function by a transparent drum filled with water, which sits under the machine’s footrests. The water rowing machine can offer a real-life rowing experience that can be rather relaxing. The resistance and tension one feels when using the machine are created by paddles and water that turns as you row. Like air rowing machines, the harder you row, the more significant the resistance will be.

 water rower machine

Magnetic Rowing Machines

Within a magnetic rowing machine, resistance is created by two strong magnets that move past one another, without causing friction. This means that the resistance is quiet and will be consistently smooth throughout your entire workout. The magnetic rowing machine is the quietest row machines of all types row machines, and it often smaller than other rowing machines. So you have to sacrifice some rowing experience,like the feel of a boat on the water.

 best magnetic rowing machine

What muscles get toned from rowing exercise machine?

Rowing machine workout engages all the major muscle groups of the body and works multiple joints through a large range of motion in a natural, powerful sequence in a no-impact manner. Research suggests that rowing is a whole-body movement that uses 70 to 80% of your whole body’s musculature.,about 60 percent legs, 30 percent core, and 10 percent arms.

 

rowing machine benefits

The seated row machine target your legs (quads, gastrocnemius soleus, and hamstrings), your glutes, back (lats, traps and rhomboids) and your core. Small wonder you feel tired afterward.

 

How to properly use a rowing machine?

Learning how to use a rowing exercise machine is essential for avoiding injury. If you don't master the basics of row machine set-up and technique, you will get injured easily. But don't worry, it’s pretty easy to learn the nuts and bolts of rowing technique.

 

Set the Drag: You set the drag — how much resistance you’re getting during your workout — with the damper, generally located on the right side of the flywheel. Generally, even very experienced rowers tend to keep the drag to between three and five.

Position Your Feet and Hands: Sit down on the seat. Secure your feet into the straps on the foot pads, adjusting the size if needed to ensure that the strap is over your midfoot. Lean forward to unhook the handle and take it into your hands. Hold it loosely but securely with straight wrists.

Catch: With your arms straight and your head in a neutral position, lean your upper body forward. Initiate the lean with your hips until your shoulders are in front of your hips with your knees bent and your seat as close to the flywheel as you’re going to get. Let your heels lift.

Drive: Drive down with your feet, explosively straightening your legs. Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears with straight arms and a neutral spine. Lean back slightly as your knees begin straightening.

Finish: As your knees are about to become straight, transition the pull into your arms. Lean back slightly, using the power of your back to pull the handle to finish slightly below your ribs. Make sure your wrists stay loose but straight.

Recover: Lean forward again, extending your arms back out. Once your hands pass in front of your knees, re-bend your legs. Continue sliding forward in the seat until you reach the catch position again. Repeat from there.

 

Rowing Machine Workout benefits

Rowing is a viable workout for all abilities, ages, sizes, and fitness levels. There's more than one reason why rowing machines show up in all kinds of fitness protocols, from basic warm-ups to serving an integral role in some of the toughest workouts.

First, rowing machine workout is a full-body workout. Maybe it seems only works your arms and legs, but honestly, while rowing, the major muscles in your legs, arms, back, and core must all activate, target 85% of your body's muscles in order to perform the full movement or stroke properly. Row machine workouts provide a total body workout that will increase your body strength as well as your cardiovascular capacity.' – the machine involves cardio and strength training at the same time.

water rowing machine

Secondly, rowing machines workouts are a good choice to do HIIT without impact. With a seated row machine you can work at the highest intensity you like, with the lowest impact on your body.Compare this with do HIIT on the treadmill, who will have ankle or knee pain from running too far or too quickly. That’s why I say rowing is a viable workout for all abilities, ages, sizes, and fitness levels.

Thirdly, If you're trying to lose body fat with regular cardio and strength training, rowing allows you to raise your heart rate more times a week without getting as sore. This is because rowing requires concentric muscle movement, not eccentric like other workouts. Let me explain it more clearly,  concentric movement is a type of muscle activation that causes tension in your muscle as it shortens. In contrast, eccentric movement lengthens muscles under load – like when you do a squat, for example, which leads to a breakdown of muscle tissue and new tissue to be grown.

Last but not least, rowing is a full-body workout,so it will see a difference faster. Compare with the workout on indoor exercise bikes or treadmills, they usually target your lower body, so, you have to spend extra time to do upper body workouts and gain the same fitness benefits as rowing machine workouts.

Rowing machine workout plans

15 minutes rowing workouts plan

TIME

PACE

STROKES PER MIN.

HEART RATE

0-2 MINUTES WARM UP

2:30

16-18

55-70% HEART RATE MAX

40 SECONDS FAST

2:00

26-28

65-75% HEART RATE MAX

20 SECONDS SLOW

2:20

18-20

60% HEART RATE MAX

40 SECONDS FAST

2:00

26-28

65-75% HEART RATE MAX

20 SECONDS SLOW

2:20

18-20

60% HEART RATE MAX

40 SECONDS FAST

2:00

26-28

70-80% HEART RATE MAX

20 SECONDS SLOW

2:20

18-20

60% HEART RATE MAX

40 SECONDS FAST

2:00

26-28

70-80% HEART RATE MAX

20 SECONDS SLOW

2:30

18-20

60% HEART RATE MAX

2 MINUTE REST

REPEAT 3 MORE TIMES

COOL DOWN

 

15 minutes rowing workouts plan

20 minutes rowing workouts plan

Time

What To Do

PACE(MINS.PER 500METERS)

Strokes(PER MINUTE)

Exertion Level

0-3

WARM-UP

2:30

16-18

3

3-6

ROW

2:14

20-22

5-6

6-8

ROW

2:12

22-24

6

8-9

ROW

2:10

24-26

7

9-10

STRETCH

-

-

-

10-14

ROW

2:12

22-24

6

14-17

ROW

2:20

25-26

7

17-18

ROW

2:08

26-28

8-9

18-20

COOL DOWN

2:30

16-18

3

 

20 minutes rowing workouts plan

38 minutes HIIT rowing machine workouts plan

Warm-Up

10 min easy row

Interval 1

30 sec sprint* (max effort)

30 sec rest

Repeat 5 rounds

2 min air squats

Interval 2

30 sec sprint* (max effort)

30 sec rest

Repeat 5 rounds

2 min push-ups

Interval 3

30 sec sprint* (max effort)

30 sec rest

Repeat 5 rounds

2 min air squats

*Stroke rate should be 26-32

 

38 minutes HIIT rowing machine workouts plan

Rowing is an ideal choice to workout at home,set up the best budget rowing machine now,you can find the best rowing machine under $500.

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