How To Strengthen Your Body Using a Rower

Opting for an exercise program and working towards getting in shape can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t mean you need to scale mountains when it comes to your fitness. Using a rower is an excellent way to improve your overall health. It offers a complete body workout and is known to burn almost 10 to 15% more calories than cycling. It is one of the most versatile equipment in the gym and is extremely easy to use for all ages and fitness levels.

A rowing machine mimics the motion of rowing a boat in the water and the primary muscles worked are the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, back and arms. Let us look at some of the benefits the rower machine has to offer:

⦁ Ease of Use

Working out on a rower is relatively simple and is ideal for all ages. However, it is vital to ensure that you know the proper rowing technique to maximize your workout and reduce the chances of injury.

⦁ Endurance Training
Rowing exercise works out all the major muscle groups of your body. With consistent exercise, long-term benefits include improved endurance and increased overall energy

⦁ Effective Aerobic Workout
Since major muscle groups are used while working out, it provides an effective way to raise your heart rate and increase oxygen intake.

⦁ Weight Loss
A rowing machine can help you burn out an average of 600 calories in an hour. What’s more, regular workouts will ensure toned muscles and an increase in stamina.

⦁ Low-impact Cardio
The motion of rowing exercise is natural and low impact in nature. It puts minimal stress on the joints and can be used by the elderly and people with joint problems.

Most people shy away from the rowing machine because they don’t know how to use it. It is important to get the technique right to prevent any injuries. Let us begin by understanding how to perform the simple rowing exercise and then move onto variations.

1. Simple Rowing
Begin by sitting on the rower and bending your knees. Next, put your foot in the hold, extend your arms and grab the handle firmly. Keep in mind to not hunch your back and make sure that your abs are tight. Now straighten your legs, pull the handle and lean back, making a 45-degree angle. Keep your arms extended and lean forward to the original position. Do 10 reps of this exercise.

2. Extreme Rowing
An extreme rowing workout focuses on increasing the cardio activity rate. However, it reduces the intensity of resistance. This leads to extra calories being burnt and greater aerobic activity. This variation is quite similar to simple rowing. Begin by straightening your legs and pulling the handle half way through. Now increase the speed of rowing and do as many as you can under 1 minute. You can increase the speed of rowing and the time period to intensify the exercise.

3. Side Rows
A side row workout is great when it comes to working on arm muscles. They also help in toning the waistline and increase the pressure on the chest. In this variation, bend your knees and put your feet in the hold. Ensure that your back is erect. Now straighten your legs, pull the handle to your right side and lean back. Do 8 reps and repeat the same process for the left side as well.

4. Long Distance
A long distance workout focuses on lowering the cardio activity rate and improving resistance. In this variation, start with simple rowing but ensure that you are doing it by slowing down your pace. Now, lean back at a 45-degree angle and stretch as much as you can while pulling the handle. Pay attention to your back and don’t hunch it. Do 10 reps of this exercise.