Rowing Machines

Rowing machines provide a pretty much unique workout. With a rowing machine (or rower) you get an excellent cardiovascular workout combined with a strength workout. Rowers exercise pretty much all of the body. Have you ever looked at an Oxford or Cambridge rower and wondered how they get so fit and well built? Yes, they'll train in the gym but most of their exercise is in rowing.

Rowing machines let you exercise your upper body muscles like your pecs, biceps and triceps, back muscles like your lats, core muscles (abs) and leg muscles including the calves, hamstrings, quads and glutes – all in one piece of equipment. Add the benefits of a cardiovascular workout and the rowing machine soon becomes the most important piece of fitness equipment you'll ever buy. Depending on you goals, regular rowing machine exercise can improve you BMI score, help you lose weight, help you gain strength and improve overall fitness quickly.

Rowing machines are a great fitness tool for men and women alike. When used at a less intensive level, a rowing machine is great for overall fitness, tone and weight loss. A good half hour on a rowing machine like a Waterrower should soon give good fitness results. If you don't want to push yourself too hard, a rowing machine can cater for that. On the other hand, if you want to blast your rowing machine for peak fitness gains, you can also do that too. For serious rowers we recommend the Waterrower and Concept 2 Rowing Machine for durability and ultra smooth feel. These rowing machines also have unique sounds which is a sometimes overlooked factor but makes the rowing experience more pleasurable.

A good example of a rowing machine workout uses the Kettler Coach LS Rower. This rowing machine has been designed so that you can perform other workouts on top of your regular rowing exercises. A 30 minute or 2000m row followed by a series of arm curls, tricep curls and squats. These exercises add to the calorie burning qualities of your workout and you'd burn between 250-300 calories in this workout.

When you are purchasing a rowing machine there are several things that you need to take into consideration.

Warranty - As with any other piece of home fitness equipment be sure to check the warranty on a cross trainer before making your purchase.Most rowing machines will come with at least a one year parts and labour warranty with higher quality manufacturers offering a two or even three years warranty.

Space – Rowing machines are a large pieces of fitness equipment so they take up a relatively large amount of space when compared to other variations of fitness equipment such as cross trainers and exercise bikes. The size of your rowing machine will depend on your personal preferences if you have long legs then we recommend purchase a rowing machine with a good length seat rail, whereas for a shorter user we recommend a shorter length seat rail which will mean your rowing machine will be more compact model. We recommend that before making your purchase you take some time to measure the space you have available and compare it to the dimensions of the rowing machine before making your choice. If you have a limited amount of space for a rowing machine, there are some models available which fold away for quick and easy storage.

User/Users - It is important to consider who will be using the rowing machine before making your purchase Different types of users may have certain requirements. Tall users will require a rowing machine which has a long seat rail, where as a shorter user would be more suited to a rowing machine which has a small seat rail.

Rowing machines offer a low impact, cardio workout which makes them suitable for most types of users. For those who are overweight, over 50 or who experience respiratory problems we recommend that you consult your GP before undertaking exercise. A rowing machine is the ideal piece of fitness equipment for those who are looking to improve suppleness and posture and those looking to improve both their endurance and strength.

Rowing Machine Resistance Types – Rowing machines come in three variations.

Air Rowers - Air rowers are often referred to as flywheel rowers. Air rowers are powered by the resistance provided by wind. This is caused by the fan blades attached, which in turn cause the flywheel to spin. The resistance of the rower can be altered depending on the strength of the users.

The most popular air rower is the Concept 2 indoor Rower. The Concept 2 Indoor Rower delivers proven performance and fitness benefits. Introduced in 2003, the Model D can be found in homes, health clubs, schools and training rooms around the globe.

Magnetic Rowing Machines - Magnetic rowers are designed to give you a smooth rowing action throughout your workout, which simulates rowing across water. Magnetic rowers offer you a smooth and variable resistance. In addition to their perfect feel and drive, they are virtually silent utilising a magnetic brake system that produces no friction.

Water Rowers - Water rowers are designed to emulate the dynamics created by a boat in water. Waterrower were the first company to produce the innovative water-based rowing machine in 1988. The Waterrower uses a unique Water Flywheel design to create resistance that replicates real rowing much more realistically that most other rowing machines available today.

As you use water resistance when using a Waterrower, you get a super smooth, realistic action that gets harder the more your push and the longer you exercise, just like rowing in real life. You'll also find the build quality to be superb on your Waterrower. The seat is especially well made both for comfort and effortless movement, something which is sometimes overlooked in lesser quality rowers.

Each variation of rowing machine have their advantages and disadvantages but it really just depends on your preference, fitness requirements and the quality of the rowing machine.

Controls and Programmes - Rowing machines usually don't come with workout programmes as the speed and resistance of the rowing machine is usually completely works on how hard and fast you pull on the row arm of the rowing machine. If you find you lack motivation in training we recommend you look for a rowing machine which features a a heart rate monitor and console that displays your workout feedback as this is likely to help keep you motivated.

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