Fitness Equipment-What’s A Rowing Machine?

Contemporary rowing machines bear only a slight resemblance to their ancestors. But, like the older ones, a modern rowing machine provides a full body workout.

Picture a platform with a seat. Now imagine something to grab onto and pull backwards against resistance. That’s a rowing machine in a nutshell. But from that elementary starting point, the designs vary widely.

Some machines look a lot like a rowboat of the type that might have been used at Cambridge University in the 19th century. With long oars set in a guide, a crew of six or more could glide through the water at a speed they hoped was a little greater than their rivals at Oxford. Today’s adaptation puts the boat in drydock and shortens the oars, but the look is much the same.

More up-to-date designs will eliminate the oars entirely, in favor of arms that pivot and provide adjustable resistance, to give just the upper body workout you want. Some go so far as to not have arms at all, simply using ropes with handles to give you something to grip and pull.

Materials have evolved, too. Gone are the elegant but sturdy woods of yesteryear. Today’s rowing machines are manufactured from nearly indestructible alloys of stainless steel and modern composites. The ball-bearings, gears and more should last a lifetime in a good rowing machine. They should also be so quiet you barely hear a whisper in the background.

One of the biggest differences, though, is in the resistance method. Most use either a piston, magnetic force, air resistance or water inertia.

The piston resistance type uses hydraulic cylinders attached to the arms. The motion may not be as smooth as other methods, but these tend to be less expensive. Magnetic resistance models use electromagnets to provide a counter force to your pull. They’re smoother and very quiet, and usually adjustable, but they’re often larger.

Air resistance rowers react to the rate of pull, increasing as you move faster, but they can be noisier. Water resistance rowing machines also change as you pull faster and can be adjusted by adding or removing water to or from a tank. They take up more space than other models, though, and they are heavier.

Any model will give a good all-round workout. While the emphasis is on upper body development, including all the back muscles, the pecs, the biceps and triceps and more, a rowing machine actually works everything. Hamstrings and glutes get a workout because at the same time you’re ‘rowing’ the ‘oars’ you are either moving the seat back and forth (some models), or getting a good isometric workout (stationary seat models) for the legs.

Because of all this resistance and movement, a rowing machine offers a terrific cardiovascular workout, too. The pulse rate will increase, body temperature will rise slightly and the sweat can pour off. All those help keep the heart, lungs and blood vessels in top shape.

Because of the effort involved, with large muscle groups working hard and the heart pounding away, the opportunity to burn many calories is always present. You’ll find that the numbers for a vigorous workout are equal to a good long run or a lengthy spinning cycle routine. Rowing is a great way to firm up the whole body and keep body fat percentage down.

In the days of old, rowing machines looked a lot like a rowboat on land. Today, they’ve evolved into high-tech wonders that provide an excellent workout. Still, many of the same basic fitness goals are achieved. All that for a price (usually between $599-$799) that is typically far below what you’d pay for a good treadmill or elliptical.

A combination of the tried-and-true with the latest in contemporary design at a great price… what more could anyone ask?