If you're only doing one type of training, we hate to break it to you, but you're doing it wrong. Adding some cross-training to your routine, like the rowing machine workouts we're teaching you now, is important for your overall fitness.
El cross training It's important to prevent injury and strengthen muscles you don't use when doing the same activity over and over again (like running or biking). The rower does this particularly well. Your upper body (like your chest) is leaning forward on a bike, and rowing opens these muscles up while strengthening the posterior side of your body (like your back and the back of your legs).
Rowing also allows you to increase your intensity without increasing your impact, which is especially helpful for injury prevention. Furthermore, it is one of the few machines that provides cardiovascular and strength training benefits. You use 80% of your muscles when rowing, that is, your legs, the largest muscles in your body.
Rowing machine training to improve speed
To be faster on your other routines, you have to be faster on this machine. These are sprint intervals, so your split times should be around 1:50 or less.
- 100m row, 30 sec rest, repeat 5 times
- 150m row, 45 sec rest, repeat 5 times
- 200m row, 60 sec rest, repeat 5 times
- 2 minutes of rest
- 200m row, 60 sec rest, repeat 5 times
- 150m row, 45 sec rest, repeat 5 times
- 100m row, 30 sec rest, repeat 5 times
Training to strengthen resistance
Here you should paddle hard, but not too fast. Split time should be around 2 minutes and decrease towards the end of each push.
- 1-Minute Row, 30-Second Rest: Hold the drive position (aka, sit at the back of the machine with your legs straight) and do arm motions while you rest.
- Row 2 minutes, rest 60 seconds (30 seconds true rest; 30 seconds holding the riding position on the back of the machine doing arm strokes while resting)
- 3 minute row, 90 second rest (30 seconds true rest; 30 seconds holding the riding position on the back of the machine doing arm movements while resting; 30 seconds of leg movements only: arms stay straight, straighten and bend the legs)
- Row 4 minutes, rest 2 minutes (60 seconds of true rest; 30 seconds holding the riding position on the back of the machine doing arm movements while resting; 30 seconds of leg movements only)
- 5 minute row
5 quite common mistakes that we usually make on the rowing machine
full body cross training
This machine already works a ton of muscles, but this workout gets you out of it for a real full-body challenge. This workout is the complete package. You'll work your core, legs, and arms, then do some metabolic conditioning with burpees. Sorry in advance, but you're going to suffer.
- Simple 5 minute warm up
- 10 oars; 5 push-ups + 5 push-ups. Repeat 2 more times.
- 20 oars; 10 reverse lunges + 10 squat jumps. Repeat 2 more times.
- 30 oars; 10 burpees. Repeat 2 more times.
- 30 second rows; 30 second table. Repeat 5 times.
- Back to the calm