Rowing machine

Lightfoot_R
Lightfoot_R Posts: 157 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone using a rowing machine?
Water or magnetic?
Is it helping on your journey?

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,841 Member
    I have a Concept 2, which (I believe) is neither of those options.
    We bought it mainly for my BF, but I find it helpful for crosstraining (variation from running frequently).
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    I also have a Concept 2 - think I've had it since 2004, or maybe 2005? - and I use it a lot, but now is not the season. Right now, the river here is fluid, not solid, so I'm in rowing shells on the water regularly instead. I use the machine routinely in Winter.

    Concept 2 is a flywheel style machine, designed and engineered by real engineers who are also former national team - i.e. Olympic - rowers. It's the machine that's been around widely for years (starting early 1980s), and is still the one most commonly used by on-water rowers for indoor training. (I'm not dissing the other machines when I say this. There are other good-quality machines on the market these days.)
  • knotmel
    knotmel Posts: 80 Member
    Another Concept 2 user. I love it. It's a great complement to the running I do, and a great substitute when I'm injured or it's just too hot to run.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Yet another Concept 2 user.

    Like Ann I’ve had mine for years and years now and wouldn’t consider buying anything (she probably puts more meters on hers than me) as it’s operated flawlessly with minimal maintenance. It’s the erg of choice for university and Olympic rower’s off season training and is remarkably affordable when compared to other machines.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    I also have a Concept 2.

    I don't use it to help me lose/maintain weight...just more for fitness and to be able to get a workout in without leaving the house. I love it.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    I also have a Concept 2.

    I don't use it to help me lose/maintain weight...just more for fitness and to be able to get a workout in without leaving the house. I love it.

    Yeah, great point. I forgot that part.

    Me, I machine rowed literally millions of meters (and millions more on water, though I don't have a total of those) . . . all while staying overweight/obese for over 10 years. I got fitter along the way by quite a lot, but no notable change in body weight until I committed to get the eating part of things right.

    Rowing can be a great workout and a good calorie burner (with decent technique). There's no workout that alone assures weight loss: I'm a poster child for that.
  • justlog2day
    justlog2day Posts: 44 Member
    Another C2 user here. I don't use it much for about 5-6 months of the year as I spend most of that energy outside running and bike riding.

    However for the rest of the year, I use it quite a bit and have been for about 9 years. It's a great machine for general fitness but as already stated, a machine unto itself doesn't ensure weight loss (that's calorie deficit).
  • Jacq_qui
    Jacq_qui Posts: 443 Member
    I use it in the gym, I do 2000m for a warm up. I like it, it's low impact, increases HR and works a few muscle groups!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    Exercise for fitness and not to directly lose weight. The majority of people who gain weight that were leaner before is usually because they reduced their physical activity but didn't change their eating habits.
    \
    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,520 Member
    I want a C2!!!! New $1000, a good used one $999.99. They seem to hold up and are timeless.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    So, @Lightfoot_R: Do you have a rowing machine? Considering purchasing one?

    If you've read that they give a good workout, but haven't tried it, I'd suggest you try to find a place where you can try one out (not necessarily the brand you'd buy, but any of Concept 2, Water Rower, and some others are reasonable machines found in gyms or clubs). Try it a few times, see if you actually like it, before you buy.

    A thing to know is that rowing isn't is as intuitive a motion as something like a treadmill, elliptical, bike, or stair climber. It's surprisingly technical! (One of the pretty-athletic participants in a learn-to-row class I help teach recently compared it to golf, in how much technical details matter. That's true for machine as well as on-water.)

    I'm not trying to discourage you. A normal person can for sure do it correctly, but some attention to technique at first can improve odds that you'll get a good workout in the longer term, and avoid injury. At first, go slowly, and work on technique. There are good videos and such we could recommend if you go in the rowing direction.

    Among other issues, the most common types of rowing machines don't have a resistance setting (despite some levers that look like they'd be that!). Instead, the more energy you put into one stroke, the harder the next stroke will be . . . so the harder you go, the harder the workout gets. The issue is that sub-ideal technique limits how much energy you can put into the mechanism (flywheel, water, whatever), so limits how intense a workout you can get as you get fitter.

    Probably obvious from the above, but I love rowing, could talk about it all day long way past the point of boring any normal audience. If you have questions, please ask. I've been rowing for around 20 years, took rowing coaching certification classes (to level 2 of 3) from USRowing, have attended a dozen or so well-coached rowing camps or coaching seminars. I'm not selling anything, except maybe trying to sell people on the idea that rowing is really fun. ;)
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,226 Member
    My elliptical rower. Best conditioning machine I've ever usedormnezvepe50.png
  • Lightfoot_R
    Lightfoot_R Posts: 157 Member
    @AnnPT77
    Thanks for all the info!
    I haven’t used one before.
    Looking for something low impact but also helps with cardio.
    Thanks again
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    Lightfoot_R wrote: »
    @AnnPT77
    Thanks for all the info!
    I haven’t used one before.
    Looking for something low impact but also helps with cardio.
    Thanks again

    Rower would be one good candidate, for sure. Stationary bike (or even regular bike) would be another. Both of those do require leg power, but it's in a straight-line hinge direction for the knee. For me, that's easier on my bad knees (arthritis, torn meniscus) than things that require impact or torque on the knees. While still obese, I did both for multiple years, though more rowing than biking, without increasing my knee damage. (That'll be individual.)

    Some types of pool exercise will also be low impact cardio. There are lots of good options!

    P.S. IMO, boats and outdoor bikes are more fun than the machines. I turn to machines in our icy, snowy Winters, though.
  • knotmel
    knotmel Posts: 80 Member
    One thing I really love about rowing for cardio is that I can get my heart rate way up doing sprint intervals in a low impact way. For whatever reason, adding sprints to my runs often leads to injury (OK, I know the reason—going too fast, too soon—but I have a hard time ramping things up slowly). It’s been a great low impact / high intensity addition to my routine. (I also enjoy low intensity rows—but I can get low intensity through walking or slow runs as well.)
  • mrmota70
    mrmota70 Posts: 533 Member
    edited July 2023
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    My elliptical rower. Best conditioning machine I've ever used[]

    I second that. I believe yours is the Teeter one. Mine is similar to yours. If it had an engine I’d be doing some demolition driving.

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  • trippingfrogs
    trippingfrogs Posts: 4 Member
    I’m just getting into rowing. I found good intro videos on YouTube from Darkhorse rowing. I like them because 1. The guy gives good instruction and focuses on form 2. He makes 30 minutes fly by. 3. There are a variety of videos from 10, 20, or 30 minutes so I don’t have an excuse not to row.

    I tried rowing without the videos and burned out in 10 min because I was doing it all wrong (imagine wanting to run a mile but sprinting the first 100 meters, that was me but on a rower)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    trippingfrogs wrote: »
    I’m just getting into rowing. I found good intro videos on YouTube from Darkhorse rowing. I like them because 1. The guy gives good instruction and focuses on form 2. He makes 30 minutes fly by. 3. There are a variety of videos from 10, 20, or 30 minutes so I don’t have an excuse not to row.

    I tried rowing without the videos and burned out in 10 min because I was doing it all wrong (imagine wanting to run a mile but sprinting the first 100 meters, that was me but on a rower)

    Dark Horse is a solid source, IMO.
  • Opalescent_Topaz
    Opalescent_Topaz Posts: 132 Member
    I have a water rower. The noise is meditative and it looks like something a Hobbit might build because mine is wooden. I don't row on the water (yet).
  • gentlygently
    gentlygently Posts: 752 Member
    I hired a water rower - loved the water swoosh noise and feel of the machine. Found the rowing deadly boring though - tried a few ways to spice it up - but basically I needed to be on real water.

    I returned the rower, got my bike out of the shed with success and am still trying to get to the pool more regularly….

    Rent before you buy?
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,841 Member
    gentlygently wrote: »
    I hired a water rower - loved the water swoosh noise and feel of the machine. Found the rowing deadly boring though - tried a few ways to spice it up - but basically I needed to be on real water.

    I returned the rower, got my bike out of the shed with success and am still trying to get to the pool more regularly….

    Rent before you buy?

    To be fair, a lot of indoor cardio can be boring? My cardio equipment is set up in front of a TV.
  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 1,241 Member
    I live the rowing machine at the gym. Treadmills and such don't do a thing for me... :)
  • williamsonmj1
    williamsonmj1 Posts: 85 Member
    I have used rowers a bit (a C2) and I really rate them. Reasons I like them:
    • They are the best warmup for lifting- you are warming up legs, lower back, upper back arms etc. Break a sweat on a C2, and you can go straight to the bar if you want.
    • Related to the above, they engage more of the body than any other cardio machine except maybe a versaclimber.
    • They are good for doing high intensity/sprints etc, because you can't really fall off or slip. You can just stop pretty much any time.
    • They are light and easy to move around.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,508 Member
    I have the Concept 2 Rower and love it.
    imho - it's the best out there, for sure

    That being said...

    So, the Concept 2 Rower is fantastic, therefore, I also bought the Concept 2 Bike Erg.

    What a mistake. The Bike Erg is a horrible design on so many levels.
    It's really a train wreck of a bike design and it shows up in it's performance, or lack thereof.
    I realize that the Bike Erg is popular with the kipping pull-up, kombucha swilling crowd.

    Anyway....

    It's so bad that I went out and bought a Keiser Spin Bike M3.

    The Keiser is fantastic.

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