questions about row machines

atthebeach08

I just bought a row machine.Is this work-out considered Cardio,strength training or both? Will doing 20 minutes 4 times a week tone up all area's or is something else needed for this? Thanks to anyone who replies...

nguk123

If you are repeating a movement continously for minutes at a time rather than a few seconds, its mostly your aerobic system and slower twitch muscles getting worked.

Azdak

You will notice an initial increase in strength as your body adapts to the movement, but that is not the same as strength training as gains will stop once you have adapted to the movement. Rowing is aerobic.

atthebeach08

Your correct about the aerobic part but I started to regret buying the machine and felt discouraged after your responseSo I called a gym trainer and she said my machine will burn 50% more calories while strenghtening nearly all my muscles from shoulders to calfs. She said row machines burn as many calories in 10 minutes as doing 30 minutes on the treadmill and easier on my knees. She told me to break my row routine up,doing 9 minutes,take a break doing lunges or weights and then do another 9 minutes.

Timshel_

I love rowing. It is a combination of (mostly) cardio with strength training if your machince allows for pull resistance.

Lupercalia

It's still cardio, as the previous replies have said. Rowing is really great exercise, but it isn't strength training.

arc918

technique is really important in rowing, lots of people at the gym just sit down and slide around while yanking on the handle


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhGfdYlXqBI

Alta2000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqVmMd7FdAA&feature=endscreen

That's one of the best and most detailed video on rowing. It is great workout for glutes, legs, arms, and back.

Azdak

Your correct about the aerobic part but I started to regret buying the machine and felt discouraged after your responseSo I called a gym trainer and she said my machine will burn 50% more calories while strenghtening nearly all my muscles from shoulders to calfs. She said row machines burn as many calories in 10 minutes as doing 30 minutes on the treadmill and easier on my knees. She told me to break my row routine up,doing 9 minutes,take a break doing lunges or weights and then do another 9 minutes.

Rowing is an excellent exercise--I did mean to discourage you in any way. But the facts are the facts--and any exercise that involves hundreds of repetitions will not effectively build or strengthen muscles the way that resistance exercise will. You cannot achieve sustained strength or sustained cardio improvement with the same movement.

However, your trainer is absolutely, 100% full of crap with her other remarks. Rowing is not some magic calorie burner. Calorie burn is entirely dependent on intensity--the harder you work the more calories you burn. If you work at the same intensity--whether on a rower, treadmill, stairmaster, bike, etc--you will burn the same number of calories.

When people make those kinds of comparisons--e.g. the one cited above that 10 min or rowing equals 30 min on a treadmill--they are not comparing workloads of equal intensity. The only way to burn 3x as many calories on a piece of equipment is to work 3x as hard. That's physiology, plain and simple.

Again, i am NOT in any way shape or form denigrating rowing as an exercise. If I had the space, I'd have a Concept 2 in my basement right now. .

feisma

As a former collegiate rower (and current owner of a Concept II)...rowing will add strength to a point. I was in the best shape ever when I was rowing back in college. BUT we also incorporated a couple of days of strength/resistance training in addition to the rowing. Look at bodyweight exercises as a good way to supplement what you're doing if you don't want to do the gym thing or spend more money on weights. Either way, rowing is still a great way to get a workout in. You can do steady state pieces or HIIT intervals and you will see some strength gains initially.

jaygreen55

I just bought a row machine.Is this work-out considered Cardio,strength training or both? Will doing 20 minutes 4 times a week tone up all area's or is something else needed for this? Thanks to anyone who replies...

http://www.livestrong.com/article/389081-is-a-rowing-machine-for-strength-training/

A rowing machine can be used for strength training as long as there is significant resistance applied throughout a consistent span of time. Ultimately, a rowing machine is used to condition the back while providing cardiovascular benefits. Some rowing machines benefit cardiovascular training while others benefit strength training.

Aerobic Rowing vs. Anaerobic Rowing
Rowing is an excellent exercise that builds muscle. Rowing requires the synchronous use of various muscles in the neck, back and shoulders. The back can be trained two ways, with aerobic training or anaerobic training. Aerobic training requires high levels of oxygen consumption. Examples of aerobic training are jogging, running and aerobics. Anaerobic training requires high levels of energy consumption in the form of sugar. An example of aerobic training is bodybuilding. Frederic H. Martini, writer of "Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology," says that athletes train to improve anaerobic endurance by performing frequent, brief, intensive workouts that stimulate muscle growth. Therefore, a rowing machine can be used for significant strength training as long as it has the option to increase resistance.


Rowing Machine Benefits
The rowing machine is an excellent tool for sustaining cardiovascular health. Indoor rowing works as an aerobic training exercise, with typical workouts consisting of steady pieces of 20 to 45 minutes. The rowing machine stresses many groups and can result in a small increase of muscle mass and strength. But the best way to increase muscle strength is through weightlifting.

Back Exercises for Strength Training
A strong rower needs a strong back. The rowing machine strengthens the back as long as there is an option to increase resistance. Bodybuilding exercises will drastically build muscle mass and strength. Two examples of exercises that build a strong back are barbell bent-over rows and seated cable rows. Ian King, writer of "Men's Health: The Muscle Book," says that proper form and execution of seated cable rows can give strength and muscle mass quickly. Implementing both exercises into a strength-training program will result in significant strength gain for back muscles.
Strength Training and Consistency
The rowing machine alone will not build strength. The most important factor for anyone who wants to build strength is consistency. Consistency refers to dedication. Consistent use of the rowing machine by a dedicated person results in a moderate increase of overall strength. The rowing machine provides optimal results for cardiovascular health, but it is not the best choice for strength training. Consistent resistance training increases strength.
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Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/389081-is-a-rowing-machine-for-strength-training/#ixzz2NM5gQFoB

atthebeach08

Thanks everyone for your input.

lbshipley

I routinely use a Concept 2 at my local gym. I love this rower but I haven't found a way to set personal information such as age and weight. Time and / or distance are able to set but I don't believe age and weight can be. Is there a way to do this on the Concept 2? If not can someone tell me if age and weight need to be factored into calorie burn when using the rower?

_noob_

anymore than 3 reps without failure is cardio...

Azdak

I routinely use a Concept 2 at my local gym. I love this rower but I haven't found a way to set personal information such as age and weight. Time and / or distance are able to set but I don't believe age and weight can be. Is there a way to do this on the Concept 2? If not can someone tell me if age and weight need to be factored into calorie burn when using the rower?

You cannot set weight on a Concept 2. There is a calculator on the Concept 2 website that translates watts into calories.

Erica_theRedhead

Mostly, it's aerobic cardio work. You can push yourself into an anaerobic state if instead of doing distance, you sprint. Do balls to the wall for 250-500m then rest for a few seconds, and repeat for about 10-15 minutes. It'll give you a little more calorie burn and maybe some afterburn as well.

Or combine a row with some weight exercises. Do like 250m, then some push ups, then 250m, then squats, 250m, then lunges and so on with little to no rest in between. That'll take it out of the cardio zone and help you get those important strength exercises in.

atthebeach08

I can't do any squats or exercises that irritate the knee's.I had the start of bone on bone.Surgeon suggested the weight loss and Synvix One shot in each knee. Those last 6 to 8 months and after losing 22 pounds (which surgeon said was 88 pounds of pressure off my knees) and 24 inches,there is much improvement.But squats and lunges still hurt. That is why I picked the row machine as if done right my knee's are ok.