rowing

lovelylela415
lovelylela415 Posts: 91 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
started using the stationary rowing machine a ton and love it.

just wondering if it's any better than the eliptical with regard to a) calorie burn and b) strength

noticed my knees ached a bit after so i'm also researching proper form

any tips tricks or knowledge? would love to know if there are others who enjoy the rowing machine

(it's my new cardio love!)

Replies

  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
    pendlay rows and yates rows. supplement with t-bar rows and dumbbell rows. Of course, chin ups and pulls ups are great too.

    If you want cardio burn, do barbell complexes. geez
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
    It's a full body work out. I used to row in college. Essentially your form should be smooth, not jerky. You pulling the stick/oar is smooth.

    Start stroke: Push off from your feet, your body slides back and the last movement is your pulling back the oar/stick.

    Going back, you follow the same pattern, but backwards.

    End stroke: Loosen the slack on the stick/oar, let it pull you forward, first hands, arms, body and then legs/feet are last.

    Now start the stroke again by pushing off from your feet and legs.

    That's proper form and the best way for your body to get an equal workout. Hope that helps!
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member

    just wondering if it's any better than the eliptical with regard to a) calorie burn and b) strength

    Like with any machine, it all comes down to how hard you push yourself. Whichever activity gets your heart rate higher is probably burning more calories.

    The rower works your upper back muscles more than the elliptical. But neither develops much strength. Do strength training if you want strength

    Check the rowing form videos on Concept2's website: http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/training/technique-videos

    As far as the knee pain, try adjusting the machine so that your feet are a little higher, if there is such an adjustment.
  • lovelylela415
    lovelylela415 Posts: 91 Member
    Thanks for the feedback and responses.

    regarding cardio and barbell complexes: I do those sometimes, and have done them but fyi, i really love a good burn and a good sweat, so i do certain kinds of cardio that i like for just that reason. If you look back at my posts you will see that I am very active and am actively training, strength, weights, circuits. I was referring to rowing for cardio because barbell complexes don't fulfill me the same way good cardio does. Maybe it's because I used to run all the time, who knows.

    I do yates rows et al 3x/ week. Just because I asked about rowing doesn't mean i am not already actively engaged in a strength training program...

    i can often stay on an eliptical for 90 minutes and that's not because I am trying to burn 1k calories, it's usually because there are certain things about straight cardio that I just love. my love of sweating and getting my heart going and HIIT etc does not mean i'm not also doing a lot of strength training.

    I'm going to look for feet adjustments - thanks for the tip! Also the videos are very helpful. thanks for those too!

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