Rowing machine help for a newbie.

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soxy_06
soxy_06 Posts: 4
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello i am looking to use the rowing machine i have read up and watched videos on how to use it properly but i'm wondering how long i should do it for to start off? Thank you.

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  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
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    I just started rowing as cross-training not too long ago, and my first time I did ~30 minutes. My hands were so tired that night I could barely write, and I was super sore the next day! I would start with 15 minutes maybe and work up to longer sessions, especially if the rowing machine works muscles you don't frequently work out. I run primarily, so using my arms/back was a shock to the system! Haha.
  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
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    Which rowing machine are you looking at using? I've taken rowing classes in the past, similar to a spin class, but on a Concept2 Rowing Machine (Ergometer). Proper form is definitely a must for this exercise. It's truly a full body exercise, and you'll use your legs much more than you'd expect.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Rowing is great for you. You should be using your legs and core more than your arms. Make sure your shoulders are back, so that you aren't rounding your back.

    I set my damper to 5. Foot straps should be securing the ball of your foot to the the foot holds.

    The trick is to use your legs on the first part of the pull. When they are almost straight, then use your arms/shoulders to rip the handle into just below your chest. Then, keeping the cord as straight as possible, unfold your arms first and slide up to starting positing. It's not how many pulls you do, it's how much power you bring to each pull.
  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
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    PRMinx wrote: »
    The trick is to use your legs on the first part of the pull. When they are almost straight, then use your arms/shoulders to rip the handle into just below your chest. Then, keeping the cord as straight as possible, unfold your arms first and slide up to starting positing. It's not how many pulls you do, it's how much power you bring to each pull.

    Thank you for verbalizing what I couldn't state nearly so clearly. It's painful to watch some of the reality TV shows on weight loss to see how bad the form is on rowing!

  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    JohnBarth wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    The trick is to use your legs on the first part of the pull. When they are almost straight, then use your arms/shoulders to rip the handle into just below your chest. Then, keeping the cord as straight as possible, unfold your arms first and slide up to starting positing. It's not how many pulls you do, it's how much power you bring to each pull.

    Thank you for verbalizing what I couldn't state nearly so clearly. It's painful to watch some of the reality TV shows on weight loss to see how bad the form is on rowing!

    No problem! I have a hard time running, so I practically live on the rower now when I need an extra cardio boost. It's definitely tricky until someone shows you how to be effective and then you still need to practice...a lot. LOL.
  • aam117
    aam117 Posts: 284 Member
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    Concept2 has a ton of resources on their website, including advice for newbie or "novice" rowers. Definitely look through some of their videos on technique to make sure you get the proper form nailed before you start trying to row longer times or distances. Rowing is an excellent full body workout that is also fairly low impact when done correctly. There are forums, daily workouts, an online logbook, and other stuff available free on their website. There is also a group on MFP (although it is a pain to search for since it is not one of the most popular groups) for those interested in rowing. We have people who are brand new to indoor rowing and basically got into it for fitness reasons all the way up to people who have extensive rowing experience competing or even coaching. The rowing community in general is really friendly and willing to share tips, tricks, ideas, etc. :)

    Depending on your fitness level, I would start with much less than 30 minutes (after recovering from an injury and basically starting from scratch I did 1000m the first day and built each day by 500m or so depending on how my body was feeling.)
  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
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    I have a C2 standing up in my basement that hasn't been used in a few months. While I've been walking a ton and lifting weights 3x/week, I really need to get on the Erg again!

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