If you want to get in a total body cardiovascular workout, it's hard to beat the rowing machine for. When you row with proper form and technique you engage muscles throughout your body. The American College of Sports Medicine explains the rowing machine's benefits to your health and fitness. During different stages of the rowing stroke, you use muscles in your legs, core and upper body to generate force. This also occurs without any impact forces on your body.
Abs and Lower Back
Rowing instructor Angela Hart explains in an article in the "CrossFit Journal" that you begin your rowing stroke in the catch position--knees flexed and arms extended. In this position, you engage your abs and make sure that you have your back straight. As you begin the drive phase you keep your lower back and abs engaged to help stabilize your upper body and allow energy to transfer efficiently from your lower body. The specific muscles engaged in your lower back and abs include your rectus adominus and erector spinea.
Quads
You initiate the rowing machines second phase--the drive--by forcefully extending your legs. To accomplish this, you primarily utilize your quadriceps, the group of four muscles on the front of your thighs. Because you begin with your knees flexed and finish the drive phase with your legs fully extended, you strengthen your quads through their full range of motion. Your quads get a brief respite when you recover back to the starting position before you need to use them to again explosively contract and initiate another stroke.
Lats, Traps and Biceps
Your latimus dorsi and trapezius are the two of the large muscles in your upper back. These muscles begin moving the rowing handle into your abdomen during the second part of the drive phase--after your legs have already instantiated you movement away from your starting position. At the same time, your back muscles work to pull the handle in, you also utilize your biceps to create the necessary elbow flexion needed to finish the drive phase with the handle pulled all the way to your abdomen.
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