A rowing machine gives you the feel of an actual boat, and you don't have to step foot outside. Training on a rowing machine burns calories and tones muscles in the lower and upper body. The glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, biceps and latissimus dorsi are the most notable of these. The lats are the muscles in the upper back. If you are new to rowing machines, learn how to use them in a workout.
Dynamic Warm-Up
When you exercise on a rowing machine, multiple joints are being activated along with your muscles. Sitting on the machine cold without loosening up can increase your chances for injury. Spend five minutes doing dynamic stretches to acclimate your body to movement. Dynamic stretches seem to be more effective than static stretches at reducing muscle stiffness, which is thought to increase the likelihood of muscle tears, according to the Sports Fitness Advisor website. Static stretches are held for an extended period of time, while dynamic stretches are performed in motion. Do stretches leg swings, shoulder shrugs, spinal rotations, arm crossovers, ankle bounces and reverse lunges.
Features
After you finish a dynamic warm-up, board the rowing machine and perform another warm-up. The idea is to row for five to 10 minutes to slowly raise your core body temperature. This will also further loosen up your muscles and joints. During this warm-up, start slowly and gradually increase your intensity. Once you get to a point that you're breathing heavily and breaking a sweat, remain at that pace for your whole workout.
Proper Form
Maintaining proper form while you exercise will help you row with more efficiency. Once you sit on the seat, place your feet about shoulder-width apart on the platform or foot rests and grab the handle on the ends. Sit up straight, and push yourself back by extending your knees. As you do this, pull the handle to your upper stomach and pinch your shoulder blades together. Reverse the motion by bending your knees and extending your arms. When you push yourself back, straighten your legs, but do not lock out your knees. Keep your gaze fixed forward throughout, and tighten your abs to generate power.
Time Frame
The American College of Sports Medicine has established exercise guidelines for those who work out for health purposes and weight loss. If you're trying to lose weight, aim for 60 to 90 minutes of rowing; if you're simply trying to reduce your disease risk and maintain health, aim for 30 minutes. Work out five or six days every week for the best results. To make it easier to reach the higher time frame, work out in the morning and evening. Multiple exercise sessions during the day are just as effective as one.
Interval Training
If you're looking to amp up your workouts, mix intervals into your sessions. Interval training not only burns a high number of calories but also boosts your aerobic capacity. Start your workouts with a regular warm-up, then row as fast as you can for 20 seconds. Reduce your intensity for 40 seconds, then row hard again for 40 seconds. Continue this sequence for the rest of your workout. These times are only examples; it doesn't matter how long your high-intensity bout is. Just make sure your low- intensity interval is twice as long.
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