Few pieces of exercise equipment offer the total body workout without impact than a rowing machine. While most cardiovascular exercises use the large muscles of the legs and glutes, rowing uses the lower and they upper body, as well as the core. Adjusting speed and tension allows you to vary your workout from a high speed cardio workout to a slower muscle focused workout or alternating both for interval training.
Cardiovascular
Rowing machines offer a low-impact cardiovascular exercise that gets the heart rate up and burns calories. Cardiovascular exercise forces the heart and lungs to work harder, training them to become stronger and function more efficiently. Using a rowing machine for 30 minutes can burn between 255 and 377 calories, making it an effective exercise for controlling weight.
Upper Body
The rowing machine simulates the rowing of a boat. On the pull-back motion, your legs extend first followed by the pull of the handles with your hands toward your chest. Pulling the handles engages muscles in the trapezius and posterior deltoids of the upper back, pectoralis major of the chest and biceps in the arms.
Lower Body
Rowing uses the large muscles in the thighs, which increase the heart rate for a cardio workout, as well as build muscle strength. In the starting position, legs are flexed and arms are extended forward. The initial power of the row starts from the legs, which use the quadriceps to push against the footplates extending the legs.
Core
The core acts as a stabilizer as the torso flexes slightly forward in the start position and extends back slightly at the end of the row. This builds strength and flexibility in the erector spinae and abdominal muscles. Consciously contracting the abdominal muscles during all phases of the row helps protect the back as well as build strength in the abs.
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