All forms of rowing force the large muscles of your upper body to work rhythmically for a continuous period. Row hard enough and you'll get an intense cardiovascular workout, making rowing an excellent way of both working out, enjoying the outdoors and, in some cases, feeling the thrill of competition. Most types of rowing provide a true full-body workout because you must also use your legs to propel yourself back and forth on a sliding seat.
Sweep Rowing
Sweep rowing is the most recognizable of competitive rowing forms. Practiced at universities and clubs both domestically and internationally, sweep rowing places a crew of two, four or eight rowers in a single long boat, or rowing shell. Each rower sits on a sliding seat and has a single long oar, with oar placements alternating between port and starboard as you look along the length of the boat. For crews of four or more, a coxswain usually sits at the bow or stern of the boat. The coxswain does not row but instead steers, calls team strategy and acts as an on-the-water coach.
Stationary Rowing
Stationary rowing, or using the rowing machine in the gym, may be the most familiar version of this workout. You can employ the same powerful technique sweep rowers use on the rowing machine in the gym; in fact, the rowing machine, sometimes also called a rowing ergometer, or erg for short, originated as an off-season or dry-land training tool for sweep rowers. Start with a powerful leg drive, pushing yourself back from the seat. Sit up tall and lean back slightly from the hips as you finish your leg drive, then bring your hands in toward your bra band or ribs. Reverse the process to prepare for the next stroke.
Sculling
Sculling technique is similar to sweep rowing and stationary rowing technique, but each rowing has two shorter sculling oars instead of one long sweep oar. Scullers are usually fielded as singles, doubles or quads; sculling boats are usually uncoxed. The bow-seat sculler acts as the on-water coach instead, calling strategy and glancing backward to spot the boat's direction. Like sweep rowers, scullers face backward relative to the boat's direction of movement, allowing them to use their legs to power the oars through the water.
Fixed-Seat Rowing
Traditional or fixed-seat rowing is practiced as a competitive sport in England, but fixed-seat rowboats are also used as recreational craft or transportation in many countries. Fixed-seat rowers usually sit on a bench, with two oars fixed in oarlocks to either side of the boat. Fixed-seat rowing technique is similar to sculling technique, minus the leg drive, thanks to the stationary seat.
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