How To Use The Rowing Machine To Lose Weight

When you're craving a cardio fix, you probably beeline for the treadmill or elliptical. We're going to go ahead and guess that the old-school rowing machine in the corner isn’t getting much love from you.

But, in the words of the Notorious BIG, it's time to bring that old thing back, says Gretchen Raddatz, a rowing coach at the boutique rowing studio Row House in New York City.  A rower is easier on your joints because there’s no impact, but you can burn so many calories, she says. That's because it engages all of your muscles, from arms to core to legs, which gets your heart rate up to the maximum. It’s pretty much the ultimate full-body workout.

To find out how to harness all that fat-shredding power, we grilled Raddatz about the best strategies for your own rowing machine workout. Check out these tips, and prepare to slay your next row.

Benefits Of Rowing Machine Workouts

If you want to fire up your core, it’s key to maintain proper alignment. Sit as tall as you can—avoid rounding your back, lift your chest, gaze out in front of you, and don’t drop your head, says Raddatz. This way, you’ll keep your airways open and the workout will be more effective.

By driving your legs into the heelrest with each stroke, you'll work more of the big muscles in your lower half (like that booty), which will help you burn more calories. The connection with your feet is what gives you power and speeds up calorie burn, says Raddatz. About 50 percent of your effort should come from your stems, 30 percent through your core and back, and 20 percent via your arms.

After your warmup, mix in three sets of what Row House calls power strokes. These are fast, hard strokes that explode back, says Raddatz. While your rhythm should stay the same throughout the interval, you'll push harder with your feet and pull harder with your core and arms to row faster. Do 10 power strokes at a 24 strokes per minute rate, followed by 10 recovery strokes. You can find your strokes per minute or SPM on the rowing machine's screen. Do a second set at 26 strokes per minute, another recovery, and one final set at 28 strokes per minute.

Is Rowing On The Rowing Machine Fast Or Slow Better For Fat Burning?

Start rowing at a low speed of 22 strokes per minute, and go up one stroke every 30 to 60 seconds until you reach 30 strokes per minute. This gets you up to quicker paces, which increases calorie burn, Raddatz says. You’ll move from an aerobic zone to a sprint-style anaerobic zone. Once you hit 30, reverse course and head back down the ladder, until you reach 22 strokes per minute.

On the other end of the spectrum, slow and steady endurance workouts can also supercharge calorie burn, says Raddatz. She says that working at 85 percent of your max heart rate, or hard enough that you can't say more than a couple of words at a time, for a longer period of time can help you burn loads of calories. To get those calorie-crushing benefits, row at medium intensity (24 to 26 strokes per minute) for eight minutes, maintaining a consistent pace. For even more burn, top off this endurance workout with the ladder drill or power stroke intervals above.

To keep your body guessing, a.k.a. keept it in peak fat-burning mode, try mixing up your training with shorter high-intensity interval session some days and longer endurance-style rows on others, says Raddatz. Since rowing combines both strength and cardio training, it's super efficient, she says. Your workout on the rower doesn't need to be long workout to be a good one. 

Row Machine Exercise Equipment

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Rowing For Weight Loss

Rowing machines combine two types of exercise: cardio and strength training, according to the International Sports Science Association. Cardio raises your heart rate, improves your cardiovascular fitness and helps you burn calories. Strength training builds muscle. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate and the more calories your body burns.

Calories are a unit of energy. The food you eat contains calories, which give you the energy to go about your day. If you consume more calories than your body can use in a day, the excess calories are stored in your body as fat, per the Mayo Clinic. This fat remains in your body until you burn it.

A pound of fat is equal to roughly 3, 500 calories. If you want to lose 1 pound a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of around 500 calories each day. If you want to lose 2 pounds per week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 1, 000 calories per day.

Benefits Of A Rowing Machine

The best way to lose weight is through a combination of diet and exercise, according to an August 2012 study published in the journal ​

​. For instance, if you need to create a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day, instead of relying on diet or exercise alone, you could cut 250 calories from your daily diet and exercise so that you burn 250 additional calories per day.

You can cut out calorie-laden beverages such as juices and soda. Or, try cutting your portions a little at each meal. Start choosing more natural foods, rather than processed. Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fats will help you lose weight safely and effectively.

Practice Proper Rowing Machine Form For A More Effective Workout

Just don't let your calorie intake drop too low, as that could endanger your health. On average, women need a minimum of 1, 200 calories a day, and men need at least 1, 500 calories a day, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

The number of calories burned on a rowing machine depends on factors like your weight and the length and intensity of the exercise session, per Harvard Health Publishing. The chart below shows how much an individual would burn rowing for an hour.

In addition to weight loss, using a rowing machine also helps with other aspects of physical fitness. A small September 2014 study published in the journal ​

Is Rowing Machine The G.o.a.t Cardio Tool?

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise each week (or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise or a mix of the two), along with two strength training workouts.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) simply means alternating between high intensity and low intensity (or rest). Here's how a 25-minute HIIT rowing workout could be structured:

According to the ISSA, each rowing cycling consists of four parts. It's important that you get your form right in each of these parts, to reduce your chances of injury and maximize your gains from the workout.

Rowing Machine Mistakes (and Tips To Fix Them)

This is the position you should be in at the end of the drive, before you start coming back to the starting position.

The American Council on Exercise explains that rowing is a great way to improve your physical fitness and lose weight, because it conditions your arms, legs, shoulders, back and cardiovascular system.

In fact, Harvard Health Publishing says that while most machines work only certain parts of your body, rowing machines come as close to providing a full-body workout as possible for a machine. According to the ISSA, rowing machines get almost your whole body involved in each stroke.

Why Rowing Machine Workouts Are Great For Weight Loss

The ISSA lists all the muscles that rowing engages. In your lower body, rowing works the glutes, hamstrings, quads and calf muscles. The first part of the pulling action involves your triceps, deltoids, wrist extensors and flexors, pecs, trapezius muscles and rhomboids.

You engage your biceps as you complete the pull-back and bring the handle all the way to your midsection. Rowing also works several muscles within your core, including the abs and obliques.

The ISSA also points out that unlike running, which is a high-impact activity (whether on a treadmill or outside), rowing is a low-impact activity. Low-impact activities put less strain on your joints, thereby lowering your chances of getting injured or suffering pain.

Can Rowing Help You Lose Belly Fat?

You can opt to use a rowing machine at a gym or health club near you, or purchase one for your home. Rowing machines are in fact a good choice of equipment for your home, since many of them fold up and can be stored easily. The prices of rowing machines can be as low as $100 and as high as thousands of