Rowing how hard can it be

Hard rowing is just that — hard. The rower most certainly has my respect. You gotta respect the rower. Photos courtesy of Shutterstock. Check out these simple workouts and fun exercises that can be done at-home with makeshift or no equipment at all. Topic: Fitness. See more about: rowing , indoor rowing , ergometer , rowing. Stay at home, stay fit! Next Article. Breaking Muscle Newsletter. Get updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox.

But make no mistake, the rowing stroke is nuanced, complex, and can take years to master on the water. Luckily for those of you at the gym, the erg is a far simpler machine that can be perfected with some basic knowledge of technique and a little bit of practice. When you rest! It can also be helpful to keep in mind that the handle should remain on one horizontal plane for the entire stroke and recovery, instead of bobbing up and down.

A common misconception is that putting the fan setting up to 10 is somehow better or harder, but Frandsen completely disagrees. He recommends keeping the fan setting low and working on posture and quickness around the catch to pick up the resistance, instead of depending on the machine to give you that heavy load. For example, if you are holding a split, then it will take you 1 minute, 45 seconds to cover meters.

The most recent models of the erg, produced by Concept 2 pictured above , have a screen with different options for what measurements or figures you want to see during your workout. Typically the split and stroke rating have an inverse relationship, meaning that when you increase your stroke rating, the split should go down. He recommends starting slowly by adding one or two of these sessions, most of which are between 30 and 40 minutes in duration, per week before your strength training workout and then build from there.

Every muscle counts. A rower must push with their legs, pull with their arms, and remain strong and steady through their core. Even a sudden head tilt will offset the boat and cause a dip to one side.

This cannot happen- especially during a race. It is even pictured here that each muscle of the body is flexed and tensed. Athletes with the club train seven days a week for 11 months a year, taking the day off only every third Sunday.

Such intense exercise demands that they eat almost constantly. Yet for all the physical strength it requires, when we push off from the bank and begin to row, what strikes me is not how tiring it is but how stressful.

I have had 10 minutes of practice on an ergometer rowing machine , and had felt I was close to getting the hang of it. But in the boat, with real oars, water and other rowers to try to fall in sync with, I "catch a crab" within seconds.

The journey out flays my nerves: even when I'm not catching a crab, I keep scraping my hands against each other, and can't get in sync with the others for more than a single stroke at a time. As a beginner, it's clear that technique is more important than thick thighs and rippling biceps.

Rowing is a full-body workout, burning calories while toning just about every major muscle.