Is the Rowing Machine Really That Great?

Is the rowing machine really a great tool for exercise? Should I row? Why should I row? What's so great about the rower?

All these common questions are often left unanswered in articles or recommendations you see from doctors, magazines, friends etc. Get help making the decision if rowing is right for you.

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[colinsavill]

Bought my Concept2 for my 60th birthday. 18 months later, lost some weight, got a flat stomach and now have a Vo2max that a twenty year old would be proud of. Started gently now rowing 50k a week over 4 days. I have arthritis of the spine after 40+ years in construction. Rowing has strengthened my core to such a degree that my back is almost pain free now. Wish I’d started rowing years ago but even now the results are awesome.

[lynnmanson]

We got our machine just before the pandemic started. It has literally changed our bodies, helped us mentally, and increased our quality of life. Both my husband and I have lost 40 pounds each. He rows everyday, I row 5 days a week. It’s the best investment we’ve made in each other. Keep rowing people🤗

[marcieandgeorgehopper]

I credit the indoor rowing machine and your videos along with TooTall with helping me recover from cancer treatment.

[STLSER]

very true! I use it daily. I've been boxing, lifting weights, .riding my bike, etc, but when I started rowing daily I got into much better shape its like a whole new level and it helped me break through the plateau I hit in both boxing and weight training. Not to mention rowing helped me train harder and longer, which in turn helped me loose 65lbs.

[losangelesteddybear]

291 pounds to 217. I love the rower!!!

[steefpeters]

I fully agree with number 5 quality of life! I am using the machine at home now since 2002 and feel still great exercising 6 days a week at the age of 70! I am now considering to buy a bikerg as well to have more endurance workout next to the rowing. A tip: as a private person I had my Concept2 rowing machine serviced last year and it is working perfectly again! So costs per year are really very low, even in the Netherlands....

[stevefreed]

Got my Hydrow Virtual Rowing machine on August first 2019. Started rowing daily with the instructors and have rowed over 3 million meters which is like 1800 miles as of Jan 1, 2010. It has truly affected my quality of life. I have lost 35pounds, down to my high school weight, off of my diabetes meds, blood pressure meds, depression meds, no more Afibs, had the best checkups of my life, all my docs were amazed as to the changes. Even my dentist said it was the best he has seen since coming to him 40 years ago.
For a 76-year-old guy, I would recommend it to everyone who wants to just improve their quality of life. I have been rowing for more than 188 days straight 2 to 3 hours a day split up throughout the day, as I work from home. I used to be a cyclist and pedaled about 75-100 miles a week and never saw the results I am getting now. Plus I get rid of my GUT!
Steve

[yin]

I’m rowing in high school and all I can say that it’s helped me with everything from posture, maintaining strength, helping me notice what muscles are weaker, etc etc. It’s also helped so many friends of mine get into shape without even meaning to because it’s just such a hard sport. I plan on starting lifting soon to help myself get to the first varsity boat, currently on boat 2.

[jamesboniface]

As a 60 y/o arthritic, ex-athletic Orthopedic surgeon, I recommend rowing to any patient willing listen. I bought a Concept 2 years ago and used
it intermittently until this year. I have an arthritic shoulder from multiple dislocations, two arthritic knees and a recent hip replacement, most from
high school and collegiate football and rugby. After my hip replacement I tuned up the rower and started using it in earnest. I can't emphasize the
benefits for increasing knee flexibility, leg, core and shoulder strength.

If you're looking for a great overall work out, do the following: buy a rower or join a gym that has one (or several), and then, this is important,
WATCH AS MANY INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS AS YOU CAN! Proper form is extremely important to 1) avoid injury 2) enhance performance, and 3) assure total upper and lower body
conditioning.

[ScottLRoyal]

My rower is: a great antidepressant, a great aerobic workout, an ass kicking workout and makes me more available for life.

[robertmcdougall]

I am a 55 year old man, I started rowing in my late forties and I was fat and rowed 5000m every day and now row 3000m five times a week, but I also include weight training as well. Since ive been rowing my weight has dropped and people comment on how I look, i have asthma and rowing has helped with that and I have not needed to see a doctor for quiet a while, so yes I will row every day during the week and have the weekend off, and again I am proud to say that I am a dark horse, and will always be one.

[bamafan]

I started rowing about 6 months ago and have about 8 friends that are all rowing for PR's and we are all pushing each other to be better. Can't get much better than that! Rowing is an amazing exercise.

[Encourageable]

I wanted an alternative to running so I started researching rowing. NO other workout has so many experts on form as rowing does. None. I’m so grateful that I am able to read here on YouTube how a rowing silver medalist has terrible form and what she needs to do to correct it - the most useful critiques are from the people that have never uploaded a video to YouTube.

[Beelzerat]

Hey. Great video. I was really hoping for some downside to rowing as I haven't been able to find one. This spring, at 59, I finally got tired of everything I was doing, which was nothing physical and it showed and I felt it. I quit everything and jumped in the harbor and started swimming. I couldn't swim well, so I taught myself a pretty mean open water freestyle and can't wait for spring. Problem. I can't swim in forty degree water. Found a used and completely workable rowing machine which nearly killed me, as did swimming as I have a tendency to overtrain. After the first two months of torn hip flexors, lower back muscles and destroyed quads, I started to get the picture. I used the rower sporadically with no schedule until two weeks ago when I have been rowing for an hour a day at twenty strokes per minute. I cannot believe the change in my life already. The swimming had started to tone me up nicely and the floor exercises were doing their thing, but rowing five to six days per week has given me energy I didn't know I had and my attitude is unbelievable. I have had a life long depression problem that no one could help with, well that's on it's way out. Only problem is I want to work out all the time. I'll deal with that. Not trying to sell anything, but just letting you know my experience. I you want to get addicted to working out, rowing is not a bad way to start. Oh yeah. Please go real slow to start. Icy Hot and tens units just so you can walk is a real bummer. And beans and veggies and water. I'll be 60 in six months and I have never had abs. I still have a ways to go to get to my goal, but I can see them without flexing. Thanks Dark Horse.

[Ratatosk]

One aspect that I get from rowing is "mental confidence". Not an English speaker so lets see if I can explain it. Basically it comes down to I have tried many different sports, was pretty high amateur level long distance runner at one point for example, the mental side to rowing have been a different experience for me.

I find I can push my mental limits more doing rowing. Press myself harder for longer than I thought I could, really torturing myself. Experiencing more pain and struggle than in my previous sports. Obviously it feels like hell when you are doing it but afterwards I love the feeling. It's silly maybe but after a tough rowing session I feel proud of myself, I feel like I am mentally tough, that I experienced a type of mental struggle few people do. It's a big confidence booster.

The type of rowing I like to do is around 40 min with rising intensity. It's always the same mental battle. After 15 min or so I am starting to think "How the hell am I going to keep increasing the tempo? Do I feel worse today? Did I feel like this last time? No way I am going to make it to 40 min". However every time I do hit that 40 min mark and even going full out last 5 min. I haven't experienced this kind of struggle in previous sports. With running for example I could just go out and run for 2 hours on autopilot without any struggle at all when I was at my best. Rowing however the struggle starts pretty quickly but you can keep pushing through it. Be in pain for long duration without stopping. Feels like sprinting almost, something you can't keep up in running for long periods of time.

[ezwriter]

I'm 60 and rowed when I was in college. I have never loved any sport or form of exercise more than that one, and that included waking up at 5:00 in the morning to get to the water by 5:30. Running, swimming, yoga ... couldn't touch it. Over the decades, I've slowed down, have had numerous medical ailments, and decided to get back into rowing. Alas, no boat, no club, and no doubt at this point I'd tip over. I bought a machine. I love it. I'm back home. It feels right. It clicks and the sound, the movement, the regularity of breath, the challenge....yeah, I'm back on the water in my mind! My knees don't hurt. This is great. Thanks for being a guide! (The only thing that would make it more fun would be a pair, quad or and 8!).

[dano]

It's been just over 11 months since I purchased my Concept 2 Model D rower -- the best $900 I've ever spent on exercise equipment. I row 6 days a week/40 minutes continuous and completely "detach" and "zone out" during the workout. I'm 55 years old and have seen dramatic improvement in my heart/lungs as well as the slight muscle mass/definition in my shoulders, biceps, triceps, lower chest, upper/middle abs, hips, glutes, legs, and calves...in fact, I made a promise to stick with this for a full year as my primary exercise workout.

[EspenFrafalne]

I got a kayak a few years ago, and this is by far the best exercise i have tried when it comes to improving my mood. I guess training the back like that have very good effects the central nervous system. A rowing machine will probably not be as beneficial as the "twisting motions" from doing "alternate strokes" with a kayak, but i would think it is at least plenty better than just doing "reversed situps". I just ordered a hydraulic rowing machine, so im really hoping i can do "alternate strokes" on that machine.

[LanceCampeau]

Started rowing at age 43... its been a great journey so far. I recently did the 100K for the second time. If I can... you can.

[chrisholmes]

I joined a gym 4 years ago at the age of 50 to get in shape. The water rower was one of my "go to" work out devices. I pretty much use it every time I go (3 to 4 times a week) and row either 3k or 5k meters. I'm content that I can do a 5k row in less than 20 minutes. There are also other exercises that can be done on the rower besides just "rowing". Have someone show you rollouts, plank -pikes, bicep curls and tricep extensions. I also do crunches with weights and rear reaches to the ground to give the obliques a work out. It really is a flexible machine! I get asked all the time why I'm on the rower so much and I explain that if I'm doing 30 strokes a minute for 20 minutes then I've done 600 leg exercises, 600 core exercises and 600 arm exercises :)