Rowing machines are a great way to lose weight. They provide an aerobic workout that works the upper and lower body and the core for a total-body burn. You can burn up to 800 calories per hour with this equipment because rowing engages the large muscle groups in your body through high-intensity workouts. The best part is that rowing machines are low impact, so they’re a great alternative to running for those with injuries or other conditions that make this tough on the body.
Rowing machines have been proven to help you lose weight faster than other aerobic methods such as jogging because of their high calorie-burning potential and because they offer a total-body workout. If the machine is set up correctly and used as a part of a well-balanced workout that incorporates strength training, it can boost your metabolism off the charts for effective weight loss from head to toe. Here are some tips and tricks you can use to lose weight with a rowing machine.
1. Rowing While Reading
You’ll get a workout in and also get caught up on your latest book. All you need to do is find a rower with a way to hook a book or magazine up to it. The harder you row, the faster the pages will turn forward. If you want to make things more interesting, try rowing your way through a chapter or a set number of pages. Let’s see how far you can get before your arms give out. This exercise is like kindles, the electronic book readers that let you adjust the font size.
2. Racing Yourself
This exercise works best for those who have a rowing machine at home. Find out if you will go faster with the flow of the stroke (feathering) or against it (leg drive). All you need to do is time yourself and then race against your own time every day after that. Your times will improve quickly with time, so do not be surprised if you start beating your old times within a week or so.
3. Yoga Flow
Some yoga poses out there require a lot of upper body strength but not a lot of lower body strength. Experts call these poses “balancing” positions. If you can work on your balance with a rowing machine, then you’ll be able to learn these poses much faster. Lay down on the rower with your legs extended forward, and try touching your toes while rowing. Repeat the opposite sequence and row with your legs straight out in front of you while touching your toes. If that is too easy for you, try standing up on the rower while rowing and row with your back to the handle (don’t forget to hold onto the safety bars).
4. Push-ups And Rows
This works great for everyone, but especially for beginners. Instead of doing push-ups on the floor, you do them while grabbing onto two handles with one hand in front of each handle. This makes the push-ups a lot easier because you can row through your entire range of motion without worrying about falling over. If you are already strong with push-ups and think this is not a significant challenge for you, try doing seated rows while rowing. This training will work your upper back and arms.
5. Sit-ups And Rows
This is just like the push-up and row routine, but you do sit-ups this time. The same rules apply. If you are already strong with sit-ups, try seated rows instead. They are more complex than push-ups in upper body strength, so use that to gauge how hard to work.
6. Jumping Jacks And Rows
Do you see a pattern here? The rower handles make any exercise easier than it would be if you were doing them on the floor. Do jumping jacks while grabbing onto two handles with one hand in front of each handle. Alternatively, you can try plyometric push-ups by doing them with your hands on the handles.
7. Planks And Rows
Grabbing onto two handles, row through your entire range of motion while holding yourself up in a push-up position (or plank position if you are advanced). Try it for 30 seconds at first. If that is too easy, try 1 minute. Keep challenging yourself until you can do this for 5 minutes straight without breaking form.
Rowing is a great full-body workout that can also be used as a cardiovascular exercise. These tips will help you lose weight with a rowing machine.
