Are rowing machines good for cardio?

[guest439437484421]

What's the "Proper Technique" for this machine? I'd hate to go in making a fool out of myself because I'm not using it right

 

foudn this http://www.fitsugar.com/Tips-Using-Rowing-Machine-3019487

[stevembk]

foudn this http://www.fitsugar.com/Tips-Using-Rowing-Machine-3019487

This is how I do it too. She doesn't look like she's using her legs much either. Ill try again today when I get to the gym.

[guest439437484421]

This is how I do it too. She doesn't look like she's using her legs much either. Ill try again today when I get to the gym.

 

from my understanding it should be spread pretty evenly across your body if you do it right.

[I-Jo]

^ agreed

 

I never feel it more in one area or the other- I push/pull evenly with my whole body. 

[notanartmajor]

I guess I'm doing it wrong because i hardly feel like Im using my legs at all.

 

You are. Legs are where you generate 90% of the force.

[Preiselbeer]

Hi everyone, 

 

Here's another good video with nice explanation that breaks down the drive and the recovery.

 

 

The key points to keep in mind are body sequence, application of power, and ratio (ie. the ratio of the drive to the recovery). I won't go into a long explanation of the first part, because the video covers that quite while and it's much easier to learn this visually and by (gentle) trial and error on the machine. 

 

Your application of power should be quite even until your legs are all the way flat and you're bringing your hands in toward your rib cage. If you're erging properly, it WON'T look like your legs are doing all of the work because it should be very smooth, but they are doing the majority of it. That said, you are only as strong as your weakest link, so if you're breaking your wrists, opening your back too early, or doing now work with your arms, your stroke won't be as powerful and your numbers on the screen will reflect that. If you check out the legs of the guy in the video, the extent to which he's using those muscles should be quite clear. 

 

In terms of ratio, your recovery:drive at a steady state/warm-up pace should be *somewhere* around 2:1. 

 

Two other important things to take note of are the damper setting and the strokes-per-minute (this is in the top right-hand corner). A warm-up rate of 16-18 SPM is plenty, and makes for a nice steady pace to work on your form. SPM alone isn't a measure of 'skill' per se--the split (in the middle of the screen) is much more effective, and basically gives a measure of your power (it's the time it would take you to row 500m if your power were consistent on every stroke). Obviously, your size and stroke rating affect this, but in the end, if you're training as a rower, the split is what matters on the erg. 

 

As for damper setting, a standard erg workout would have it set around half way between 3 and 4. If you want to spin the erg for *really* light cardio, lower is fine, and if you want something heavier for a slower rating and more strength training, you can put it up. There's really no need, though, to have it at anything other than 3-4 for a warm-up or cardio. Frankly, anything lower makes it harder to feel a proper application of power, which is good if you're learning how to use the machine. (If you want to be really specific about this, you can use another tool on the erg's screen to personalize your damper setting, but that's another kettle of fish and totally not necessary for a regular workout). 

 

Hopefully that all made sense! As people have said above, proper technique is KEY, because erging too hard with bad form is a recipe for an injury. 

[stevembk]

You are. Legs are where you generate 90% of the force.

 

I don't get any resistance until my legs are around 50% extended. My torso is leaning forward and arms fully extended. Maybe the rowers at my gym are not tightened properly?

[ceethegreat]

I don't get any resistance until my legs are around 50% extended. My torso is leaning forward and arms fully extended. Maybe the rowers at my gym are not tightened properly?

Interesting, it should be from the beginning of the push. Are you tucked in all the way? What resistance are you using? Do you push with your legs first and then pull like in the video Preiselbeer put?

 

I find that my shoulders/arms feel "worked" moreso than my legs, but they're definitely the weaker part of my body overall. The only times my legs have really ached is when my legs were already tired from something else. So while I don't feel my legs get tired on most days, they're definitely still working.

[Higgns]

I don't know about rowing on the machines, but other than stated in the video above, when actually rowing all angles should extend at the same time in one fluid motion to get the maximum of force at the time the oars are perpendicular to the hull.

This video has all the essentials: 

[Dick van Viegen]

@Stevembk I know this problem too, and not all machines are tightened equally for sure, try putting it at a bit higher resistance than 4, and see if it does give you the 'hook', so to speak, from the beginning of the kick. Also, I found this little post: http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=5310  on how to adjust the Drag Factor, which Preiselbeer already hinted at. This makes it possible for you to always have the same amount of resistance, regardless of which machine you are on. Only thing is, that it can sometimes be a bit hard to find the button combination or the menu where you can change it, on your particular machine.

I used to be a university rower a few years back, but blew my knee in the boat, so I'm just getting back to the erg, but apparently still remember some of the stuff

[Preiselbeer]

I don't get any resistance until my legs are around 50% extended. My torso is leaning forward and arms fully extended. Maybe the rowers at my gym are not tightened properly?

 

Hmm...part of this may definitely be the machine. Concept 2 ergometers are the standard rowing machine of choice for training among people who also row on the water. They're also just the best in general. Not all facilities have them because they cost more (I'm newly a grad student, and our university gym has these AWFUL rowers with water in the fly wheel that I just can't stand). 

 

Something that may help you to feel that hook and connection at the catch (this is the part of the stroke where you're compressed, hands closest to the wheel, and when you'd be placing your oar back in the water in an actual boat) is to practice feeling the suspension. If you put the resistance as high as it goes, take a few strokes, and focus on almost trying to lift your butt off of the seat (not more than an inch or so I'd say), you'll feel that suspension through your legs, up your lats, and in your shoulders/down your arms. It's really kind of like doing a dead lift (except you're finishing with your arms in the rowing stroke)...the rest of your body is helping to support the load you're moving, but the driving force starts in your legs. 

 

Anyway, give this a go and let us know if things change. Good luck!

[Preiselbeer]

I should add, you also want to watch out for what's called 'shooting your slide', i.e. your seat shoots out and your legs are fully extended before you're engaging the rest of your body. You start with the legs, but the whole progression isn't three separate movements...they're more layered, if you can call it that. It should be a fluid progression of opening your body that only *starts* with the legs. If you're doing this it will definitely affect the power you feel, and the suspension drill will help with that as well!