Think back to your high school days: who were your fittest peers of all? Those who were part of the rowing team, that’s who! Luckily you don’t have to join a rowing team to get the benefits of a full body workout—you can jump on a rowing machine instead. Here’s why this workout is considering better than ‘spin class’—and how to do it correctly.
It’s as High Intensity as You Need It To Be
CityRow Founder and CEO Helaine Knapp says, “Rowing burns two to three times the number of calories of spinning,” and that’s because you’re actually working out your body in two different directions (as opposed to just one direction with a bike.) The workout doesn’t just strengthen your core, your calves, and your quads. It strengthens your back muscles as well due to a corrected posture.
As you power through resistance in both the backwards and forward motion, you’re elevating your heart rate, activating your fat burning zone, strengthening your body, and revving your metabolism—while burning more calories than spin (and in less time!) You’re also developing core strength and stamina in a fun way – because with each stroke, you’re tapping into virtually every muscle group (which is much needed if you have an office job where you’re slouching and sedentary.)
One of the most convenient aspects of rowing is that you don’t need to be part of a team or even attend a rowing class at your gym to reap the benefits. All you need is a rowing machine. Here are a few workouts to begin today!
Row Right (and Maximize Your Workout)
Whether you want to lose inches, gain definition or get ripped!—the following rowing workout can help you achieve that! For greater results, adjust the resistance (and over the next few weeks) your length of time per workout. Here’s how to do it:
• Set the timer for five minutes, and warm-up with a light resistance row.
• Now, increase the resistance and row at a vigorous pace for one minute.
• Rest for one minute.
• Crank up the resistance again, and row at your maximum for two minutes.
• Rest for 30 seconds.
• Set the timer for ten minutes, and rotate one minute and two intervals, followed by 30 second periods of rest following each interval until your ten minutes are complete.
• For an added challenge, incorporate 12-15 pushups or burpees in between each interval of rowing.
For added variety to your workout, give rowing a try! Just 45 minutes of a rowing workout, and you can burn 800 calories, and feel fantastic with a full body workout that gives you results!
