5 Main Benefits Of Indoor Rowing

Written by admin on July 26, 2016. Posted in Motivational

The Concept 2 indoor rowing machine is the perfect total body and low impact workout. The rowing motion works more muscle groups and joints through a very wide range of motion than any other exercise.

With the exception of swimming and cross country skiing, training on the indoor rowing machine will condition and strengthen your entire body and core.

Rowing burns more calories than running, biking, or hiking/walking in less time which is ideal and more efficient for busy schedules. The indoor rowing machine can be one of the best solutions to combating heart disease, balancing cholesterol levels, improving the immune system, promoting bone strength, lowering blood pressure, and improving psychological well-being as well as self esteem. While Jack Nunn attending and rowed all four years at the University of California at Berkeley he noticed that he was burning in upwards of 450 calories per 20 minutes while rowing on the Concept 2 rowing machine. The standard workout at Cal Berkeley under Steve Gladstone was a 4 x 20 minute indoor rowing workout at 60-80% heart rate threshold where in just over an hour we could burn a total of around 1500 calories. Since cycling and running only incorporate muscles used in the lower body the heart does not have to work as hard as it does in rowing in less time. A more precise measurement and proof to the theory that rowing does in fact burn more calories than nearly any other endurance sport can be found in the more scientific terms of VO2max. VO2max is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption as measured during incremental exercise, most typically on a motorized treadmill or erg such as the Concept 2 indoor rowing machine. Maximal oxygen consumption reflects the aerobic physical fitness of the individual, and is an important determinant of their endurance capacity during prolonged, submaximal exercise. Rowers are found to have the highest absolute values of VO2max ever tested among endurance athletes. Proof can be found here online and Jack has had the honor of being coached by the 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion Rower, Rob Waddel from New Zealand and meeting 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion, Sir Matthew Pinset from England. Jack Nunn also met Matthew Pinset’s famous 5-time Olympic Gold Medalist teammate from England, Sir Steve Redgrave.
Rowing consists of a low-impact, smooth, rhythmic motion and exercises all your major muscle groups for total-muscle tone. The rowing motion can be broken down into three main muscle groups throughout the body which are the legs, core, and arms. In every indoor rowing class Jack mentions that the rowing stroke is just like that of doing a ‘power clean’ or ‘squat.’ When people pick something heavy off the ground they typically say ‘make sure to lift with your legs and NOT the back.’ This is easier said than done and takes many strokes to practice with rowing especially when you are sitting down at a different angle. The shoulders must come forward in front of the hips and stay there at least until the legs are fully extended down on the slide. You lead with the legs and the core strengthens as the arms and latissimus muscles hang off the pressure you are applying on the foot-board with the feet.
Rowing provides both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning as well as one of the best strength training workouts. Jack mentions that even the best rower’s in the world suffer with just one minute into a race as they typically have at least 5 to 7 minutes left in
order to finish the Olympic standard 2,000 meter race piece. The reigning men’s Olympic single sculler champion from the Rio Summer Olympic Games, Mahe Drysdale, was quoted as saying ‘300 meters into a 2,000 meter race I want to stop because it hurts so bad.’ The typical pain and endurance training involved with the sport of rowing is actually what makes it so great for cross training in order to enhance your cardiovascular training for virtually any other endurance sport. Imagine a track runner athlete who specializes in the mile and that a mile is 1600 meters or 4 laps around a standard track. If you can imagine the comparison to a rower and a miler going the same distance and when you row 500 meters once you feel like you are going to pass out it really gives you a new perspective of the pain and the reward that is involved in rowing.
Rowing promotes a team building and encouraging environment. You are only as strong as your weakest link in rowing and everyone has to work together in order to achieve the same goal. There is tremendous camaraderie and Roworx is an amazing way to meet new friends and form a rowing community from within the program in Long Beach. Rowing is non ego sport and it draws many hard working athletes into becoming not only successful athletes but successful individuals throughout one’s lifetime.
Rowing is the perfect exercise for rehabilitative exercise in order to get your body moving without having to worry about a high impact workout environment. Jack Nunn who is the owner of the Roworx Fitness center in Long Beach has personally had two arthroscopic knee surgeries due to playing soccer at a young age and has incorporated indoor rowing into his everyday workout routine in order to get back to training and competing at a high level during various events and Ironman competitions around the world.