Running can be a hard exercise to pick up, it’s demanding on the body and can cause many injuries as well as requires a lot of physical endurance. Yes, the benefits can be beneficial- however, there are other ways to get the body you get by being a runner without damaging your body through the pounding on your joints. Many are unaware of the amazing cardio and strength building effects of the rowing machine and how it’s a great workout.
Rowing is a great cardio workout because it does more than build your endurance. Rowing also builds and tones your muscles. The best part is rowing has multiple benefits, as it works every muscle in the body and is a complete calorie crusher.
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com
My favorite aspect of the rowing machine, is it’s a workout which works all the major muscles in the body, which most cardio workouts can’t do. With rowing, your legs, butt, upper body and even your core are engaged. For someone who wants to hit all the major areas of the body (always need to have the butt looking good), this is a great workout. You will definitely feel the burn only a few minutes into it.
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For those who are more interested in burning maximum calories, rowing burns two to three times more calories than spinning. Rowing has resistance in both directions, which allows twice the calorie burn. The rowing machine trend is growing as many are learning it is one of the most, if not the most effective workout and works every muscle in the body. We definitely wouldn’t be a part of society if we didn’t follow the trend and try it out for ourselves. Just think about it, the more calories you can burn on this machine, the more ice cream you can have later-that sounds like a win-win to me.
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com
My favorite use for the rowing machine is for HITT training. High Intensity Interval Training burns calories more efficiently than other cardio exercises – you burn more than if you were to work out steadily for 45-60 minutes. I usually will do HITT for 10-12 minutes on the rowing machine after a strength workout but you can do it whenever and however you want.
The most important thing, is make sure your form is right when you are on the rowing machine. Otherwise you could put unwanted strain on your muscles and joints. Here is a video to show you the proper form for when you want to try out this underrated machine during your next gym visit.
The rowing machine is growing in popularity, and is something which can be a great way to replace running, or just reduce your running and mix it up so your body doesn’t get use to routine. Running is great, along with other cardio workouts, but sometimes the underrated machines are the ones that give the best results – you just haven’t tried them before.