Rowing is the most popular sport which involves propelling a boat on water using oars. Rowing is one of the few sports that is very good for muscles including quads, biceps, triceps, glutes and abdominal muscles. It improves the muscular strength.
The rowing machine is one of the popular fitness machines. It is fantastic for the workout. Rowing is a very good fitness exercise. The machinery provides new ways to exercise and designed to give true benefits of water-based rowing. Many fitness people chose rowing over another exercise. Rowing is very tough and it works like cycling and it is relatively cost very low. Not everyone can do this, so because of this rowing machines are introduced for overall body fitness. These rowing machines come with the monitor that shows distance, speed, power, and calorie.
It provides resistance in three ways magnet, water, and air. It gives real rowing feeling while working out. Rowing machine provides the full body workout. It provides the ultimate cardiovascular exercise. You can switch aerobic and anaerobic workout by adjusting the resistance of the machine. One should know the right technique to workout via rowing machine. Due to its benefits, it has been seen everywhere in gyms and fitness centers. It is highly effective full body workout to remain fit.
#1 The Basics
The knowledge of basics is prime importance for rowing. Start with the catch position, move forward with spinal flexion, extend arms and hold the handle, pull your back away from the thighs and relax your shoulder. Now initiate the drive with the legs and push your body with legs while maintaining the core body strength and produce the maximum power output. Now finish the stroke with powerful arm pull when your legs reach extension. Accelerate the handle pull it away from the flywheel. Prevent hypertension on your knees by maintaining the leg angle. Now return to the catch after extension and pull the body in forwarding flexion. This is the basic way of doing the exercise. Make your body posture correct while doing the rowing.
#2 Use of legs
Most of the common mistake people do is that they don’t adjust the foot straps. It is important to adjust the foot strap as per the size of the user. It should be in a line with the bottom of your shoelaces. When practicing the drill to slide forward to the catch position, try to put the body weight on your feet. Make yourself adjustable with the handle while you push back with your leg. The right technique is to put your arms straight and finger hooked with the handle and then pushes back. Keep your body rocked forward while maintaining the postural position.
#3 Don’t use only arm but also entire body for rowing
People are under the impression that rowing is performed in a seated position. The power used to perform the stroke comes from leg and arms. The majority of work is done by arm, shoulder, and back. Posture is important throughout the rowing exercise. Maintaining a good body posture is vital to any exercise to avoid any injury. Avoid hunch over or turn your back instead of keeping your spine in a neutral position and sit tall with you your back nice and straight.
#4 Breathing techniques
All the exercise needs some breathing technique to work effectively for the body. While doing rowing, one needs to create a breathing rhythm for the effective workout. It is advised to take one breath per stroke while rowing at low intensities. At low-intensity rowing, exhale during the drive and inhale on the recovery in one stroke. While when you start rowing harder you can take two breaths per stroke. Exhale when you finish the drive and inhale during the recovery. Again, inhale just after the catch. You need to create breathing pattern and you have to stick with it throughout the rowing session. Breathing with a pattern supplies regular oxygen to the muscles. This way body strength improves and it also improves the intensity of the workout.
#5 Track your progress
Until and unless you track or record your progress, you can’t get better at rowing. It is necessary to monitor the speed, distance, and resistance during the training session. Start with minimum time and slowly increase the time of the training. It is easy to progress while monitoring your performance. If you keep track you can get the desired results. You can track through lifetime meters, heart rate, weekly meters, and target accuracy, race pace or by calories record. The most important thing is to check heart rate and meter. Heart rate is a core element of the fitness. You know the exact status of your performance by analyzing and tracking.
Rowing is beneficial in all the way. It improves cardiovascular fitness. It increases the heart rate and breath volume which is good for cardiovascular fitness. When you do exercise on rowing machine blood flow is circulated and it provides energy and nutrient cells to the body. It improves the muscular strength and endurance. By the time your muscles grow and develop and they become stronger. It is good for the joints as foot remains in contact with the foot pad which in turns improve the mobility. You can practice rowing individually or in a group. It is an excellent form of exercise.