When using a rowing machine, good form is key if you want to get the most out of your workout. It is helpful to have a rowing instructor or coach familiar with the machine to teach you the proper way to row.
Catch, ride, return: It is important to learn the four key steps to rowing. These are catch, drive, finish and recover. Peloton rowing instructor Alex Karwoski says your starting position should look like this: “Starting in a fully compressed position—your arms should be outstretched, your body should be turned forward at a slight angle, and your knees close to your chest. From here you want to push with your feet to drive the seat and handlebar away from the screen. Karwoski explains, “for the first third to half of the ride, our legs are doing most of the work while our arms and body are braced and holding the pressure.” Then, as the shins approach about 45 degrees to the floor, the body swing begins. He says the key to swinging the body is to think about “adding momentum” to the lever. The legs begin to move the internal flywheel, and here the legs and body can work together to further accelerate the flywheel. “Finally, our hands engage right at the end of the stroke and we pull the lever all the way into the chest,” he says. Once that's all done, you start the recovery phase of the stroke, which is the exact opposite and the arms first move away from the body, followed by the body turning forward and the legs compressing to return to the catch.
Don't abuse the drag factor: The drag factor is usually shown as the damping handle of a traditional rower. On more modern rowers, such as some of the ones mentioned on this list, it is included in the software. “Most people assume that moving this from, say, three to 10 makes the machine heavier, but what it really does is simply increase the speed at which the flywheel decelerates and thus causes the shot to feel heavier because now it's like to row on molasses rather than water,” explains Karvoski. In other words, avoid confusing “traction factor” with “speed level” or “intensity.”
Find out what the main measurement is: The main unit that is measured when you line up is out. Karwoski explains that when you row, each stroke takes a certain amount of time, so the work being measured is the force applied to move the flywheel. He says, “from the output, we can derive the split, which is given in terms of the time it would take to row 500 meters at the given output and distance.” Another metric to look at is stroke rate, which is the number of strokes you'll make, if you keep your current pace, in one minute. “I encourage people to focus on the output, because that's the big number usually right in the middle of the screen,” Karwoski said. Keep in mind that different rowing machines have different highlights, but ultimately it's all about how much power you can apply through the drive to move the flywheel.
Paddling Precautions: As with any form of exercise, it is important to get permission from your doctor if you have health problems or are pregnant. “If you're coming back from an injury—and that injury doesn't prohibit you from sitting on a rowing machine—the rowing movement can be a gentler way to reboot your cardiovascular fitness,” said Peloton rowing instructor Katie Wang. This is a good way to get the benefits of a cardio workout while taking care of your joints and knees.