Using the rowing machine for resistance training.

November 11, 2008 1:27 PM

How much of my resistance training can I replace with 15 minutes/session on the rowing machine?

I have come to the conclusion that I despise the weight machines at the gym for a variety of reasons. I have been considering replacing the majority of my resistance training on the machines with 10 - 15 minutes on the rower.

My question is, what muscle groups am I missing out on here? Is this a reasonable substitution? I have access to free weights and I don't mind working with them to make up for any shortfall.

I was coached in rowing for a couple of years so assume I have good form. My goals are toning up and improving my fitness level rather than weight loss at this point.

posted by arha to sports, hobbies, & recreation (7 comments total)

I would imaging that the difference is that with resistance training you can increase the load and not just the time under load (timing and number of repetitions). With a Concept 2 erg you can increase the flywheel resistance somewhat by adjusting the damper, but not to the same degree. You also are suggesting 10-15 minutes of loading rather than 60-90 seconds, so by necessity the resistance will be much less.

They are different activities with different purposes IMHO.

That being said, you will get a cardiovascular workout and the muscles of your back, biceps, and legs will be involved in the movement.
posted by objdoc at 1:40 PM on November 11, 2008

What are you doing now for resistance training?

The rowing machine is a great workout but not exactly a substitute for weights. I think the problem may be the machines. There are some fantastic free weight exercises that are more involved (compound) and also just more fun to do. Well, depending on your definition of fun.

Squats
Deadlifts
Cleans
Thrusters
Dumbell/Kettlebell swings

There are also some great body weight exercises you can do:
Pullups
Pushups
Squats
Lunges
Burpees (really hard)
Dips

If you stick with those lifts you can get away with doing them maybe twice a week and still get the benefits.

A few warnings though. If you start out doing them and are new, learn how to do them properly before adding any real weight. Bad form will definately lead to injury. Also, be sure to add in a little ab work and lower back work to help avoid injury and keep your core tight.
posted by WickedPissah at 1:46 PM on November 11, 2008

You are missing out on a great many muscles. Your legs and back get a good workout but everything else is lacking the same intensity.

Your muscles have memories. You can't coax them into development by doing the same exercise the same way day in day out. Changing up the resistance, reps, and number of sets is key to tricking your muscles into growth.

Personally, I detest weight machines. I am just not comfortable with the range of motion, or the resistance intervals. I found that this workout routine introduced me to a lot of new free weight exercises and it is consistent with your goals.

Also, getting a workout buddy or a personal trainer is the best possible way to learn how to do a variety of effective workouts and put together a fitness regiment. A personal trainer can be one of the smartest investments you make.
posted by munchingzombie at 1:46 PM on November 11, 2008

To answer the original question, you need to focus on pushups and situps if you're going to leave the rest to rowing. (I rowed in college and that's what we did to complement our rowing workouts)

I agree with all the others that you're better off moving to freeweights instead of rowing if your goal is building strength. Olympic lifting will make you strong all over very quickly with relatively short workouts each day, checkout Starting Strength to learn what you need to do.

Rowing will make your legs/backs/arms strong just like running or swimming would make your legs or legs/arms strong. Better than nothing but not the same as weightlifting.
posted by jpeacock at 3:32 PM on November 11, 2008

Should have pointed out that I'm female in the original question, so I'm not going for Herculean type upper body strength here, more toning what I already got.

I just got the exact same answer from my personal trainer friend. She's lighting a fire under my ass to come to her Pump class, and is going to show me some routines using the free weights. Thanks everyone for the input!
posted by arha at 4:22 PM on November 11, 2008

Rowing isn't a suitable replacement for lifting weights, as the trianing stimulus is very different, but I think it's a great idea to switch up your program every few weeks.

As rowing is a lot of pulling, you should supplement with some pushing type exercises to counter that. Also you may want to add some direct work for the external rotators.

What do you mean by toning? You can either loose bodyfat around a muscle or grow the muscle, you can't really change the tonus of a muscle for very long after a workout.
posted by zentrification at 7:48 PM on November 11, 2008

arha-to me, one of the greatest misconceptions of strength and fitness training is that men and women should pursue vastly different routines. This isn't really true. By and large, muscle is muscle, whether it is on a man or a woman's arm (leg, back, forearm...whatever). Which brings me to my next point-tone is more a matter of body composition than musculature. Everybody has muscles, but some people have some fat between the muscle and the skin. If you want the fat to disappear, burn more calories than you consume.

Designing a fitness program for yourself will be highly dependent on your goals. This isn't surprising-training to run a marathon is very different from training to lift 300 pounds. It sounds like your goals are of the 'general fitness' variety. I think a relatively even mix of strength training and cardiovascular training is desirable. If weight machines aren't your thing, then give free weights a try. Aim for simple exercises that involve multiple joints and allow you to move large weights. (Ex: squat, deadlift, bench press, dips, pullups....etc.)

Last, don't fall into the trap of thinking that strength training=lifting weights and cardiovascular work=treadmill. There are plenty of fun, real world activites you could pursue-rock climbing for strength, and playing soccer for cardio, for example. Or, try some gymnastics and cycling. Or...whatever. Rowing is great, but it will usually be more of a cardiovascular exercise than a strength exercise. So drop the weight machines, by all means, but substitute them with something that is more 'strength oriented.'
posted by HighTechUnderpants at 11:15 PM on November 11, 2008