What is your rowing machine workout?

[Rocktheboat73]

We bought the rowing machine from Aldi - it is great by the way! but I am not sure exactly what to do with it. It displays the amount of strokes you do per minute, and I have worked out a 20 minute session based on this. But I was wondering how long other people row for, at what speed and intensity?

I'm afraid I don't vary my rowing much - tend to jump on for a set period of time (usually 20-30 mins), at a similar setting (around 7 on a Concept 2) and similar level of effort (although if I'm doing a shorter session, I might give it some more welly). Have you looked at the Concept 2 website? Loads of info, including workout suggestions:

www.concept2.co.uk/indoor-rowers/training/rowing-for-specific-goals/general-fitness

I rowed at school and a bit at university and was always told a 6 min sprint was about the hardest there was.

Thanks for the responses especially the Concept one I will check that out later when I am at work. Today after a long walk I did 100 strokes in 3 minutes 50 seconds. I don't have distance on my machine only the amount of strokes and strokes per minute. I plan to increase the number of strokes and time spent as I go on but will check out the concept website out for other ideas. When rowing, I am imagining I look like Claire Underwood from House of Cards!

No need to focus too much on how many strokes a minute you do - much professional rowing training is limited to a rate of 18 strokes a min.

Stroke rate isn't typically indicative of how hard your working - it often just shows how much you are rushing the recovery stage.

If you're looking to increase fitness, best to set yourself a time period - eg 20min and a stroke rate (eg 18-20) and try to gradually increase the distance you cover during each session.

Technique plays a massive part in how effective your workout will be - plus poor technique is awful for your back. So watch the videos of technique on the concept 2 site and work carefully at maintaining proper technique when you're exercising.

Think of it as a series of movements - first you drive with the legs, then use your back and finally your arms and on the recovery let the handle pull your arms forward, then rock your body over and finally bend your knees.

Making sure that you are rocking your body over from your hips not mid-back is important and keeping your weight on the balls of your feet also help to make sure you are using the proper muscles.

Just seen you don't have distance on your machine.

Set yourself a time limit and a stroke rate limit and stick to that then gradually increase the time as your fitness increases.

Stroke rate not useful for measuring effort.

Thanks so much Sherger, fantastic advice. So you would try to do 18-20 strokes per minute for 20 minutes? That would mean you go alot slower, is that right?

Start out like that and see how you go. You might find out you're naturally more comfortable at a slightly higher rate of say 22-24 but have a play about with it and see how it feels.

Just remember that the stroke is split into two phases: the drive where you are working and the recovery, where in a boat the oats would be out of the water and you roll forward.

What matters is the effort you put into the drive phase - the more you work, the faster this phase will typically be. But going fast on the recovery phase will not gain you much and in a boat, can actually slow you down.

If we were racing and I was working very hard at rate 18, I might well go faster than you rating 24/26 if you were working less hard but rushing the recovery and therefore getting more strokes in per minute.

Excellent, I will take all this on board, thanks again!

Oh and if you want to have a bit of fun with it - try out some race stroke rates.

Often good crews will rate over 40 strokes per min off the start for the first 10/15 strokes - but these are frequently slightly shorter strokes.

Then they will settle at 36-38 strokes and keep that, working really hard for 2km - which would take you between 7-9mins to row typically depending on fitness / strength. Often building stroke rate back up to 40 ish for the last minute.