Rowing on dry land – Indoor Rowing

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IBS Publishing Team

Rowing demands almost the entire musculature and is therefore one of the most effective power endurance sports. It not only affects the muscles, but also boosts fat burning, gets the circulation going and lowers blood pressure. If you think that rowing as a water sport is only reserved for the summer, we now want to introduce Indoor Rowing. With it you will – in the truest sense of the word – stay on dry land.

Indoor rowing simply transfers the principle and technology of outdoor rowing to your home. Instead of rowing in a boat on the cool water, you can get going on a stationary rowing machine at home. As always, however, the choice of rowing machines is overwhelmingly large. Thankfully, Freddi and Daniel from the blog Fitzuhause have subjected the machines to intensive testing. This is their summary of the results in brief.

What is the right rowing machine for me?

Rowing machines vary in the equipment and therefore also in the price. Essential parameters when choosing a rowing machine should always be the following:

 

  • Workmanship, material
  • Load capacity, resistance
  • Stable, non-slip
  • Uniform concentricity
  • Train system (according to preference and progress): air, water, magnetic or hydraulic power
  • Features (training programs, measurement of rowing strokes, distance, pulse, calorie consumption etc.)

Beginner’s model

Of course, complete beginners have to access different equipment than experienced professional rowers. For beginners the Sportplus SP-MR-008 is therefore recommended. The device has eight air resistance levels. The quality of the rowing machine is underlined by the fact that the seat and rail can withstand loads and the air resistance remains constant – without a dangerous dead spot. The machine can be steered smoothly, makes hardly any noise and lets you row evenly.

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Tips from the pros: In addition to the rowing machine, you should order a floor mat – not only protects the ground below you, but also prevents the machine from slipping. (Source: YouTube / Fitzuhause)

Advanced model

Für erfahrenere Ruderer oder diejenigen, die lange Trainingssessions vorhaben, wird ein anderes Modell mit differenzierteren Settings empfohlen. Mit dem Sportplus SP-MR-010 könnt Ihr beispielsweise dank der Sprintoption intensive Cardio-Einheit hinlegen – Einziges Contra: Das Gerät kann nicht nur schneller, sondern auch lauter werden.

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Cool extra: Both devices can be folded up with a few easy handles and are therefore easy to store. (Source: YouTube / Fitzuhause)

Indoor Rowing ˗ Tips for the beginning

Anyone can roughly imagine how a rowing movement would proceed. But with “Just pull forward with taste” it is not done! Rowing requires powerful, yet calm and even sequences of movements. Only then can the entire musculature be trained effectively and endurance increased in the long term. On a boat, wrong movements can easily be noticed, but on dry land you have to pay attention to the correct posture by yourself. Therefore, it is recommended to start with a briefing by professionals. This not only avoids unnecessary muscle strain, but also training breaks.

Source: Unsplash / Victor Freitas

Training program for beginners:

  • Target of 20 even strokes per minute
  • Three times 15 minutes per week
  • Increase the number of minutes after 6 weeks depending on progress

After the device has been set up professionally, you must be in the correct starting position: Arms stretched out, upper body tilted forward, knees bent, hands on the oar handles, feet in position on the brackets.
The resistance is adjusted according to the training goal: A low resistance is good for losing weight, high resistance is best for building muscle.

Statement

If you are still attracted to water in summer, the dry exercises on the rowing machine are the perfect way to prepare for water sports at high temperatures.

Source cover image: Unsplash / Victor Freitas



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