Rowing Can Help You Shed Weight
One of the most effective pieces of equipment you will find in the gym is the humble rowing machine, but the prime reason why men and women stay away from this piece is the effort it takes in maintaining correct form, plus it’s hard work. Rowing can help you shed weight, as these machines have a number of settings to help you test your fitness. Moderate rowing will push your body into the fat-burning zone, but this isn’t enough to increase your overall fitness. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is perfect to try on a rowing machine, as the sheer effort is your only motivation, unless you’ve got some fabulous tunes on your iPhone to further inspire you.
The calories you can burn on the rowing machine will vary depending on the resistance used, and your efforts. Interval training is an effective way to increase your fitness levels, whilst also minimizing muscle loss. The best thing about interval training is the after burn, as research into Tabata Intervals (HIIT) claims that it can cause so much stress to the body that it requires recovery of up to 48-hours, so this means your body is burning fat and building lean muscle mass for up to 48-hours after the workout. However, you must put the effort in to reap the rewards.
Why Is Rowing So Effective
It engages several muscles of the body, including the legs, buttocks, back, and abdominals. Rowing on a consistent basis will build an athletic, well-defined body, when you incorporate a healthy eating plan.
- Rowing defines the abdominals, legs, buttocks, and back.
- As the largest muscles in the body are contracted during rowing, this exercise is a fabulous calorie burner.
- Rowing can build on your speed and improve your form.
- Improves fitness, especially if used in Tabata Intervals (HIIT).
Aim to row several times per week, and incorporate body weight exercises like squats, press-ups, and crunches to further tone and build lean muscle mass. The addition of muscle will not make you beef up like an Olympic bodybuilder, unless you focus only on resistance training more than cardio), but it will fire up your metabolism so you effectively burn more calories than your daily intake.
Rowing is not a weight bearing exercise, like walking, jogging, or jump rope, but it the ideal machine to use for those suffering with knee injuries. The consistent rowing movements will build incredibly strong, lean legs.
Try to wear shorts or tight clothing during rowing, as you do not want your clothes flapping and ruining a workout. The older rowing machines used only one resistance level, with two levers that moved independently of one another. These types of rowers can help you shed weight, but they require substantial shoulder strength to maintain good form, and they usually do not allow for interval training. Air or water-based rowing machines (found in the gym) have an adjustable resistance from 1 to 10 to allow varying levels of fitness to compete.