The Right Rowing Machine Workout
Which is the right rowing machine workout? For you to get the best from your rowing machine, you need to know some effective workouts that you can perform. According to the specificity law of exercises, the type and intensity of exercise you do are directly proportional to specific physical changes.
For instance, if your goals are strength, you should practice with heavyweights. Consequently, in rowing, your body will accommodate changes brought about by the intensity of workouts you are committed to doing. There are different types of rowing workouts with different variations that you can practice.
1. Long but slow distance training
This is where you get on your rower and practice at a slow-moderate pace, abbreviated as LSD. LSD rowing involves exercising at about 60 to 70% of your highest heart rate or, intensity level five on a scale of 1-10.
This type of workout trigger primary cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance and are not overly taxing. If you intend to build general fitness or you’re practicing for long-distance endurance sports, LSD practicing will be one of the pillars of your workouts. However, this kind of workout will take most of your time.
2. Tempo training
Tempo training involves working out on the greatest extreme of the intensity scale. Also known as threshold training, tempo training will require you to work at just below your highest sustainable pace – say 8.5 to 9 on a scale of one to ten or around ninety percent of your highest heart rate.
Tempo workouts are generally shorter, considering the great increase in intensity – a five hundred meter time trial can be a perfect example of such a workout. Tempo training boosts high end-aerobic fitness while still rising anaerobic fitness – a perfect exercise to do when you’re running out of time.
3. Fartlek training
Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning speed play. As the name suggests, it involves training in varying intensities which are randomly selected. For instance, in about thirty minutes, you can do slow rowing, splitting, power pull, and threshold speed rowing all alternating. This kind of training is best if you want to work out but still, don’t want to train in a predetermined sequence.
4. Interval training
This one involves alternation of hard work with easy recovery periods and is a so much effective and time-saving way to train. You can design an interval exercise workout addressing a wide range of fitness goals and/or abilities.
For a starter trainer, you may alternate 1 minute of moderate to speed training with 2 easy minutes. Advancement of a rower may achieve an alternation of five hundred meters faster with ninety seconds of easy rowing as recovery. Interval training is best when it comes to fat burning and is very time-efficient.
5. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Abbreviated as HIIT, high-intensity interval training is a variation of interval training in which the workout intervals are short and sharp. For instance, after warming up thoroughly, you can row flat out for about thirty seconds, have a rest for sixty seconds, and repeat the same for about ten times.
An alternatively short but tight HIIT exercise is Tabata training which engages eight sets of twenty-seconds thorough rowing with about 10-second recoveries. After this exercise of about 4 minutes, you may feel like it’s the end of your life. HIIT workouts are that hard, and although very short they will help in increasing fitness and fat burning.
6. Integrated circuit training (ICT)
ICT involves short-lived alternating periods of high-intensity cardio with strength gaining training. For instance: Row 500 meters, then do twenty push-ups, Row another 500 meters, do thirty squats, another 500 meters of rowing and lastly 40 sit-ups. Repeat thrice.
This kind of workout is mostly done by CrossFit as well as other high-intensity trainers. ICT training the best for you if you have just a little time for your workouts and still want to do much. Be prepared to do hard work if you commit yourself to this kind of training.
Final Words
Choosing the right rowing training for your fitness goals is paramount. If you’re bored with the following programs, you may consider Fartlek training. And if you want to work out for long-distance running, like marathon running, choose to do long slow distance training, but you have to take your time.
The next time you get into your gym, ensure to plan on what fitness objectives you want to achieve and go for it. Know the muscles to engage and the pace needed for your goals. Some rowing is also used for training after recovering from injuries.
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