Rowing is one of the most popular exercises when it comes to full body workouts. Even more, it will prove to be a great exercise for losing body fat. Many studies find that rowing is the complete exercise and the best in this category as it works for all your major muscle groups. If you are rowing on a constant basis, you want to ensure you get the most out of the exercise by following a few basic guidelines.
Use your legs
Many new users might be tempted to only use their arms in the rowing movements. This is where you need to ensure you make the most out of the exercise by involving all the major muscle groups of the body. The muscles in the legs equate to nearly 50% of the total muscle mass in the body. Working all the muscle groups is beneficial in many ways and this is why you will need to also use your legs while rowing. Activating your legs and pushing them with every row will provide better results for the overall effort level and thus you have a better chance of burning fat and also of maximizing the exercise to its maximum potential.
Not keeping your back straight
If you are rowing for short distances, a hunched back might not seem such an important problem. But when you begin to row long distances and when you do so multiple times per week, you will start to feel pain in your back if not performing the exercise correctly. This is why it is important to always remember to keep a proper back posture which can save you from pain or even injuries. One way to do so is by slightly bending your knees and distancing your chest from the handlebar while looking upwards instead of downwards. This simple trick can work to help you maintain proper posture.
TIP: If you are looking for reviews or more information on rowing machines, a great resource is the DrenchFit.com Home Gym Rowing Machines guide.
Rushing movements
Rowing can be very tiresome and this is where many users will start to rush the movements. The truth is that you are better off by simply performing fewer movements but in a correct motion than performing a larger number of incorrect repetitions.
This is where you don’t want to touch your glutes with your knees by rushing movements. If you are trying to push for better results you can do so with added intensity on the rowing movements. If you are rowing for long distances, you can also adopt a running technique which will see you perform constant movements up to the end of the session where you would increase the intensity and delay the fatigue point as much as possible. Many people can actually start rowing very fast at the beginning with no proper warm-up and this then leads to quick fatigue. You want to avoid this and all the problems it can come with such as rushed or incorrect movements.
Not checking the resistance level
The resistance level of a rower can be set either mechanically or digitally. If you row at the gym, you don’t have to use the same settings as the person before you did. As each machine is different, you want to ensure you understand the resistance level before jumping on the rower. This will allow you to play with the difficulty level and adjust it to your possibilities.
There are a few types of rowers. Air resistance rowers seem to be the most popular options in many gyms. They are easy to adjust digitally. Magnetic-resistance rowers are also popular and the good news is that they can also be adjusted with ease. Water-resistance rowers are another fantastic choice. You will see them rarely in gyms as they are usually more expensive. But their greatest advantage comes with the fact that they offer a smooth rowing experience which can also be adjusted.
Not monitoring performance
Monitoring performance can be done by noting the time or the effort level on the rower. Unless you know what your limits are and the best results you can achieve, you will not be able to push for improvement. This is why it might be a good idea to use a program from the digital settings which allow you to set the duration of the workout. You can always push for longer workouts when needed. You can also check the resistance level and try to increase it in time. A good technique is to monitor both indicators and you will thus be able to achieve better overall results in time.
Many people make these mistakes on the rower. However, the fixes are very simple and don’t require any assistance. It will just take the proper posture and biomechanics to achieve your desired results on the rower. With improving effort through time spent on the machine and higher intensity levels you will also avoid other performance-related mistakes most people make.
