During our search for the best compact rowing machine, we found an array of excellent standalone options and options that fit in well with other top-rated home gym equipment. We considered the overall footprint and other key features, and scoured the reviews to see what users had to say about each product. Below is our list of the best compact home rowing machines available.

How We Chose the Best Compact Rowing Machines

The rowing machines included in this list were carefully selected based on what most users would want out of a rowing machine, keeping in mind that they needed to have a smaller footprint and folding or upright storage options. We evaluated each choice based on size, portability, cost, high-tech features, versatility, and durability. We also scoured the reviews to see what users had to say about each rowing machine.

Our Picks for the Best Compact Rowing Machines in 2025:

• Best Overall Compact Rowing Machine: Hydrow Wave
• Best Compact Rowing Machine With Trainer-Led Workouts: NordicTrack RW700
• Best Foldable Compact Rowing Machine: ProForm Pro R10
• Best Compact Rowing Machine for Cross-Training: Echelon Row-s
• Best Value Compact Rowing Machine: NordicTrack RW600

Best Overall Compact Rowing Machine: Hydrow Wave

Hydrow Wave Rower

4.0

• Dimensions: 80″ L x 19″ W x 43″ H
• Storage: Stores upright
• Resistance: Magnetic
• Weight capacity: 375 pounds
• Display: 16-inch HD touchscreen
• Available programming: Live and on-demand workouts, scenic rows

Check Price

On the Hydrow website, the Hydrow Wave is rated 4.6/5 stars with over 9,000 reviews at the time of writing. It’s the brand’s compact, budget-friendly option for those who want to elevate their at-home workout routine. The length is just 80 inches, which is the shortest on this list, and the overall size is 30 percent shorter than the original Hydrow Rower. You cannot fold it, but there is the option to store it upright using The Hydrow Wave Vertical Anchor. This is a wall-mounted strap that holds the rower upright. It costs an additional $190, which is a bit on the pricey side.

The frame is made of aluminum and steel. It has a flat anthracite polymer body, which is a durable and lightweight material. The handle has an ergonomic design for a low-stress grip, and the strap is made from water- and rot-resistant polyester webbing. It also has a patented electromagnetic drag system that mimics the experience of rowing on open water.

Overall, the reviews on the Hydrow website are positive, and many mention how quiet the machine is and how much they like the small footprint. One review says, “The machine is such great quality. It’s quiet and sleek looking.” The critical reviews make up 3 percent of the overall reviews and state issues like non-working parts being delivered. However, Hydrow has responded to each review to resolve any issues.

Best Compact Rowing Machine With Trainer-Led Workouts: NordicTrack RW700

NordicTrack RW700

4.2

• Dimension: 87" L x 22" W x 47" H
• Type of Resistance: Magnetic
• Subscription: Not required; compatible iFIT membership is $39/month
• Storage: Can be moved using the front wheels
• Weight Limit: 250 pounds

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The NordicTrack RW700 has a 10-inch HD touchscreen you can tilt and pivot to follow along with an iFIT workout led by your favorite trainer on or off the rower. An iFIT subscription is $39 per month, and you’ll have access to live and on-demand classes. Membership to the fitness app is not required to use the rower; however, you won’t have access to trainer-led classes without it.

A trainer-led rowing workout gives you the option to row on the open water for a more scenic experience, and there are also studio sessions. The resistance is adjusted automatically among 26 resistance levels during each class, so you don’t need to worry about stopping to make changes. The oversized foot pedals have adjustable nylon foot straps with quick release, which is excellent for those who want to incorporate movements off the rower into their workout.

The rail is 87 inches long and made from durable steel. It has an inertia-enhanced flywheel, so it should maintain a smooth rotation. If you have a shared space, the NordicTrack RW700 rower has a magnetic resistance system that creates tension against the flywheel without touching, making it a quieter option. After your workout, this magnetic rowing machine can be moved using the front wheels, but it can’t be folded.

Best Foldable Compact Rowing Machine: ProForm Pro R10

ProForm Pro R10

4.0

• Dimensions: 86.5" L x 22" W x 45.5" H
• Type of Resistance: Magnetic
• Subscription: Not required; compatible iFIT subscription is $39/month
• Storage: Folding
• Weight Limit: 250 pounds

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The ProForm Pro R10 can collapse into a more compact size by lifting the handle, and the front-mounted transport wheels make it easy to move. It comes equipped with a 10-inch HD touchscreen you can use for iFIT workouts if you choose to subscribe, or you can track your watts, calories burned, time, strokes, and distance in the manual mode. There are 24 resistance levels to choose from, and your workout intensity is adjusted using the brand’s trademarked Silent Magnetic Resistance system. This gives the user the option to have a more cardio- or strength-focused workout.

The flywheel has been designed to maintain inertia and rotate smoothly, and the steel rail is oversized to help keep you stable. The large, pivoting foot pedals with adjustable nylon straps keep your feet in place, and the seat is molded with comfort in mind.

Best Compact Rowing Machine for Cross-Training: Echelon Row-s

Echelon Row-s

4.2

• Dimensions: 84" L x 21" W x 47" H
• Type of Resistance: Magnetic
• Subscription: Not required; Echelon Fit subscription is $35/month
• Storage: Folding
• Weight Limit: 300 pounds

Check Price

If you like to incorporate other movements into your rowing workout or train off of the rower, the Echelon Row-s has a 22-inch HD touchscreen that can be flipped 180 degrees. While an Echelon Fit subscription is not required, the extra $35/month workout app gives you access to over 40 live classes and more than 1,000 on-demand workouts from its library, including rowing, biking, running, and functional training classes.

The ergonomic design of the seat and the ability to adjust the foot platforms to a comfortable position help you maintain proper posture and alignment. If you’re short on space, the length goes from 84 inches long to just 41 inches long when folded. On the Echelon website, this rower is rated 4.6/5 stars. “The machine looks great, operates very quietly, and gives a great workout no matter your level,” says reviewer Brett P.

Best Value Compact Rowing Machine: NordicTrack RW600

NordicTrack RW600

Dimensions: 87.02" L x 22.0" W x 47.24" H

Storage: Folds in half for vertical storage

Resistance: Air and magnetic

Weight capacity: 250 pounds

Display: 10-inch smart HD touchscreen

Available programming: Live and on-demand workouts, scenic rows

Check Price

The NordicTrack RW600 balances great tech features and an accessible price, making it a great value. The 10-inch screen is an excellent option for those who want to take instructor-led classes using an iFIT membership. NordicTrack’s patented Silent Magnetic Resistance can be adjusted up to 26 levels automatically in an iFIT class or manually as needed.

The pivoting foot pedals are oversized, and the nylon straps keep your feet secure. The handlebar has a soft grip, and the molded seat is designed to help you feel comfortable. When your workout is finished, the NordicTrack RW600 can be folded and stored out of the way.

How to Choose the Best Compact Rowing Machine for You

What factors should you consider before you pull the trigger on a rower? Here’s what we’d recommend you take into account as you ponder your purchase decision:

Footprint

Once you’ve decided on your rower location, it’s a good idea to measure the length, width, and height of your space to determine what size machine works best. You’ll want to measure height to see if you have enough clearance for rowers to be stored upright.

Budget

After measuring, think about how much you’re willing to spend. Take into consideration any additional costs such as a monthly subscription. Some rowers also have add-ons for purchase, such as a lumbar support system or seat upgrade.

Features

Ask yourself: How many levels of resistance do I need? Am I looking for an HD touchscreen with trainer-led classes or do I prefer a more simplistic display? Other features such as a magnetic resistance system may be important if you’re in a shared space and need a quieter machine. The rower’s maximum height and/or weight capacity may also play a role in your decision as well.

Benefits of a Rowing Workout

Rowing allows you to implement low-impact, cardio-based training, and you can adjust the resistance for a strength-focused session. It’s a full-body workout that uses 86 percent of your muscles. With each stroke, you’re using your core and legs for the initial pull and finishing the rowing movement by using your upper body. Since you’re in a seated position, there’s less pressure on your knee and ankle joints.

Getting all four types of exercise (endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility) has benefits, according to The National Institute of Health (NIH). A rowing machine can be utilized for two types: endurance and strength. Many rowing machines have built-in programs or subscriptions that offer classes geared toward building strength and endurance.

Final Thoughts

Rowing is a great way to build strength and endurance while working various muscle groups. There are choices to suit a variety of budgets with different storage options and sizes. Figuring out how much space you have, your price range and the features you’d like will help you choose the best compact rowing machine for you.

FAQs

The post The Best Compact Rowing Machines for Small Spaces in 2025 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Because they could be getting much better scores if only they knew one key technique.

I’m a rower – on water and in the gym. I regularly watch rowers and trainers work out on their rowing machines with growing frustration. Why am I frustrated?

Because they could be getting much better scores if only they knew one key technique.

Master the Rowing Machine

Go into the average gym, CrossFit, or a rowing club, and you will see a lot of great athletes using the rowing machines.

What difference does it make?

• The numbers
• The scores
• The 500 meter splits.

They are an order of magnitude different. Somehow those on-water rowers seem to coax more and more out of a rowing machine and leave most gym rowers for dead.

Two reasons why this happens:

1. On-water rowers who use the rowing machines understand the concept of ratio and rhythm. This allows them to get more rest each stroke, thus allowing them to be more powerful because they’re getting less tired.
2. On-water rowers know how to recruit extra muscles into their effort. The more muscles that are brought into the power phase, the more the flywheel accelerates, and the better the numbers.

The Basic Rowing Stroke

Rowing is comprised of two main parts:

1. The Power Phase– In which you push against the footboard and accelerate the handle and chain towards you.
2. The Recovery Phase– You rest and return to a bent-leg compressed posture with the chain retracted inside the machine.

An effective power phase uses legs, back, and arms to accelerate the handle and chain. So far, so good., but that isn’t what I’m seeing being done in the gym.

Most gym rowers fail to use their back muscles to accelerate the handle and chain.

This is a critical difference compared to the on-water rowers. This is what I teach my clients.

Add Back Power to your Rowing

First, learn which muscles to activate. Finding them and feeling these muscles, and knowing how to make them activate is probably the hardest part of this technique improvement.

Then, I would like to show you how to recruit them into your rowing stroke cycle and give you a drill to practice, which will enable you to add your back muscles into your rowing stroke.

Body Swing Only Rowing

On-water rowers learn technique and effective power using drills and exercises. And so I’m going to show you a drill called Body Swing Only Rowing.

• Let’s start by sitting on the rowing machine.
• Pick up the handle and sit with your legs straight, arms straight, and your body leaning forward.
• The key is that your shoulders are forward of your hips (use a mirror to check), and your neck and shoulders are relaxed.

On-water rowers call this position the catch position. It’s achieved by hinging through your hips with a straight back. If you have tight glutes and hamstrings, you may find this challenging.

If you cannot achieve this position, don’t do the exercise. You won’t gain anything until you can stretch forward in this posture.

Stage One

• Swing yourself backward until your shoulders are behind your hips.
• Leave your legs and arms straight. Then swing forwards again, and back moving the flywheel with the handle and chain as you swing.
• Try not to lean back further than 5-10 degrees.
• Now make the flywheel spin faster by gripping your abdominals just before you start the backswing.

A strong mid-section helps you connect your backswing to the handle and chain without any slippage.

Stage Two

• Add the arms to the backswing.
• Start swinging the back alone as in stage one, and then add an arm draw to keep the handle and chain accelerating as the handle comes close to your body.
• Then straighten your arms and swing forward from the hips.
• This sequence is important—arms before body swing.
• Keep working the swing-and-draw with a strong core to remove chain slippage so that when you start to move, the chain immediately accelerates the flywheel. Notice that you can do a tiny bit of backswing before you start the arm draw.
• This is important for activating the back muscles. You have to get larger muscle groups (legs and back) working before smaller muscles (arms) in rowing.

This is a critical skill for developing stroke power.

Stage Three

• Half the leg drive.
• Add a half leg drive. Rowers call this half-slide, and it’s when your legs are 50% towards being straight.
• Normally this is when your elbows are over your knees.

Stage one is the back. Add stage two, which is the arms, and then add stage three, the legs.

You are now moving the handle and chain faster because more body parts are accelerating the flywheel.

The critical component is the transition from one body part to the next.

Keeping this smooth and keeping the chain taut, and continuing to accelerate will give you the best results.

Stay focused on legs-back-arms and the reverse sequence when you return to start another stroke.

Learning this will reinforce the big muscles before the small muscles rule.

String It Together

Do the drill with 10 strokes at each stage. Then move to full slide and use a full leg drive; try to make the second half of your power phase feel like when you did the drill.

Use the mirror to check your posture. The first half of your power should be using only your leg drive. Check your torso is leaning forwards with shoulders forward from the hips. This is an unnatural posture and has to be learned – but it reinforces the big before small muscle rule, and that’s why it’s effective.

The last thing you can practice is rowing and try to finish your legs, back and arms simultaneously. This is an exaggeration from normal rowing technique – but it’s a good way to get a seriously powerful end of the rowing stroke.

And a good way to continue practicing or use it to do a 10 stroke power push during a workout when you want more power and that split to go down.

Next is learning that second thing… ratio and rhythm. But we’ll leave that for another day.

The post Get More Power from Rowing appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Exercise is such an important part of life, but can get overlooked when life takes priority. And staying truly fit is even harder with age. Although your body holds on to aerobic endurance a little longer as you age, your power output can drop dramatically if it is not properly maintained.

This training plan is designed for the aging adult rower. With the reduced volume of work, the increase in intensity, the increase in the amount of rest within a workout, a more controlled level of perceived exertion, and the option for an extra recovery day, this training plan will fit into your busy life while keeping you fit, healthy, and powerful.

Let’s cover some definitions. Try these rowing warm up (WU) and cool down (CD) routines as part of your routine. In the context of the programming, WU and CD refer to your build up and down in your stroke rate (SR). The SR is the number of times you pull in a minute, and is displayed on the erg. Your steady state (SS) performance means maintaining the same pace over a period of time or distance.

Ready to get started?

The post A Training Plan For Masters 50+ Rowers appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

As a former university rower, I’ll admit it’s one of the easier sports to pick up, as there’s literally just one skill involved. And while on-the-water rowing is definitely more complex, the Concept2 ergometer (rowing machine) literally gets you doing the same thing over and over again.

The rowing machine looks simple and less intimidating than others—a machine anyone can use—and it is.

As a former university rower, I’ll admit it’s one of the easier sports to pick up, as there’s literally just one skill involved. And while on-the-water rowing is definitely more complex, the Concept2 ergometer (rowing machine) literally gets you doing the same thing over and over again.

Though simple in theory, if you haven’t been taught the one skill (the rowing stroke) properly, it’s easy to butcher it and make all sorts of crazy mistakes. Truth be told, when I walk into a gym and see someone rowing, nine times out of 10 I have to stop myself from cringing.

Rowing Basics

Before I get into the five most common mistakes I see on a daily basis, let’s get some simple terminology down:

1. The Catch: This is the portion of the stroke where, if you were in a boat, you’d place the oar into the water. It’s essentially the start of the stroke, where you’re sitting up tall (hopefully with good posture) and your handle is close to the cage of the machine, just as you’re getting ready to drive your legs down hard.
2. The Finish: As the name says, the finish is the end of the stroke. If you were in a boat, your oar would come out of the water at this point. At the finish, your spine should be neutral and you should be leaning back a bit (not laying flat like many people I see) and your handle should be pulled in right to your chest a couple of inches below your nipple.
3. The Drive: This is the exertion part of the stroke, where you’re driving from the catch position to the finish position—when you’re pushing your legs down, then opening your body—and pulling the handle to your chest.
4. The Recovery: This is the part of the stoke where you travel from the finish back to the catch. It begins by straightening your arms back out, swinging your body forward until your shoulders are in front of your hips, and then bending your legs and bringing your body back up to the catch position. Like the name says, you essentially do have a moment to recovery during this phase of the stroke.

Ok, now to the common mistakes.

1. Bending Your Knees Too Early on the Recovery

The first thing that should happen when you reach the finish is your hands and arms should move back to the position they came from, and then your body should follow by swinging your body until your shoulders are back in front of your hips.

Often, though, I see people bending their knees before their arms or body swings forward. What ends up happening then is the handle hits your knees as you continue to move back to the catch, stopping the handle from moving in a linear way, which is what we want.

Often when I tell people to correct this, they shoot their arms out too fast as they’re in a rush to clear their knees. Don’t be in a rush. Hold your knees straight as you straighten out your arms at the same speed you pulled into your chest. And then wait for your body to swing forward, and then start bending your knees to make your way back to the catch.

Check out the video where the first three strokes are done incorrectly, and the next three strokes are done correctly.

2. Rushing the Recovery

Usually, people speed up the recovery as they get closer to the catch, which is the exact opposite of what you want (in rowing, we call it rushing the top quarter of the slide).

Your recovery should actually slow down as you move back into the catch. As you’re getting closer to the catch, almost think about consciously resisting the urge to speed up by using your hamstrings to control the stroke rate.

3. Pausing At the Finish

This might actually be the most common mistake.

People want to catch their breath, so they pause for a second or two at the finish. This essentially stops the boat (or in this case the machine), causing your power to drop significantly.

Instead, as soon as you pull your hands to your chest, start moving them back out again at the same speed they came in.

4. High Stroke Rate

Rowing is all about efficiency. Just because you’re stroking at a high rate, like 32 strokes per minute, doesn’t mean you’re moving the boat fast. The best rowers know how to row with a lot of power at a low stroke rate (i.e. efficiency in action).

For the purposes of a novice rower, as a general rule, the only time you should ever be stroking at 32-plus strokes per minute is if you’re going for a 500-meter all-out sprint.

For a novice rower, I would generally recommend doing a 2km piece at around a 28 strokes per minute (max 30), and a 5km piece at around a 26. Similarly, if you’re rowing in a multi-modal conditioning workout (let’s say 3 rounds of a 500 meter row, 25 walls balls, and 15 burpees) try to keep your stroke rate between a 24 and a 26.

Eventually, as you become more proficient, you will be able to row at a higher stroke rate, but it’s important to learn to row well at a lower stroke rate first.

5. Early Arm Bend

As you drive from the catch, your arms should stay straight until after you have cleared your knees with the handle and you’re about to change your back angle and start leaning back. If you can see or feel that your arms are bent before or as you pass your knees with the handle, you know you’re bending too soon.

One final mistake is simply not having a clue how to pace yourself for a 500-meter row versus a 2km row or a 5km row.

The post 5 Common Rowing Mistakes appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

As a former college rower, it’s hard to stop myself from getting in there and coaching anyone I see at the gym rowing with uncharacteristic technique.

Technique aside for a moment, though, because an even bigger deficiency I witness on a daily basis is a lack of understanding of pace. If you took off on a 5km run, you probably wouldn’t sprint the first 400 meters at your top speed, gas yourself out, and end up walking the last 4.5km. You would most likely aim to run at a consistent pace for 18-30 minutes, or however long a 5km run takes you.

However, when it comes to rowing, I often witness people doing exactly this, as they just aren’t sure what the numbers even mean, let alone how fast they should be going at various distances. Thus, step one of learning how to pace yourself on the ergometer (aka: rowing machine) is to familiarize yourself with the number in the middle of the screen: Your split time.

In this picture, it says 2:00/500m, meaning if you held that same speed for 500 meters, it would take you exactly 2 minutes to row 500 meters.

Understanding and becoming familiar with that various split times is going to be the biggest difference-maker in terms of helping you maximize your efforts during any workout that has rowing. It will also help you avoid that painful feeling of flying and dying—the one that causes you to want to give up and stop.

Understanding the Split: Grade 7 Math In Action

If you’re going for a 2km row and hold an average of 2:00/500m for 2km, it will take you 8:00 minutes to complete 2km.

• 500 x 4 = 2,000m and 2:00 x 4 = 8:00.

If you hold 2:00/500m for 5km, it will take you 20:00 to reach 5km.

• 500 x 10 = 5,000m and 2:00 x 10 = 20:00

Whether you’re rowing 2km, 500 meters or 5km, the most efficient pace is a consistent one. The same way you wouldn’t speed up and slow down at different times during a 5km run, each stroke on the machine should be at a deliberate and consistent speed regardless of the distance you’re rowing.

In fact, experienced rowers performing a 2km test piece would basically hold the exact same split the entire race (minus a sprint start and sprint finish, which would likely be a couple splits slightly faster).

But every other stroke would be the same speed. When I was a college rower, I became so in tune with my speed I could flip the monitor up and hit the exact same split (more or less) for 30 minutes, without even looking at the screen, just based on feel.

The great thing about the ergometer is you can look at the memory on the monitor after your row to check out how consistent you were.

Typically, when I look at the memory on the machines of novice rowers, and many of my clients, after they do a 500 meter row or a 2km row, for example, their split time is usually anything but consistent. More often than not they start out too hard and peter out as the race goes on.

How to Consistently Pace Your Row

That’s the goal here—to help you become more familiar with your pace for a 500 meter row, a 1km row, a 2km row, and a 5km row, and help you develop a consistent pace for each.

Below is a simple way to get to know what a sprint pace feels like, versus a medium effort pace, versus a warm-up speed.

1. After a good rowing warm-up, where you get your heart rate up a couple times, set your machine’s monitor for 500 meters and do an all-out 95 percent effort 500-meter sprint.
2. At the end, check your memory on your monitor. How consistent was your split? Consistent means each 100 meters of your 500-meter piece was within two to three splits of one another.

For example, if your first 100 meters was a 1:45/500m average, your second was a 1:46, your third a 1:46, your fourth a 1:47 and your fifth a 1:45, you’re right on point.

However, if you started out at a 1:45 split during the first 100 or 200 meters and petered out to a 2:05 and eventually hit a 2:10, you definitely went out too hard and were not consistent at all. After that, look at what your average speed was during the entire piece. Let’s say your average over the course of the 500m was a 2:05/500m.

Next, rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then try another piece where you hit 2:05/500m the entire time, as opposed to starting at a 1:55 and ending at a 2:10. If you’re able to hold a 2:05 the whole time, it will feel a lot easier than the inconsistent first piece where you went out too hard.

Once you figure out what a hard and consistent 500 meter row feels like, you can use that number to figure out how fast to go during a 1km or 2km row to 5km race, or during a multi-modal conditioning workouts that include rowing and other movements (if you’re into that type of training).

As a general rule, if you’re a novice to rowing, you can expect your 1km row to be an average of four to six splits higher than your hard 500 meter row, and your 2km row to be 8 to 12 splits higher than your 500-meter speed.

For example, if your 500 meter effort is 1:45/500m, you can expect to hold between 1:49 and 1:51 for a 1km row and between a 1:53 and a 1:57 split.

As for the 500 meter row, it’s better to use your 2km row as a guide. Aim to hit between 8-10 splits slower than your 2km row. So, if your 2km average split is 1:55/500m, then aim for between a 2:03 and a 2:05 split during a 5km test piece.

Learn Your Numbers

Note that those are speeds for hard, all-out efforts, as opposed to training speeds. But just like lifting, if you get to know your max efforts, then you can choose to go at 70 percent or 80 percent, for example, of your max effort during training. This will only help make your training more effective as you’ll be rowing with intention, as opposed to just hopping on a machine and rowing haphazardly and without a plan.

Best case scenario, you get to know what a test speed and a training speed is for various distances, namely 500 meters, 1km, 2km, and 5km.

When you know these numbers, you’ll be able to approach any workout that involves rowing in a much more calculated and effective way, which will ultimately only serve to boost your performance, rowing and otherwise, to new heights.

The post How to Pace Yourself During Distance Rowing appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. At the catch, pressure should be applied through the balls of the feet, similar to the jumping position. This turns on the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. However, if the connection is too much in the toes, the glutes and hamstrings will turn off, and the quads will bear more load than they should. Conversely, if the heels are forced down at the catch or too soon in the drive, there will be too much tension in the calves and hamstrings to allow for proper firing of the glute and hamstring muscles.
2. Through the drive, power is transferred down through the heels, keeping the glutes engaged. Again, if the connection is too much in the toes or only stays in the balls of the feet, the glutes and hamstrings will turn off, and the quads will bear more load than they should. It will also be difficult to keep a strong core in the second half of the drive if the glutes are not turned on.
3. At the finish, pressure should be maintained through the balls of the feet and heels. The heels may lift slightly at the very end of the drive. This is only okay if the glutes stay activated in supporting good posture. Without the pressure on the foot plate, it is easy to fall back too far with the body, and to lose connection through the core. You will be forced to use the foot straps and your hip flexors to pull yourself back through the recovery. Instead, with adequate pressure thru the feet, squeeze the glutes to pivot your body forward to “float” back up the slide with little to no effort.
4. On the recovery, the weight should be on the seat with little to no pressure through the feet. Your muscles should be relaxed in preparation for the next drive. On the drive, about 50 percent of your body weight should be applied to the foot plate, while still maintaining solid contact with the seat for stability.

The post A Strong Row Starts With Your Feet appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

And then it happens: the burning in your legs, the cramping in your arms, the frantic breathing. You take the split back to where you should have started in the first place. Okay. Just hold this split and you will be fine. You might even pull a personal best. But the burning is just too much. You can’t even make it all the way up to full slide anymore. The split keeps getting higher and higher. You are in agony, made worse by the fact that you have just watched your average split tick further and further above your goal. The test is over. Not good.

If you want to avoid the scenario above, it is important to go into a 1km test with a plan. Look back to past workouts. What worked for you? What didn’t? What splits were you able to hold for the last few race-prep workouts? Determine a goal split and stick to it to the best of your ability.

Midway Adjustments

If you are past the halfway point in the test and still feel too good, your goal split might have been a little conservative. However, there is still plenty of time left in the test, and you should have enough energy left to go a bit faster than planned and to start the sprint early.

If your goal split was too aggressive, and you need to reassess at halfway, it would be prudent to hold your current split or pull one split slower until it is time to sprint. That way, you should be able to avoid a blowup (or ‘fly-and-die,’ as we like to call it).

Negative Splits

A good way to pace a 1km test or piece on the machine is to negative split from start to finish. This means your goal will be to get faster every 250m. For example, let’s say your goal split for a 1K test is 1:45 / 500m. The breakdown for each 250m split could be:

1. Goal split +2: 1:47
2. Goal split +1: 1:46
3. Goal split: 1:45
4. Goal split -3. 1:42

At the start of the test, make sure you are hitting the 1:47 by the end of 10 strokes. Don’t waste energy off the start trying to crank on it. You are just building up lactic acid, and will pay for it later.

Plan for Your Strengths

The more times you test, the better you will be at determining what your goal split should be, and how to maximize your strengths. If you are more of an endurance athlete (more aerobic than anaerobic power), you may end up with a more evenly paced piece (goal split +0.5, goal split, goal split, goal split -0.5). If you are more of a power-based athlete, you will be better off with a very conservative first 750m, saving your power to really drop the hammer in the last 250m.

Pacing on the Water

On the water, pacing is a different story. Other factors besides physiology are at play. At the start of a race, it is important to get off the line quickly, cleanly, and with the other crews. There is a definite psychological advantage to being in the lead during a race. If you are in the lead, you are able to see what your competitors are doing and make moves accordingly. It is also important not to get too far down on your competition, so that you are not impacted by their boat wake (or the wake from the official/media launch). It is hard to pull back into the lead if your boat is being tossed around by a wake.

A typical pacing strategy for racing on the water is to go out high and hard for the first 30-40 strokes to get your boat up and running, then lengthen out to your base pace. Hold that for the middle 500m of the race. With about 250m to go (or 350m if you are down on your competition) you would start to sprint, bringing the rate up and really increasing the speed of the boat. Again, depending on your physiological strengths, you might have a more even-paced race (and faster base pace) if you lack the power to get off the line quickly, or walk thru crews in the sprint but have a bigger aerobic capacity. Or you might rely more on your start or sprint to pull into the lead, if you have the power to do so.

These same pacing strategies can be applied not only to 1km tests, but to many different length pieces, tests, or races. Remember, planning is key. Pace yourself and have confidence in your plan. No more fly-and-dies. Attention…Row!

You’ve got the strategy, now it’s time to start training:

8 Weeks to a Faster 1k Row

The post How to Pace Your 1km Row appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Two common rowing injuries are bulging or herniated discs in the low back, and stress fractures in the rib area from overuse. Strained muscles are also very common, and though they sound less severe than a herniated disc or stress fracture, still require proper healing time.

The following 8-week training plan is a detailed workout regime for any rower returning from an injury. It slowly reintroduces the rowing stroke, 10 minutes at a time, 1 day at a time. It also includes suggested cross-training, along with specific days to work in your rehabilitation exercises (yoga, physical therapy, stretching).

• If you have a low body injury (broken leg, sprained ankle, strained muscle), the arm bike, swimming using only your arms, and upper body weight lifting are a few cross-training options.
• If you have a low back injury, swimming or using an elliptical are two low-impact exercises that you may be able to do without pain or discomfort.
• If you have an upper body injury (muscle strain, tendonitis, stress fracture), sitting upright on a stationary bike, walking on an incline treadmill, using an elliptical, or swimming holding a kick board are good ways to keep up your fitness while injured.

If you have not been cross training, don’t go crazy with it at first. It is not a good idea to immediately jump in and start biking for 70 minutes a day if you have not been biking at all, for example.

Easing into cross-training is just as important as easing back into rowing after an injury. You do not want to end up with an overuse injury from the bike and have to sit out from rowing even longer!

While you are trying to heal, it is imperative to stay out of pain. If at any point you start to experience pain from your injury, stop. If this is the case, take a few days off from training and then start where you left off.

However, if you experience pain again, take an additional 2-3 days off and start from the beginning of the plan. If you are still experiencing pain when returning to the erg or boat, you need more time to heal and recover.

You should consult a doctor or physical therapist and take even more to heal before you start back up with the training plan.

Good luck, get healthy, and stay heathy. Happy training!

New to the sport? Check out An 8-Week Training Plan for the Beginner Rower.

The post Rowers: An 8-Week Injury Comeback Plan appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The workouts in this plan can be done on the Concept 2 or on the water. There are sessions for power and sprinting, as well as longer workouts to improve your anaerobic threshold. These workouts will combine to optimize your fitness for the 1K, so that hopefully it only takes twice as long as your 500m!

Specific movements and protocols to warm up before you get on the rower can be found in this previous article.

I have also included a short weight training workout each day, to be performed 15-50 minutes after the rowing workout. The exercises included will help you mobilize, strengthen, and increase power in the main muscle groups used for rowing.

At the end of 8 weeks, there is a 1K test, so you can see how much you have improved! Ready to get started?

Click Here to Begin Your 8 Week Rowing Program

New to rowing? We have a plan for you, too:

An 8-Week Training Plan for the Beginner Rower

The post 8 Weeks to a Faster 1K Row appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

What do you buy for a rower for Christmas? Top to bottom, rowers put their bodies to the test during training and they need the foundations to recover well. Here are eight ideas that will make sure the rower on you list gets some holiday cheer.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 1. Seat Pad

To prevent a sore bum, especially during longer sessions, every rower should own a seat pad. The Sorenomore Sorbothane Seat Pad creates a cushion for your sit-bones, and at the same time sticks to the seat, so you don’t have to worry about it staying in place. They are around $40, but last for years.

If your rower is on the shorter side, or has really long legs and is looking for a little extra seat-height, the best and most comfortable butt pad would come from an easy DIY project. Buy 12” x 12” x ½” EVA Foam Exercise Mat and cut out the shape of a rowing seat. The foam comes in packs of 12 connecting mats, so you will have enough to make one for every rower at your boathouse or gym. Only $12-16 for the whole pack.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 2. Water Bottle

Staying hydrated is an important part of training. An excellent way to tell the rower in your life that you care about them and their training is to get them a water bottle for the holidays. My personal preference is a 32oz BPA-free Nalgene. It stores the perfect amount of water to keep you hydrated during your workout with only one trip to the drinking fountain. And the easy to carry loop attached to the lid makes it easy to cart to and from the boat or ergometer. Each Nalgene is about $10.99. A Powerade squeeze water bottle is $4.99 and is quick and easy to use. It is great for interval workouts on the erg where your rest is less than 30 seconds.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 3. Music

There is no better gift than the gift of music, especially for an athlete. All of the hours spent inside the gym on the machine or in the weight room go by so much quicker when listening to music (and it’s a lot more fun too!). An iTunes gift card or a subscription to Pandora ($4.99/month) or Spotify ($9.99/month) will supply the tunes and a new set of waterproof bluetooth headphones, like the Plantronics BackBeat FIT for $129.99, will keep your rower from lugging his phone around and dripping sweat all over it while training.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 4. Sweat Bands

A very important part of rowing and erging technique is the grip. If you are too sweaty to hold on to the handle properly, you are not going to be able to row properly either, and you might even get injured. Wearing sweat bands around your wrists is a great way to prevent this from happening, and they look cool, too. Cosmos Sweatbands come in a 12 pack for only $10 and make great stocking stuffers.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 5. Heart Rate Monitor/GPS

A heart rate monitor is a great fitness and training tool for rowing. By helping you to stay in the proper heart zone, a heart rate monitor can help prevent overtraining. A Polar A300 fitness watch and activity tracker with heart rate sensor is $139.99. If your rower is also a runner or needs to track speed and pace while on the water, a GPS watch with a heart rate monitor would be an awesome gift. A Garmin 235 is a great product and costs $329.99. Both of these devices allow you to connect with your computer to help your rower easily track her workouts. Another great product for use in the boat is a SpeedCoach GPS Model 2 with Heart Rate for $499.00. It is a stroke coach (gives your rower the stroke rate), GPS, and heart rate monitor all in one device.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 6. Anti-Chafe Stick

Nothing is worse than sitting down in the boat or on the erg to row and having to worry about irritated skin. Every rower experiences this at some point in their career. And once they do, they go out and buy an anti-chafe stick. My preference is 2Toms Butt Shield and Sport Shield. They make two different easy to use, no-mess roll-on sticks to prevent bacteria transfer, and each is a slightly different formula for different sensitivity of skin. The Butt Shield helps to prevent my shorts from irritating my skin and the Sport Shield protects me from my sports bra seams. They make great stocking stuffers and are only $13 each.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 7. Exercise Bands

Rowing is great exercise. It uses over 80% of your muscles. But how do you work the other 20%? Exercise bands are a great way to strengthen the smaller and opposing muscle groups that help to stabilize the bigger rowing muscles. Blue Mountain Products Stackable Resistance Band Set comes with five different resistance bands, and a booklet of suggested exercises (which you can also find on their website) for $32.99.

The Ultimate Rower’s Holiday Wish List: 8. Massage

Rowers work hard and at the end of a hard day or week their muscles are tired and sore. There is nothing like a good massage to help them to recover for the next workout. A gift card for a massage is a great present for your rower. Usually $80 will cover the full cost of a sport massage. If you are looking for something more expensive, a subscription to Massage Envy is about $60/month. If you are looking for something less expensive, three great self massage tools are a great choice: a lacrosse ball for digging into knots in your back or bum ($2.99), a RangeRoller massage stick for massaging your legs ($25-40 depending on the length), or a foam roller for a full body self-massage ($29.99).

More gift ideas for the athlete on your list:

Strong Gift Ideas for Strongwoman

The post What Every Rower Dreams of This Holiday appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Rowing is a full body workout, and can burn anywhere from 500-1000 calories per hour. Therefore, you need to adequately fuel your body in order to perform and execute your workouts properly. As a starting point, ensure you are getting three healthy and balanced meals per day. These should consist of lean protein, vegetables and fruit, and whole grain or other natural carbohydrate.

In addition, you should be eating both before and after a rowing workout to fuel and then refuel your body. 30-45 minutes before a workout, try to consume 100-200 calories of healthy carbohydrates like whole grain crackers, an apple, a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, whole grain cereal, or oatmeal. Stay away from added sugar, like that found in granola, granola bars, sports bars, or many cereals.

After a workout, you should consume an additional 300-500 calories within thirty minutes of completion. Your snack should contain a 3 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, with 15-20g of protein. Eat a banana with peanut butter, greek yogurt with berries and almonds, or an egg and cheese sandwich on a whole grain english muffin. Proper nutrition will help you to feel better during your workouts and to get ready for the next session.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

If you want to stay properly hydrated and have enough energy for your next rowing workout, carry a water bottle with you throughout the day. You should be drinking a total of 64 oz of liquid (water is best) over the course of the day, in addition to what you are drinking during your workout.

During your workout, you should consume an additional 24-32 oz of liquid. Again, water is best, unless your workout is longer than 60 minutes of total work. If that is the case, then you should use a liquid containing electrolytes with a low sugar content.

Buying a reusable water bottle and having it with you at all times will ensure that this easy, yet important, recovery technique is mastered.

Get Some Rest

Any rigorous exercise regime requires a good amount of rest. You should be getting at least eight hours of sleep per night. Your muscles will be tired and sore from the work, so the more rest you get, the better you will recover.

Also make sure you are taking days off of rowing in order to let your body heal and recover. That can mean switching to an exercise you are more used to for a day, like running or hiking, or even taking a day off to completely rest if you are especially fatigued.

Roll It Out

A foam roller is a rower’s best friend. The foam roller is used as a self-massage tool to increase flexibility in tight muscle groups. It is also used as an aid to muscle recovery. By foam rolling, you are increasing blood flow and helping to flush the lactic acid produced during a hard workout out of your muscles, which helps them to recover faster.

Five rolls (toward the heart) per muscle group should be performed one or two times per week after an intense workout. Tight or problem muscle groups can be rolled daily.

Below are some techniques to use when foam rolling the major muscle groups:

Quads

IT Band

Adductors

Glutes

Low back

Upper back

Lats

Chest opener: Lay full-length on the roller with arms spread out to both sides. Streches the pectoral muscles.

Thoracic mobilization: Lay perpendicular over the roller with arms stretched overhead.

Don’t neglect your accessory work:

The Comprehensive Rowing Warm Up and Cool Down

The post The Rower’s Way: 4 Recovery Strategies appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Traditional Barbell Deadlift

Take the deadlift, for example. The body position at the bottom of the deadlift is much the same as the catch position of the rowing stroke (when your body is closest to the flywheel, just before the handle changes direction).

If you know how to lift weights properly, you know how to row. It might not be quite that simple, but the basic mechanics are very similar.

Traditional Barbell Deadlift

Take the deadlift, for example. The body position at the bottom of the deadlift is much the same as the catch position of the rowing stroke (when your body is closest to the flywheel, just before the handle changes direction).

The legs, hips, and body are compressed, with an engaged core, flat back, neutral neck and head position, the shoulder blades squeezing down and back, and the arms outstretched with a firm grip on the bar.

To move the bar, the motion is the same as the beginning of a pull on the rower. The core holds firm while the glutes squeeze, and the bar is lifted from the ground. As the bar moves higher along the body, the work shifts to the quads and hamstrings. The firing of the hips guides the bar further up the legs and brings you to a fully upright position. A deadlift has been executed.

Barbell High Pull

Now, with a bit less weight on the bar and therefore a bit more momentum, add in a follow-through of the arms at the end of the body leverage.

The arms are not moving the bar. Instead, it is the force created by the strength of the core and the firing of the glutes, quads, hamstrings, hips and back that allows the bar to move further in the air with the arms as its guide. You have moved from a deadlift to a high pull.

Rowing Pull Technique

To transfer these lifts to the rower, you simply turn them into a horizontal motion instead of vertical (with slightly less hip extension, or else you would be laying down on the erg). Just like the above two lifts, the core holds firm while the glutes that initiate the movement of the handle away from the flywheel.

The quads and hamstrings take over mid-stroke. The hips and back help to accelerate that movement. The arms are but a follow through and guide for the handle as you slow down and change direction, heading into the next stroke. Pay attention to the position at the catch. Look familiar?

You might also like:

• An 8-Week Training Plan for the Beginner Rower
• The Comprehensive Rowing Warm Up and Cool Down

The post Connect Your Lifting and Rowing For Better Performance appeared first on Breaking Muscle.