Rowing
Move · Cardio · Movement, Typed Supps
One of the few cardio machines that works most of your body at once.
Stage by stage
- Warm-up (Blood flow to legs): A gentle warm-up increases blood flow to the legs, which produce most of the power in a rowing stroke.
- During (Sequenced full-body effort): The stroke sequences legs, then trunk, then arms, recruiting a larger share of total body muscle than most cardio machines.
- Immediately after (Low-impact recovery): Heart rate normalises; the absence of impact means less next-day soreness than running.
- Days later (Aerobic and endurance gains): Aerobic capacity and muscular endurance improve together, including in the posterior chain most cardio neglects.
Muscles trained
- Primary: glutes, lats
- Secondary: abs, biceps, forearms, hamstrings, lower back, rear shoulders, upper back
Intensity
6 METs (Rowing, stationary ergometer, general, vigorous effort).
Time to effect
- Weeks: Aerobic fitness and full-body muscular endurance improve with consistent training.
Related supplements
Common myth
“Rowing is mainly an upper-body exercise.” In reality: Roughly 60% of the power in a rowing stroke comes from the legs — pulling primarily with the arms is the most common technique error.
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