12 Best Exercises for Building Strength for Rowing

As a personal trainer, you know that aerobic exercise is necessary for optimal health. The question is: what type of cardio workout do you typically recommend? If your answer doesn’t include the use of an indoor rower, your clients may be missing out.

Benefits of a Rowing Machine Workout

Rowing is good for increasing heart rate. This provides cardiovascular fitness benefits such as lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease. Cardio exercise is also good for boosting mood, increasing energy, and getting a better night’s sleep.

VO2 max—which represents the maximum amount of oxygen used during high-intensity cardio exercise—is often used to assess aerobic endurance. One study of collegiate women rowers found that their VO2 max increased 14 percent over a six-month training period. So, rowing exercise can offer this benefit as well.

Working out on a rowing machine also aids in weight loss. A 150-pound person will expend roughly 304 calories in a vigorous 30-minute rowing session. This amount increases to 430 calories burnt if the effort is “very vigorous.” For clients who want a less intense workout, easy rowing for the same amount of time still burns around 172 calories.

If clients are looking for a full body workout, rowing delivers. It uses all of the upper body muscles, from the latissimus dorsi to triceps, to pull the handle back. Core muscles are engaged to keep proper form and the lower body muscles (which include glute muscles and quads) power the move.

Another benefit of indoor rowing is that you don’t have to live near water to take advantage of this workout. You can do it in any gym, home or public, or fitness facility that has a rowing machine. Plus, you don’t have risks associated with water rowing.

How Strength Training Can Make You a Better Rower

If rowing is such a great source of cardio, why add strength exercises to your client’s training plan? There are a few reasons.

Improved Muscle Strength and Power

Weight training increases muscle mass. The stronger the muscles, the more power they have. This power can help carry your client through their rowing workout. More power also equals increased explosiveness. If the client engages in competitive rowing, this provides a distinct advantage over competitors who lack this type of intense power.

Increased Muscle Endurance

Incorporating strength exercises in your client’s rowing workout can help them exercise for longer periods. As their overall fitness increases, they’re able to engage in extended exercise sessions. This is beneficial for clients intent on increasing fat loss. It’s also helpful for those who want to participate in endurance exercises such as marathons and triathlons.

Reduced Injury Risk

The University of Rochester reports that the most common rowing injuries include inflammation of wrist tendons (extensor tenosynovitis), rib stress fractures, and low back or knee pain. Adding strength exercise to your client’s rowing training can reduce their risk of injury. The stronger the muscle in these areas, the better they are at supporting proper form and technique.

Boosts Rowing Performance

Whether you are a competitive rower or simply like working out on an indoor rowing machine, strength training can help you perform better. More strength contributes to faster rowing speeds. Rowing stroke increases, enabling you to perform more forward-backward repetitions in less time. Stronger muscles also contribute to proper rowing technique, providing a safer, more effective workout.

12 Best Strength Exercises for Supporting Your Rowing Workout

Because rowing offers a full body workout, there are several strength training exercises that can help improve a client’s rowing sessions. Here are 12 of the best:

1. Squat – Rowing relies heavily on the quads. Incorporating a squat movement in clients’ strength routine ensures that these muscles can withstand the stress. It also boosts their rowing power. Both the back and front squat provide this effect.

2. Single leg step up – Clients can also get a good quad workout with a single leg step up. In fact, this exercise is good for the entire lower body, from the glute muscles to the calves.

3. Leg press – If a client prefers machine workouts, leg presses are one option good for strengthening the quads. They also help build glutes and hamstrings. Increase the weight pressed as the client’s fitness level improves.

4. Lunge – Lunges are effective at building strength in the hamstrings. Since these muscles lie opposite the quads, keeping them strong reduces the likelihood of a muscle imbalance. Untreated muscle imbalances can lead to injuries.

5. Deadlift – The deadlift also works the hamstrings. Again, since rowing is so quad-focused, the more you can do to build the hamstrings, the better they are at supporting the muscles at the front of the leg.

6. Overhead press – This exercise is good for building upper body strength. It targets the pecs, deltoids, and trapezius muscles. It also increases strength in the triceps. This contributes to a stronger, more fluid pulling motion.

7. Bench pull – Another upper body strengthener is the bench pull. Since this exercise uses dumbbells versus a machine, it forces the client to keep proper form. This can provide an additional strength-based benefit since more muscles are engaged. Increase dumbbell weight as the client’s fitness improves.

8. Bent over row – The bent over row works similar muscles as the bench pull. The main difference is, instead of lying face-down on a bench, the client is standing and bent forward. Proper form is critical to avoiding any injuries in the back.

9. Push-up – If a client doesn’t have access to machines or wants an upper body strengthener they can do at home, a push-up is a good bodyweight exercise to suggest. This exercise can also be varied to make it more difficult, such as doing one-armed push-ups or placing the hands closer together when lowering to the floor.

10. Plank – One of the best exercises for building core strength, which can support proper rowing technique, is the plank. This exercise can also be modified as a client’s fitness level improves, making it harder to perform.

11. Russian Twist – This exercise also increases core strength. Start without weight to ensure that the client uses the proper form. Once they are able to master the movement, add weight plates. Increase the weight slowly to continue their progress.

12. Inverted row – If the client has access to a pull-up bar or suspension training system, you may want to incorporate an inverted row. This exercise works all of the same upper body muscles as a rowing machine. It also offers benefits from a functional standpoint.

Additional Tips When Building Strength for Rowing

How often should clients focus on building strength to boost their rowing performance? Generally, strength training should be performed 2-4 times per week for maximum benefits. Additionally, there should be at least 24 hours between sessions. This gives the muscles time to recover.

Want to learn more about how to create an effective strength training workout for all of your clients? ISSA offers Strength and Conditioning Coach certification. This course teaches you how to develop personalized fitness programs designed to help clients boost their strength, power, endurance, and speed—in all sports.

References

Mahler, D., Parker, H., & Andresen, D. (1985). Physiologic Changes in Rowing Performance Associated with Training in Collegiate Women Rowers*. International Journal Of Sports Medicine, 06(04), 229-233. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2008-1025846

Calories Burned Rowing | Calculator & Formula – Captain Calculator. Captain Calculator. (2020). Retrieved 10 March 2022, from https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-rowing-calculator/.

Rowing Injuries - Sports Medicine Program - UR Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center - Rochester, NY. Urmc.rochester.edu. (2022). Retrieved 10 March 2022, from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/orthopaedics/sports-medicine/rowing-injuries.cfm.