FitView
By Efren Martinez
Row, Row, Row, Your Body
While you’re at the gym, you probably regularly sport the treadmill, elliptical and sometimes the spin bike and stair climber; but have you ever considered using that one piece of exercising equipment that’s cornered in the back of the gym collecting dust? I’m taking about the rowing machine.
Out of all the gyms where I’ve been a member over the years, I think I’ve only seen it being used twice. Why? Probably because it’s the most aggressive workout you can get in 20 minutes versus on any other Exercise machine. Seriously, after 20 minutes you’re 100% done because your body just went through an entire fat burning, muscle building, cardio racing workout. Many professional trainers in the fitness world, including myself, believe the rowing machine is the most effective piece of fitness equipment for burning fat and improving conditioning. It’s a great non-weight-bearing exercise machine, a rowing machine uses both your upper- and lower-body muscles to increase cardiovascular conditioning. Since you’re using your entire body, targeted muscle soreness is unlikely, you’ll more likely feel the soreness all over as you train your cardio ability and burn fat quickly. Next time you’re at the gym, dust off that rowing machine in the back and give one of these 3 Rowing Machine workouts a go.
Workout 1
Row for 50 calories
30 Russian kettle-bell swings
30 Ab-Mat Sit-ups
Perform row, kettle-bell swings, and sit-ups. Rest one minute. Repeat for 4 rounds, then walk 1 mile for a cool down.
Workout 2
Row 260 meters
Rest 1 minute
Total duration: 20 minutes
Note: This interval workout has a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. The rowing should be completed in less than a minute. Rest one minute, then repeat for a total of 10 rounds, then walk 1 mile for a cool down.
Workout 3
You have six minutes to row 1,000 meters. If you finish early, which you should, perform an all-out 4 sprint sets (12) of burpees, then walk 1 mile for a cool down.
