Tips and tricks to better your indoor rowing workout

Four ways to enhance your indoor rowing workout

If you love your rowing machine and want to ensure you are getting the most from your indoor rowing workout, here are a few simple tips and tricks that could maximise results. Simple postural errors can sometimes lead to a poor rowing technique, or hinder you from getting the total body benefits from your indoor rowing session. To ensure you keep on loving your #fluidworkouts on the FDF ergometer, we’ve have outlined a few considerations that might help you take your indoor rowing workout to the next level.

Indoor Rowing Tip #1 – Push don’t pull

It is a common myth that indoor rowing is all about the upper body, but it’s not. To get the most out of your rowing stroke you need to push your heels down, so the weight of your body is spread evenly through your feet, and drive with the legs. Use the full force of the legs to drive yourself back, then follow through with the arms and hands. Be sure not to waste time by pulling harder and faster, because without the leg drive, the force of the rowing stroke will be wasted. Read more about how to master your indoor rowing technique.

Indoor Rowing Tip #2 – Go slow to get more

To get the most out of your indoor rowing workout it is important to slow down the stroke. Going too quick up and down the slide, or pulling your hands away too fast has no benefit to your indoor rowing strength and conditioning at all. By slowing the rowing stroke rate, you are more able to achieve a precise and efficient technique that activates the core muscle groups, resulting in a higher calorie loss at the end of the indoor rowing workout.

Indoor Rowing Tip #3 – Focus on stability and power

The core muscles are critical to holding posture and connecting the leg drive to the handle. If you are able to achieve full compression at the catch, without collapsing, you will maintain greater stroke power, just as sitting tall through the finish will ensure you maintain drive and flow. By working on strengthening your core muscles you will guarantee a more efficient rowing machine stroke. You will also reduce the risk of injury during rowing and reduce potential strain on other muscles.

Indoor Rowing Tip #4 – Personal motivation

As it is with life, where your focus goes your energy will flow. Motivation to achieve your personal indoor rowing goals can be reignited by mixing up your rowing machine workout style and goals. Music can be highly motivational, as songs with a higher beat will stimulate you to push yourself through the drive and get more out of your rowing stroke. Changing up your exercise routine or connecting with a rowing app can keep you encouraged to push yourself harder and compete with other indoor rowers.

Be sure to show us how these tips and tricks have improved your indoor rowing workout by taking part in our #Fluidworkout competition on social media.