New to the crew? The Hydrow Community has tips!

Hear from others on the path to whole-body health

If you’re new to Hydrow, congrats and welcome! We believe rowing is for everyone, and the Hydrow experience has been designed by expert rowers for every skill and fitness level. 

To help you get started, we asked the Hydrow Facebook community what advice they would give to themselves just before their first row. The results were great, universal, advice that anyone can use whether you’re just starting out or have been rowing for years. 

Here are the top tips from other Hydrow members:

Focus on technique & form before speed

"Row slow to row fast"

“Be patient and focus on technique first. Your split and speed will follow. And most importantly, have fun…not every row is a personal best.”

Tip: Fine tune your technique by filtering by Workout Style: Technique. 

Book a personal coaching session

“I wish I had booked a private one-on-one lesson sooner. It’s invaluable to a new rower.”

Tip: Book a personal coaching session here. 

Set goals! 

“Set some goals—meters, blue dots, water donations, participating in a challenge—and try to stick to them.”

“It's a marathon not a sprint.”

Keep your head in the game

“Don’t measure your success by other people's metrics. It can be intimidating to see some of the numbers some members put up. The only numbers and goals that matter are yours.”

Find community to keep you accountable

“Make some friends! Join the Facebook groups, follow the crew on Instagram, add someone whose leaderboard name catches your eye as a friend!”

Tip: Join Hydrow Training Camp on Facebook for encouragement.

Prepare to not always be motivated. Get creative!

“Mark some of the rows you enjoy the most as favorites, so on days you may be struggling with motivation you can go back to these and stay consistent with your training!”

“I put the machine in my bedroom. Problem solved. I can literally get up and row in my pjs if I need to, especially when I really don’t want to.”

And remember, 5 minutes is better than 0

“Many of us have openly admitted to “falling off,” and the best part of this community is the support we provide each other when we do. Give yourself grace when it comes, but make sure you get right back on ASAP… 5, 10, 15, 20 or more minutes are better than 0.”

Hop on the on the mat bandwagon. Your body will thank you. 

“Making sure to be aware of how the On the Mat pieces fit in is invaluable. As someone who boycotted stretching until recently I had no idea the value they provided.”

“It will help make you stronger, prevent injuries, and will restore you so you can keep coming back day after day.”