12 Rowing Machine Workouts to Build Muscle, Improve Endurance, and Burn Calories

Rowing is an exceptional workout option for its full-body, low-impact nature and the ability to easily customize the intensity of your workout to meet your current fitness level and goals. 

Rowing machine workouts can check the box for a lot of different exercise needs. Don’t have a lot of time on your hands? A HIIT rowing workout to quickly burn calories might be what you need. Want to improve your overall endurance? A steady-state rowing workout is perfect. Rowing can build strength and endurance while burning calories and protecting your joints.

Rowing can be a powerful workout to help you reach your fitness goals, but you may find it challenging to know what type of workout to do in order to see the benefits you’re looking for. Below, we’ll cover everything you need to know to choose the right rowing workout for you, including: 

• Types of rowing workouts to build endurance

• Types of rowing workouts to burn calories 

• Types of rowing workouts to build muscle

• Types of rowing workouts to improve your form

• The best type of rowing workout for cross-training

Let’s dive in!

Types of rowing workouts to build endurance

Building your endurance helps to keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy and working efficiently. And when you have good endurance, you have more energy for all types of activities. Two types of rowing workouts that build endurance are:

• Steady-state rowing

• Distance rows

1. Steady-state rowing workouts

A steady-state workout is continuous rowing at a consistent stroke rate and intensity. It helps maintain exercise for a longer period of time and subsequently burn more calories.

An example of a steady-state rowing workout:

• 18–24 strokes per minute (SPM)

• Moderate intensity (60% to 70% of maximum heart rate)

• 20–30+ minutes, depending on your intensity and fitness level

2. Distance rows

Distance rows are workouts that cover a predetermined distance. They can be anywhere from 2,500 meters to 10,000 meters or more and are another way to help you build endurance. A distance row gives you a specific statistic to track, if that’s something you like. Tracking your progress towards getting faster at a particular distance can be very motivating.

An example of a distance row workout:

• 18–24 strokes per minute

• Moderate intensity (60% to 70% of maximum heart rate)

• Workout time is determined by how quickly you cover the selected distance

Types of rowing workouts to burn calories

Any workout you do is going to burn some calories. But if you want to maximize that calorie burn, higher-intensity and interval-style workouts will do the trick. Four types of workouts that will burn a lot of calories are:

1. HIIT rowing workouts

2. Pyramid intervals

3. Tabata sprints

4. 500-meter sprints

1. HIIT rowing workouts

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are very popular and can be done in a variety of formats, but they have two basic elements: An interval of intense work followed by an interval of active rest or recovery. At their core, HIIT workouts allow you to do a lot of work in a short amount of time.

An example of a HIIT rowing workout:

• Eight work intervals of 1 minute each

• Eight recovery intervals of 30 seconds each

• 24–30 strokes per minute for the work intervals

• 16–20 strokes per minute for the recovery intervals

• 20 minutes total, including warm-up and cool-down

2. Pyramid intervals

A pyramid workout is another style of interval workout. For example, one way to complete a pyramid is to start with a one-minute work interval and work up to a five-minute work interval, staying at a consistent pace or intensity. You then work your way back down. 

Another way to do a pyramid workout is to keep the interval time consistent and increase the intensity or strokes per minute with each interval, working your way up and back down. A pyramid workout can be intense but is also usually short, so it’s time-efficient and effective. 

An example of a consistent-interval pyramid workout:

• 10 work intervals of one minute each

• Start at 18–20 strokes per minute and increase to 26–28 for the fifth interval

• Work your way back down the pyramid, reversing your strokes per minute

• 20 minutes total, including warm-up and cool-down

3. Tabata sprints

A Tabata sprint workout is a super efficient, muscle-strengthening way to burn calories. This is a great workout to do if you’re short on time. Like many other interval-style workouts, it consists of work and rest intervals. But the intervals are very short and the work intervals are very hard, with shorter rest periods. You should try to push yourself as hard as you can possibly go while still maintaining good form.

An example of a Tabata sprint workout:

• Five-minute warm-up

• 20-second work interval followed by 10-second rest interval x 8

• 28–30 strokes per minute for the work intervals

• For this style workout, the rest interval can be a reduced stroke rate or complete rest

• Two minutes at an easy pace, 16–18 strokes per minute

• Repeat work/rest intervals x 8

• Five-minute cool-down

• 20-minute total workout

4. 500-meter sprints

A 500-meter sprint workout is another efficient way to burn calories and build power. 500-meter sprints are a staple of many CrossFit workouts and are typically done hard and fast. In rowing, your split refers to the time it takes you to cover 500 meters at your current speed. Like distance rows, this is another workout you can do periodically to gauge your fitness progress. 

An example of a 500-meter sprint workout:

• 26+ strokes per minute

• Hard intensity (70% to 85% of maximum heart rate)

• Workout time is however long it takes to cover 500 meters, plus a warm-up and cool-down

Related blog: How to Get Better at Rowing: 15 Tips to Improve Your Endurance and Technique

Types of rowing workouts to build muscle

Even though exercising on a rowing machine is usually a cardio workout, rowing can build muscle strength, too. Two types of workouts that can help you build muscle while also strengthening your endurance include:

1. Power strokes

2. Strength circuits

1. Power strokes

A power stroke workout can look a number ways depending on your specific needs and goals. A power stroke is one individual stroke at a high intensity that generates a lot of power, typically measured in watts. It’s important to maintain good rowing form when doing power strokes to get the most out of your workout. 

An example of a power strokes workout:

• Five minutes at steady-state pace of 18–22 strokes per minute

• 10 power strokes as hard as you can while maintaining good form 

• Two-minute recovery pace of 16–18 strokes per minute

• Repeat power strokes and recovery two more times

• Five minutes at steady-state pace of 18–22 strokes per minute

• Total workout time of approximately 15 minutes

2. Strength circuits

Strength circuit workouts are a time-efficient way to get some strength and cardio in one workout. A strength circuit will work all major muscle groups in between short bursts of rowing to maximize your time. Dumbbells are helpful here, but you can also do a bodyweight strength workout.

An example of a strength circuit workout:

• One minute alternating dumbbell lunge

• One minute push-ups

• Three-minute row at moderate intensity (65% to 75% of maximum heart rate)

• One minute dumbbell shoulder press

• One minute dumbbell squat

• Three-minute row at high intensity (75% to 85% of maximum heart rate)

• Repeat the whole circuit a second time

• 20-minute total workout time 

Types of rowing workouts to improve your form

Having good rowing form will help prevent injuries and build your stamina and strength so you can row for longer and at higher intensities. Form drills are a way to break down the complete rowing motion into smaller parts to refine your form and are a good warm up or cool down activity. 

There are several types of drill workouts that help you improve your rowing technique, such as:

1. Catch drills

2. Drive drills

3. Sequencing drills

1. Catch drills

The Catch position is when the rower reaches the front of the slide with arms extended, shins are vertical or near vertical, and body is upright with nose pointing forward. When you have good form in the Catch position, it allows you to generate more power in the Drive.

An example of a Catch Drill for an indoor rowing machine:

• After a few strokes, pause at the Catch position, assess your form, and focus on generating power for the Drive 

• Do this five to 10 times

• 10 minutes at moderate intensity (60% to 70% of maximum heart rate) focusing on the Catch position 

2. Drive drills

The Drive is the stroke phase that produces power. It starts by extending the legs from the Catch position, then keeping your head and torso in a straight line, begin to lean back at the hips, finally, bend your elbows to pull the handlebar into your torso. Again, good form here will help to avoid injury and make you more efficient for generating power.

An example of a Drive drill for an indoor rowing machine:

• Two-minute warmup at easy pace

• Pause in the Catch position, then using legs only, extend into the Drive position, focusing on firing the glutes and quads

• The handlebar will move with you, but avoid extending your hips or pulling the handlebar into your torso

• Do up to 10 legs-only drives

3. Sequencing drills

Sequencing drills help you improve the order of your rowing stroke, with an emphasis on either your Recovery or Drive phase depending on the message from your instructor. Like the other drills, sequencing drills are good for warming up. 

An example of a sequencing drill for an indoor rower:

• Start out in the Finish position, with your legs extended and torso leaned slightly back

• Staying stationary in the finish position, work your arms only by extending the handlebar  and pulling back to your torso

• Focus on keeping shoulders down and back and head in a neutral position

• Do this arms-only 5–10 times

• Next, staying in the Finish position with legs fully extended, arms fully extended, add the torso motion by leaning forward from the hips and then pulling back to your torso

• Do this arms and torso 5–10 times

• Finally, slide all the way to the Catch position by adding the full leg movement

Mixed interval workouts for cross-training

Mixed interval workouts—a workout that involves rowing and some other form of cardio like running or cycling—are a great way to add some variety into your routine and work different and complementary muscle groups. You can design a mixed interval workout any way that suits you and even use elements of the other workout methods we’ve already talked about.

An example of a mixed interval workout:

• 2 minutes rowing at 18–20 strokes per minute

• 2 minutes running at moderate intensity (60% to 70% of maximum heart rate)

• 4 minutes rowing at 20–24 strokes per minute

• 4 minutes running at moderate to hard intensity (65% to 80% of maximum heart rate)

• Repeat the two-minute sequence of rowing and running

• Repeat the four-minute sequence of rowing and running

• 24 minutes total workout time

Rowing workout plans for beginner, intermediate, and advanced rowers

Looking for some inspiration for where to start? Check out these weekly workout plans tailoring to different fitness levels: 

Example of a weekly rowing workout plan for beginners

This beginner program kicks off your fitness journey on the right foot, dialing in on the basics of the rowing stroke while introducing cardio, strength, and mobility fitness concepts. 

• Monday: Five-minute progression drill (also known as a sequencing drill) 

• Tuesday: Active movement such as walking and/or five minutes of yoga and stretching

• Wednesday: Five-minute progression drill followed by five minutes of steady-state rowing

• Thursday: 10-minute beginner strength circuit training workout 

• Friday: Active movement such as walking and/or five minutes of yoga and stretching

• Saturday: 10-minute pyramid row

• Sunday: Off and/or five minutes of yoga and stretching

Example of a weekly rowing workout plan for intermediate rowers

This intermediate program hones in on finding a good balance of all the fitness components to include endurance, strength, and mobility in a variety of moderate- to high-intensity workouts. 

• Monday: 30-minute steady-state row 

• Tuesday: 20-minute HIIT workout

• Wednesday: Active recovery, such as a walk and/or 10 minutes of yoga or stretching

• Thursday: 20-minute pyramid row and five minutes of drill-focused work (ex: Catch/Finish/Drive)

• Friday: 20-minute strength circuit training workout

• Saturday: 15 minutes of yoga and/or stretching

• Sunday: Off or active recovery such as a walk

Example of a weekly rowing workout plan for advanced rowers

This advanced program aims to build off your current fitness level and really try to promote pace and strength while staying limber and injury-free. 

• Monday: 45-minute steady-state row 

• Tuesday: 20-minute Tabata workout

• Wednesday: 30 minutes of yoga and/or stretching

• Thursday: 5–6-mile distance row with power strokes

• Friday: 30-minute mixed-interval row 

• Saturday: 30-minute strength circuit training workout

• Sunday: Active recovery and/or yoga and stretching 

Looking for more rowing machine workouts?

If you’re looking to mix up your rowing routine with different types of workouts, be sure to check out Hydrow. Our full library of rowing workouts and drills will help you meet all of your exercise needs, from cardiovascular exercise to strength and mobility. Our workouts are also filmed in stunning locations around the world, transporting you from your home gym to beautiful global waterways with knowledgeable Athletes to keep you motivated throughout your workout.

Learn more about the benefits of Hydrow indoor rowers and our workout library today!