Is Rowing a Full-Body Workout?

If you’ve ever spoken to anyone who exercises regularly, you’ve likely heard them use phrases like “cardio day” or “leg day.” But if you don’t have the time to break up your workouts this way, you want to find a way to exercise that will get you the absolute maximum impact and results out of every session. The best way to do this is with a full-body workout each time you lace up your sneakers.

One great option for getting in a full-body workout every time is a rowing machine. In this blog, we’ll share:

• How rowing offers a total-body workout

• What does a rowing machine work?

• How rowing compares to other forms of exercise

• The benefits of full-body workouts

• Tips to get the most out of your indoor rowing workout

Let’s dive in!

Is rowing a full-body workout?

Hard yes! Rowing is an exceptional full-body workout—and the reason lies in the mechanics of the rowing stroke. Unlike some other forms of exercise that only work part of the body at a time (more on these later!), rowing utilizes 86% of the muscles in the body with every stroke, provided you’re using proper rowing form. 

From the Catch, (the point where you’re closest to your screen), you push away from your footboards with your legs, powering up your lower body while also engaging the core and back. Next, you pivot your hips to get the back ready to lay back, which fires up the core even more. Finally, you pull the handle with your arms. 

What’s more, if you’re rowing at a high stroke rate or for an extended period of time, you’re going to increase your heart rate for some calorie-torching cardio exercise.

What does a rowing machine work?

As we already mentioned, rowing works almost every muscle in the body. But if you’re interested in the particulars, here are all the muscles a rowing machine works:

Lower-body muscles

• Glutes 

• Quadriceps

• Calves

• Hamstrings 

Core and back muscles

• Abdominals

• Obliques 

• Lumbar muscles

Upper-body muscles

• Biceps

• Latissimus dorsi

• Rhomboids

• Deltoids

• Forearms

• Triceps 

Then, of course, we can’t forget about the body’s most important muscle: the heart. The cardio aspect of rowing works both the heart and lungs to round out the total-body benefits of a rowing machine. 

How rowing compares to other workouts

When it comes to other popular forms of exercise, rowing reigns supreme for two reasons: First, as we’ve made clear, the rowing stroke works almost the entire body for the entire workout. In comparison, working out on a treadmill, elliptical, stair stepper, or upright bike focuses primarily on the lower body, with a little bit of core thrown in. None of these workouts hit the upper body as effectively as the rower does.

The second reason is that rowing is completely low-impact and gentle on the joints, making it accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels. Plus, it does not cease to be low impact if you choose to increase the intensity of your workout. 

What do we mean by that? Cycling, for example, is also low-impact, until you stand up on the pedals to go faster and cycle at a higher resistance—then it becomes a higher-impact exercise. On a rowing machine, you can up the difficulty of your workout to a high intensity, rowing with more power and a lower split time or at a higher stroke rate, and it will still be a low-impact movement. 

The benefits of full-body workouts

Now that we’ve established how rowing is a full-body workout, you may be wondering why you should favor full-body workouts in the first place. Here are the top two reasons:

1. They’re more efficient

If you split up your workouts, focusing on lower body one day, upper body another, and cardio yet another, you’re hitting each a maximum of twice a week—and that’s if you exercise almost every day. 

Utilizing a total-body workout like rowing ensures that you’re working your entire body every session, which is a much better use of time for people who have limited time in their busy schedule to commit to exercise.

2. They promote overall strength and minimize imbalances

Overworking certain muscle groups doesn’t just increase injury risk—it can create body imbalances that hurt your balance, stability, and functional fitness. On the flip side, full-body workouts engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, strengthening them all together and at the same pace to promote optimal overall strength.

Tips for maximizing your rowing workouts

Choosing rowing as your full-body workout is already one of the best decisions you can make regarding your exercise regimen. But to truly get the most out of your rowing workouts and your exercise plan as a whole, consider these three tips. 

1. Row with proper form: Taking care to master the proper rowing form and maintain it throughout your rowing workouts will ensure you’re utilizing every single muscle.

2. Vary your rowing workouts: One of the best parts about rowing, especially rowing with the classes available on the Hydrow, is that there are many different ways you can get an intense workout. If you do a longer, steady-state row one day to boost your endurance, consider trying some high-intensity intervals the next time you row to maximize fat burning.

3. Mix in other types of exercise: While you can certainly row every day if you want, the smarter plan is to use your rowing machine as one tool in your exercise arsenal. Consider incorporating some weight-bearing activities like walking or hiking to maintain healthy bones, some mobility work or yoga to improve your flexibility, and some free weights to improve your strength, balance, and stability.

Related blog: Can You Do Full-Body Workouts Every Day?

Ready to row?

Rowing machines offer one of the best and most efficient full-body workouts. Rowing uses almost every muscle in the body, including your heart, for an exceptional all-around workout that’s efficient, low-impact, and effective. 

If you’re ready to start your journey with rowing, consider one of Hydrow’s top-of-the-line rowing machines. With an extensive library of rowing classes, plus other challenging exercise formats, you’ll see results in record time.