Air resistance machines or air rowers offer significant advantages over other types of rowers like water resistance and magnetic resistance rowing machines. One of the salient features of air rowers is its ability to automatically adjust the resistance level depending on the speed of pedal stroke. So, a user of air rowing machine feels as though he is actually rowing and finds it more inspirational than other rowing machines. Although, water resistance rowing machines are as good as air rowers, they are quite expensive; however, air rowers offer similar features for their relatively cheaper cost.

Air rowers are great fitness equipment in terms of rowing, resistance and smooth work out.

Low-impact rowing exercises

Air resistance rowing exercises are designed to provide complete workout to the cardio vascular and muscular systems without undergoing any undue stress or strain. Compared with pulley-powered rowers, air rowing machines do not condition the body with high-impact exercises, thus, they are suitable for both old and young alike. Rowing is of great help to people who want to gain good posture, improve their stamina and strengthen their back & limbs.

Since, air pressure is used to provide resistance, air rowing machines operate smoothly over long duration.

Air resistance

Air resistance provides a kind of tension on air rowers like an actual rowing in the open water. Which is why, most rowing enthusiasts would rather go for air resistance rowers than other rowing machines. In most air rowers, the air resistance increases or decreases depending on your speed of stroke. When your speed is slow, the tension will be minimum, so, you can use air resistance rowers to your level of comfort. However, when you increase the stroke speed, the air resistance also increases.

Smooth work out

As air resistance rowers are capable of adjusting the tension automatically, they provide smoother work out while they also help you to get low-impact fitness exercise assuring your joints are not unduly impacted stress and strain. Further, air rowers operate more quietly than piston type or water resistance rowing machines.

Rowing machine provides excellent aerobic work out while it also helps you to shed weight, strengthen your entire body and remain fit. Fitness exercises involving rowing machines give a complete work out to the entire body including shoulders, abdomen, thighs and legs. While doing rowing exercise your upper body gets 40 percent benefit of your work out while your lower body including your waist gets the maximum benefit. This is why, many of athletes and professional rowers acquire great shape and stamina by the regular work outs on rowing machines.

If you are going to use rowing machine for the first time, you may need to know all the basic features of your rowing machine before you get used to it. To get the maximum benefits from rowing machines, you should know the right stroke technique as well as other rowing exercises that include some warming up exercises to begin with.

Before you use a rowing machine, you need to make sure that its foot straps have been adjusted to your comfortable level. After sitting on the seat, with your heel firmly resting on the foot pedal, strap your feet.

If you are a beginner, do not set the resistance or tension on your rowing machine at a higher level. This will put undue stress and strain on your muscles and can be harmful and can eventually disturb your training routine. Gradually increase the resistances of rower, once you start get used to the machine and you feel your strength and stamina have improved.

Hold the rowing grip firmly but do not hold it too tight. Now, get your arms extended while keeping your wrists straight. Usually, overhand grip can be easier for the most beginners, however, you may also use underhand grip alternatively during long rowing sessions.

1. Starting position or the Catch
2. Middle position or the Drive
3. Ending position or the Recovery

The Catch

Courtesy: Concept 2

In the Catch position, you keep your knees bent and go forward until your shins become upright and vertical so that they are close to your chest. With your head is still up, lean forward slightly towards the hips.

The Drive

Courtesy: Concept 2

Here is the proper technique that you have to follow during the drive postion: Extend your legs while pushing off against the foot pedals. Exhale slowly and deeply as you make full extension with your hands reaching the upper part of your abdomen. At the final position, you would lean back slightly with your knees fully stretched.

The Recovery

During the start of the recovery phase, with your legs flat, lean back slightly. Make sure that your forearms are horizontal.

The knees should bend slowly and reach the start position without any jerk movement.

• Do not strain your back while pushing foot pedals. For instance, leaning too forward or leaning too back may hurt your back when your technique goes wrong.
• Do not make jerky movements. This can affect your wrists.
• During the drive phase, use the power of your legs and abdomen for extension.
• Do not strain yourself during the first few days by setting too high level of tension on rowing machine or rowing too long. When you begin, start from 15 minutes and gradually increase the duration.
• If needed, get assistance from a trainer if you experience difficulties.

Indoor rowing machines provide rowing training for rowing enthusiasts and competitive rowers. A professional oarsman needs to develop all the essential skills of rowing. Good rowing technique involves smoother and integrated movement of three phases of rowing such as catch, drive and recovery.

The best indoor rowers recreate and simulate the actual movements of rowing on water so they are used as effective training equipment for most athletes and professional rowers. Indoor rowing machines also help the users to stay fit, improve stamina and strengthen muscular & cardio vascular systems.

Indoor rowing fitness machines are available in four types:

• Piston or Hydraulic indoor rowing machines
• Magnetic Resistance indoor rowing machines
• Flywheel or air resistance indoor rowers
• Water resistance indoor rowing machines

Stamina Hydraulic Rower

They are small, compact and take up less space.

• Piston (or) hydraulic indoor rowing machine has a piston and uses air or fluid to create resistance which can be adjusted by the users.
• They are the cheapest of all indoor rowing machines.
• However, there are a few disadvantages of piston based indoor rowing machines. Although they allow you to exercise either side of your upper body, you can not pull in a straight line. Further, these indoor rowers do not offer you true feel of natural rowing motion.

Beny V-fit R851 Magnetic Rowing Machine

• Magnetic rowing machines use magnets which provide much smoother rowing motion than other indoor rowing fitness equipment. They operate quietly as its magnetic resistance produces motions without any friction.
• Rowing machines that use magnetic resistance come with magnetic brake so you can adjust the resistance to your comfortable level.
• Some indoor rowing fitness machines use both air and magnetic resistance.

Flywheel or Air Rower

• Flywheel indoor rowing machines use air resistance which is generated by a flywheel and a set of fan blades.
• As you increase the speed of your stroke, the flywheel spins faster and produces greater resistance. So, you need not to adjust the resistance on this type of rowers.
• Air resistance rowers offer real feel of outdoor rowing as the motions are smoother, continuous and natural.
• Flywheel indoor rowing machines are generally preferred by rowing enthusiasts, gyms, health clubs and rehabilitation centres.

WaterRower Rowing machine

Water rowing machines use water resistance so they effectively simulate the dynamic properties of rowing on the water.

1. Water rowing machine is usually built with wood and has a water flywheel and water tank. Depending on the amount of water in the tank, the resistance can be adjusted.
2. Rowers that are based on water resistance are quiet while using.
3. Water indoor rowers are ideal for those who want to train themselves for outdoor rowing.

Rowing machine is one of the fitness equipments that provide low impact workout for all parts of your body right from the toe to the shoulder. While it helps you to burn lot of calories, it also improves the tone of your muscles whether on your upper on lower body. Rowing is also an excellent aerobic exercise that strengthens your cardio vascular system leading to improved over-all health and well being.

Courtesy: Concept 2

One of the advantages of rowing exercising machines is that it is ideal home fitness equipment for people of all ages. Whether old or young, anyone can do rowing exercises as the rowing machines are designed to exert little impact on back and knee joints. All you need to do is to set the tension on the rowing machine to your comfortable level. As most rowing exercise machines come with features like adjustable seats, monitors and double exercise bikes, rowing techniques are now quite easy to learn for both young and old alike. It is not necessary that you should be an athlete or a professional rower to get started. In fact, rowing machine is for anyone who can afford to spend a few minutes regularly to stay fit.

Types of rowing machines

When you shop around for rowing machines, there is a wide range of rowing machines to choose from. Basically, there are five types of rowing machines and each type uses different kind of resistance type.

• Air resistance rowing machines
• Air/magnetic resistance rowing machines
• Magnetic resistance
• Piston resistance rowing machines
• Water resistance rowing machines

Air resistance rowing machines use a fan or propeller to generate resistance. When you use it, the machine automatically increases or decreases the resistance depending on the stroke rate so you feel like you are actually rowing and you get lot of fun out of it. Typically, this type of rowers are longer than other types so occupy more space. However, you can find a few models that can be folded.

Courtesy: Air resistance rowing machine

Air/magnetic type rowing machines use both air resistance and magnetic resistance. These rowers provide you option to select any of these mechanisms during your work out. Generally, magnetic resistance offers noise-free and smoother work out and these machines come with features like tension adjustment, programmable settings and different weight capacities etc.

Magnetic resistance type rowers have strong electromagnets that produce different levels of resistance. Unlike air resistance rowers, they do not generate noise but they are generally as long as their counterparts. The main advantage of magnetic resistance is that it offers easy work out for beginners and it allows the users to use different setting levels to do various work outs to their own comfort levels. However, professional rowers are more likely to choose air and water resistance rowers which are better machines for toning the muscles.

Courtesy: Tunturi R30 Magnetic Rowing machine

Piston resistance rowers use hydraulic cylinders and there is arm on either side. They are much cheaper, much smaller and take up much smaller space. Suitable for entry level rowers, the main advantage of piston resistance machines is that it gives all the benefits of rowing exercises without making a dent on your budget. Although they are noise-free, they not provide fuller, smoother elongation that magnetic resistance allows. They may be compact, but is not suitable for everyone, especially if you are tall.

Courtesy: Beny V-fit Piston powered Rowing Machine

Water resistance rowers just imitate real rowing and function more like air resistance rowing machines. The rower has a water tank and there are varied levels of resistance depending on the amount of water in the tank. Like air resistance rowers, the resistance of water rower increases or decreases depending on the speed of stroke. Water resistance rowers are generally preferred by athletes and professional rowers for they help to build high levels of stamina. However, they are much heavier and more expensive than other types.

WaterRower Rowing machine

Benefits of rowing machines

Rowing machines are designed to provide complete work out to the entire body. As they simulate the actual rowing through water, it is more inspirational than other fitness exercises like jogging or tread mill. If you use this low impact fitness equipment regularly, you achieve various benefits that increase the health and your well-being.

Rowers help you to burn calories at the rate of 20 calories per minute, thus, with a work out for half-an-hour, you will be burning 600 calories and this amounts to one-fourths of your intake in terms of calorific value. By doing rowing exercises regularly, your body shed extra fat naturally and you stay fit for the year round.

Performance Monitor

Rowing exercises, in fact, help you to strengthen your entire back. As a result, you are less likely to suffer from muscle pain that affects your back when you need to work for prolonged hours or when you do other strenuous things in your daily life. It is found from the studies that rowers are more helpful to the people who recuperate from injuries to their ligaments and knee joints.

Regular work out on rowing machines improves stamina by building muscular strength and cardio-vascular fitness since a rower is an excellent aerobic fitness equipment and also a low impact exercise for your heart.

Rowers just simulate the actual rowing so athletes and competitive rowers can benefit from strength training workouts on air resistance or water resistance rowing machines.