Competitive or not, rowing burns more calories than biking at the same effort. Here's how to get started.

Have you considered indoor rowing? Here is why you should and how to get started.

Traditionally, rowing is thought of as an upper-body exercise. While you definitely work your upper back and arms, the power of the rowing stroke is generated from your legs. Rowing works the hamstrings and glutes through their full range of motion in addition to activating the abdominal and back muscles. As if that isn't enough to get from a cardiovascular workout, rowing also increases flexibility in your legs, shoulders and back.

The key to successful rowing is mastering proper rowing technique. Ask a personal trainer to help you learn the correct form. There are four parts to each stroke: catch, drive, finish and recovery. If your trainer can walk you through these phases, you'll be on your way. Good form is not only important for working your muscles but also for helping your muscles rest and prepare for the next stroke. During the recovery phase, for example, you relax your legs so they're ready for their next powerful drive. The more powerful your leg drive, the faster your body pulls through the stroke and returns to the recovery phase where your legs can take a break. Too bad it doesn't work that way with running! Because technique is so important to safe and effective rowing, spend your first few sessions just getting your form down before you really go for it in a workout.

Indoor rowing is appropriate for all levels of fitness. The resistance is based on a wind fan. The harder you pull, the faster it spins, and the more resistance it provides. Workouts can be done with gentle, easy strokes or powerful, hard ones. Indoor rowing machines offer the option of changing the flywheel "feel" with adjustments from 1 to 10. But don't let that fool you. The wind damper settings are not an indication of how hard you are working and are not the same as increasing the resistance on your stationary bike or adding an incline to your treadmill. Rowers use the adjustments to create the feel of a racing a sleek, fast boat versus a large, slow boat. The intensity of your workout is actually dictated by how hard and how frequently you pull your strokes. Regardless of your fitness level, try setting the flywheel to about a 3 when you start off.

If you're just exploring indoor rowing, start with three- to five-minute bouts. Gradually increase your time and distance as your technique improves. Need a goal to shoot for? Try to row 2,000 meters. From there, maybe you'll be ready to begin an indoor racing career. If you think you are up to the challenge, the next World Championships are only a year away.

Christine "CC" Cunningham, MS, ATC/L, CSCS is the owner of performENHANCE sports performance training in Chicago (http://www.performenhance.net).  She is a frequent writer and lecturer on personal training, functional exercise and human performance enhancement.  CC can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

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