Here at MIT Recreation, we love the rowing machine. It’s a full body workout, low impact, and a great change of pace when it comes to a day in the gym. We also love quick workouts – who has time every day to spend hours and hours working out (as much as we might like to)? Life is busy, and we think you are probably pretty busy too. So here is a quick, simple to try, 20 Minute Rowing Machine Workout. It’s great for experienced and brand-new rowers alike, and brought to you by our new Rowing for Fitness Instructional Program instructor, Mary Foster. Thanks Mary!

Before we get started, here are a few quick tips for rowing:

• The focus of the rowing portion of this workout is LEGS and CORE.
• Low rates require control of body on the ‘recovery’ portion of the stroke – use it as ‘rest’ in order to go full tilt on the drive portion of the stroke!
• Rowing “rate” as mentioned below, is strokes/minute.

The Warmup

4 Minutes of Low/Medium Intensity Rowing:

• 2 minutes at rate 20
• 2 minutes at rate 22

2 Minutes of Body Weight Exercises:

• 1 minute of walking marches – high knees. Advanced: squeeze knee to chest and hold for 1-2 seconds before next step

• 1 minute of standing over head press – standing against a wall, relaxed knees, arms press from shoulder height to overhead, staying along the wall

The Workout

3 Minutes of Medium/Hard Rowing:

• 1 minute at rate 20
• 1 minute at rate 22
• 1 minute at rate 26

2 Minutes of Body Weight Exercises:

• 1 minute of body weight squats: standing to the side of the rowing machine facing away from the slide, squat low – maybe touch the slide – and stand back up

• 1 minute of wall pushups: just like a pushup – but with your hands against a wall or half wall. Advanced – hands on the slide of the erg. Super advanced – hands on the ground.

2 Minutes of High Intensity Rowing:

• 1 minute at rate 26
• 1 minute at rate 28

2 Minutes of Body Weight Exercises:

• 1 minute of body weight squats
• 1 minute of pushups

1 Minute of Max Intensity Rowing:

• 1 minute at rate 30 – as fast as you can go – it’s only 14 strokes!

2 Minutes of Body Weight Exercises:

• 1 minute of body weight squats
• 1 minute of pushups

The Cooldown

2 Minutes of Easy Rowing:

• 1 minute at rate 22
• 1 minute at rate 20
• Focus on breathing and bringing down your heart rate

Ready to try out this workout in our gym? Our Technogym Rowers, pictured here, come out during our Rowing for Fitness and Row & Flow classes, but you can find two Concept 2 Rowers on the fitness floor of the Z-Center!