What is ONE piece of exercise equipment that I do feel is a great addition to training ? The rowing machine ! Why you ask? The rowing machine uses your own body to create power. With modern populations suffering from inactivity and lifestyle disease, movement is more valuable than ever. Machines at the gym are not really designed to make you work very hard. Just think of all the people you see casually sitting on the bike or walking on a treadmill holding on. Not that any of that is bad because ANY movement is better than none however, make your movement worth it and efficient!
I believe every human is an athlete, and every athlete should row. Rowing transfers well into anything that demands extension of the knees, hips, and elbows, meaning it makes you better at pretty much any sport.Rowing is a time-efficient workout that uses almost every muscle in your body. How to you become a better rower ? I am going to give you some tips to do just that !
1- Find YOUR rhythm. Rhythm is the most important driver of performance in rowing so you need to find one that works for you specifically then we can work on the more technical aspects.Your body works on natural rhythm from your circadian rhythms to your oscillating heartbeats, rhythm is an important aspect of human survival and performance. Rhythm is that focus to block out pain and keep pushing through that threshold.
2- Keep your rowing patterns continuous and moving. A lot of athletes will have a quick pause after they pull. Minimizing this will make you more effective as a rower. Watch any Olympic rower, you shouldn’t be able to tell where one stroke ends and another begins. This is a big task for you to try to tackle in becoming more effective!
3- Row with a purpose and celebrate the small wins ! Whether in rowing, sport, or life, focusing on the things we do have only leads to greater achievement. Ambition is a great asset for long-term improvement, but it has the potential to suffocate short-term success. When you can’t hit your desired pace or start to deviate from your race plan, the rowing machine lets you know instantly. One of the biggest mistakes we make is to frame that instant feedback negatively. Change this mindset and be proud of your smaller achievements like staying on pace, rowing continuously and smoother pulls!
4- The rower is a journey ! Your rowing journey should be focused on the progress you’ve made and not how close you are to rowing perfectly. You have between now and the rest of your life to row better, move better, and get fitter. Enjoy your rowing journey and play the long game. Set smaller obtainable goals and you will see that your rowing skills will get better overtime making you more efficient !