How to use a rowing machine: the stroke, the damper, the monitor and your lower back

Set it up in a minute

Strap your feet in so the strap crosses the ball of each foot, set the damper on the side of the fan to 3 to 5, and start rowing to wake the monitor. Show pace and stroke rate on the screen.

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Legs, body, arms; arms, body, legs

Push with your legs first, then swing your back through upright from the hips, then pull the handle to just below your ribs; come back in reverse, taking about twice as long. The legs and trunk produce most of the power, so it's mainly a leg exercise, not an arm one.

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The damper isn't a difficulty dial

It changes how each stroke feels, like gears on a bike: you set the intensity by how hard you pull, and the monitor measures your real work at any setting. In club rowers, two quite different drag settings gave the same heart rate and oxygen use, and British Rowing says a low setting puts less force through the spine.

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How long and how hard

Start with 3 rounds of 4 to 5 minutes at a pace you can talk at (our move page's editorial dose) and build towards 20, then 30 minutes, three times a week. Easy rowing under about 100 watts is moderate exercise; above that it's vigorous. Keep single sessions under about 30 minutes while you learn.

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Your lower back

Tiredness rounds the lower back at the start of the stroke, more on the machine than on the water, and a previous episode of back pain is the strongest predictor of the next. Hinge from your hips, keep the damper low, build up gradually and ease off when your posture goes.

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Safe for most people, not risk free

British Rowing calls indoor rowing low risk but not risk free: stop if it hurts, and don't push others to overdo it. It reported three indoor rowers in five months whose hearts went into dangerous rhythms; one died.

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The parts

A seat slides along a rail towards a flywheel; your feet are strapped into foot stretchers; a handle on a chain spins the flywheel. On an air rower, the kind most gyms have, a damper lever numbered 1 to 10 controls how much air flows into the fan. On a water rower the resistance comes from water in a tank. The monitor shows time, distance, pace, watts, calories and stroke rate.

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Fixed or sliding machines

Most gym machines are fixed; some move on slides or have a floating head. A review found too little evidence to recommend one type over the other to avoid back pain.

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What it works

The maker says the stroke uses every large muscle group: the legs start the drive, the back and hips swing the body, and the shoulders, arms and forearms finish it, with the abdominals holding the trunk. In 11 trained rowers, an all-out 6-minute row worked the calves, front of the thighs, lats and biceps harder than a steady one. The legs and trunk produce most of the power.

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Mostly cardio

Even a flat-out 2,000 m row was about 83% aerobic in 18 trained junior rowers. Steady rowing under about 100 watts counts as moderate activity; above that it's vigorous.

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The spine

British Rowing: rowing is whole-body, non-weight bearing and low impact, but it loads the spine in a seated position, many times a minute, and the risk is highest early in the drive, when the load is heaviest. Good posture and control of the pelvis and spine protect it.

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How people differ

Leg length and flexibility change where your feet sit in the straps, but moving the foot stretcher changed the stroke far less than stroke rate did. The monitor's calories assume a 79.5 kg person. If your knees don't bend fully, Concept2 notes you can use only part of the slide.

Sources 1, 19, 20, 21

Build it up

Row 10 strokes with your arms only, 10 with your arms and body, 10 at half slide, then full strokes, as our beginner rowing workout does. Concept2's arms-and-body drill teaches the order, and pausing mid-stroke checks it.

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Practise the rhythm

Concept2's rhythm drill finishes the drive on a count of 1 and recovers on 2 to 4. Rowing at a slower stroke rate is a way to practise the timing of the trunk; higher rates raised power in high-level rowers.

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Don't pull hard yet

Concept2 advises not pulling too hard until you're comfortable with the basics, and having someone watch you row.

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What the damper doesStrong evidence

The maker says the damper "affects how it feels but does not directly affect the resistance": higher settings let more air in, so the flywheel slows faster and each stroke feels heavier and slower, like a slow boat; lower settings feel like a sleek racing boat. You set the intensity by how hard you pull. Start at 3 to 5, and resist setting it too high, which can tire your muscles before your heart and lungs get the full benefit.

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Drag factorStrong evidence

The monitor measures how fast the flywheel slows between strokes, the drag factor, and uses it to calculate your work at any setting. A new machine reads about 90 or less at setting 1 and 200 or more at 10. The same number can feel different on another machine, so match the drag factor rather than the lever.

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Different settings, the same workoutEmerging evidence

In 14 club rowers, drag factors of 100 and 150 gave the same oxygen use, heart rate and lactate at every steady stage of a step test. In 12 others, the lower setting brought a faster stroke rate and higher heart rate, and the higher setting slightly better economy.

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High settings serve short sprintsEmerging evidence

In 30 young competitive rowers, maximal sprint power rose with drag factor and stroke rate. That matters for racing, not for building fitness.

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A low setting is kinder to your backEmerging evidence

British Rowing advises keeping the drag low for all rowers, especially beginners and young people: a low drag "significantly decreases the force across the spine". On a water rower, keep the water level low.

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Pace, or the split

The time it would take to row 500 m at your current speed: a smaller number is faster, so 2:00 is quicker than 2:08. Compare it with your own past rows.

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Watts

Your power, which rises steeply as your pace falls (watts = 2.8 ÷ (pace in seconds per metre) cubed). Worked from that formula: 2:30 per 500 m is about 104 watts, 2:15 about 142, 2:00 about 202 and 1:50 about 263.

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Pace and effort

Putting the formula beside the Compendium of Physical Activities (our arithmetic): slower than about 2:32 per 500 m (under 100 watts) is moderate; about 2:32 to 2:01 (100 to 199 watts) is vigorous; about 2:00 or faster is very vigorous. Your breathing is the simpler guide.

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Calories

An estimate for a 79.5 kg (175 lb) person, so a lighter person burns fewer and a heavier person more at the same pace. Using Concept2's correction, 600 calories an hour on the monitor is about 508 for a 55 kg person and about 678 for a 100 kg person. As a rough guide, 30 minutes of easy rowing is about 150 kcal at 60 kg and 200 kcal at 80 kg.

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Stroke rate and drag factor

Stroke rate, shown top right, is strokes per minute: 24 to 30 for most workouts. Drag factor is on a menu (More Options, then Display Drag Factor) and appears after a few seconds of rowing.

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How accurate is it?Emerging evidence

On a motorised test rig, the monitor read power within 0.2 to 1.9% once the flywheel was spinning, but under-read the first five strokes by 10 to 70%, and uneven rowing made it less accurate. Judge a piece after it settles, and row evenly.

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The techniqueStrong evidence

Drive with the legs, then the back, then the arms, and reverse it on the way forward: the maker's technique, which British Rowing's safety guidance points to and our rowing guide teaches.

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The legs and trunk do most of the workEmerging evidence

An expert paper on rowing technique says the legs and trunk produce most of the power in the stroke. Across 11 studies of rowers, leg press or squat strength (and bench pull strength) went closely with faster times on the machine. These are links, not proof that one causes the other.

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Which muscles work harder when you go harderEmerging evidence

In 11 trained rowers, an all-out 6-minute row worked the calf, front of the thigh, lats and biceps harder than a steady 6 minutes; the authors named the leg and shoulder extensors and the arm flexors as the most involved.

Source 17

It's mainly aerobicEmerging evidence

In 18 trained junior rowers, 17.3% of the energy for an all-out 2,000 m row came from anaerobic sources, so about 83% was aerobic.

Source 18

How intense it isStrong evidence

The Compendium of Physical Activities rates the rowing machine in METs (multiples of the energy you use sitting still): 5.0 under 100 watts (moderate), 7.5 at 100 to 149, 11.0 at 150 to 199 and 14.0 at 200 watts or more. One MET is defined as 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour.

Source 9

Steady rowing builds fitnessEmerging evidence

In post-menopausal women aged about 66, 30 minutes three times a week at 60 to 80% of peak heart rate for 10 weeks raised peak oxygen uptake from 18.1 to 21.8 mL/kg/min; 13 of the 22 who started finished. In 38 older adults with mild knee osteoarthritis, 12 weeks of computer-guided rowing improved symptoms, hip and knee strength and reach more than usual resistance exercise.

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Harder intervals raise fitness moreEmerging evidence

In 40 moderately trained men (running), four 4-minute hard intervals raised VO2 max (the most oxygen your body can use) by 7.2%, more than steady training of the same total work. Our HIIT guide covers intervals on any machine.

Source 31

Back pain in rowersEmerging evidence

Of 1,632 former college rowers, 526 developed back pain while rowing at college; machine sessions over 30 minutes were among the linked factors (an association, not proof of cause). Across 22 studies, tiredness increased lower-back bending at the start of the stroke, more on the machine. Across 10 studies, a previous episode was the one consistent risk factor (about 2.7 times the odds), while age, sex, body size and training volume weren't. Rowers with back pain used their back muscles more in a maximal 500 m.

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Managing back pain in rowersStrong evidence

An international consensus advises education on risk factors, technique and training load, and, if treatment is needed, cutting back the activity that aggravates it early, controlling pain and exercise therapy, then a graded return.

Source 33

Fixed or floating machinesEmerging evidence

In 6 elite rowers, a fixed machine gave 53 mm longer strokes and about 12% more force per stroke than a floating one, which the authors suggest might matter for injuries; that's untested. A review found too little evidence to choose between them.

Sources 34, 12

Foot positionEmerging evidence

In 11 college rowers, moving the foot stretcher changed only the ankle and hip angles, much less than stroke rate did. Set your feet for comfort.

Sources 19, 1

SafetyStrong evidence

British Rowing calls indoor rowing usually low risk but not risk free, warns about overexertion and poor technique, and asks everyone to stop if it hurts and not to push others too hard. Its 2020 alert reported three indoor rowers with dangerous heart rhythms in five months; all needed CPR and a defibrillator, and one died.

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The weekly target

Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus strength work on 2 days, and rowing counts. Moderate means you can talk but not sing; vigorous means you can't say more than a few words without pausing. Our zone 2 guide covers the fuller weekly range.

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Your first weeks

3 rounds of 4 to 5 minutes at a pace you can talk at, 1 minute of easy rowing between, three times a week (our move page's editorial dose and our beginner rowing workout). Keep single sessions under about 30 minutes while the stroke is new: in former college rowers, longer machine sessions were linked with back pain.

Source 11

Building up

After 2 to 3 weeks, build towards 20 and then 30 minutes of steady rowing, as our beginner workout suggests. In women aged about 66, 30 minutes three times a week raised fitness in 10 weeks.

Source 10

Adding intervals

Once the stroke is automatic, add one or two harder sessions a week with easier days between. Concept2's first step is short pushes: 20 seconds a little harder, about 5 seconds per 500 m faster than your steady pace, then 1 minute 40 easy, as in our rowing machine interval workout. Then try 1 minute hard and 2 easy, or the Norwegian 4x4.

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Older adults

British Rowing's guidance suggests a heart rate strap linked to the monitor, keeping split times even, not chasing personal bests, keeping most rows aerobic, stopping at once if it becomes painful, and rowing when someone else is in the house.

Source 14

Legs and trunk first

The legs and trunk produce most of the power, and leg strength goes with faster times. The arms finish the stroke.

Sources 6, 29

It isn't a strength workout for your arms

The biceps and back work at the finish, but against a light load many times. The maker says a higher damper makes rowing more of a strength workout, but for building muscle, strength training does more (our view).

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Pulling with your arms first

Legs, then body, then arms. The arms-and-body drill teaches the order.

Source 36

Diving forward at the catch

Reaching too far rounds your back and weakens the leg drive. Set your body position early and hinge at the hips; tiredness makes this worse.

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Squashing up at the catch

Stop the slide with your shins about vertical, never past it.

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Leaning far back at the finish

Lean back only slightly, with your trunk muscles holding you.

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Bending your knees before your hands pass them

Your hands clear your knees, then your knees bend.

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Rushing the slide

Take about twice as long coming forward as driving back.

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Gripping hard with bent wrists

Fingers round the handle, thumbs underneath, wrists flat and relaxed.

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The damper on 10

Set it to 3 to 5 and pull harder instead.

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Hinge from your hips

Rowers without back pain kept their pelvis neutral or tilted forward at the start of the stroke. Tight hips can make the lower back round instead: the catch needs about 130° of hip bend, so our rowing workouts finish with hip flexor and hamstring stretches.

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Keep the drag low and the sessions short at first

A low drag factor puts less force through the spine, and long machine sessions were linked with back pain in college rowers.

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Ease off when your form goes

Tiredness rounds the lower back at the catch, so slow down or stop the piece when it happens.

Source 12

If you've had back pain before

A previous episode is the strongest predictor of the next, so build up more gradually (our suggestion).

Source 13

If your back hurts now

The rowers' consensus advises cutting back the rowing that aggravates it early, controlling pain and exercise therapy, then a graded return. The NHS says stay active and stop any exercise that makes the pain worse. Check the warning signs below first. No trial has tested rowing as a treatment for back pain in people who aren't rowers.

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Heart conditions and high blood pressure

If you have a heart condition, or chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness when active, see your GP before hard rowing. If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher and not yet controlled, keep to moderate effort until it is.

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Older adults

Rowing suits older adults: start gently, build gradually, and follow British Rowing's tips above for harder rows.

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Knee problems

Use only as much of the slide as is comfortable; Concept2 notes you can even fix the seat. In older adults with mild knee osteoarthritis, rowing improved symptoms and leg strength.

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Osteoporosis

The UK consensus advises avoiding postures with a lot of spinal bending, so hinge at your hips and keep your back long; ask a physiotherapist if you've had a spinal fracture. Rowing isn't impact exercise, so it doesn't replace the impact work our osteoporosis guide describes.

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Pregnancy

If you already row, you can usually carry on at a comfortable effort; it isn't the time to start new vigorous training. Stop if you feel faint, too hot or unwell. As your bump grows, a shorter slide may feel easier (our suggestion).

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Stop and get medical help

If you get chest pain or pressure, feel faint or dizzy, are unusually breathless, or your heart races or beats irregularly while rowing, stop. The American Heart Association says these need immediate medical evaluation, and British Rowing says if something makes you feel unwell, stop doing it.

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Call 999 (911 in the US)

For chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck or jaw; someone who faints while exercising; palpitations that don't go away, or come with chest pain, breathlessness or feeling faint; severe difficulty breathing; or a headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful. Don't drive yourself to A&E.

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Call 999 or go to A&E: back pain with these signs

Pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs; loss of feeling around the genitals or bottom; new problems peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels; or changes in sensation or function during sex. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently, as our back pain guide says. Back pain with chest pain, or after a serious accident, is a 999 call too.

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See a GP, or get urgent advice, for your back

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 for back pain with a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery, or severe pain that started suddenly or is getting worse quickly. See a GP if it hasn't improved after a few weeks of looking after it yourself, stops your daily activities or is worse at night.

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Rib pain that builds with rowing

With no injury, see a GP: it may be a rib stress fracture, as our rib injury guide explains.

After a faint, or dizziness that keeps coming back

See a GP after any faint, and for dizziness that won't go away or keeps coming back.

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"A higher damper setting is a better workout"Strong evidence

The damper changes the feel, not directly the work: the monitor measures your effort at any setting, and two quite different drag settings gave the same heart rate and oxygen use in club rowers. High settings tire your muscles first, and a low setting is easier on your spine.

Sources 2, 7, 8

"The rowing machine is an arm workout"Strong evidence

The stroke starts with the legs, the legs and trunk produce most of the power, and leg strength goes with faster times. The arms finish the stroke.

Sources 4, 6, 29

"Rowing is bad for your back"Mixed evidence

In competitive rowers, back pain was linked with long machine sessions, tiredness rounding the back and, most of all, a previous episode. British Rowing calls indoor rowing low risk. Technique, a low damper and a gradual build-up matter more than avoiding the machine.

Sources 11, 12, 13, 14

"The monitor tells you exactly how many calories you burned"Strong evidence

It's an estimate for a 79.5 kg person, and the maker gives a correction for your weight.

Source 20

"Row faster to work harder"Emerging evidence

Concept2 says working harder doesn't necessarily mean a faster stroke rate: keep 24 to 30 strokes a minute and push harder with your legs.

Source 5

"Rowing burns belly fat"Strong evidence

No exercise takes fat off one place. Rowing helps through the energy it uses, like any cardio.

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