Do you get bored while working out? Whether you’re an expert on the rowing machine or a master weight trainer, there’s always a day or two where exercise seems like a chore. Finishing the first set leaves you drained and tired, getting through the second leaves you sweating and bored, and with a depleted sense of motivation, the thought of returning to the gym is just too much to bear.

For those that exercise at home, these four quick tips can help you turn a stale workout into one that leaves you excited and ready for more. Apply just one or all four – they’re all built to help you boost your physical performance and stay mentally satisfied.

• Move your rowing machine, weights bench, or dumbbell set outside. Working out outside will help you stay cool, increase your awareness, and offer an interesting new environment.
• Lacking strength? Lower the amount of resistance you apply and enjoy a low-stress workout that still leaves you sweating. If you still have energy, increase the length of your routine.
• Listen to a different style of music when you exercise. Sometimes, all that’s required to get you pumped up and inspired is a new set of songs – fast-paced rock and metal are effective.
• Try to set a new personal best. Breaking records and completing challenges will help you gain inspiration and push you down the path to consistent exercise, even if they’re minor.

Trainers and sports theorists have spent the better part of a century refining the science surrounding submaximal training. In its simplest definition, submaximal exercise is training that works the body close to its maximum power or endurance output yet fails to use its maximum ability. It’s a popular form of training in several sports disciplines, and it’s one that can easily be applied to an ergometer.

Due to the variable resistance offered by most rowing machines, countering the effects of strength and power development is simple. Most rowers opt to increase the level of resistance applied to a rowing machine as their strength increases, creating a pulling power level that’s roughly constant across long-term training and throughout years of rowing machine workouts.

We want to achieve something slightly different – a combination of mid-level resistance and steady athletic endurance that results in cardiovascular development without a gain in strength. In simple terms, what most endurance rowers aim to achieve is an increase in their ability to cover distance on a rowing machine, all the while keeping their strength level fairly constant.

For this, the formula is the same as always. Increase resistance and you’ll be met with an increase in your own pulling power. Increase time and distance per session and your cardiovascular ability will improve, all without an increase in strength. For athletes that compete according to weight, this can spell the difference between entering an event at an advantage or being pushed into another class.

Most martial arts spend their training time either in the ring, in front of a punching bag, or building physical endurance through repetitive cardiovascular workouts. The focus, regardless of the arts or disciplines in question, tends to be speed and explosive power. With minimal time to react and one continuous threat of being hit, it’s essential for martial artists to train for explosive reactions.

But beyond reaction training, is it possible to work a rowing machine into a martial artist’s training schedule? Most would suggest against it, claiming that the motion involved is too constant, lacking the dynamics and explosive power that fighters require. But Hawaiian MMA fighter BJ Penn is one of several fighters proving the skeptics wrong by employing a rowing machine into his workout.

Rowing machine manufacturer Concept2 sponsored Penn after hearing about his extensive usage of their equipment. While rowing machines are used by hundreds of other major sporting stars, it’s rare to see them used in a high-intensity combat sport. Most athletes use rowing machines to develop an impressive level of all-round strength, while few benefit in terms of explosive power.

It’s another demonstration of rowing’s versatility as a form of cardiovascular exercise. If you’re tired of spending hours on the treadmill with no results to show for it, consider making the same decision as some of the MMA world’s biggest stars and start training using a rowing machine.

Looking at a rowing machine – its simple design, light flywheel, and minimal frame – you wouldn’t expect it to be one of the most effective full-body workout systems out there. The fitness industry is one that’s marketed on complexity – the most advanced machines, complex systems, and frustrating workouts must be the best, merely because they look as if they are.

But as simple, effective, and powerful as a rowing machine may be, it still has its weak points. Most rowers experience rapid strength development and a distinct improvement in their endurance power, even after just a few weeks of consistent training. But one part of the body is rarely exercised to its full potential on a standard flywheel-driven rowing machine: the calf muscles and lower legs.

We have two recommended exercises for rowers aiming to improve their calf conditioning. The first is a fairly simple movement: the calf raise. Standing on a slightly elevated edge – six inches or less is ideal – raise your heels by pushing using the ball of your feet, and slowly return back to the level starting point. This exercise is effective for quick mid-level strength training and conditioning.

For more hardcore athletes, there’s the option of using dumbbells to increase the resistance applied when doing calf raises. We suggest an alternative: the weighted farmers walk. This exercise forces the entire upper and lower body to support weights, as they are supported while walking through a predetermined route. Start with low weights, and increase as your grip and calf strength improves.

‘I would exercise more, if only I could find the time.’

It’s the most common excuse out there for limited activity – a lack of time. While stressed office workers and business gurus are accustomed to complaining about their sixty-hour schedules, it’s rare to find a single professional that does anything about it. There’s no reason not to exercise – lacking time, motivation, or ability are all the same thing – weak, meaningless excuses.

For the truly time-short, we’ve prepared a simple pre-breakfast workout. It’s designed for employees and professionals on a rigid schedule – the same demographic that’s so often complaining about this apparent ‘lack of time.’ If the thought of exercise is something that you’ve banished from finding its way into your brain – or your diary – then give it a shot. It might even help you quickly lose weight.

Minutes 1-5: Light Rowing

Hop on your rowing machine, set the resistance to its lowest level, and move through the motions associated with rowing slowly. Your goal in the first phase of this quick workout will be improved flexibility and light aerobic strain – breathlessness is not the ideal goal.

Minutes 6-10: Power Rowing

You’ve warmed up. Now increase the level of resistance you’re pulling against – we think that setting ‘five’ is a good choice – and slowly accelerate until you’re rowing at a steady pace. Your goal in this phase is to improve muscular strength – are you feeling the burn?

Minutes 11-15: Endurance Rowing

The ‘endurance’ phase of this micro-workout calls for you to lower the resistance level, decrease your rowing speed, and focus on maintaining a steady pace for the final stage. Relax and take it easy – you’ve woken up, burned calories, and built up a sweat for the morning shower.

If there’s one thing that the entire fitness world agrees upon, it’s that dehydration can be a major risk for athletes. Not only is it one of the most devastating performance-killers (research has pegged the loss of performance from dehydration as approximately 20%), but one of the most dangerous states of being. Almost all athletic deaths have involved dehydration, even if only in a mild form.

It’s for these reasons that we aggressively promote correct hydration, particularly for exercisers that use a rowing machine often. As a full-body exercise, rowing at a moderate intensity level will burn more calories than other similar activities. It will also cause your body’s water supply to deplete at a rapid level, costing you performance, concentration, and in extreme cases, your short-term health.

Keep a water bottle at your side whenever you are exercising – it’s a welcome treat and something that has the potential to keep you in good health. While it’s slightly disconcerting to step up onto the scales after an intense workout to see that you’ve gained weight due to water consumption, it’s not as dire a circumstance as its alternatives.

For serious athletes, it may be worth substituting water for a high-sugar sports drink, many of which are available from convenience stores. While most ‘high performance’ drinks offer limited value for weight loss, they tend to be high in short-term sugars and carbohydrates, contributing to an increase in physical performance and a limited boost in awareness and concentration.

There’s been a remarkable public resurgence in dieting common sense over the last decade. Losing weight was thought of by many as a ‘miracle’ just ten years ago – today it’s seen as something that’s very much achievable with the right combination of exercise and effective dieting. But despite the massive improvements in dieting knowledge, there remain pockets of thought that just aren’t true.

We’ve found an overwhelmingly large number of these in the ‘health’ food industry – a network of businesses that market themselves according to their health value. If you want to truly reduce your consumption of unhealthy foods, ensure that the following two ‘healthy’ meals are avoided.

Flavored ‘Health’ Yoghurt

To most people, yoghurt is a healthy snack that eliminates the weight gained from cakes, scones, and pastries. It’s mostly natural, loaded with useful bacteria, and even available with reduced fat.

However, it’s also a food type that tends to be stuffed with excess sugars, particularly fast-acting sugars that quickly metabolize into fat. We recommend avoiding flavored yoghurts and yoghurts with reduced fat content – it’s actually healthier to eat full-fat natural yoghurt for weight loss.

High-Sugar Fruits and Fruit Products

Who says bananas, apples, and oranges are the peak of health? While fruit offers a mix of vitamins and minerals that’s matched by few other food types, the vast majority of our favorite fruits contain astonishingly high amounts of fructose and sucrose – two high-speed sugar types.

This makes them a healthy daytime snack, but a poor choice before sleep or periods of inactivity. A banana or two in the morning is unlikely to hurt, but try to limit fruit consumption before periods of sleep, extended seated work, or low-intensity exercise to reduce sugar-fat metabolism.

There are two types of exercise – cardiovascular and resistance-based – but that doesn’t mean that training for the two requires complete separation and isolated activity. There’s a common belief in fitness circles that the two disciplines are completely separate from one-another – something that’s proven instantly untrue upon exposure to a rowing machine or a weighted cardio exercise.

However, the most effective way to train for maximal strength and endurance benefits is to separate at least some degree of your training into one section or the other. For runners, it could mean a short session on the gym’s free weights before their marathon treadmill session. But for rowers, for whom every rowing session offers dual benefits, separating the two disciplines isn’t quite so simple.

Rowing combines resistance training and aerobic exercise in a way that few other dynamic motions can match. It’s an exercise that employs the entire body’s major muscle groups, working just about every major muscle group evenly. It’s also an exercise that has measurable crossover benefits when it comes to endurance and strength – with consistent rowing training, both will see improvement.

The easiest way to ‘separate’ your rowing benefits is to ignore any thought of doing so. While there may be greater effect in splitting your exercise sessions across disciplines and desired output, it’s an action that’s likely to be counter-productive. Enjoy the crossover benefits of using a rowing machine without stressing over ‘peak’ performance, as it’s something that most athletes rarely come close to.

There are two schools of thought in resistance training. The first – one that’s made up of athletes and coaches – believe that free weights and unsupported training methods are the most effective when it comes to growth and development. The second – one that’s made up primarily of casual exercisers – prefer the security of supported training over the value of free resistance exercises.

Simply put, casual exercisers tend to prefer supported weights and exercise machines. There’s a lengthy list of good reasons for their preference, too – supported machines offer added safety and the promise of isolated development. They’re ideal for working on a specific muscle group, with users having more choice on how they plan their workout than those using free weights.

They also have a tendency to eliminate injuries, although not in the way most exercisers believe they do. The common assumption is that supported weight machines limit the amount of lateral movement a weight has – something that’s not always true. The most devastating injuries occur when weight is dropped or mishandled – something that machines prevent.

So rather than rowing using unsupported weights, begin your rowing routine with a session on the gym’s rowing machine. Squat on the supported barbell machine to warm up, and switch to a bench weight once you’ve warmed your major muscle groups. This behavior will help you eliminate any potential injuries and offer isolation benefits for your major muscle groups.

It’s your first visit to the gym. You look around at the extensive selection of fitness equipment, in a state of shock due to the sheer selection and utterly puzzled as to which machine to choose. It’s one of the situations that every fitness guru has stepped into, and with the right degree of smart planning it’s one that’s equally simple to escape from.

‘Fitness fear’ – as the experts call it – is a real phenomenon. Intimidated by the buff bodies on show at the gym and fearful that they may fail, a large number of newbie exercisers give up before their weight loss journey even begins.

Let’s beat this fear through essential fitness knowledge. The rowing machine is the peak of mixed upper and lower-body training. It should be the first stop for any newbie at the gym, but it rarely is, possibly because of the alluring draw offered by the hundreds of more advanced fitness machines.

Ignore the temptation to jump in at the top, and start on a proven system. Before you spend time on a Nautilus machine or pressing a barbell, use a rowing machine to gradually increase your all-round strength and boost your endurance. It’s worked for millions before you, and it can work for you too.