Rowing Machines

Water rowing machines are popular because they most emulate the action of rowing on water. Rowing is a water based sport, so it figures that getting close to that effect will be most like the real thing. And although the mechanics and design will vary slightly from machine to machine, it comes down to the same dynamics for all models. Think of rowing on water, in a modern fine hulled boat. The resistance comes from the drag of a boat’s hull in the water. And as the effort increases, so does the drag, meaning that the faster you want to go, the harder you have to row.

A good crew will balance the boat properly through their feet, allowing it to glide at the best possible speed on recovery and preparation for the next stroke. A poor crew will have bad balance and ‘rock’ the boat, meaning it will not glide through the water and will slow down. But the point is that as the effort is increased, the drag increases, and the harder the crew and individual rowers have to work. This is the principle dynamic of a good water rowing machine. And a sports rower understands that whether on the water, or using an indoor rower, the effort comes from not the arms, but in effect the whole body, as upper body (straight arms, straight back), combines with legs to produce a uniform and effective stroke.

A water rowing machine has a flywheel that sits within a sealed container of water. As you row, the flywheel’s resistance increases, emulating the drag of the boat. What’s more, the resistance of the drag is felt for a longer period, which some say works better than the resistance say felt when rowing an air flywheel machine. The latter have most of the resistance built into the start of the stroke action, as the effort is all about getting the flywheel started through the air and then fades at the end. A water rowing machine is said to have a more consistent resistance throughout the whole stroke, as the flywheel through water allows constant effort.

Rowers will understand the difference well enough. The start of the rowing stroke (up on front stops with body coiled like a spring), is where the explosive action takes place as body moves backwards and legs push down. The effort needs to be fed through consistently until the stroke naturally tails off as the oarsman reaches back-stops and the blade is lifted out of the water ready for the recovery stage. So it all comes down to which rowing machine type (water flywheel, or air) best suits what you want to achieve in terms of a personal exercise plan and what feels most comfortable. Emulating the rower action on water is going to be mainly subjective and for most people actually superfluous, as they won’t have rowed on the water. What should concern them is effectiveness and comfort. Because afterall, an indoor rowing machine is primarily an exercise machine; one that is no-impact, but extremely effective when wanting to get fit.