Rowing Machine: The Ideal Equipment For Home Work Outs
If you’re serious about fitness, I’m sure you’ve thought about putting together a home gym. It could be a Zen sort of place where you can suffer and improve yourself in peace and quiet away from the chaos of the outside world, or a raucous corner of the world where you can workout with just your friends and no one else.
When looking to fill your gym with machines, you probably take the time to look at fitness sites and ads about fitness machines. If you’ve taken the time you will have discovered that many of these are useless, and some of them are even dangerous to use. It can be hard to determine which will be good for you and which will just hurt you.
A rowing machine is one machine that can be very useful when compared to its cost, and which a person will not be tired of. This machine is not a versatile equipment like an exercise ball or a barbell and can be expensive, but it is not costly like a good treadmill.
Some of the main reasons the price difference between high end rowing machines and high end treadmills is so great are the more complicated motor and mechanics of the treadmill, coupled with the need for a more sturdy frame able to withstand the impact of a 300 pound person running on it. In contrast, a well made rowing machine is a much simpler machine, which will always cost less than a well made complex machine.
You may think a rowing machine offers only a single set of exercises, and the only thing you can vary is repetitions. However, it is possible to perform the same types of sprints and distance training you do on a treadmill or stationary bicycle. The significant difference with a rower is the workout you give your arms and chest.
It does have its limitations, though. A rowing machine isn’t all that useful for developing most beach muscles. Your abs, triceps, chest, and shoulders will need added work to balance what the back, biceps, legs, and butt get with the rower. And, at least for your legs, it does lock you into one pattern of movement, so you probably don’t want to use a rowing machine as your only exercise lest you risk repetitive strain injuries.
I’m sure it has crossed your mind to fill up your gym with fitness machines, and you have eagerly read various fitness sites that told you most of these machines are not only useless but some are actually dangerous. You might be wondering which actually can hurt you in a good way or in a bad way. One piece of equipment that will give you the most bang for the buck over the long run is a rowing machine. While it may not provide the versatility of something like an exercise ball and is a bit more costly, it’s is nowhere near as expensive as a decent treadmill.
- Trevor Sinclair
