If you’re only riding, we hate to break it to you, but you’re doing it wrong. Adding some cross-training to your routine—like the rowing machine workouts detailed here—is important for your overall fitness.
“Cross-training is important to prevent injury and strengthen the muscles you don’t use on the bike,” says Alex Silver-Fagan, an ACE certified personal trainer and Nike master trainer. Rowing does this particularly well. “Your anterior body (like your chest) is hunched forward on a bike, and rowing opens these muscles up while strengthening the posterior side of the body (like your back and the back of your legs),” Silver-Fagan says.
Rowing also allows you to increase your intensity without increasing your impact, which is especially useful for injury prevention. Plus, Silver-Fagan says the rower is one of the few machines that provides both cardio and strength training benefits. “You use 80 percent of your muscles when rowing, namely your legs, the largest muscles in your body.” And yeah, stronger legs come in handy on the bike.
Ready to row? Silver-Fagan put together three rowing machine workouts that will make you a stronger cyclist and a better overall athlete. Do each one weekly for max benefits on—and off—the bike.
The Rowing Machine Workout for Speed
To be faster on the bike, you need to be faster on the rowing machine. “These are sprint intervals, so your split times need to be around 1:50 or lower,” Silver-Fagan says. There’s just one caveat: “Stroke rate should be around 28 to 32, but not over 32,” she says. “That’s when your form starts to break down.”
- 100m row, 30 seconds of rest, repeat 5 times
- 150m row, 45 seconds of rest, repeat 5 times
- 200m row, 60 seconds of rest, repeat 5 times
- 2 minutes of rest
- 200m row, 60 seconds of rest, repeat 5 times
- 150m row, 45 seconds of rest, repeat 5 times
- 100m row, 30 seconds of rest, repeat 5 times
The Rowing Machine Workout for Endurance
“Your stroke rate should be between 25 and 28, pushing hard but not crazy fast,” Silver-Fagan says. “Split time should hover around 2 minutes and become lower towards the end of each push.”
- 1-minute row, 30-second rest: Hold drive position (a.k.a. seat at back of machine with legs straight) and do arm strokes while resting
- 2-minute row, 60-second rest (30 seconds true rest; 30 seconds holding drive position at back of machine doing arm strokes while resting)
- 3-minute row, 90-second rest (30 seconds true rest; 30 seconds holding drive position at back of machine doing arm strokes while resting; 30 seconds of just leg strokes: arms stay straight, straighten and bend legs)
- 4-minute row, 2-minute rest (60 seconds true rest; 30 seconds holding drive position at back of machine doing arm strokes while resting; 30 seconds of just leg strokes: arms stay straight, straighten and bend legs)
- 5-minute row
The Rowing Machine Workout for Full-Body Cross Training
The rowing machine already works a ton of muscles, but this workout gets you off the machine for a true full-body challenge. “This workout is the total package,” Silver-Fagan says. “You’ll work your core, legs, and arms, then do some metabolic conditioning with burpees.” Sorry in advance for that last part.
- 5-minute easy row warm-up
- 10 pulls; 5 push-ups + 5 V-ups. Repeat 2 more times.
- 20 pulls; 10 reverse lunges + 10 squat jumps. Repeat 2 more times.
- 30 pulls; 10 burpees. Repeat 2 more times.
- 30-second row; 30-second plank hold off the rower. Repeat 5 times.
- Cool down
