It offers thousands of live and on-demand workouts via iFit, whether you have a penchant for fast-paced studio sessions or prefer realistic routes along the world’s most picturesque waterways.

NordicTrack is known as the GOAT of the treadmill world, but the brand’s rowing machines are just as impressive. Just note that filling up the water tank is a slow and messy job – we'd recommend setting it up on a mat or wooden floor. And, as things got sweaty, the handles helped us keep a firm grip and the machine was pretty quiet, apart from the soothing sound of lapping waves.īonus: it’s self-powered so you don’t need to set it up near a plug socket and you can save some energy. It doesn’t boast fancy features like auto-adjust technology, built-in workouts or a HD touchscreen, but there’s a phone holder should you wish to follow a workout (or catch up on TV) and the simple display has responsive buttons and all the metrics you need, including distance, 500m split time, strokes and cals burned.ĭespite the lack of pre-set workouts, there's a ‘race mode’ that allows you to compete against the computer – a feature our experts thoroughly enjoyed playing around with. You can customise the resistance by filling the water tank more or less, as required. Our testers felt like they were genuinely rowing on the water, thanks to the vertical water tank powering the resistance as well as the low-to-the-ground seat. If streaming sessions with pumping music and peppy trainers isn’t for you, this machine from our pals at JTX is a sound choice. Only rowers with exemplary scores in all three areas earned the MH Lab Approved badge.

Performance: The best rowers should be stable, secure and comfortable, whatever pace you’re pulling.

Design: Sleek, compact or foldable designs - ideal for smaller homes - were applauded, as well as clever design features that improved their functionality.

We also rewarded Just Row functionality where the machine automatically starts tracking your stats when you start pulling. Ergs earned extra points for simple set-ups, easy to access workouts and well-presented performance stats. Ease of use: We want a rowing machine that you can hop on and start using with minimal fuss.Our Men's Health Labexperts covered countless kilometres on each rower, trying every feature and setting on offer to test their ease of use, design, functionality and performance. ‘These rowing machines are able to automatically adjust the resistance and replicate the rowing action of being on the water.’ Men's Health Lab Approved A good option for quiet workouts,’ adds Sharma. ‘Water rowing machines have a smooth rowing motion, with consistent, continuous resistance throughout the rowing motion. ‘Magnetic rowing machines are quieter compared to other types of rowers, can take up less space, are often foldable, low maintenance and offer a wide range of resistance levels,’ says Vikash Sharma PT, DPT, OCS, COMT.

Types of Rowing Machine Magnetic Rowing Machines There’s a reason they're a favourite among the CrossFit community, as they fit perfectly into those punishing WODs.Ĭonvinced? We think it’s time you stepped up your home workouts with one of the best rowing machines available right now. Perfect for those long cardio sessions, as well as sprints at maximum effort. Best of all, it's lower impact on your joints.Īside from the impressive fitness-boosting portfolio, rowing machines are versatile, too. It can also boost your aerobic ability, increase your heart and lung health and smash through the calories. Zachariah explains that rowing will not only help you build strength, it can improve your conditioning and your posture. ‘This means that even if you're short on time, you know you'll be getting a brilliant full-body workout.’ Benefits of Rowing Machines ‘Evidence shows that rowing works 86% of the muscles in the body, from your calves and glutes to your pecs, abs and obliques,’ says Pelé Zachariah, head of performance at ROWBOTS. It's often widely thought that rowing is just an arm workout (the Olympic team do have epic guns after all), when in reality, this exercise will target your entire body. Show more What Muscles Do Rowing Machines Work?

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