Like most cardio equipment, Rowers have been around for a long time. In the last few years the popularity of rowers has increased significantly. CrossFit implemented the rower in their workouts and moreover the broadcasting of the well-known CrossFit Games put them in the spotlight.
Rowing is hot! The latest Heat Series Rowers offer innovative features that blend in with many different fitness environments, which appeal to both the individual and gym owner.
The Benefits of Rowing
Rowing is a great workout. It’s low impact for our joints but has a high caloric expenditure. You’re using a lot of muscle groups to work through each stroke. In fact, around 85% of the muscles in the body. Therefore, it’s a great piece for those avoiding impact or wanting to use it for mobility and rehabilitation. It’s also ideal for the active ageing population who are looking for exercise that will be kind to their joints and aid in strengthening their muscles.
It’s a versatile machine, that has a lot of benefits for the gym owner too. Rowing can be a part of small group training or sit on the gym floor with the rest of your cardio equipment as a stand-alone piece. The transport handle on the Heat Rowers makes it easy for you to place the rowing machine anywhere at any time.
Rowers are currently being used in all sorts of settings. They appear on the CrossFit arena floor, can be part of a HIIT class, steady-state aerobic endurance training or even interval training. And, the Heat Series Rowers are no exception.
Features of the Heat Series of Rowers
Both rowers offer 100 levels of resistance. The static air and magnetic resistance dial lets you fine tune it to an intensity level that perfectly suits the nature of exercise you’re looking for. Pairing this feature with the intuitive LCD console and programs available with clearly displayed metrics, allow instructors to optimise a small group training class. It also allows individual exercisers to easily train on their own with simple programs including target workouts, distance, time, calories, and intervals.
The Heat Performance Row takes this one step further with the TFT 2.0 console including the ‘Race a Distance’ or ‘Race a Friend’ programs. Through innovative Coach by Color® technology, informing exercisers of their output during workouts in a fun and engaging way, individuals can get competitive. Small group training classes could use this feature to battle it out in an intense performance based session.
The click-release ratcheting foot straps are of great value for group classes and small group training, as they shorten the change-over time between exercisers.
Not Just an Aerobic Benefit to Rowing
There are many physical benefits to rowing. While the main one will always be the improvement in aerobic fitness, users also see improvement in strength and endurance in the lower body.
It can be easily overlooked, but the legs are the main driving force of the rowing stroke. Rowing exercisers use about 60% lower body, 30% core, and 10% upper body. Whether you are a gym instructor considering the rower’s place in a fitness programme, or an individual looking for an excellent all-round workout, it places high on the list of machines to consider.
We mustn’t forget that posture and form are essential on a rower. The better your rowing mechanics (the way you move your body through the stroke), the better your efficiency will be.
You don’t want to waste energy on inefficient movement. With proper form, rowing helps strengthen the core and posterior chain and improves posture. In a day and age where it’s estimated we spend up to 9.5 hours of our day sitting, this is an excellent reason to include it in any training plan.
So why should you add the rower to your training schedule or gym equipment?
- The Perfect Combination: Low Impact with High Caloric Expenditure
- Extreme Versatility
- Total-Body Workout
- Improves Posture
Do you want to learn which rower fits you best? Click the button below.
