Rowing Machine Workout for Beginners: 20-Minute Plan

The indoor rowing machine is one of the most underused pieces of equipment in the gym. Many people avoid it because they're not sure how to use it, or they try a few minutes of frantic pulling and give up with sore arms.

Learn the stroke properly, though, and the rower becomes a brilliant full-body workout. It's low-impact on your joints, builds cardiovascular fitness and works your legs, core, back and arms in one smooth movement.

Why Use a Rowing Machine?

• Works the majority of your muscles in every stroke, with the legs doing most of the work
• Low-impact, so it's kind to knees and ankles compared with running
• Builds both endurance and power, depending on how you train
• Easy to track progress with clear numbers for time, distance and pace

Set Up the Machine

Strap your feet in so the strap crosses the widest part of your foot. Set the damper — the lever on the side of the flywheel — between 3 and 5. A higher setting feels heavier, like rowing a slow, heavy boat, and tires your muscles quickly without making you fitter. Most coaches and rowers train in this middle range.

Learn the Rowing Stroke

The stroke has four phases. Remember the order: legs, body, arms on the drive, and arms, body, legs on the recovery.

• Catch: shins vertical, arms straight, torso leaning slightly forward from the hips.
• Drive: push hard through your legs first, then swing your body back slightly, then pull the handle to your lower ribs.
• Finish: legs straight, shoulders slightly behind your hips, elbows past your body.
• Recovery: extend your arms, hinge forward from the hips, then bend your knees to slide back to the catch.

The drive should be powerful and the recovery about twice as slow. Think of it as a 1:2 rhythm.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Pulling with the arms first: your legs generate around 60% of the power. Use them.
• Bending the knees too early on the recovery: the handle hits your knees and breaks the rhythm.
• Rushing back to the catch: a slow recovery gives you time to breathe and drive harder.
• Hunching over: keep your chest proud and your core engaged throughout.

Your 20-Minute Beginner Rowing Workout

• Warm-up (5 minutes): easy rowing at 20–22 strokes per minute, focusing on technique.
• Main set (10 minutes): 5 rounds of 1 minute at a moderate-hard effort (24–26 strokes per minute) followed by 1 minute of easy rowing.
• Cool-down (5 minutes): easy rowing at a conversational pace.

Note your average pace per 500m on the monitor. Repeat the workout two or three times a week and try to improve your pace by a second or two each time.

Row Your Way to Better Fitness

With good technique, the rowing machine is one of the most efficient cardio tools available. Start with short sessions, focus on the stroke and let the fitness gains follow.

Want help with your rowing technique? Our coaches include rowing intervals in our Conditioning classes — book a session and we'll show you how.