The Benefits of Rowing Machine vs. Elliptical Trainer Exercises
When it comes to choosing between cardio equipment, it can be tough to decide which is the best fit for your workout goals.
Two popular machines are the rowing machine and the elliptical trainer. Both of these machines offer great cardiovascular workouts, but each has its own unique benefits.
Published: February 24, 2023.
How Rowing Machine Work
A rowing machine simulates the motion of rowing a boat, providing a low-impact workout that engages your upper and lower body muscles. The machine features a sliding seat, footrests, and a handlebar that the trainee pulls towards themself. This motion involves your legs, back, and arms, emphasizing the pulling motion. It is also an excellent way to increase stamina, build endurance, and lose fat.
The rowing machine is also ideal for those who want to increase their cardiovascular endurance. Additionally, rowing can help to improve your posture, as it targets your back muscles, which are often neglected in traditional workouts.
How Elliptical Work
An elliptical trainer is another popular piece of cardio equipment.
It features two pedals and two handles that move back and forth, providing a low-impact workout that mimics running or walking. The elliptical trainer is a great way to burn calories, as it can provide a full-body workout that targets both your upper and lower body muscles.
Elliptical trainers are also excellent for those who are recovering from injuries or have joint pain. The machine is low-impact, which means it places less stress on your joints than other types of cardio equipment. This makes it an excellent choice for those who want to get in shape without exacerbating any existing joint pain.
Benefits of Rowing Machine
One of the main benefits of using a rowing machine is that it targets multiple muscle groups at once. The rowing motion engages your legs, back, and arms, which means you can work out almost your entire body in just one session. This also makes the rowing machine an excellent option for those who want to save time at the gym.
Rowing is also an excellent way to burn calories. A moderate-intensity rowing workout can burn up to 300 calories in just 30 minutes.
This makes it an excellent option for those who want to lose weight or maintain their current weight - which must be done in combination with proper nutrition since no exercise can outpace bad nutrition.
Additionally, rowing can help to improve your cardiovascular endurance, which means you can work out for longer periods without getting tired.
Benefits of Elliptical
One of the primary benefits of using an elliptical trainer is that it features elliptical motion (hence the name) and provides a low-impact workout.
This means that it is less stressful on your joints than other types of cardio equipment, such as running or even walking on a treadmill.
This makes it an excellent option for those who have constant issues with joints like ankles, knees, or even hips or are recovering from injuries.
The elliptical trainer is also an excellent way to burn calories. It provides a full-body workout that engages both your upper and lower body muscles, allowing the trainee to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time than other types of cardio equipment.
Additionally, using an elliptical trainer can help to increase your cardiovascular endurance, which means you can work out for longer periods without getting tired - just like a rowing machine, except that the elliptical trainer's motion is very similar to walking and running, natural motions of humans. In contrast, rowing machines' motions are uncommon in everyday life.
People with health issues can use both elliptical and rower to work out "in the zone," keeping their heart rate at the specific BPM, as instructed by their doctors or physicians.
On the other hand, both cardio machines can be used for HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) and similar exercises.
Muscle Groups Worked
One of the main differences between the rowing machine and the elliptical trainer is the muscle groups they target. The rowing machine engages your legs, back, and arms, especially the biceps, providing almost a full-body workout. This means it is an excellent option for those who want to work out multiple muscle groups at once.
When using a rowing machine, your legs are responsible for pushing the machine's pedals while your back muscles engage to pull the handle towards your chest.
Additionally, your arms are working on completing the pulling motion, providing almost a complete upper-body workout - the chest and triceps are somewhat neglected.
This full-body workout makes the rowing machine an excellent choice for those who want to build and tone their muscles.
The elliptical trainer, on the other hand, primarily targets your lower body muscles, although the upper body can be targeted using movable handles on the elliptical.
The pedaling motion works your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles while moving handlebars target arms, torso, and core.
Burned Calories
Both the rowing machine and the elliptical trainer are excellent options for burning calories. A moderate-intensity workout on either machine can burn up to 300 calories in just 30 minutes.
The rowing machine is an excellent choice for those who want to burn calories and lose fat. It provides an almost full-body workout that engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, meaning you can burn more calories in less time. Additionally, rowing is an excellent way to increase your cardiovascular endurance, allowing you to work out for longer periods without getting tired.
An elliptical trainer is also an excellent option for burning calories. It primarily targets your lower body muscles, making it an excellent choice for those who want to tone their legs and glutes. Additionally, many elliptical trainers now include handlebars that allow you to work out your upper body muscles, providing a full-body workout. This means you can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time.
So, which one is better, rower or elliptical? Well, burned calories depend on the amount of oxygen that the lungs and heart can transport to the muscles, so both cardio machines are as good as the lungs and heart of the trainee :)
Supplemental Exercises
Since elliptical and rower don't provide truly full-body exercise, especially rower, it is recommended to supplement them with a few exercises, including:
Pushups
Pushups are very simple yet effective exercises that primarily target the chest and triceps. By varying the width of palms on the floor, the height of the feet, etc., the trainee can target these muscle groups under different angles, preventing boredom and muscle memory from kicking in.
Situps/Crunches
Various situps and crunches are excellent exercises for abs, although many other muscles are involved.
Various Core Exercises (Criss-Cross, for example)
Criss-Cross and similar core exercises are excellent for strengthening abs and core in general. Also, many other muscle groups are worked out.
Planks
Planks are static exercises, but worth every second of them. Beginners should start with plants with their knees on the floor, just in case.
Pull-Ups
Pull-ups, chin-ups, and similar exercises are excellent for strengthening the upper back and biceps.
So, if You are working out at home, perhaps the best practice is to dedicate one day to cardio exercises with a rowing machine and/or elliptical machine and to dedicate another day for push-ups, pull-ups, planks, sit-ups, and other bodyweight exercises, that can be combined with few dumbbell or kettlebell exercises.
Stretching
Stretching is often underestimated part of a complete workout, but it should not be avoided. Stretching can be done as part of a warm-up, but it should also be done after the workouts.
Note: when stretching after weighted workouts, stretch slowly and very gently, far from being near your maximum range of motion. When stretching after cardio exercises, start gently and slowly, but feel free to stretch almost to your max.
Few Final Words
When it comes to choosing between a rowing machine and an elliptical trainer, it really comes down to your personal preference and fitness goals. Both machines provide excellent cardio workouts and can help you burn tons of calories, lose fat, and increase your strength and stamina.
Whichever machine you choose, use it consistently and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts to achieve your fitness goals.
In order to lose fat, and increase strength and stamina, don't forget your nutrition, which should be spotless, at least most of the time - a cheat meal here and there is acceptable, of course.
