Regular-state cardio — plodding along at a consistent pace throughout a session — can have its place in a training program. Nonetheless, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can actually be a more efficient means to succeed in your fitness goals. And identical to there are a number of how to construct the final word physique, there are different machines you’ll be able to depend upon  to assist get you there. 

Although a treadmill offers the unique advantage of with the ability to train on an incline, it doesn’t offer you a real full-body workout. Meanwhile, an elliptical machine could also be a low-impact option to your joints, but that also comes on the expense of any muscle-building upside. 

Luckily, there’s a bit of home gym equipment that gives the very best of each worlds: the rower, sometimes called an erg or rowerg. The truth is, you’ll be hard-pressed to seek out a machine that tests your muscular strength and endurance (and mental fortitude) quite just like the erg.

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Whether your primary goal is to burn body fat or boost your conditioning, these HIIT rowing workouts will get the job done. And when you’re just getting your feet wet with one of these training, there’s a beginner-friendly plan that can put you on the trail to becoming more adept and assured on the rowing machine. 

HIIT Rowing Workouts 

HIIT Rowing Workout for Fat Loss 

A successful fat loss plan focuses on two aspects: the way you fuel up and the way you set those resources to work. In case your primary goal is to trim a number of extra kilos off your frame, pairing interval training with a dietary protocol that prioritizes protein and limits processed foods will provide the right stimulus to assist accomplish that feat. Although this rowing workout could appear easy on the surface, you’ll quickly learn the way difficult (and effective) time-specific training might be.

Tabata Intervals  

There’s a reason the Tabata protocol stays one of the vital popular forms of high-intensity interval training: It really works. Designed in an easy-to-follow format, a workout consists of clearly defined intervals of max-effort exercise and complete rest. Typically, the high-intensity interval lasts for 20 seconds, forcing you to go all out for what seems like a reasonably reasonable period of time.

Nonetheless, the difficult part about Tabata-style training is that you just only get a rest period of 10 seconds, or half the quantity of the high-intensity interval. That back-and-forth battle normally wages on for eight cycles, adding as much as a four-minute round. Most workouts run around 20 minutes, which incorporates a temporary rest period of 1-2 minutes between each accomplished round.

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Despite its short working intervals, Tabata delivers impressive results. It has been shown to be effective for improving each body fat composition and a few cardiometabolic health outcomes in university female students. (1) Moreover, a 2020 study on the impact of Tabata training showed it was also effective in reducing body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio in obese individuals. (2)

Ultimately, there’s no reason to make things complicated in terms of your fat loss journey. This rowing workout relies upon a tried-and-true setup that ought to leave you feeling gassed by the tip. It’s best to depart this for the tip of a strength training session as a high-impact finisher, or perform it on a non-lifting day to reap the rewards of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. 

Tabata Rowing Circuit 

• The best way to Do it: Sit on the rowing machine seat and strap your feet in. Set the drag level between three and five. Grab the handle, maintain an upright posture, and concurrently push along with your legs while pulling along with your upper body. Warm up at a cushty pace for one minute before increasing to max effort to your first high-intensity interval. 
• Programming: Perform 8-10 sets (one round) of 20 seconds of max-effort rowing followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat for 3 to 5 rounds, depending in your fitness level. 
• Rest Time: Rest one to 2 minutes after each round.  

HIIT Rowing Workout for Conditioning 

Metabolic conditioning can have some crossover with fat loss training, but it surely also brings muscle-building advantages. And out of all of the home gym equipment it’s best to consider investing in, a rowing machine is a improbable alternative because it is able to helping you achieve your dream physique in multiple ways.

This all-inclusive workout combines sprint intervals on the erg with various strength exercises for the final word conditioning session. 

On/Off Circuit

Prepare to maneuver around with this workout. At the identical time, prepare to benefit from the conditioning rewards of blending max-effort speed intervals on the rower with muscle-building exercises that can test your strength and stamina.

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Somewhat than rowing for a particular time interval, your goal is to finish 250 meters as fast as possible. Then, you’ll undergo a variety of superset using resistance training exercises that focus on your chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, and glutes. Working hard on the rower will goal your back muscles, so doubling up by targeting them with a strength-training exercise could cause excessive fatigue without additional benefit.

This workout can serve because the baseline to your creative efforts. You may vary the routine in quite a lot of ways by increasing your goal distance on the erg, increasing the time or load for the supplementary movements, or by selecting specific exercises based in your personal physique goals. Ultimately, the purpose is to push yourself through each phase, take a number of minutes to get better, and discover a approach to keep going. 

Rowing Speed Interval

• The best way to Do it: Sit on the rowing machine seat and strap your feet in. Set the drag level between five and 7 for added resistance. Grab the handle, maintain an upright posture, and concurrently push along with your legs while pulling along with your upper body. Warm up at a cushty pace for one minute before increasing to max effort to your first high-intensity interval.
• Programming: Complete a 250-meter row as quickly as possible.
• Rest Time: No rest before moving to the subsequent exercise.

Paused Push-Up

• The best way to Do it: Begin in the highest of a conventional push-up position along with your hands directly under your shoulders, your arms locked out, hips and legs straight, and toes on the bottom. Lower yourself down until your chest is one to 2 inches from the ground and hold for 2 seconds. Engage your triceps and extend your arms to return to the start line. 
• Sets and Reps: Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds.
• Rest Time: No rest before moving to the subsequent exercise.

Goblet Squat

• The best way to Do it: Stand along with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes barely identified. Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell with each hands at chest-level (the “goblet” position), engaging your front deltoids (shoulders) to support the burden. While keeping your torso upright, push your hips back, bend your knees, and sit right into a deep squat position. Drive through your heels and return to the starting position.  
• Sets and Reps: Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds. Use a weight that enables a minimum of 10 to 12 repetitions in the primary round.
• Rest Time: No rest before moving to the subsequent exercise.

Dumbbell Overhead Press

• The best way to Do it: Stand along with your feet hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder-level. Keep your wrists in a neutral position (palms facing one another) and push the weights toward the ceiling, fully extending your arms and locking out your triceps. Slowly lower the dumbbells back right down to the starting position, maintaining full control on the eccentric (lowering) portion of the lift.  
• Sets and Reps: Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds. Use a weight that enables a minimum of 10 to 12 repetitions in the primary round.
• Rest Time: Rest two to a few minutes before repeating the primary exercise.

HIIT Rowing Workout for Beginners

When you’re latest to cardio training, or simply latest to the rowing machine, don’t be intimidated by the thought of an intense session on the erg. As an alternative, embrace the concept of pushing yourself for brief spurts so you’ll be able to earn some well-deserved rest. Plus, you’ll be able to stay up for improving your technique with each stroke. 

1:2 Work-to-Rest Intervals

A key difference between the previous fat-burning and conditioning workouts and this beginner-friendly plan is the period of time you’ll spend working at a lower intensity. As an alternative of following a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio, beginners should go for a 1:2 work-to-rest rate. 

This structure is actually the alternative of Tabata, which requires you to get better in half the period of time as your high-intensity interval. Using a particular work/rest approach will provide you with the advantages of improving your VO2 max while also allowing a sufficient period for recuperation. (3)

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You’ll be starting out with 20 seconds of labor, followed by 40 seconds of rest. Nonetheless, don’t be afraid to change up that 1:2 ratio as you get more comfortable on the rower. Once you have got accomplished this workout a number of times, you’ll be able to ramp up the issue by cutting the remainder interval to 30 seconds. Then, trim it down one other 5-10 seconds as you improve. 

20 On/40 Off Rowing Circuit

• The best way to Do it: Sit on the rowing machine seat and strap your feet in. Set the drag level between three and five. Grab the handle, maintain an upright posture, and concurrently push along with your legs while pulling along with your upper body. Warm up at a cushty pace for one minute before increasing to near-max effort to your first high-intensity interval. Ensure to rest for double the quantity of work-time for every cycle.
• Programming: Two sets of 8 rounds — each round requires 20 seconds of hard rowing, followed by 40 seconds of easy rowing.
• Rest Time: Rest for 3 minutes after completing the primary round.

The best way to Warm-Up for a HIIT Rowing Workout

A structured warm-up isn’t just a method to interrupt a sweat or get your head in the sport prior to a workout. Besides being useful for performance, it’s also a proactive measure that may help prevent injuries. (4)

Since the erg requires you to recruit essentially every major muscle group, you must prepare accordingly. Diving straight into any of the three HIIT workouts isn’t a sound strategy — especially when you’re hitting the gym after sitting at a desk for hours.

Set yourself up for achievement by completing this four-part warm-up which focuses on getting your shoulders, back, quads, and hamstrings ready for a rowing session that can leave you feeling achieved from head to toe. 

HIIT Rowing Workout Warm-Up

1. Arm Circle: Stand along with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your arms fully prolonged out to your sides in order that they are parallel with the ground. Keep your arms straight and start making small circular motions in a forward direction. Progress to larger circles for a wider range of motion. for 20 to 30 seconds. Then, perform the identical movement in the wrong way for one more 20 to 30 seconds.  
2. Inch Worm: Stand tall along with your feet about hip-width apart and your hands by your sides. Look down at the ground and begin reaching your hands out in front of your feet as you permit your knees to bend barely. Rigorously walk your hands forward until they’re directly under your shoulders and your body is parallel to the ground. From that full plank position, keep your legs straight and walk your hands back toward your feet. Brace your core and lift your upper body to return to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions before moving to the subsequent exercise. 
3. Paused Body weight Squat: Stand along with your feet at a shoulder-width distance and your toes pointed barely out. Brace your core, push your hips back, and slowly lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold for 2 seconds, then push through your heels and drive upward until you reach the starting position. Complete 15 to twenty full-depth squats before ending up with the ultimate a part of the warm-up. 
4. Rowing Machine: Get on a rowing machine and set the damper to a low level (between one and 4). Maintain a gentle but comfortable pace for 3 to 5 minutes to prime your muscles and get within the flow for the high-intensity workout to follow. 

Full-Body Advantages in Far Less Time

Whilst you will most actually work harder, you’ll even be working smarter with these HIIT rowing workouts. Ramping up the intensity means you won’t must spend nearly as much time repeating the identical motion until you’ve reached a state of boredom. As an alternative, efficient interval-style training will allow you to reap the full-body rewards of centering your next workout around the easy but incredibly effective rowing machine. 

References

1. Lu, Y., Wiltshire, H., Baker, J. S., Wang, Q., & Ying, S. (2023). The effect of Tabata-style functional high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health and physical activity in female university students. Frontiers in Physiology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1095315
2. Domaradzki, J., Cichy, I., Rokita, A., & Popowczak, M. (2020). Effects of Tabata training during physical education classes on body composition, aerobic capability, and anaerobic performance of under-, normal- and obese adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 876. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030876
3. Helgerud, J., Høydal, K. L., Wang, E., Karlsen, T., Berg, P. R., Bjerkaas, M., Simonsen, T., Helgesen, C. S., Hjorth, N. L., Bach, R., & Hoff, J. (2007). Aerobic High-Intensity intervals improve VO2max greater than moderate training. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 39(4), 665–671. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e3180304570
4. Ding, L., Luo, J., Smith, D. M., Mackey, M. J., Fu, H., Davis, M. M., & Hu, Y. (2022). Effectiveness of Warm-Up Intervention Programs to Prevent Sports Injuries amongst Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Evaluation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(10), 6336. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106336

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