I want to start rowing?

Question

How do I get started, do I have to buy one of those expensive boats and will rowing get me in to shape, what muscles does rowing work?????

Answer 1

Rowing simultaneously works the entire body, delivering an upper-and lower-body workout in the time it would take to work half your body using another machine. In short, you get the most complete work out in the least amount of time. The full-body stretch provided by rowing emulates the body's natural movement and prepares the muscles. No other exercise conditions muscles better or gets your heart rate into the training zone quicker. In terms of the benefits received, rowing is one of the most efficient workouts possible. Honestly, your Q should be "What muscles DOESN'T rowing work?"  To answer your other Q: Of course rowing will get you into shape!  But you'll get as much out of it as you put into it.

Are you planning on joining a school club or are you an adult?  If you are an adult, you don't have to buy a boat unless you'd like to row a single.  There are many adult rowing leagues for novices and experienced rowers, so you can try joining one of them.  They will teach you to sweep (one oar per person) before you scull (two oars per person). After that, if you enjoy rowing then you should consider buying your own single so you can row on your own time, whenever you want.  Singles can be expensive, plus you'll have to pay for storage if you are keeping your boat at your local rowing club.  If you want to buy a good boat that is more on the expensive side, I would recommend an Empacher single.  Otherwise the cheapest kind would be a used, wood boat.  You could probably ask around at your club to see if anyone is selling.

If you're not an adult, then I'm assuming you're asking this because you are considering rowing for your school. So, if you are plan on joining your school's rowing club, you should know that it takes A LOT of time and hard work. But it's not much different than any other competitive sport. You have to go that extra mile and take the time and effort to practice on your own time. But don't get discouraged. :)

So, if you're wanting to row next year, you should probably take a learn-to-row program in the summer before school starts, just so you have some experience on the water. I would recommend weight training and cardio. A lot of people might say that running isn't important for rowing, but I disagree (unless you're a coxie :P). Make jogging a part of your daily routine before or after school and start working on getting your split time down on the ergometer (rowing machine). Your split is the number which tells you how long it takes you to row 500m (If you're using a Concept 2 ergometer then you should change it from the calories/hour mode to the min/500m mode. A LOWER number in this mode is better. Like golf. :D) If you want to have a good chance of making your team you should work on getting it below 2 minutes (so a 2k row should be under 8 minutes). If you have never rowed before this will probably be really difficult for you (I thought I was going to die after my first erg... but things will get better :) !!!), but if you are serious about getting a spot in one of the boats you will need to erg like crazy. (If you are lightweight - under 59kg/130lbs - then it will be more difficult for you to get your split under 2 minutes. However, it's still a good target range for a serious rower).

Ergometer scores and seat-racing are basically the two most important things a coach will consider when choosing rowers, so when I say you need to get you erg scores down, I really mean you need to get your erg scores down. This will help with power when you are on the water, but like I said before you should take a learn-to-row course (most rowing clubs offer them in the summer and fall, but the fall ones are just finishing up now) for technique and experience.

Experience on the water is extremely important as well, and if you learn proper technique first you shouldn't have any problems. Make sure you listen to any advice that your coach gives you, even if it seems ridiculous (like "feather your blade slower" or "lower your blade at the finish" or "don't hunch at the catch"). Little things are really important when it comes to technique. And don't worry about not understanding rowing terminology. When you row for a few hours everyday, it will come easy, so you'll catch on in no time.

By the way, you should probably get a membership at your local gym. (I know I implied it, but I thought I'd just say it in case.) Rowing is a lot of hard work, but I'm sure you can do it! Good luck!