When I recently tested out the Speediance Gym Monster 2 home gym machine, I began to enjoy rowing more. Not only does it feel like an excellent workout, but it also feels like this motion is stretching my back and shoulders while getting some cardio in. The rowing machine requires the activation of your legs, core, hips, back, and arms all at the same time.
Pro Olympic rowers who’ve played on the national team, like Jack Nunn, have always used the rowing machine to help with their endurance sports and with transitioning from excelling on the machine to the watertop.
Rowing or running for your VO2 max
Your VO2 max is a measure of the maximum rate of oxygen your body can absorb and consume during exercise. This number is often used to assess your general and cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as how your lungs, muscles, and circulatory system work together to handle exercise. One of the most common ways to test VO2 max is with the 2,000-meter rowing test.
In an interesting study published in the Journal of Sports and Science Medicine, the study authors explored whether the elliptical trainer, the treadmill, or the rowing machine was more effective when it comes to VO2 max. The participants worked to exhaustion on a treadmill, an elliptical trainer, and a Concept 2 Row Erg.
Both take the crown in this study
The researchers concluded that the rowing machine was equally effective as the treadmill for peak oxygen uptake (VO2 max). The rowing machine also beat the elliptical. In that case, if you’re looking to improve your VO2 max, you could simply decide which you like best, or consider if you have access to a rowing machine.
Most gyms have a rowing machine somewhere, often lonely in a corner, unless it’s a Hyrox gym, which is helping the humble rower make a comeback.
Rowing and V02 max
The research is promising when it comes to rowing and V02 max. For example, one study revealed that people who rowed three times a week for just eight weeks boosted their VO2 max by 10%. The three weekly rowing sessions consisted of two 30-minute sessions and one more vigorous, high-intensity workout.
Another study showed that athletes achieved the same peak VO2 on both the bike and the rowing machine, highlighting the rowing machine’s benefits for the heart, lungs, and cardiovascular system.
Concluding thoughts
Many fitness enthusiasts think rowing is even more effective than running for VO2 max because it’s even more of a whole-body workout as you heavily engage your arms. People are also drawn to the lower impact on the joints. When it comes to VO2 max, it seems that both the rowing machine and running on the treadmill are effective with comparable benefits for your cardiorespiratory fitness.
