- You're probably here
because you've recently read an article,
a friend told you, your doctor told you
that you should consider indoor rowing
as an activity to add into your fitness regimen
for one reason or another.
Now if you've read those articles,
they're generally very short
and they just say that rowing is a full-body exercise
and something that you should use, but why?
Is it right for you?
Is it the right machine for you to use?
Is it the right tool for you to buy at home
and have as a training tool?
And that's the question we're hoping to answer today.
Is it the right choice for you
to insert into your training?
And is it really all it's cracked up to be?
So let's check it out and let's get inside.
(heavy upbeat music)
(transitions to moderate upbeat music)
So ultimately, the goal today
is to discover whether or not indoor rowing
is something that's useful for you
and should you be using it, depending on your circumstances,
your fitness level, your finances,
all of these things go into play
into making a decision as to whether or not
indoor rowing makes sense for you and should you row.
At the end of the day, that ultimately
is a very important question to answer,
because while it's great that Time magazine is saying
that you should use the rowing machine as a training tool,
well, that's not right for everybody,
just like all fitness or all nutrition plans
aren't right for everybody, there's no cookie-cutter model
for every human being that exists.
I wish there was, that would make my life so much easier
and I wish I could say that rowing was the end-all be-all,
but honestly it's not, but it is a great activity,
so let's explore some of the advantages to using the machine
and whether or not those fit
in to parameters that make sense for you
and let's figure out what all the excitement's about.
So reason number one and you hear this all the time,
from anybody who's suggesting it,
is that rowing is low impact and that is true,
however, it's not the only low impact exercise that exists,
but it inherently does reduce impact on the body.
If you can't run and you can't jump
and you have arthritis and achy joints, guess what?
This is a really fantastic option
for you to consider using this machine,
because by sitting on the seat
and having it be more of a horizontal force production,
you don't have the same effects of gravity
driving you down, while trying to fight against that,
instead we get to work in this horizontal pattern
(moderate fun music) (spring boings)
versus a vertical pattern,
so if you're looking at this from a checkbox
and let's tick a number of boxes,
if that low impact sounds appealing to you and to your body,
frankly, that's the one that matters the most,
if that sounds appealing, go ahead and check that box
as maybe one reason why
you would consider using the rowing machine.
Reason number two, strength, endurance,
strength endurance, endurance-based strength,
you can do it all with this machine,
that is because of its resistance adjustment settings.
You can really program any type of workout
that your heart desires on this thing,
whether it's multiple 20, 10-second sprints
that are intended to work on your strength
and your ability to handle load
and put you under really aggressive duress, you can do it,
because you can take the resistance up, make it feel heavy
and work for very short sprint periods of time
or if you want to simply work on your base aerobic volume
and program long workouts with low resistance,
that are simply meant to make you sweat
and improve lung capacity and your aerobic endurance,
you can do that too
by programming it exactly as you want with this machine.
And so, therein lies a lot of value to this
and so, if that is a need for you,
if you have a desire to put that into your programming,
then guess what?
That's another checkbox for using indoor rowing
as a piece of your exercise routine,
as a tool in your toolbox, if you will.
Reason number three,
this machine is often touted as a complete workout,
meaning a full-body workout.
(upbeat music)
You often hear this statistic thrown around,
that rowing uses 86% of the body.
Honestly, there's not much foundation in that,
however, because of the way that the machine is situated,
unlike a bike or an elliptical,
it doesn't guide you through the movement,
you actually have to learn how to move on this machine.
I've coached thousands of people at this point
and I have never seen a single person get on the machine
and do it right the first time without instruction,
it's a learned movement.
So A, don't feel bad when you sit down on this machine
and you're not sure what you're doing,
nobody does the first time.
And B, it really is complete,
because you push with your legs,
you're swinging your hips open,
you're pulling with the arms,
you're pushing with the arms,
you're closing the hips,
all of these things that the body has to do
to create work on the machine
and the more you focus on the mechanics,
the better workout your body gets
and so, it behooves you to pay attention to mechanics,
making the workout more complete
and making it a more advantageous, full-body workout.
So yes, that one does stack up.
No, that percentage of how much of your body is used,
to how many muscles in your body you're using.
Just say yes, it works a lot of your body,
all the important things
that need to be strengthened and worked
are worked by this machine, because you use everything.
You hold on with your hands, your feet are strapped in,
you're pushing, you're pulling,
both directions with all appendages, it's all happening
and it does make for a very complete, useful workout,
so if that works for you, check that box off.
Reason number four and this one's pretty simple,
it is tried and true.
This machine has been around forever in one form or another.
There was a rowing machine on the Titanic,
look it up, not lying, it was in their gym.
Different companies have come in and out,
have come and gone,
concept two's been around since the 70's.
This machine is useful and effective
and trainers and coaches around the world
have relied upon this machine for a long time.
Now is that necessarily a fact-point?
No, not necessarily, but it wouldn't have lasted
as long as it has if it weren't useful
and if it weren't effective
and if it wasn't getting put into workouts
by people who think about writing these workouts
and the objectives that they want
to help their clients achieve.
I guess the goal is that the clients state
that the coach wants to help them achieve their own goal,
don't worry, I'm sure you get me on that one,
but the point being, is it useful?
Has it tested time?
Yes, absolutely, it has been around for a long time.
So if you like having a little bit of faith in it,
because you know that it's been around forever
and it's not new and gimmicky, check that box,
because that is for sure, it ain't a gimmick.
Reason number five and hear me out on this one,
because I'm gonna make a pretty grand claim,
this machine can improve your entire quality of life.
What do I mean by that?
Well, because this machine doesn't let you get away with
just moving mindlessly, you have to learn how to move,
placing your body in the appropriate place
at the appropriate time, using the appropriate muscles,
you have to learn this entire movement path.
Now with that, comes you learning
more and more about your body,
it increases ranges of motion that you probably
haven't been hitting in your everyday life,
it strengthens muscles that haven't been strengthened
and it gets your mind in tune with your body,
working together and that is a huge advantage.
That in and of itself
is what will improve quality of life for you,
because they're aren't enough opportunities in our life
that we are all taking advantage of,
that are improving us in that way.
So if quality of life improvement, connecting mind and body
is something that seems valuable to you
or you'd like to insert,
and I know it's kind of tough to say,
No, I'm not really interested in that,
but if you're not, fair, not my place to tell you,
go ahead and add that check as,
maybe this is a useful tool for you.
So at the end of the day, the decision is yours.
Should I row?
Is the rowing machine a useful tool for me to use?
You're gonna keep seeing articles about it,
people are gonna keep telling you that you should try it,
but ultimately, the decision is up to you
and whether or not it's valuable in your life.
All I care about is that you have something
that makes you move, that makes you happy.
It doesn't have to be rowing
and if it turns out to be rowing, great.
I hope we get to spend a lot of time together
and you hang out and watch our videos,
(stomping) - What?
Did we just become best friends?
- Yep.
- join our community and all that good stuff,
but really, at the end of the day,
it's your decision to make.
Should I row?
I don't know, take a look at these five factors
and consider whether or not these things are useful to you,
are useful to your place in life
and if it's the right decision for you.
For me, rowing is absolutely a great tool
and I think it is for a lot of people,
but the decision is really up to you.
As always guys, thank you for joining us
for another Dark Horse video.
I love you Dark Horse community, guys,
thank you for tuning in, checking out what we've got to say.
Honestly, I love that you guys
are trying to pursue something greater in your own lives
and really, at the end of the day,
that's what matters to me,
that you are the dark horse of your own life.
So as always, if you enjoyed this video
and you wanna be a part of this community,
hit that subscribe button and if you really love it,
just really love it, hit that bell,
'cause it's gonna alert you
every time we come out with a new video
and as always, we will see you on the other side.
(heavy upbeat music)