Rowing machines are a great way to increase the health of your entire body. If you are old, young, in good or bad shape, that’s not a problem. Anyone can operate a rowing machine with a little training.

Most important is that you workout on regular base and with good rowing technique. If you stick with a good workout schedule it won’t take long to see results. Rowing machines have a lot of benefits for anyone that is looking to get back into shape or those that want to take their physical fitness routine to the next level.

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There are many manufacturers of rowing machines out there. In later table I present few of most popular manufacturers with links to their websites and some of reviews of rowing machines on this websites.

It’s difficult to say who produces best rowing machines. All of them are good, but because there are many shapes, style, models, it’s almost imposible to say this one is best. You should consider many factors when buying rowing machines:

• available budget
• available space in the room
• the purpose of your excercise
• type of rowing machines (air, water, magnetic, hydraulic…)
• needed accessories (heart rate monitor, …)
• etc.

On the market you will find for models:

• air rowing machines
• hydraulic rowing machines
• water rowing machines
• magnetic rowing machines

The list of some of rowing machines manufacturers is in the below table. In the proceeding weeks I will post some descriptions of their products, not just rowing machines, but also other fitness equipment that they produce.

Rowing Machines Websites

Rowing Machine Company	Website link	On Amazon	Reviews
Bodycraft	Bodycraft website	Buy on Amazon	VR100
Concept2	Concept2 website	Buy on Amazon	Model E, Model D
HCI Fitness	HCI Fitness website	Buy on Amazon	Coming Soon
Kettler	Kettler website	Buy on Amazon	Outrigger, Favorit
Lifecore Fitness	Lifecore Fitness website	Buy on Amazon	R900
Lifespan Fitness	Lifespan Fitness website	Buy on Amazon	Coming soon
Stamina	Stamina website	Buy on Amazon	Track Glider, 1205, 35-1400 ATS
WaterRower	WaterRower website	Buy on Amazon	Coming soon

How the machine works

Rowing machine works in combination with air. Air resistance uses a fan to create resistance, which means it responds to your pace. If you stroke faster, having higher stroke rate, air rowing machines like Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine and more affordable Stamina 35-1400 ATS Air Rower, increasing resistance and offer a great experience. It feels like you being out on lake, river or sea.

Benefits of air rowing machines

• Feels like you are rowing in nature
• You can even feel the breeze
• Consistency of resistance form one stroke to the next in natural

Weakness

• in winter time cold breeze around you
• air rowing machines are noisier than other
• need more space

Some examples of air rowing machines

Stamina is a good replica of Concept2 Air rowing machines and is affordable. Cost/quality analysis give Stamina a great A. But if you just in the best, you should go for Concept 2 Model D rowing machine.

Stamina 35-1400 ATS Air Rowing Machines

Concpet2 Model D Air Rowing Machine

Stamina 1400 ATS Air Rowing Machine

Air Rowing Machine

I found to very interesting rowing machines. The first one is WaterRower S1 Rowing machine in Brushed Stainless Steel. A great looking rowing machines from a great manufacturer.

The other is Kettler X-Row E3 Rowing Machine, a totally new and innovative designed rowing machine for professional and amateur indoor rowing.

WaterRower S1 Rowing Machine w/ S4 Monitor

WaterRower S1 Rowing machine

The WaterRower S1 Rowing Machine with Series 4 Monitor is made of brushed stainless steel and was designed in WaterRower’s Munich, Germany office.

The WaterRower is unsurpassed in terms of design refinement. Its patented WaterFlywheel design emulates rowing like no machine before it. Smooth, silent and storing conveniently upright the WaterRower is perfect for any user and in any environment. The WaterRower’s unique patented WaterFlywheel has been designed to emulate the dynamics of a boat moving through water.

Buy on Amazon - 2.859,95 USD

Kettler Edition X-row E3 rower

Kettler Edition X Row E3 Rowing Machine

Buy on Net2fitness.com – 2.399,99 USD

Buy on Amazon - 2.399,00 USD

A Totally New and Motivated design for professional rowing has arrived. The Kettler X-Row E3 Rowing Machine is ideal for the most demanding home gym and built to last in a commercial application. The eSVS” System is designed to bring the electronic and mechanical functions into perfect body function and and ergonomic harmony. It’s silent and silky smooth rowing motion pleases even the most disconcerting rower. This is a great rowing machines, for a great amount of money.

Are they worth it? For sure yes, if you have that amount of money, otherwise there are a lot of rowing machines that are much cheaper but also very good rowing machines.

Stamina Body Track Glider Rowing Machine

Winter is almost over. Did you also gain some extra weight over the winter time? And you are thinking of how to lose weight? Do you have a half an hour a day? Great, so there is no reason that you could not lose some weight.

The right answer is rowing machine. The rowing machine is fitness equipment ideal for losing weight. With exercising on rowing machines you burn your calories more effective, because you exercise almost all muscle groups of both the upper and lower body regions.

Why?  With proper rowing machines techniques in four steps,  you doing exercises for your arms, shoulders, stomach, back, ass and legs. You can read more about proper rowing machine techniques on one of my previous posts.

Rowing exercise machines are great for both aerobic (heart and lungs) and anaerobic (muscle strengthening) benefits. All you have to do is just rowing an half an hour, not every day, but every second day. Most important is that you exercise in a fat burning heart rate zone.

Rowing machine exercise make whole your body to work, so you don’t need to workout for a long time. A half an hour rowing machine exercise should look something like this:

1. First 5 minutes – warm-up (a light resistance setting, rowing slowly, concentrate on your rowing technique and rhythm)
2. Next 20 minutes – exercising in fat burning heart rate zone
3. Last 5 minutes – cool down (Gradually slow your rowing speed and reduce the resistance to a minimum.)

If you still not convinced that rowing machine is a fitness equipment for you, there are still more benefits of rowing machines.

How to choose the right rowing machines?

There are a lot of different rowing machines, cheaper and more expensive. Which to choose?

• Air rowing machines - in this group is one of the most popular rowing machine Concept 2 rowing machine, which is used in many fitness houses, professional rowers using this machine to prepare themselves during winter time. They require quite a lot of space and cost from 500 USD to …
• Water rowing machines – One of the most expensive, but great fitness equipment. Require more space, but they are a great simulator of a real thing, rowing on the water.
• Pistons rowing machines – the cheapest ones, but if you are planning just too lose weight and on budget, that’s the rowing machine for you

What ever rowing machine you choose, most important is still your decision to workout and losing weight.

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