Rowing Machine

Setup

Sit on the seat with feet secured in the foot straps, shins vertical. Grab the handle with both hands using an overhand grip, arms extended forward, and lean your torso slightly forward from the hips with a straight back.

How to do it

1. Drive through your heels and push with your legs first, keeping arms straight.
2. Once legs are extended, lean your torso back past vertical while pulling the handle to your lower ribs.
3. Reverse the sequence: extend arms first, hinge torso forward, then bend knees to slide forward.
4. Maintain a strong core and flat back throughout the entire rowing motion.
5. Find a smooth rhythm where the recovery phase takes twice as long as the drive phase.

Watch out for

• ✗Pulling with arms first instead of driving with legs, which wastes power and strains the back.
• ✗Rounding the back during the catch or drive, reducing efficiency and risking injury.
• ✗Rushing the recovery by sliding forward too quickly, disrupting rhythm and proper sequencing.