Rowing exercise
Encyclopedia
In strength training
, rowing (or a row, usually preceded by a qualifying adjective — for instance a seated row) is a form of muscular resistance training exercise that shares many characteristics of rowing a boat
without involving water or a boat
. When done as a weight-lifting exercise, its purpose is to exercise the muscles that draw the rower's arms toward the body (latissimus dorsi) as well as those that retract the scapulae (trapezius and rhomboids
) and those that support the spine (erector spinae
). When done on a rowing machine, rowing also exercises muscles that extend and support the legs (quadriceps and thigh muscles). In all cases, the abdominal and lower back muscles must be used in order to support the body and prevent back injury.
Many other weight-assisted gym exercises mimic the movement of rowing, such as the deadlift
, high pull and the bent-over row. An effective off-season training programme combines both erg pieces and weight-assisted movements similar to rowing, with an emphasis on improving endurance under high tension rather than maximum strength.
Strength training
Strength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction...
, rowing (or a row, usually preceded by a qualifying adjective — for instance a seated row) is a form of muscular resistance training exercise that shares many characteristics of rowing a boat
Watercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
without involving water or a boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
. When done as a weight-lifting exercise, its purpose is to exercise the muscles that draw the rower's arms toward the body (latissimus dorsi) as well as those that retract the scapulae (trapezius and rhomboids
Rhomboids
Rhomboids can refer to:* Rhomboid muscles** Rhomboid major muscle** Rhomboid minor muscle...
) and those that support the spine (erector spinae
Erector spinae
The Erector spinæ is a muscle group of the back in humans and animals. It is also known as sacrospinalis in older texts. A more modern term is extensor spinae, though this is not in widespread use. The name of the muscle is pronounced e-rec-tor speen-aye, or e-rec-tor spinae-ee.It is really not...
). When done on a rowing machine, rowing also exercises muscles that extend and support the legs (quadriceps and thigh muscles). In all cases, the abdominal and lower back muscles must be used in order to support the body and prevent back injury.
Many other weight-assisted gym exercises mimic the movement of rowing, such as the deadlift
Deadlift
The deadlift is a weight training exercise where a loaded barbell is lifted off the ground from a stabilized, bent over position. It is one of the three canonical powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press.-Overview:...
, high pull and the bent-over row. An effective off-season training programme combines both erg pieces and weight-assisted movements similar to rowing, with an emphasis on improving endurance under high tension rather than maximum strength.