When it comes to using a rowing machine during your workout, there are vast amounts of benefits that you can gain from it. From increasing your mental state for the better to being one of the best aerobic exercises. But can you flatten your stomach on a rowing machine?

Rowing machines are not only an excellent exercise, but rowing is a fantastic way to lose fat. Not only can you lose tons of fat on a rowing machine, but rowing is also an excellent way to tone your muscles. With that said, a rowing machine is a great way to lose weight, flatten your stomach, and build up your ab muscles.

As you continue to read this article, it will discuss the weight loss and muscle-building benefits of using a rowing machine.

Can Rowing Machines Help You Lose Weight?

When it comes to losing weight, most people talk about shredding fat off of your body. However, two types of fat are stored within your body: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.

• Subcutaneous fat is the fat that you see on yourself or other people. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that is stored under the skin and above the muscles of your body.

• Whereas visceral fat is the fat that forms underneath your muscles, it creates a protective layer or cushion for your organs.

Having too much of either type of fat can cause serious health risks and may cause you to develop some cardiovascular diseases. With that said, rowing is a fantastic way of slimming down and shredding both types of fat.

Whether you have rowing as your only form of workout or add it to your routine, you will see improvements quickly. Here are a couple of these improvements below:

1. Helps You Lose Weight Fast

There are many benefits that a rowing machine will provide you as you work out. One of the best parts of working out on a rowing machine is how effective it is at helping you lose weight.

Over an hour, a person of average weight rowing at a decent pace can expect to lose 500 to 800 calories an hour. However, the number of calories you can lose per hour while rowing can change drastically based on two things.

Firstly, if you are overweight, you can expect to see an increase in the number of calories you lose while rowing. Secondly, the faster or harder you row will also increase the number of calories you will burn.

Essentially, while you are rowing, if you are either overweight or rowing faster or harder than usual, you will lose close to 800 calories per hour. You can even lose more than 800 calories an hour if you are pushing hard enough.

The amount of calories you can burn in an hour on a rowing machine makes it one of the best forms of workouts when it comes to losing weight.

2. Tones Your Muscles Relatively Quickly

Another benefit of working out on a rowing machine is that it helps you tone your muscles. However, even though rowing does build muscles, it is more of a side effect to the number of calories you will burn.

Burning more calories than you take in will cause the fat in your body to start being absorbed for nutrients. It will eventually lead to you slimming down.

As you lose weight and build up muscle mass from rowing, you will begin to see your muscles under your skin rather than your fat. Eventually, you will even develop a six-pack and see your abdominal muscles on your stomach.

What Are Proper Rowing Techniques For A Rowing Machine?

If you are looking to use a rowing machine to lose weight and slim down a bit, there is one major thing you will need to remember. Learning and using the proper rowing technique is imperative for safety and proper body usage, and weight loss.

Rowing makes you use over 83% of your body’s muscles in a smooth motion. Using the proper technique will give you an amazon aerobic and low-impact workout. Without the correct method, you will end up using way less of your body during the exercise.

With that said, there are only three simple steps to completing a single row. While these steps are easy to learn, it will take some time to master them completely. These steps are as followed:

• The Catch Position: This is also called the starting position. When starting your workout, you will need to sit on the seat on the rail and strap your feet on the footpads. While in the catch position, keep your knees perpendicular to the floor.

  Then it would be best if you leaned forward until your shoulders are past your waist. Grab the bar on the device and keep your arms straight out in front of you. You are now in the catch position. This will be where you will start and end each row.

• The Drive: The drive is where you will exert your body and perform reps like you would when lifting weights. First, extend your legs fully by engaging your core and pushing with your feet and legs to start the drive.

  Once your legs have fully extended, lean back until your shoulders are past your waist. Finally, pull the bar towards you until it is touching your chest just below your ribs.

• The Recovery: The recovery is just a small break between each row you perform while returning to the catch position.

  To do this, you will need to complete the drive in reverse. Start by extending your arms out entirely, then lean forward until your shoulders are once again past your hips. Finally, raise your knees until they are perpendicular to the floor.

That is all you need to know about the rowing technique. As previously stated, it is straightforward and will not take you long to learn it.

We suggest that you take about 5 to 10 minutes to slowly perform these three steps at the beginning of your workout. Then, once you are comfortable, pick up the pace and start your entire workout.

A Few Tips To Help You Along The Way

There are some tips that you would know when it comes to using a rowing machine properly. Even though the three steps are easy to learn and master, many beginner rowers develop bad habits.

Use Your Core Muscles During The Workout

One bad habit is relying on the machine’s footpads to keep you on the device. To properly work out your core muscles during your workout, you will need to use them to catch yourself at the end of the drive. You will also need to use your core muscles to keep your upper body straight during the entire workout.

An easy way to know if you are using your abdominal and other core muscles correctly is to unstrap your feet. Placing your feet on the footpads and completing a rep on the rowing machine will tell you if you are using your core correctly.

If you find yourself flying off the back of the device at the end of your drive, then you will know that you are relying on the straps to keep you in place.

To combat this, at the beginning of your workout row for about 5 minutes before strapping your feet. During this period, try to use your body’s core to brace yourself at the end of the drive.

Keep Your Back Straight

Another essential tip is keeping your back straight. Working with an arched back can lead to you developing back pain.

Along with the chances of developing back pain, you will also neglect to work out some muscles in your back. Rowing with an arched back will also prevent you from using your core muscles properly.

How Long Does It Take To Lose Belly Fat On A Rowing Machine?

While rowing is a fantastic way to lose weight, it may take quite a bit of time to start losing weight in the areas you want to. 

When you start rowing, you will notice that you lose the fat in your face, shoulders, and arms first. Then, over time and with a steady workout routine, you will eventually start to shed pounds from your belly and legs.

The main thing you need is persistence and motivation when you want to lose belly and leg fat. Fat in these areas is commonly referred to as stubborn fats. They are referred to as stubborn fats because they take so long to lose weight in those areas.

If you are working out regularly and do not see the results that you want to see, do not lose hope. You need to consider many things when wanting to lose weight and slim down your belly fat. Factors that you need to consider are:

• Age
• Gender
• Diet
• Stress Levels
• Genetics
• Thyroid Health
• Activity Level
• Hormone Levels

Each of these will contribute to the effectiveness of your weight loss routine.

What Are The Benefits Of Using A Rowing Machine?

There are plenty of other benefits that you will gain from using a rowing machine. Some of which we have already talked about in the rest of the article above. However, we will now go over some of the other significant benefits that you will gain from using a rowing machine.

Rowing Is A Full Body Workout

This one is straightforward. Rowing makes you use over 83% of your muscles during the workout. Over nine muscle groups are used and worked out while you are rowing.

The amount of muscles you use while rowing makes it an excellent full-body exercise. Because rowing is a full-body workout, many people solely use rowing as their workout routine.

At the same time, plenty of others use it as a warm-up for the rest of their workout routine.

Rowing Improves Psychological And Mental Health

It is scientifically proven that working out improves your overall mental health and stability. Working out improves your mental health by releasing endorphins. The endorphins released while working out help stimulate your brain. The release of endorphins will:

• Make you feel better more often
• Help fight off the build-up of stress
• Reduce the chance of developing depression
• Make you more motivated to do other activities

Rowing Helps Reduce The Chances Of Developing Chronic Diseases

Rowing is an aerobic exercise, which means it works out your cardiovascular system. Your cardiovascular system includes your lungs, heart, and blood vessels.

Simply rowing 30 minutes a day can drastically reduce the likelihood of developing chronic diseases like heart disease and type 1 diabetes. Rowing reduces the chances of developing these diseases by strengthening your heart, increasing oxygen in your blood, and increasing blood flow.

The strengthening of the heart also leads to other benefits, like reducing the chance of having a stroke and increasing the strength of your immune system.

Final Thoughts

Rowing is a fantastic way to slim down and lose weight. However, the best way to lose weight on a rowing machine is with proper form and technique.

Something else to remember if losing weight is your primary goal is never to give up. Losing weight takes quite a bit of time and dedication. But, the best part is when you are losing weight on a rowing machine, you gain so many other benefits along the way as well!