What Muscles Do Rowing Machines Work?

Rowing machines are probably the most widely used piece of cardio equipment alongside treadmills. The advantage of rowing machines over running machines, is that they work the upper and lower body, not just the lower body. This gives them a distinct advantage for warm-ups, because they have the potential to raise your heart-rate faster and to increase blood flow to the larger muscles of the upper body.

We wrote this blog to answer a popular question by fitness enthusiasts, but we'll also expand on it a little and explain more about the rowing action to help understand the different phases of the rowing cycle and therefore which muscles are active at each point in the cycle. For a more in-depth article on rowing technique, be sure to check out our full article "How to Train on a Home Rowing Machine".

The rowing cycle

When using a rowing machine with correct form the entire motion can be broken down into four phases:

1. The Catch

This is the start position, where your legs are fully flexed so your knees are in close contact with your chest, you have a light grip on the handle of the rowing machine with the arms fully extended.

2. The Drive

This is the pulling phase of the row. Your legs are extending powerfully, driving your whole body backwards, whilst simultaneously pulling the handle towards your chest.

3. The Finish

The final part of the drive, where you pull the arms into your chest and finish the pulling phase of the cycle.

4. The Recovery

This is the return to the catch position, by leaning forward, flexing the legs and straightening the arms. A fast recovery phase helps to increase the intensity of your workout.   

What muscles do rowing machines work?

As we said above, rowing machines work the upper and lower body, so for those of you who just want a quick, simple answer to this question, here it is:

Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, lats, traps, back, abs, biceps, triceps, forearms and a few small accessory muscles.

If you want a detailed breakdown then keep reading.

Lower Body

Quadriceps - These are the large muscles at the front of the thigh. They are used to extend (straighten) the legs at the knee joint and also to help flex the hip joint. The quadriceps play a crucial role in during both the drive and finish phases of the rowing cycle.

Hamstrings - These are the large muscles at the back of the thigh, they are used to flex the legs at the knee and to help extend the hip joint. They are very important in the catch, pull and also the recovery phases of the rowing cycle.

Gluteus Maximus - This is the main muscle in your bum, it's used to extend and externally rotate the hip joint. It's used in both the drive and the finish phases of the row.

Gastrocnemius & Soleus - These are the two main calf muscles, they help to planterflex (straighten) the ankle joint and are crucial in the catch, drive and recovery phases.

Tibialis Anterior - This is the main muscle in the shin, it's also the main dorsiflexor of the ankle (brings the toes closer to the shin). It's used in the catch phase of the row.

Torso & Back

Latissimus Dorsi - Probably the first upper-body muscle most people think of when thinking of rowing. The Latissimus Dorsi (lats) are the large wing-like muscles under your armpits. They are used to adduct, extend and internally rotate the arms, this makes them the main 'pulling' muscles of the drive and finish phases of the rowing cycle.

Rectus Abdominus - The 'abs', these are the main supporting muscles of the torso, their primary action is to flex the lower back and so they are very important in almost all movements. They are used in both the catch and recovery phases of the row.

Erector Spinae - This is the opposing muscle to the Rectus Abdominus, they are the back abs and they also perform a critical torso stabilisation role. Its main action is to extend the spine. With regards to the row, they are active during the catch and drive phases of the rowing cycle.

Trapezius - This is one of the most active muscles in the entire rowing cycle. The trapezius (or traps) are the diagonal muscles that you see between your neck and shoulders. They actually originate from the back of the head and upper spine and connect in various places throughout the spine and shoulder. Their job is to move the scapula bone of the shoulder. They are active during every phase of the row.

Arms

Deltoids - These are the shoulder muscles that move the arm in any direction against gravity and stabilise the shoulder joint. They are active throughout the entire rowing cycle as different parts of the deltoid perform different movements to the shoulder joint.

Biceps - Everyone knows the biceps! Their job is to flex the arm at the elbow joint. they are used for pulling motions and so they are important for rowing. They are active during the drive and finish phases of the rowing cycle.

Triceps - The main opposing muscle to the biceps, they are situated on the back of the arm and their main action is to extend (straighten) the arm at the elbow joint. They are active during the catch and recovery phases of the rowing cycle.

Others

We've tried to cover the main muscles in brief, but to avoid too much detail we've added some notable accessory muscles that are used here:

Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Flexor Carpi Ulnaris, Extensor Carpi Ulnaris, Forearm Extensors, Wrist Extensors, Serratus Anterior, Pectoralis Major, Teres Major & Minor.

So as you can see the rowing machine uses a wide range of muscles! It makes for an excellent all body workout and takes up very little space in a home gym. It's fantastic for warm-ups and works both muscular strength and endurance.

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