Rowing to develop your whole body
Among the activities that we can practice in the gym, we found the lounge or rowing oar. As you must imagine this exercise derives from the traditional rowing that is practiced by canoe or boat, in waters outside. Today technology allows you to practice this activity in the gym or at home using a machine of the type of stationary bikes, treadmills or elliptical.
Benefits
Rowing involves a high percentage of muscle work and train both upper and lower work in unison, hence this activity is regarded as general or global resistance.
The type of exercise is less traumatic to the joints, thus leaving aside the possibility of injury, yes, it is important to do it correctly.
- Weight Loss: The natural rhythmic movement to the whole body of rowing makes it highly efficient in burning calories without putting extra stress on your legs and feet. Within the large spectrum of muscles that are worked include postural muscles and stabilizers, which translates into a healthy back and toning of muscles that have been lost by inactivity tone and predispose us to injury.
- Promotes cardiovascular exercise: to work most of the muscles, the heart increases your heart rate with relatively low intensity, so we should be on the working area without realizing, it just aerobic and to a degree that we can sustain over time.
- It can become a collective activity: usually in the gym rowing machines are isolated and work is a bit boring, rowing salon will have to have a monitor person to your side, a motivator and a musical base logical organization of the session where the intensity is regulated.
- Ideal for rehabilitation: The low impact nature of rowing makes it a great way to rebuild muscle tone and strength while increasing mobility and flexibility after an injury.
- It behaves like a Complimentary Training: The physical benefits of rowing are a natural complement to many sports like running, swimming, cycling, tennis, or virtually any other activity, making it a complementary form of training during non-competitive season.
Rowing: full muscle work
It is rare to find an activity that works many muscle groups through a movement as this. Knees, hips, arms and shoulders will be a rotation of 90-130 degrees on each stroke, which is more than what you'll do in most other aerobic activities. This large muscle involvement makes rowing a great calorie burner, while developing flexibility and strength. It is free of impacts and the intensity is completely controlled by the user.
Legs: Each rowing stroke involves a total compression and extension of the legs, working the muscles of the calf, thigh, hamstring, buttocks and hips. And because it is low impact, is much more natural for your knees than the other activities that build strength in the legs.
Trunk: Rowing is one of the few forms of exercise that will work your abdominal and back muscles. Fitness experts believe that a strong "trunk" reports numerous benefits from a strong back to a better posture.
Superiors: Rowing will strengthen and tone your upper body. Shoulders, back and arms are involved in the stroke of the oar.
Heart and Lungs: Because it involves so many muscle groups simultaneously, this oar is a healthy demand for the cardiovascular system, resulting in improved cardiovascular health.
The action of rowing
Rowing can practice coordinated muscle action that requires the application of force repetitively, maximum and fluid. So every major muscle group will contribute to this action. The rowing action can be divided as follows:
- The beginning
- Pass. Emphasis with Legs
- Emphasis on body sway
- Emphasis shot through the arm
- The Final
- Recovery
Some important tips
- Before you start make sure the heel is comfortably resting on the base of the pedal and adjust the straps properly. Do not exercise barefoot, for hygiene and safety.
- If you are beginner, put the lowest resistance and do some legwork to do well the movement of exercise in the first meeting. Gradually increasing the intensity as the days go by.
- The position of the back should be straight with the normal physiological curvatures. You will flex and extend hips that to perform the movement.
- Do not bring your elbows to shoulder height. Keep elbows close to your chest to pull the pulley, so try not to open too armpits. This will work your shoulders and other areas won’t overcharge.
- Pull the pulley until your thumbs are up to the stomach.
- Do not swing your body back to apply more force.
- Do not fully extend the legs, may resent this repeated hyperextension in knee.
- Do not perform this exercise if your column has some sort of medical condition or if you notice the area of the back spasm.