When comparing which exercise equipment is best for you, rowing machines and ellipticals are the two options.
Cardiovascular exercise is a fantastic way to increase your aerobic capacity, reduce body fat, and lower your risk of developing many different diseases. The rowing machine and the elliptical machine (also known as a cross trainer) are two of the many exercise machines you can choose from in the gym.
You can still gain a lot from both of these machines even if you’re in good physical shape. But is one exercise method in general better than the other? To aid in your decision-making, we will compare the rowing machine and the elliptical.
Rowing Machines
Another non-weight-bearing exercise option is to use a rowing machine. However, rowing machines provide a superior full-body workout, which can burn well over 600 calories per hour, depending on your weight and the intensity of your workout. This is in contrast to lower body isolation exercises.
The use of a rowing machine is generally regarded as a very safe way to burn lots of calories quickly with little to no impact on joints, despite the fact that poor form can put stress on your lower back.
Ellipticals
You must be able to move around on the device while standing up and maintaining your balance, so you must be coordinated. In order to control the motion and your body weight, you also need to have enough flexibility in your hips, knees, and ankles.
But there’s a good reason why elliptical machines are so common in gyms across the country: depending on your weight and level of effort, they can burn anywhere from 600 to 1,000 calories per hour. Elliptical machines can isolate the lower body, or you can use the arm handles to add upper body exercise. They provide a beneficial, all-over cardiovascular workout.
Rowing Vs Elliptical – Cardio
The cardiovascular benefits of rowing and elliptical machines are comparable to those of running. Both machines improve cardiovascular fitness.
Having said that, rowing machines let you change the resistance levels, and if you row with good form, you’ll notice a significant increase in stamina and endurance as well as the ability to complete workouts that are more challenging than those on an elliptical machine.
Additionally, compared to an elliptical machine, a rowing machine uses more muscles, which increases heart rate.
Even if your elliptical machine only supports steady-state cardio, you can still get an excellent cardio workout by utilizing high-intensity interval training, or HIIT.
Rowing Vs Elliptical – Muscles
Both the elliptical and rowing machines work out the upper and lower body. Every stroke you make on a rowing machine will work your Latissimus dorsi, or “Lats,” upper back muscles, deltoids, biceps, triceps, chest muscles, or “Pecs,” as well as your abs, obliques, calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps.
This is so that you can complete each stroke of rowing by using both your lower body for pushing and your upper body for pulling.
The hamstrings, glutes, quads, pecs, biceps, triceps, pectorals, upper back, and lower back muscles are all worked out when you use the elliptical machine.
Particularly when your form is proper, the rowing machine does work more of the core muscles. On a rowing machine, increasing the resistance will also make it harder for your legs to push off while your upper body has to pull, making for a more difficult workout.
But the idea of a full-body workout has changed thanks to rowing machines. As long as the correct technique and posture are used, every rowing session works on the majority of the core muscles present in the body.
Rowing Vs Elliptical – Cost
The likelihood of finding a low-end piece of equipment that endures regular use is higher with a rower than an elliptical trainer because rowing machines are mechanically simpler. But low-end rowers will share some of the same issues a low-end elliptical trainer presents: flimsy construction, a loud drive mechanism, and less-than-smooth motion.
As of 2010, the Men’s Total Fitness rowing machine buyer’s guide estimates that a good rowing machine can cost between $600 and $800. Decent elliptical trainers start in the same approximate price range, although most ellipticals dubbed as “quality” models in expert reviews cost $1,000 or more.
Rowing Vs Elliptical – Joint Stress
You typically lift your feet off the ground during cardio exercises like running or playing sports. Your joints may eventually become damaged as a result of the impacts this causes.
Both elliptical trainers and rowing machines offer a low-impact workout that reduces the risk of joint damage. Nevertheless, using both machines forces the user to perform repetitive motions, which over time may result in injury.
After using an elliptical machine for an extended period of time, some users may experience knee, hip, shin, or lower back pain. You can pedal backward on some elliptical trainers to break up the monotonous motion. In addition to providing the added benefit of working for different muscle groups, this lowers the risk of injury from repetitive motion.
While using a rowing machine also relieves joint stress, exercise caution when rapidly increasing the resistance. The lower back, knees, and hips may become painful as a result. You can check out more information we have on Are Rowing Machines Bad For Your Back?
It’s crucial to start out slowly and practice proper form when using a rowing machine to prevent injury. New users who push themselves too hard too soon are the ones who suffer the majority of injuries on rowing machines.
Rowing Vs Elliptical – Burning Calories
If losing weight is your exercise goal, you must burn more calories than you consume. While both machines can aid in achieving this objective, an elliptical will burn a few more calories per hour than a rowing machine.
According to a Harvard School of Medicine study, a 185-pound person uses an elliptical machine for about 400 calories worth of calorie burning in 30 minutes as opposed to a rowing machine for about 311 calories.
But it’s crucial to remember that rowing machines use more muscle groups, which will result in more muscle growth. Even after you finish working out, these muscles will keep burning calories.
Further Reading: 8 Alternatives To Rowing Machine
Conclusion: Which is Better for Exercise?
Rowing machines and elliptical trainers are both excellent exercise equipment. Compared to other cardio exercises, both machines offer a completely impact-free workout that significantly lowers the risk of joint damage.
The rowing machine will be your best bet if you have a tight chest and a weak back. However, if you’re looking for a more gentle workout for your entire body, an elliptical machine or cross-trainer might be more appropriate for you.