How Long on Rowing Machine Should You Work Out?

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An indoor rowing machine is one of the best exercise equipment that provides a full-body workout.

It works on your lower and upper body through dynamic strokes with multiple positions, mimicking the water rowing motion.

Moreover, it improves cardiovascular health, fitness level, and endurance, as well as burns fat.

That said, how long on rowing machine should you work out? Are 10-minute rowing sessions on an indoor machine enough exercise? Should you row daily?

The answers depend on your fitness goals, the frequency of your workout sessions, and your time frame to achieve those goals.

What Are Your Workout Goals?

Setting goals is the first step in every task, and working out is no different. You must set challenging yet achievable goals to get maximum efficiency.

It’s better to write them down in as much detail as possible. The more clarity you have in your goal outlines, the more your workouts will be effective.

Additionally, it would be best to break down those goals into daily targets and set out weekly or monthly targets to compare your productivity.

Your goals could be in the form of time, or you can specify the number of calories you want to burn every week.

In any case, selecting a quantitative parameter is better so that you can easily track it and compare your progress with your previous workouts.

How Many Calories per Day Do You Want To Burn?

You can set the number of calories to burn as your goal and work around it to figure out the rowing time on a machine.

If you’re just starting, you should assess your stamina first and see how much time you can spend rowing.

Don’t over-exert yourself at this stage; there will be plenty of time for you to improve efficiency and row for a longer time.

Record the number of calories you burn within your current endurance limits and the time you took.

You can set this time as your benchmark and improve on it by setting a higher calorie-burning workout.

What Cardiovascular Benefits Do You Want?

If you are not too much into numbers and only want the cardiovascular benefits of rowing, you can set different goals.

There are two types of exercises for different cardiovascular benefits: aerobic and anaerobic.

Anaerobic exercises contain fast bursts of intense workouts that improve your muscle strength, heart rate, and stamina.

It would be best if you spent less time on the rowing machine for these workouts. In most cases, five to 20 minutes are enough for anaerobic exercises.

For beginners, even a five-minute session is enough as they cannot row for an extended period of time.

On the other hand, aerobic exercises are long, slow-paced workouts that improve your endurance and heart health.

Aerobic workouts can last between 45 to 90 minutes.

For maximum benefits, you would want to mix up anaerobic and aerobic exercises during your sessions.

how long on rowing machine

Are You Aiming To Lose Weight? If So, How Much?

Another factor that determines how long on the rowing machine you should work out is the goal of losing weight.

It is true that workouts, no matter how intense and prolonged, cannot help you lose weight unless you eat a healthy diet and live an active lifestyle.

Therefore, the more weight you want to lose, the more time you will have to spend on the rowing machine.

It is better to start with a moderate pace and time and then build your stamina before going on an exercise rampage.

Most importantly, be consistent with rowing. Spend at least 30 minutes on the machine on your workout days.

Then, take rest days to give your body a break, especially if you are a beginner. Four to six days a week is enough.

Do You Want To Build Muscle Through Rowing?

You can also aim to build muscles by rowing on a machine, which then determines how long you want to work out.

Although rowing cannot help you build muscle mass without weight training, you can get lean muscles.

You can do HIIT (high-intensity interval training) to get a ripped body. These exercises aim to shock and break down your muscles to build new and strong ones.

Do a 20-second intense workout with a 20-second break. Repeat this as many times as possible, depending on your stamina and endurance.

Your workout will mostly last 10 to 15 minutes for lean muscle building. With regular exercise, you can increase that time.

What Is Your Time Frame for Achieving Goals?

How long on rowing machine you should work out also depends on your time frame for achieving your goals.

If you’re looking for quick weight loss through rowing, you will have to spend more time on the machine with intense workouts.

For example, if you want to lose 16 pounds in two months, you will have to row around 30 minutes to one hour every day.

Other factors are personal to you, such as your exercise time limit and intensity.

How Much Time Can You Exercise?

Some have endurance limitations at the beginning and might not be able to row for more than 10 minutes.

Then, there are practical problems as well. For example, it is possible that you won’t have enough time for a workout.

You also have to factor in pre-workout and post-workout times as you must change and take a shower in most cases.

If you have time limitations due to other lifestyle choices, your time on the rowing machine gets shorter and shorter.

One way to counter that is to increase the workout intensity. Do fast reps instead of slow ones to get quick results.

What Is the Minimum Rowing Time To See Results?

Though looking for shortcuts when it comes to workouts is not a good idea, some don’t have enough time to row for hours.

So, what’s the least amount of daily rowing time to see results?

Rowing for at least 20 to 30 minutes per day is the minimum time you must spend for the workout to produce results.

You will see faster results in the beginning phase if you are entirely out of shape. With time, you’ll need to spend more to improve your body shape.

How Intense Are Your Workouts?

The intensity and pace of your workouts also determine how long you will work out on a rowing machine.

If you are working out at a higher intensity, your rowing time will be lower, and vice versa.

The difference also matters for aerobic and anaerobic exercises, which we discussed earlier.

For example, if you’re doing 30 strokes per minute, your stamina will allow you less time than if you were doing 20 strokes per minute.

How Long on Rowing Machine Should You Row?

You can start rowing 15 minutes daily and build muscle strength and endurance to increase your pace and stamina.

With a 15-minute session per day, you will burn around 150 to 300 calories. That means you will likely lose about 0.5 pounds per week.

This also means you will need around 20 weeks to lose 10 pounds of weight. 

To lose weight faster, you can go for a 30-minute-per-day rowing session at a faster pace to meet your workout plans earlier.

That said, if you combine your rowing with strength training workouts, you may want to row only for 20 to 30 minutes daily.

People who are competitive rowers can go up to 90 minutes a day and lose up to two pounds a week.

Remember, these are just general guidelines.

You will have to come up with an optimum time and intensity depending on your goals and timeframe.

Rowing for Overall Fitness

Rowing workouts are types of exercise to enhance endurance and stamina and achieve weight loss goals.

When used with proper techniques, an indoor rowing machine workout is perfect for both anaerobic and aerobic exercises.

It targets all your major muscles through dynamic workout strokes and improves your metabolic rate.

For beginners, start with moderate intensity, keep track of your pace and workout time, and don’t overburden yourself.

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