If you’ve ever hopped on a rowing machine for a workout, you’ve probably noticed the instant engagement of muscles you might typically ignore. Your back tightens, your arms start to work, and before long, your legs feel like they’re ready to give up. Rowing undoubtedly activates a range of muscle groups, but the big question is—does it count as strength training?
On the surface, it might seem like it does. After all, rowing is an intense workout that leaves you breathless, sweaty, and sore the next day, which is usually a good sign that your muscles have been put to work. But is that soreness really an indicator of strength training, or does rowing simply offer something different? To get the facts, I reached out to fitness experts to better understand what rowing does for your body in terms of building muscle strength, and how it compares to more traditional strength training exercises.
Rowing vs. Strength Training: What’s the Difference?
To put it simply, rowing isn’t quite the same as strength training. While both activities work your muscles, they do so in different ways. Rowing is primarily an aerobic workout, meaning it’s more about stamina and endurance rather than the heavy lifting that defines strength training. However, it does have some strength-building components that can enhance overall fitness—just not in the same way as traditional weight training.
Rowing Mechanics: The Muscles It Targets
Indoor rowing provides a full-body workout, engaging multiple muscle groups as you push and pull your way through each stroke. You’re not just working your arms—rowing heavily involves your legs, back, and core. In fact, the legs are responsible for about 60% of the power in a rowing stroke, with the rest coming from the back and arms.
When you row, you go through a series of movements that mimic the pulling and pushing motion of an oar in water. The first part of the stroke, called the “catch,” starts when you’re in a compressed position with your knees bent, torso forward, and arms extended. From here, you push off with your legs, extend your torso, and pull with your arms. This sequential movement targets the hamstrings, quads, glutes, upper back, and forearms.
The high repetition and sustained effort required in rowing can stimulate muscle endurance, but the key word here is “endurance.” You’re not necessarily lifting heavy weights or challenging your muscles to maximum effort, but rather engaging them in a continuous, moderate load for extended periods. This is great for cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance, but it doesn’t offer the same level of muscle hypertrophy (growth) that traditional strength training does.
The Role of Resistance in Rowing
One of the factors that sets traditional strength training apart from rowing is the type of resistance used. In strength training, you lift weights—whether it’s a barbell, dumbbell, or machine—against gravity, and that resistance can be progressively increased to challenge your muscles.
Rowing machines use variable resistance, typically based on how fast you row. The faster you row, the more resistance you encounter, but it’s not the same as lifting weights. The resistance on a rowing machine doesn’t provide the same consistent, progressive overload that weightlifting does, which is one of the primary mechanisms for building muscle strength.
That said, if you’re rowing with maximum effort and pushing through intense intervals, you may feel significant fatigue and experience temporary muscle growth from the high-intensity effort. But unless you’re incorporating rowing into a full-body workout with added resistance (like using resistance bands or weights while rowing), it’s unlikely you’ll see the same strength gains as you would with weight training.
So, Does Rowing Help Build Strength?
The short answer: yes and no. Rowing does help to build functional strength and muscle endurance, particularly in the back, legs, and core. It’s an excellent way to increase muscular endurance, especially for those looking to improve their cardiovascular fitness or prepare for activities like running, swimming, or cycling. The repetitive motion helps tone muscles and can contribute to a leaner, more defined physique over time.
However, it doesn’t quite replace the need for dedicated strength training. Rowing alone won’t give you the same muscle-building benefits as weightlifting, especially if your goal is to increase muscle size or strength in a specific area. It’s also worth noting that rowing doesn’t typically target muscles in the same way that free weights or resistance machines do. For example, rowing doesn’t isolate smaller muscle groups or focus on stabilizing muscles in the same way that traditional strength exercises, such as bicep curls, squats, or deadlifts, might.
How to Integrate Rowing with Strength Training
If you’re wondering how you can use rowing as part of your overall fitness routine without skipping leg day or neglecting other strength-building exercises, the key is balance. Rowing is a fantastic cardiovascular and endurance workout, but pairing it with strength training will give you a more well-rounded approach to fitness.
You can alternate between rowing and weight training sessions throughout the week. For example:
- Rowing for Cardio and Endurance: Include rowing in your weekly routine to work on endurance, improve cardiovascular health, and build overall functional strength. Aim for steady, moderate-paced rowing sessions or higher-intensity interval training (HIIT) on the rowing machine to challenge your muscles and heart.
- Weight Training for Strength: Dedicate separate sessions to weightlifting or resistance training, focusing on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses to target major muscle groups and build maximal strength.
- Full-Body Workouts: On days when you’re short on time, you can combine rowing with bodyweight exercises like push-ups, lunges, or planks for a full-body strength workout that gets your heart pumping and your muscles working in tandem.
Bottom Line
Rowing isn’t quite strength training in the traditional sense, but it does offer many benefits that can enhance your overall fitness. While it can help build muscle endurance and functional strength, it won’t replace the need for heavier, more targeted resistance training if you’re aiming for muscle growth or building maximal strength.
To get the best of both worlds, consider combining rowing with regular strength workouts for a well-rounded fitness regimen. Rowing will help improve your endurance, cardiovascular health, and total-body coordination, while strength training will help you develop muscle mass, increase strength, and improve performance in all your physical activities.
In the end, the key to a balanced fitness routine is variety—so embrace both rowing and strength training to stay fit, strong, and healthy.
