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Rowing Machines

Strength, stamina and smoothness are the promise of the rowing machine. So why do so many users look less like Steve Redgrave and more like Mr Bean? As with so many things, it's all down to style.

Rowing is right up there with swimming as one of the best all-round exercises you can do - but with the handy difference that you don't have to navigate shrieking ten-year-olds at half term and you're unlikely to end up with a nose full of chlorinated piss.

Done properly, rowing is a great calorie burner, combining weight control with strength development and a cardio workout. It works your legs, your arms, shoulders and back muscles. Do it badly, however, and you end up staggering away from the machine bent over double in those 'ooooh me lumbago' poses beloved of ancient TV sitcoms. So here's the low-down on rowing like Redgrave - how to build strength and stamina with smoothness and precision.

BREAKING IT DOWN

Beginners look at the rowing action and see two parts: the pull back, which is the hard bit where they grunt and sweat; and the flop forwards again, which is the easy bit - at least until they put their backs out. Pros, however, break the action down into four distinct movements:

The catch

You're sat on the rower and your feet are safely strapped so you're all ready to unleash the Herculean force of your whole body without your feet flying off so you end up with your ankles wrapped around your ears. It's time for the catch. Slide forward so your shins are vertical, and you have the handle grasped in both hands with your wrists flat and your torso leaning slightly forwards from the hips.

The drive

The powerhouse for this is the legs and never the arms. So straighten those legs, pushing hard against the foot rests, and keep the arms straight for the first part of the drive. As your legs straighten out and you are nearing the end of the drive, then your arms start to bend slightly and your upper body comes into play leaning slightly backwards.

The finish

Legs straighten completely, upper body leans lightly backwards, and you pull the handle in towards your stomach just below your rib cage. At the end of the pull your elbows should be tucked in close to your body and behind your back, not sticking out sideways as if you're doing the Birdie Song.

The recovery

First the arms extend forwards, then your upper body leans lightly forward, and your legs bend as you slide smoothly back towards the flywheel down by your feet.

And back to the catch

It sounds simple enough, but if you bear the above in mind and take a good look at your fellow gym rowers you'll see that there are plenty of people who snatch at the handle, and try to pull back with their arms. Others end the whole movement still hunched forward or learning backwards, even as they recover. There's always one,inevitably a bloke, who thinks that they will get the best benefit by flogging themselves to death regardless of form in a triumph of strength over style. Get it right, however, and not only do you reduce soreness and the risk of injury, but you will effortlessly increase both your speed and endurance.

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