IndoRow purists will probably cringe at this post, but I’ve got five non-rowing exercises you can do on a rower. When I teach rowing (or do it on my own), I like to get off the machine and mix it up. As great of a workout as the rower provides, I just can’t sit on it for 45 minutes straight. I find even just a couple brief breaks of doing exercises next to the machine or creatively using the rower on the floor helps me stay engaged.
5 (Non-Rowing) Exercises You Can Do on a Rower
Try adding the following exercises into your next workout with the rower. You could do them all back-to-back in a circuit or separately, layering them into rowing blocks. Get creative!
Plank to Pike
Start in a plank position with your feet on the seat of the rower, facing the back. Keeping your legs straight, pike your hips up into the air, bringing your body into an upside down “v” shape. Try to keep your heels lifted as you do this, sliding on the balls of your feet. Once you hit your peak, slowly lower back down into plank position. If you have tight hamstrings, you might not get very high and that’s ok!
Back Lunge (with Pull Slide at Bottom)
Start facing the back standing to the right side of the rower with your right foot planted firmly on the ground, weight in your heel, and the ball of the left foot planted on the seat of the rower. Bending your right knee, slide the left foot back as you lower into a lunge.
Add in a pull at the bottom to make it harder: You can spice things up by adding in a pull slide at the bottom of each lunge. Keeping the right knee bent at 90 degrees with weight in your right heel, bend the back left knee and slide it forward. Then extend it straight back behind you again. Don’t change height as you do this; stay low in your lunge! You can do one at the base of each lunge or hold low for an extended period of time, sliding that back knee in and out. The longer you hold, the harder this move is.
Bear Plank Crunches
Start in a plank position with your feet on the seat of the rower, facing the back. Keeping your hips level with your shoulders, back flat, slide your feet forward, bending your knees in towards your elbows. Slide feet back out, straightening your legs into plank position.
The two most common errors while doing this are: 1. Lifting the booty up as your feet slide in and 2. Letting the low back arch down towards the floor. Pull your abs in tight the whole time, maintaining a flat back.
Squatting Biceps Curls
Facing forward and straddling the rower, grab the handle with an underhand grip. Squat down, weight in your heels, butt and hips back and down, chest open. Holding your elbows at chest-to-shoulder height with your palms facing up, curl your hands in towards your shoulders, pulling against the resistance of the rower wheel. Release back out, keeping your elbows lifted.
Especially if you’re using a water rower that doesn’t allow you to increase resistance, this is an exercise you should do for a longer period of time. This is because it’s a lighter resistance, so you want high reps for it to be effective. Try to hold a squat the whole time for an added low body burn. You can also do it seated on the rower.
Side Lunge (with Lateral Slide at Bottom)
Start facing the side standing at the end of the rower with your right foot planted firmly on the ground. Weight should be in your heel, and the left foot planted on the seat of the rower. Bending your right knee, slide the left foot to the side as you lower into a side lunge. Think of sitting in a chair on that right leg; it’s essentially a single-leg squat.
Add in a pull at the bottom to make it harder: You can spice things up by adding in a pull slide at the bottom of each lunge. Staying low on the right side, bend the left knee, sliding it in towards you. Then extend it straight back away from you again. Don’t change height as you do this; stay low in your squat! You can do one at the base of each lunge or hold low for an extended period of time, sliding that back knee in and out. The longer you hold, the harder this move is.
For more rowing workout ideas, check out these:
- Rowing + Tabata Supersets Workout
- Fun 5-Minute Rowing Challenge
- Rowing + Slider Circuit Workout
- Rowing + Burpees Pyramid Workout
- Weights + Rowing Circuit Workout
xo Nicole
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That book sounds really interesting! I don’t think I would be able to put it down either!! And I LOVE these exercise ideas. I hate to say it, but I never thought to hop off the rower and do OTHER exercises 🙂
Where I teach we also do a plank where your hands or forearms are on the seat and you have to hold a plank. It makes it more unstable and if you’re really a glutton for punishment you can rock back and forth since the seat slides.
Hey, thanks, Nicole! Never thought to use the rower in a different way. Will try for my next workout!!
I love that you got so creative with the rower! I love doing some hard intervals and then popping off and doing some strength exercises. But as it appears, there’s no need to hop off completely! Thanks for sharing. Love your creativity.
Hmmm I don’t have access to a rower BUT I am going to attempt to do these moves with tupperware lids on my carpet when my little guy is napping. Yeah, slightly embarrassed to admit that but where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?! PS I love your capri’s!
Sometimes you’ve gotta get creative–love it!
Very creative! You Rock!
I can’t wait to try this!
I love these ideas! Just make sure to keep your core tight and use proper form! This is advanced and the mobility of that seat is sensitive!
Love this! What a great idea, I’ve done the pike and bear crunch before but never even THOUGH about doing anything else! Thanks for the inspiration! 😉
Great ways to utilize the rower and mix it up! Did this workout today, thank you
These are great I do the pikes, lunges and bear crunch with my PT great exercise!
It’s called an ergometer or erg for short not a “rower”, as a rower I find this disrespectful to the machine especially when they cost upwards of 2500$
When I did the IndoRow certification course, the trainer referred to it as a water rower so that’s what I was taught. Lighten up! 😉
Love this just got a rowing machine and was googling extra workouts!! Just how many of each to do?
Ha. Never would have thought of that. These are the same exercises we use on our Pilates reformers. You’ve given me some ideas for adapting even more moves. Thanks.