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Beginner Rowing Machine Workout: 20 Minutes with Drills

Beginner Rowing Machine Workout: 20 Minutes with Drills — video by Dark Horse Rowing Play · 30:12

Video by Dark Horse Rowing on YouTube · Open on YouTube

A coached row on any indoor rowing machine: a short warm-up, 20 minutes at steady stroke rates of 18 to 22 with drills that split the stroke into legs, hips and arms, then a cool-down and stretch. Good for first-time rowers.

  • 30 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • gym machine

Good forHeart health

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Step by step 13

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Warm-up: row light and easy at the coach's stroke rate, with 5- and 10-stroke pressure builds at the same rate. 0:39
  2. Rate 20 for two minutes: push through the drive with force, then slide forward slowly and relaxed. 5:57
  3. Arms-and-body drill, feet flat: arms away then hips forward; swing the hips back, then pull the arms in. 7:58
  4. Full strokes at rate 22: keep the rate steady and add effort by pushing harder through the legs. 9:00
  5. Legs-and-body drill, arms straight: push the legs first, then swing the hips open. 11:00
  6. Arms-only drill: draw the elbows straight back past the body, with no stop at either end. 13:58
  7. Full strokes at rate 18: a lower rate, putting more effort into every stroke. 15:00
  8. Pause drill at the finish: pause, then return arms, body, then legs, in that order. 17:00
  9. Pause drill with arms away: pause, then close the hips, bend the knees and ease into the catch. 20:00
  10. Last pause drill, arms and body away: pause, then relax your way up the slide without rushing. 23:03
  11. Final two minutes at rate 22: keep the rate and push harder through the legs to the finish. 23:58
  12. Cool-down: easy, light strokes with no effort to bring the breathing down. 26:05
  13. Stretches off the machine: cross-body shoulder, overhead triceps, neck rolls and a seated cat-cow. 28:33

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Push with the legs first, then swing the hips, then draw the arms in
  • Keep the stroke rate steady and add effort through the legs, not extra speed
  • Drive with force, then glide forward slowly and relaxed on the recovery

What it works Whole body

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 2 takes load

  • Hips takes loadhip hinge and swing on every stroke
  • Knees takes loadlegs drive and fold under load on every stroke
  • Shoulders movespulling the handle in, arms-only drill
  • Elbows movesdrawing the handle to the body
  • Wrists & hands movesgripping the handle
  • Upper back movessitting tall, arms-only pulls
  • Lower back moveshinging forward and back on the seat
  • Ankles & feet movesfeet fixed on the plate, ankles flex at the catch

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Dark Horse Rowing; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety