Training on a seated row strains the whole body if you do the exercises correctly. This machine simulates the movements on a rowing boat as a kind of endurance and strength training. Seated rows can be found in an increasing number of gyms, because they are suitable for all athletes who want to train endurance and power.
Although it is a complete body workout, it strains especially arms, legs and upper body as well as the back musculature. Of course, this kind of training is slightly unusual for this purpose, but though a seated row can be excellently used for losing weight.
The most important tips when training on a seated row
For exercising on a seated row, the athlete sits in the starting position with a straight back. The shoulders can be moved slightly backwards, so they are located insignificantly behind the hip. The pulling bar of the seated row should be situated lower than the chest and the elbows should be near the trunk. Put the feet on the provided foot rest and look frontwards.
When training on a seated row, there are two phases: the resting and the pulling phase. Both should merge seamlessly, but the resting time is recommended to be twice as long as the pulling time.
The two phases on a seated row
1. The pulling phase: The legs are stretched during the pulling part. The exercise can be done very quickly and strongly, but you should always care for doing the workout controlled and smoothly. During the movement, the legs shouldn’t be stretched completely to avoid straining the knee joints. The arms are stretched in the beginning, but in the moment the legs get stretched tension builds which can be increased by the controlled backwards curling of the upper body during the end of the leg stretching phase. This causes a backwards movement of the shoulders and an arm movement in the direction of the body. An important tip for the training on a seated row: You shouldn’t lean backwards too much! The pulling bar of the seated row needs to be pulled only as far as the costal arch. In addition, the elbows shouldn’t be located too far on the outside. They should generally be located backwards during this phase. After this pulling time, there is the resting phase which starts by going back to the starting position.
2. The resting phase: The arms are being stretched again and the shoulders are moved until they nearly reach the hip during this phase of the training on a seated row. Moving like this, the athlete will come back into an upright position and moves slightly forward until a curled upper body position is reached. Care for doing this movement by using the abdominal and hip muscles. In the meantime, the legs stay stretched. Then let the hip and knees slide to the front until they are in the starting position. Another important tip for the training on a seated row: The knees are not to be curled more than 90°. Both parts of the exercise should always harmonically merge!
More tips for training on a seated row
The most common mistake of training on a seated row is the backwards curling of the body at the end of the pulling phase. By deflecting the training on the seated row, the needed strength to strain the aimed muscles is being reduced and as a result the desired workout effect won’t be reached. Furthermore injuries of the upper back are possible due to the missing body tension. These mistakes can be avoided by stretching the back during the whole time of training on the seated row!
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Published on: 19 January 2015