An ergometer rowing machine, otherwise known as simply an indoor rowing machine, is a popular piece of exercise apparatus that simulates the action used in real rowing. It is used as a workout in and of itself, and it is also used by watercraft rowers to train for on-the-water rowing.
The reason indoor rowing machines are called ergometers is that an ergometer is a device that measures physical work in the basic sense of work being force times distance. Ergometer rowing machines are calibrated to measure the energy the rower is generating.
Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, rowing coaches started making machines to simulate watercraft rowing as accurately as possible. These first rowers consisted of a heavy iron wheel fitted with a mechanical brake. Rowers of the time hated them. But then, as the 1980s rolled around, air resistance ergometer rowing machines made their debut, and in 1988 one was introduced that had a hydraulic flywheel.
A lot of present-day rowers are basically cross-breeds of these two earlier designs. There are also rowing machines that are specifically made to mimic kayaks and sculling.
In the typical ergometer rowing machine, the flywheel is connected to both a chain and a handle. To use the machine, the user pushes his body backwards using his legs – in a sort of inverse leg press. Then the user pulls on the handle, making the flywheel spin.
The machine’s braking mechanism is made to simulate the feel of pulling an oar through the water. Usually on an ergometer rowing machine, the rower moves back and forth on a seat on a rail, but there are machines in which the flywheel mechanism does the moving.
Some rowing machines measure the speed of the flywheel during the stroke phase. They then record the rate of deceleration of the flywheel during the “recovery” phase of the stroke. With this information and the already known moment of inertia of the flywheel, the computer measures the user’s power. A workout on an ergometer rower is mostly a cardiovascular exercise, but it also works several of the body’s muscle groups anerobically, giving the rower both a strength and an endurance workout.
Though rowing is fairly easy on the knees and legs, the most common rowing injury is lower back injury. That’s why it is important to learn the proper technique for using the machine, focusing on both breathing and the mechanics of the rowing movement. Exhaling during the drive phase and inhaling on the recovery phase is best for upper body stability.
Overemphasizing the muscles of the upper body is incorrect form on an ergometer rowing machine. The quadriceps, or thigh muscles, should drive much of each stroke.
Ergometer speed is measured as the number of minutes or seconds necessary to cover 500 meters. It does not necessarily correspond to the number of strokes, because strokes may vary in power. This allows water rowers to accurately measure distance and speed as if they were on water. This also allows for dry land competition among rowers as well.
In rowing competitions, rowers cover a set distance clocking the fastest time possible. Ergometer rowing machine races, or “tests” usually cover 2,000 meters, 5,000, 6,000, or 10,000 meters. Countries with rowers almost all have championship tests. The best known of these tests is the Crash B Sprints in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Team tests are done where rowing machines are linked up to the team members and stroke rates and distances are averaged out for the team.
One of the best known manufacturers of ergometer rowing machines is Kettler. They are built in Germany to very precise standards and provide an excellent aerobic and strength workout. In fact, some fitness experts consider it the best possible workout. Kettler rowing machines are also good for those with limited space. They’re made with an outrigger design that carefully mimics the movement of rowing on the water. Done correctly, it both builds muscle and stretches them, which is good for joints and tendons.
Kettler rowing machines allow resistance to be changed so that beginners can work out without straining the knees, while more advanced rowers can add resistance. In other words, the machine can be made to work out optimally with the rower, regardless of the rower’s fitness level. Changing resistance levels on these ergometer rowing machines involves simply turning a dial. Each foot plate can be adjusted so that even people with legs of different lengths can adjust the plates accordingly. Heart monitors are also included on Kettler rowing machines.
Kettler and other makers of ergometer rowing machines make less expensive models that fold up and can be stored underneath a bed or inside a closet. The larger machines, however, generally have larger resistance ranges and more options for customizing a workout.
Ergometer rowing machines generally use one of two basic types of resistance: piston resistance and braked flywheel resistance. Braked flywheel resistance may be magnetic resistance, air resistance, and water resistance.
With piston resistance, the machines have hydraulic cylinders attached to the machine’s handles. The length of the handles is adjustable, but during the row the length of the handle is constant, fixing the hands’ trajectory on the stroke and the return. That means that the stroke is not as accurate as machines with other types of resistance, where differences in hand height on the stroke and return are allowed.
Models of ergometer rowing machines with braked flywheel resistance may have air, magnetic, or water resistance rowers. It is only the braking mechanism that differs among these types. Since the handle is connected to the source of resistance by rope, chain, or another flexible connection, the hand trajectory can more closely resemble the hand height difference between stroke and return. These ergometer rowing machines have sliding seats.
Ergometer rowing machines with magnetic resistance have electromagnets engaging a mechanical brake with the flywheel. These machines are quieter, have adjustable resistance, and allow accurate measurement of the rower’s energy.
Machines with air resistance have air fins on the flywheel to brake the flywheel and provide resistance. The air resistance increases as the flywheel spins faster. These machines are louder because of the air fins, which are essentially fans. They are equipped with a damper that can be adjusted to change the airflow with respect to the air fins to change the feel of the stroke. These machines are the ones used by off-season water rowers and those who compete in indoor rowing tests.
Water resistance machines use paddles revolving in an enclosed water tank such that the mass and drag of the water provides realistic rowing action. Just like with a moving boat, the resistance of water resistance ergometer rowing machines depends on the speed of the water moving in the tank. Therefore the user gets the self-regulating resistance that is common to water based workouts like kayaking, rowing, or swimming. The faster you row, the more resistance you encounter and the harder you have to work.
The calculation of performance on ergometer rowing machines depends on the manufacturer’s exact algorithm for calculating it. The top-end ergometer rowing machines have calibrated monitors so that measurements can be accurately compared among different workouts or different rowers. One workout comparison method that has only been possible in recent years is competition by internet, where challengers post scores, or even participate in live online races that are made possible by the computer connections.
Mail this post