What Muscles Do You Work When Using the Rowing Machine? Which Body Parts Get the Most Benefit?

Indoor rowing for fitness and strength building

What muscles are we exercising when training on the rowing machine?

Depending on the sport you practice, certain areas of the body will be called upon more than others, but what about when you row? Will you tone and refine your figure by rowing? Below is a list of the muscles and muscle groups strengthened and sculpted with indoor rowing!

Rowing muscles the upper limbs, including shoulders, arms and forearms

• Shoulder muscles: These are the muscles that connect the arm to the rest of the body. They include the rotator cuff muscles (subscapularis, infraspinatus, petit rond, supraspinatus), as well as the trapezius, deltoid, grand dentle and angular muscles. These muscles enable arm and shoulder mobility (rotation, elevation).
• Biceps: These muscles, located on the front of the arm, are surrounded by two joints (scapulohumeral, elbow). The biceps comprise two muscles (long biceps and short biceps) that help flex and rotate the arms.
• The triceps: Located on the inner side of the arm, they comprise three muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus internus and long head of triceps) which complement the flexor role of the biceps brachii. The triceps allow forearm extension.

The rowing machine tones and works the trunk and pelvis

• Abdominal muscles: These are made up of several layers of muscle (rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transverse), whose function is to flex and rotate the trunk.

The rower muscles the lower limbs (glutes, thighs and calves)

• Glutes: Located at the intersection of the lower limbs and the trunk, the gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus) are among the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. In particular, they provide mobility for the thigh and support for the pelvis.
• Quadriceps: Located at the front of the thigh, the quadriceps is made up of 4 muscles (vastus femoris or rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius). These muscles facilitate flexion of the thigh over the hip, as well as extension of the leg over the thigh.
• Hamstring muscles: Located on the back of the thigh, there are four hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semitendinosus). They ensure leg flexion and thigh extension.
• Calf muscles: Also known as the sural triceps, the calf muscles comprise 3 muscle fascicles, including the soleus and gastrocnemius. These muscles help extend the foot down the leg

IN SUMMARY:

As well as being an excellent cardio exercise, the rowing machine is a great way to tone your figure. Accessible even to overweight people, it works almost 80% of the body’s muscles. Both upper and lower body muscles, such as shoulders, arms (biceps), abs, legs (thighs and calves) and glutes, are worked.