A rowing machine has been around since the 1900s and was a machine that used lined air-filled resistance, but was not very good. In the 1950s and 1960s coaches used them to train and measure power. At the time it was very bulky and unpopular to use. They had a big steel wheel with a brake and were heavy. In 1980 they came out with the air design and in 1988 the flywheel design came out.
The machine is also called a ergo meter, comes from Greek words. Ergo means ‘work’ and metron means ‘measure’. This is not the only one that is called that because it is not the only one that measures power and speed. The exercise bike also does this.
How do you know which one to get for yourself? There are a number of different rowing machines nowadays. You have to ask yourself a few questions first to see what you want it to do. Do you want it to show you how fast your heart is going? How about the speed you are going? What about the distance you rowed or how long? These are just a few of the questions that you can ask you get the right one to buy. Because you don’t want to get it and not need half the things it does.
It is expensive to have the special things that do not usually come with your rower. This is a great piece of equipment for the professional athlete or boat rower’s gym. The lower and upper muscles are worked out with this machine. You can pick from five different models of rowing machines that have many different resistance systems.
The first of five is piston resistance that has hydraulic cylinders that goes to the handles. This one is the smallest of them all. And it is not as much money as the other ones. The second is the resistance braked flywheel. All have a flywheel in the model. The only difference is that it has a different braking mechanism than the others.
Magnetic resistance is number three on the list. It is silenter than all of the machines and uses the electromagnet braking system. The air resistance is the loudest and the fourth one. This one is fan like in structure with the air-fins on the flywheel that does the breaking for the resistance. The resistance is harder when the fan moves faster and faster.
The last one of the five is the water resistance one. This one is the more realistic feeling of them all. Because of the flywheel being in cased in a tank of water. The moving water creates the resistance.
So there are a lot of different rowing machines to choose from. If you are training for a rowing competition, I would suggest the water one. But if you are just trying to get in shape, any of them are good. You should go to the gym and try out the equipment before you buy.
Tim Porter recommends his blog readers the best rowing machine for home use. His rowing machines reviews are about the good and bad of each model and he has many interesting related articles too.