As written in March 2014 Edition of Mens Health - 4 KILLER Rowing Workouts PLUS a Bonus to Total 5!

1. 4 KILLER Rowing Workouts
Crush calories and get in prime shape with
these indoor cardio routines
By Brian Dalek, March 21, 2014
It’s hard to find a cardio machine that works
your body harder than an indoor rower. It
requires equal effort from your upper and
lower body, extreme cardiovascular fitness,
and ridiculous muscular endurance to blast out
rep after rep. And it’s great for fat loss, too. A
185-pound guy can burn 377 calories by
rowing vigorously for only 30 minutes, report
researchers at Harvard University. Want to try
it for yourself? Check out these four fat-blasting,
muscle-pumping rowing workouts.
(Master your form first with these rowing tips.)
1,000-Meter Meltdown
Not only do you need extreme stamina to row
long and fast, but you also need perfect rhythm
and form. If you don’t, you’ll lose precious
energy with each stroke.
Unfortunately, maintaining the same number of
strokes per minute (spm) over long distances
can be extremely challenging, says Jason Bohot,
certified indoor rowing instructor for RowZone
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That’s why this
workout keeps the distance the same—1,000
meters—but increases and decreases the spm
each set. It teaches you to focus on cadence
first and foremost so you have the fuel to make
it to the finish line.
Do this:Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes. Then
set the level to medium and begin your
workout. You’ll do 3 total sets of 1,000-meter
rows. Aim to maintain 28 spm during the first
set, 24 spm during the second set, and 26 spm
during the final set. Recover with 4 minutes of
easy rowing between each set.
Playlist Punisher
Sprints skyrocket your fitness and peel away fat. The
reason: When you go as hard as you can for 15 to 30
seconds and then take the setting way down, your
heart rate is still through the roof even while you’re
coasting. “Doing this over and over again during a
workout will burn a ton of a fat and tone your whole
body,” says Josh Ozeri, co-founder of indoor rowing
facility Brooklyn Crew in Brooklyn, New York. Pair
your sprints with your favorite motivational music—
like in the workout below—for an even bigger
boost.
Do this: Load your iPod with 30 minutes of up-tempo
motivational tunes (150 to 180 beats per
minute). Check out songbpm.com to find out a
song’s bpm.
Warm up during the first song, and then put the
setting to medium. Begin your workout during the
second song. When the chorus hits, start rowing
hard. Each sprint should get close to 30 spm.
Maintain that intensity until the chorus ends, then
use the verses for recovery before going hard during
the next chorus. Complete the playlist, then cool
down.
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2. 2K Crusher
You need muscle and stamina to finish a standard 2-
kilometer race, but you need a ton of willpower,
too. “A long row is 90 percent mental,” says Nell
Shuttleworth, owner of RowFit Chicago. Make the
distance less daunting by tackling shorter intervals
of 500 meters for a total of 3 kilometers. It preps
your body and mind for long distances without
causing burnout.
Do this: After warming up, set the flywheel to no
more than a 3 to 5. Row 500 meters as hard as you
can, and then rest for 2 minutes. On your next
interval, row 500 meters, and then rest for only
1:45. Do four more 500-meter rows, decreasing
your rest time by 15 seconds after each interval.
Despite the decreasing rest, your goal is to keep
your 500-meter splits the same each set.
Olympic Challenge
Every other rowing workout will feel like a cakewalk
after this one. That’s because it’s created for
Olympic athletes. It’s a great way to figure out if
you’re in top shape, or if you still need some
conditioning, says Bernhard Stomporowski, head
coach at the California Rowing Club.
Do this: Perform a 10-minute warmup that includes
a couple two-minute sprints to prep your body for
the workout. Rest for 3 to 4 minutes, and then begin
this descending ladder workout. Stomporowski
recommends leaving some fuel in your tank because
the final interval is long and tough. Cool down after
the last interval with easy rowing.
Interval 1: Sprint for 1,000 meters, rest for 3:00
Interval 2: Sprint for 750 meters, rest for 2:30
Interval 3: Sprint for 500 meters, rest for 2:00
Interval 4: Sprint for 250 meters, rest for 2:00
Interval 5: Sprint for 750 meters, cool down
You know rowing is a great workout, but it can be
mind-numbing. With the right tweaks, however, you
can make it more fun and challenging.
The problem with the standard machine workout
isn't rowing—it's that you're not out rowing a real
boat. On the water, these movements would be
stimulating, but in the gym they're stultifying. To
build a V-shaped torso without losing your mind, do
intervals, advises Topher Bordeau, head
heavyweight rowing coach at Dartmouth College.
"They spice things up and test your limits," he says.
Give this sweat-inducing interval session a try.
DIRECTIONS
Set the timer for 30 minutes. Warm up for five
minutes, and then row as hard as you can for one
minute. Go slowly for another minute. Now
repeat—fast, then slow, for a minute each—until
you hit the 25-minute mark. "Use the final five
minutes to cool down or sob—your call," says
Bordeau
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