Rowing Machines - What to Buy: Water, Air or Magnetic?
Robin OBrien
January 26, 2011
The rowing machine provides one of the best all-round cardiovascular workouts. And the great thing is, this is one piece of fitness equipment that can easily fit into your home gym. They take up little space and can be found at several different price points.
When looking to buy this type of equipment, you should first decide if you would prefer an air, water or magnetic rowing machine.
An air rowing machine, as you might suspect, uses air for resistance. They provide an extremely smooth operation and usually the preferred type of rower. The air resistance operates via a fan-wheel. This allows the exerciser to take control of the resistance, depending on how light or hard they want their workout to be. These rowing machines are usually the most economical, starting at around $150, and usually these machines record the amount of burned calories, the distance rowed, the speed and the number of rows made. They are also move around, as they are on wheels and can be folded up to a compact size and kept under a bed or in a closet.
Next, the water rowing machine is equipped with a water fly wheel which replicates the rowing motion. The flywheel sits in an enclosed tank of water, so it provides a quiet ride. The resistance is much like that of actually rowing in water, and the operation is very smooth. They tend to run at a higher price point than the air rowers, starting at around $600 and running to over $1700. These are seen as the best of this type of machine, since they provide such a genuine sense of movement.
And finally, the magnetic rowing machine is also a very popular model because it is the quietest type on the market. They have a silent stroke and very smooth resistance. These models will run you from $300 to about $1000. The faster you go on one of these, the more resistance you place on the motion.
Keep in mind that proper maintenance and upkeep needs to be done on your rower, because repairs can be costly. Spending a little more today for quality can save you money in the long run.
Robin Dwyer is a fitness enthusiast and consultant for FitnessLyceum.com. We sell every type of rowing machine as well as all types of fitness equipment from leading manufacturers at competitive prices.
When looking to buy this type of equipment, you should first decide if you would prefer an air, water or magnetic rowing machine.
An air rowing machine, as you might suspect, uses air for resistance. They provide an extremely smooth operation and usually the preferred type of rower. The air resistance operates via a fan-wheel. This allows the exerciser to take control of the resistance, depending on how light or hard they want their workout to be. These rowing machines are usually the most economical, starting at around $150, and usually these machines record the amount of burned calories, the distance rowed, the speed and the number of rows made. They are also move around, as they are on wheels and can be folded up to a compact size and kept under a bed or in a closet.
Next, the water rowing machine is equipped with a water fly wheel which replicates the rowing motion. The flywheel sits in an enclosed tank of water, so it provides a quiet ride. The resistance is much like that of actually rowing in water, and the operation is very smooth. They tend to run at a higher price point than the air rowers, starting at around $600 and running to over $1700. These are seen as the best of this type of machine, since they provide such a genuine sense of movement.
And finally, the magnetic rowing machine is also a very popular model because it is the quietest type on the market. They have a silent stroke and very smooth resistance. These models will run you from $300 to about $1000. The faster you go on one of these, the more resistance you place on the motion.
Keep in mind that proper maintenance and upkeep needs to be done on your rower, because repairs can be costly. Spending a little more today for quality can save you money in the long run.
Robin Dwyer is a fitness enthusiast and consultant for FitnessLyceum.com. We sell every type of rowing machine as well as all types of fitness equipment from leading manufacturers at competitive prices.
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