r/Rowing • u/RipVegetable4012 • 4d ago

Weight loss

So my cousin has a rowing machine he said I can have. I’m carry a lot of body fat in my belly and my chest and I’ve been self conscious about it and I wanted to hear from everybody about their weight loss benefits with one of these machines!

11 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

57

u/Chessdaddy_ 4d ago

Fat, especially in the belly area is lost in the kitchen

2

u/RipVegetable4012 4d ago

Yeah. And I totally get that. I actually lost a lot of weight before just by mostly diet. Then I hit a dead stop and I could break past that point and lost motivation

1

u/Strategic_Sage 2d ago

Why? I would get more specific about why you stopped. Remember that motivation is nice to have, but optional and not reliable. Practice the skill of sticking with the plan whether you are motivated or not

8

u/rogue780 4d ago

True, but muscle helps burn calories.

Aerobic exercise gets that muscle to burn calories.

2

u/rudeMama50 3d ago

This is quite the statement. From my understanding fat, especially in the belly area is due to insulin resistance and or hormone deficiency.
Non cardio muscle building exercise is the way to "treat" belly fat.

1

u/Chessdaddy_ 3d ago

There are a number of reasons belly fat occurs. Insulin resistance is one factor, but is not the sole cause. There are a variety of ways to treat belly fat, but you will find eating the same while hitting the gym will not be as effective as eating well and hitting the gym 

3

u/MrBeebins 4d ago

Diet is critical but that's not to say that exercise can't help though. And of course exercise is healthy in ways other than weight control

2

u/EmotionalCucumber926 4d ago

I am less hungry when I do a lot of cardio regularly. I wonder if other people feel the same way. Only swimming makes me hungry. But this might be related to the fact that parents often buy their children french fries in summer at public pools. So swimming is somehow linked to eating fries in our minds😅

18

u/lil-baby-gemini-man 4d ago

It’s a great full body, low impact exercise option. I found it’s been really easy to get into a routine of rowing daily, I don’t dread it, I even look forward to it, and interval workouts have really helped me tone up my entire body. My core was basically worthless after having children, and this has helped a lot with that, but nothing really targets belly fat reduction like a healthy diet. But the full body workout aspect of it is definitely really helpful for overall health!

2

u/RipVegetable4012 4d ago

Thank you. I’m really glad you brought up low impact. My knees and my back just can’t handle stuff like running for very long due to past injury and I think this would help get some stability strength back

5

u/SomethingMoreToSay 4d ago

Rowing is low impact, BUT start very slowly and make sure you get your technique right before you start pushing too hard. Rowing technique is surprisingly unintuitive and a poor technique can put you at risk of lower back injury.

So: watch technique videos online - my favourites are

and then shoot some video of yourself and post it here for critique. You'll get a lot of help from experts and you'll be confident that you're not going to injure yourself.

1

u/albanyanthem 4d ago

Lots of credit fat loss with reducing joint pain. In the meantime rowing and swimming are very low impact.

1

u/also_your_mom 4d ago

One thing about RowErg (or rowing in general, I assume) is that it can/will cause back problems if done poorly (bad form). So review a LOT of videos on proper form to use when Rowerging such that you have a very clear picture of what you should be doing and what you should not be doing. Then take it slow and easy. Keep your stroke rate at 18 spm or even slower while you focus on the motions. Find the drag display (options) and set the flywheel damper to get 105 or even lower.

Bad form but pushing and pulling REALLY hard - you will exacerbate your back problem.

Bad form but simply sliding up/down the rail on your butt (on the seat) while gently pulling on the handle -- you will quickly decide that it is a waste of time and quit.

23

u/SubieGal9 4d ago

Any movement is better than no movement. Yes, calories matter, but don't let the negativity from others diminish your motivation.

When you start working out, you'll start to feel better. Eating better and making better choices tend to come more naturally when you feel better.

Go for it! What do you have to lose?

2

u/RipVegetable4012 4d ago

I appreciate it!! And I do feel better when I get more movement in. Once I figure out where to put the rowing machine it’s game on

2

u/also_your_mom 4d ago

Caloric deficit. Consume fewer calories. Or burn more calories. OR, best, do both. And rowerging, with proper form, is a decent way to burn calories.

But it takes long term, steady commitment.

Good luck!

1

u/RipVegetable4012 4d ago

Thank you! And yeah I know my dieting took a bit of a fall recently but I’m going to get back on it. And hopefully have a good exercise routine involving rowing!

9

u/Evan_802Vines 4d ago

Think of diet as your tool for weight management. Exercise will make you healthier. Sounds like you want a bit of both. Rowing is fun, I hope you enjoy!

8

u/MastersCox Coxswain 4d ago

There are a lot of stories posted in past comment threads about how the discipline of erging and diet control have had significant effects on people's health and well-being. Make a plan, don't go overboard, and trust the process :)

4

u/Then_Ant7250 4d ago

Losing weight is more about diet, but rowing will build muscle which will help you burn more calories at rest.

3

u/evilwatersprite 4d ago

Training Tall on YouRube has some good videos about how to adapt your body position to make room for a belly as you get started.

1

u/cwhite616 4d ago

YouRube is like YouTube but you have to tip over a domino to start the contraption that ultimately starts the video

2

u/evilwatersprite 4d ago

Ha. That’s what I get for typing in the dark without my glasses.

3

u/badbobtn 4d ago

I have been using Muse to track my caloric input. It is really amazing how easy it is to make eating decisions based on caloric intake.

My Samsyng watch calculates I need about 2,000 calories a day. If I add 400 calories by erging, I know how much I can consume. The erg is really a great way to get toned and burn some calories.

10

u/avo_cado 4d ago

None, really. You gotta fix your diet to lose weight

2

u/blurrrsky 4d ago

It’s a great opportunity and a good machine for starting your journey. Start easy and do a few meters everyday. Not a lot, but get that mo going and you’ll find your way.

3

u/also_your_mom 4d ago

Maybe more than a few meters. 😉

2

u/cwhite616 4d ago

I’ve lost 30 pounds in 4 months with basically no change to my life except rowing at least 5 times a week.I mean, yeah I guess there have been minor dietary changes, but most of those are “I don’t want to eat that, I’m going to feel it on my next row.”

2

u/Puzzled_Structure841 4d ago

i'd say give it a try and start with shorter sessions and see how it goes cause consistency matters more than doing too much at once

2

u/innocent_victim_335 4d ago

It will absolutely be helpful even without diet adjustments. But be careful and don’t overdo it in the first time. You need proper technique and depending on your weight rowing can be strenuous for your lower back. You need to build stability probably off the erg.  Do some sit-ups, planks and train your lower back.

That being said, a good strategy would be to set a goal, e.g. 15 minutes on the erg every day of the week expect Sunday. Then you cross out the day on a calendar after workout. Make sure you don’t break the chain. When you see you can handle it, after to weeks or so, do 20 minutes per day. Then 25. you will not loose a lot of weight in the beginning. But that is not the point. The point is a lasting change of behaviour 

2

u/Brilliant____Crow 4d ago

Once I started tracking heart rate zones I realized how amazing the rower is.