Thursday, January 14, 2010

The Best Rowing Machines for Sale

By Kirst Frangs

There are a lot of rowing machines for sale and if you are thinking of getting one for home use, then it's important to make sure you know what it is you are looking for. This is because not all rowing machines are alike, and some are more effective at giving you a total body workout than others.

Rowing was my life back when I was in college. I rowed for 4 years in total and started out a total beginner who was overweight and very unfit. I was amazed (as was my family) at how quickly I got into shape without an injury and how much I enjoyed it. Fifty percent of our training was in the gym on the ergometers. At first I thought they were easy to use, but that's because I didn't know the proper technique, but once I learned how to use them, I gained the full benefits of a total body workout.

But, today we are not going to learn how to use a rowing machine or the benefits of the rowing machines, because I am sure you already know them. Instead we are going to take a peek into which rowing machine might be good for you and why.

When you first start looking around at the rower equipment, you will notice 2 distinct groups. One type of rowing machine has bars used as handles, and the other has a handle bar which is connected to a string, which passes through a flywheel. Both machines have a seat which moves along the bar and have a place to insert your feet. If you have been to a gym and seen or tried the rowing machine, you have most likely seen the Concept2 Rower which is the one with a flywheel. How do the 2 differ?

The machine with the fixed metal bars sets the position of your arms and hands. The rowing action is not as fluid or natural. The rowing machine with the flywheel mechanism lets you decide where to hold your arms throughout the stroke. Both groups have a seat which slides up and down the bar, and fixed foot position into which you tie your feet.

If you have been to the gym and tried a rowing machine before, then you have most likely used the concept ii rower. This is because it is incredibly strong and durable as well as being the best machine to train rowing athletes on. Of course they are more expensive and usually range between $1000 - $2000. The concept ii rowing machine is a group II rower and uses the flywheel mechanism. Other brands that are popular and produce a machine similar to the concept ii are the tunturi rowing machines, Kettler, WaterRower and LifeCore.

On the cheaper end of the scale you will find the stamina rowing machines. This brand is the most popular and it's probably because they are trusted and affordable. Make sure you find a model that is compact and can fold away if space is an issue. Also remember that this type of elliptical machine is not a fluid rowing machine and might not satisfy you if you have used Concept Rowing machines in the past.

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