Rowing Machine vs Treadmill for Weight Loss

rowing machine or treadmill to lose weight

Engaging in regular exercise is a commendable habit to maintain fitness and an active lifestyle. Yet, due to varying work schedules and hectic daily routines, finding time for the gym can be challenging. To address this issue, many individuals opt to invest in fitness equipment for home workouts. However, the choice between a rowing machine and a treadmill for weight loss can be perplexing.

The article aims to provide comprehensive information to assist you in making a good decision when purchasing either a treadmill or a rower. By exploring key factors and considerations, you will gain clarity on which model aligns best with their specific fitness needs and preferences.

Rowing Machine or Treadmill: What Are the Common Benefits?

Whether a person chooses a rowing machine or treadmill for weight loss, both make for an incredible workout and will:

  • Strengthen the heart and lungs;
  • Increase bone capital;
  • Reduce stress;
  • Improve mood;
  • Reduce the risk of heart disease;
  • Increase overall energy levels;
  • Improve the quality of sleep;
  • Burn calories and help to lose fat.

Rowing Machine or Treadmill: What Are the Differences?

An important difference is that the rowing machine allows to work 90% of the muscles of the body and the treadmill will mainly allow working the posterior part of this one. However, you will burn fewer calories on a rower than on a treadmill.

The rowing machine is ideal for building muscle mass. Therefore, indoor rowing is much more effective than running in strengthening muscles. Because it works both the muscles of the upper and lower parts of the body simultaneously. The silhouette will be balanced and harmonious. If the rowing machine can work almost all the muscles in the body, the treadmill is better for burning calories. The result will only be better if you use it by tilting it.

Nonetheless, if you want to lose weight comprehensively, you should choose a rowing machine. It will provide a cardio workout similar to that of a treadmill and will help build more muscle. To lose weight, the rower is ideal because it increases the metabolism for hours, even after a workout.

Rowing Machine or Treadmill: Which One is Better for the Body?

Both rowing machine and treadmill can be used to exercise while having a low impact on the body. Indeed, running is not the best sporting activity to preserve the joints. However, if you want to use a treadmill for walking, you will have no problem with this.

Different studies show that people who run put four to eight times their weight on the joints during a stride. This can cause serious damage to the joints, especially for overweight people.

Meanwhile, a rower is part of the family of low-impact ergometers, regardless of the intensity of a session. In addition, rowing means that you are not continually working against gravity. The joints are therefore not hammered. The rowing machine is perfect for recovering from an injury or surgery. People who rehabilitate after injury or after surgery most often use a rowing machine to help them recover and regain strength. Also, if you cannot handle high-impact athletic workouts, the rower proves to be the best option.

Rowing machine

Rowing machine Rowing Machine vs Treadmill

You lose fat when your body burns more calories than it consumes over a defined period. 70% of fat loss is based on eating a healthy and balanced diet. The remaining 30% should be devoted to regular sports activity.

You have rowed before and will be on familiar ground when practicing rowing. The advantage of this device is that it allows the working of 90% of the muscles of the body. The rower also has many benefits. It improves endurance and regulates heart rate. It will also help tone the whole body.

The rower you lost weight? The rowing machine for weight loss is perfect because you will burn calories faster than with other fitness machines. Indeed, it is an excellent physical activity if you practice it with intensity and regularity. Indoor rowing allows a caloric expenditure of between 250 and 700 calories for one hour of practice. It of course depends on the age, sex, size as well as intensity of the session.

However, a rowing machine requires more techniques than the treadmill and knowledge of the decomposition of movement. It is therefore essential to know how to use a rower to maximize results. Also, it is necessary to have good coordination in the movements to avoid the risk of injury. Indoor rowing machine is not recommended if you are suffering from pain in the back, neck, and knees.

Treadmill

Treadmill Rowing Machine vs Treadmill

A treadmill offers the flexibility to facilitate weight loss through walking or running indoors at a personalized pace. This versatile fitness machine primarily targets the lower body muscles. Users can expect to tone and strengthen various muscle groups, including the thighs, lumbar muscles, calves, and gluteal muscles.

To lose weight, a treadmill is perfect. It is recommended for those who wish to lose fat mass, as well as for those with weakened joints. Effectively, the treadmill has a completely smooth surface. Damping is therefore better than outdoors, such as on dirt or grass.

To lose weight on a treadmill, make sure to have a healthy and balanced diet. It is an endurance sport that requires prolonged and constant effort.

It therefore helps you to develop cardiovascular and respiratory capacities and promotes fat burning. A treadmill can burn between 700 and 1000 calories per hour depending on you and the intensity of the run. The more intense the effort, the higher the energy expenditure.

However, to have a long-lasting result, it is necessary to run regularly while maintaining a suitable diet. Also, in order to lose weight more with a treadmill, you can play on the incline. The more it inclines, the more energy expenditure increases. The ideal way to lose weight with the treadmill is to work out in the heart rate zone that burns as many calories as possible.

The zone is between 60% and 70% of your maximum heart rate (FCM). This is 226 – age for the fairer sex and 200 – age for the male sex. Then, you have to apply these two percentages, 60 and 70%, to the result to determine the ideal heart zone to burn fat.

Rowing Machine Vs Treadmill for Weight Loss?

The choice between a rowing machine and a treadmill to lose weight mainly depends on the preferences and personal goals of each person. It’s hard to say that one of these two devices outperforms the other. Because it depends on different factors as we have mentioned.

However, rowing is indeed ultra-efficient. It allows to work 90% of the muscles of the body and allows to lose fat mass without impact on the joints. Rowing is also a good sport to do at home to lose weight. It allows you to burn a maximum of fat, to strengthen the muscles without risking injury.

Keep in mind that it is necessary to learn to control the rower well and to perform the movement correctly. Otherwise, it may cause pain.

Treadmill for weight loss on the other hand is also a safe bet. You will be able to burn calories while focusing on the lower part of your body. It doesn’t matter what choice you make. These two machines are very effective for weight loss.


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Liam Dean is a Professional Blogger and Outdoor Enthusiast. He completed Masters in Sports Sciences and spend all of his free time doing sports and other outdoor activities. During vacations, he goes hunting, fishing and mountaineering.

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