Be Well Workout of the Week: Work the Rowing Machine
This week, you’re going to hop on a rowing machine! If you’re anything like most people, you’ve probably walked by the rower 100 times at the gym and thought about trying it but opted for the less scary treadmill instead — so here is your chance. And if you don’t have access to a rowing machine, don’t worry: You can do whatever form of cardio you want in between rounds.
You have a circuit of exercises to do with reps descending by two for each exercise. So, you’ll start with 20 reps of one exercise, then 18 of the next, and so on. After you do the final exercise of the circuit, hop on the rower and go for 250 meters (roughly one minute if you’re doing cardio for time) before starting the next round of the circuit. The goal is to get through the whole circuit four times, while maintaining awesome form. Good luck!
Be Well Workout of the Week: Work the Rowing Machine
Complete circuit 4 times
20 squats
18 sit-ups
16 lunge jumps (8 on each side)
14 plank twists (7 on each side. do plank on hands, keep hands firmly planted and twist your torso, dropping your left hip close to the floor and then up and over to dropping your right hip close to the floor. All while maintaining a strong core)
12 lunge rows
10 push-ups
8 dead lifts
6 burpees
4 hanging knee raises
2 pull-ups
250-meter row
Explanation of exercises:
Click the links for how-to videos.
Squat: Stand with your feet just a bit wider than shoulder widt and your toes slightly turned outward. Keeping your weight in your heels, bending at the knees and lower until your quads are parallel to the floor. Keep your back as upright as possible. Straighten legs and come back to the starting position.
Sit-up: Lie on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent. Put your hands behind your ears. Without pulling on your neck and using only your abs, lift your shoulders off the mat and come to a full sit-up position. Lie back down slowly.
Lunge jump: Position yourself in a lunge. Jump upwards switching the front and back legs. Once landed, repeat. For more of a challenge, hold the weights you used for your reverse fly during your jumps.
Plank twist: Start in a high plank, lift your right knee under your torso toward your left elbow and drop your right hip toward the ground. Return to a high plank then repeat on the other side.
Lunge row: Standing with your left leg forward in a lunge and left forearm on thigh, row a weight with your right arm like you’re starting lawn mower. Switch to opposite side lunge for left arm.
Push-up: Start lying face down with your chest on the floor, with hands facing forward and palms down in line with your shoulders; elbows should be pointing back. Push up until arms are extended (the inside of the elbow should be facing forward) and drop back down.
Deadlifts with dumbbells: Hold dumbbells with arms extended down so they’re resting on your thighs, feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping shoulders back and abs tight (and without locking your knees), bend at the hips and let the weights lower towards the floor, going as far as you can without bending your knees too much. Drive your heels in to the floor and stand to return to the starting position.
Burpees: Just like an up-down in football. Put your hands on the ground, jump your feet out behind you so you’re in push-up position, hit your chest to the ground, and bring your feet back in, stand up.
Hanging knee raises: Hanging from pull up bar, use your abs to bring both knees up to touch (or get as close as you can) your elbows.
Pull-ups: Suspend yourself on the pull-up bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up, keeping your body as straight as possible, until your chest reaches the bar. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every Monday right here on Be Well Philly.
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