Deciding on the right home gym equipment can be tough, especially if you are used to using more than one type of machine for your cardio at the gym. People often get stuck between rowing machines and cross trainers because they are both low impact and help burn calories.
Due to the muscles and movement rowing requires, on average, a 155-pound person can burn up to around 550 calories during a rowing session of one hour, the cross trainer has the upper hand in this case, and allow you to burn 670 calories an hour, most likely due to the fact it involves the top half of your body more.
So as we can compare a rowing machine and cross trainer in more depth, we have put together a short guide below that will tell you everything you need to know about using rowing machines and cross trainers for weight loss, as well as which machine might be the better choice for you.
Before we can get on to comparing a rowing machine and cross trainer, we need to understand how one works, the different types out there and how many potential calories you can burn on one.
These rowing machines work by you pulling on the handle of the rower and sliding back and forth of the machine to create rowing strokes, to make rowing harder, you simply up the resistance on the machine you are using, which will slow your strokes but make your muscles work much harder and burn more calories.
Rowing machines come in four main different types, so we have listed them below with a brief description so as you can be sure you are buying the right resistance type for you.
Resistance on this type of rower is produced by water within the tank of the rower, it's as close as you can get to rowing on real-life water and the faster that you end up rowing, the more resistance that will be generated.
These types of rowers use air fins on their flywheel to generate resistance, meaning that the harder you pull on the machine, the more it will generate resistance, most of the time this resistance can be adjusted however depending on the difficulty you want.
Hydraulic resistance is attached to the handlebars of your cross trainer, the resistance can be adjusted via the length of the handlebars, these types of rowers tend to be less popular and often cheaper.
Electromagnetic resistance is more silent than other resistance types but gives a constant level of resistance during rowing, and does not vary, making it much less life-like.
The amount of calories you burn on a rowing machine is variable to several different factors, for example, if you weigh 155 pounds and you row on a machine at high intensity for one hour you could burn up to 632 calories, but if you mow at a moderate intensity, it would only burn 520 calories.
To burn more calories on a rowing machine you should maintain a pace of 24-30 strokes per minute depending on your fitness level, you should also try switching up your workouts and do some HIIT training on your rowing machine.
Cross trainers operate with a flywheel for resistance, pedals and moveable handlebars, this resistance is adjustable depending on the intensity you are after and the trainer does not have a seat, requiring you to stand upright as you pedal, working your whole body.
You can burn a little more calories on a cross-trainer than on a rowing machine, this depends on variables too, but as we mentioned above, on average you can burn 670 calories an hour if you weigh 155 pounds.
To increase calorie burn on a cross-trainer you can try HIIT and increasing the resistance to make it harder.
Now we understand the different calories you can burn with each type of exercise and how they work, let's compare both a rowing machine and a cross-trainer below to see the advantages and disadvantages of using each one.
Let's start with rowing machines. These devices are the best in comparison to cross trainers for building muscle in your back, arms, legs and core as you are continually pumping them as you are rowing.
They are also low impact like cross trainers, meaning they are better for your joints, along with the fact that they don't need electricity to run, meaning they are more reliable in the long run than trainers.
One of the main advantages to rowing machines is also that they are very quiet, unlike cross trainers and treadmills which are slightly noisier due to their mechanisms.
The drawbacks of rowing machines are that they burn fewer calories than a cross trainer, they also take more practice to get the hang of using them in the correct form. In terms of storage, these machines will take up a lot of space due to their size.
In comparison to rowing machines, cross trainers are better for burning fat and much easier to use as the form is not to difficult to get the hang of. These trainers allow you to work out your glutes too and can improve your bone density as they include weight-bearing due to the upright position on the trainer.
Drawbacks of cross trainers are that they need electricity to run, which makes them less reliable than a rowing machine, they also tend to be more expensive and a little noisier depending on the model that you buy.
Overall, if you don't mind taking a bigger learning curve and you want to spend less but build up some great lower body strength and burn fat, then a rowing machine should be your first choice.
If you want to burn a little more calories and have an easier time getting the right form, then a cross trainer is better for you, especially if you have limited space too.
As we mentioned above, leaning to use a rowing machine is a bit of a learning curve, and is not as easy to use in comparison to a cross-trainer.
Using a rowing machine with the wrong form can damage your body and ruin the benefits you can get from rowing exercises.
We have listed the five essential steps for using a rowing machine for beginners below.
What is easier cross-training or rowing?
Cross-training tends to be easier as the form is more natural and doesn't need practice.
Can I lose weight with a rowing machine?
Yes, in combination with a calorie deficit and a healthy diet, you can burn fat when rowing.
How many times a week should I use a rowing machine?
You could start three times a week and work towards five as your fitness improves.
Overall, we hope you now know that a rowing machine and cross trainer burn similar calories, with a cross-trainer being ahead marginally, both types of machines are very effective for building endurance and burning fat.
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