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Get faster without running more? How rowing improves running economy, prevents injuries, and strengthens muscles that make the difference in running.
Most ambitious runners know the dilemma: more training should lead to faster times, but more running simultaneously increases the risk of injury. Shin splints, knee pain, Achilles tendon problems, and stress fractures are among the most common reasons why runners have to reduce their training volume.
The solution isn’t to rack up even more miles. It’s smart supplemental training. This is where rowing has decisive advantages over all other cross-training methods.
Cross-training means: training aerobically without running. The goal is to maintain or improve cardiovascular fitness while reducing the joint stress of running. Cross-training is particularly helpful in three scenarios:
The classic cross-training options for runners are cycling, swimming, elliptical training, and rowing. While all four are low-impact, rowing has a property the others do not possess: it combines strength and endurance training in a single, fluid movement.
A systematic review with meta-analysis, published in 2024 in Sports Medicine (Llanos-Lagos et al., 2024), examined the effect of strength training on running economy in middle- and long-distance runners. Studies from PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and SCOPUS were analyzed.
The result is clear: strength training demonstrably improves running economy—the energy efficiency of running at submaximal speed. This means: runners who regularly complete strength training consume less energy for the same running speed. They run more economically, fatigue later—and thereby become faster.
Strength training can improve running economy, although the extent depends on factors such as the chosen training method and the speed at which running economy is measured. – Llanos-Lagos et al., Sports Medicine (2024)
What makes this study particularly relevant for rowing: rowing is inherently a combined strength and endurance training. Every rowing stroke activates the large muscle groups of the legs, core, and upper body under load. Those who row simultaneously perform what the study proves to be effective—without having to schedule a separate strength session.
Rowing brings a unique combination of properties that makes it significantly more valuable for runners than simple cycling or swimming.
1. Low-Impact – Yet High-Intensity
The greatest advantage: rowing produces no impact shock. Unlike running, where three to five times body weight impacts the knees and hips with every step, rowing is virtually joint-free. This means: you can fully maintain cardiovascular intensity—even when knees, shins, or Achilles tendons need to rest.
2. Core Training – The Underestimated Advantage for Runners
Running requires a stable core. Those who collapse in the second half of a marathon usually do so at the hips and midsection—not the legs. Rowing is one of the most effective core workouts available: with every rowing stroke, the entire core is stabilized under load—abdominal muscles, deep back, obliques. These muscles are needed for running but are barely trained by running itself.
3. Back and Glutes – The Power Sources for Better Running Economy
60 percent of rowing power comes from the legs, 30 percent from the upper body, and 10 percent from the arms. This makes rowing one of the strongest glute and thigh workouts available. Strong gluteal muscles are essential for runners: they stabilize the pelvis, increase stride length, and reduce the risk of knee and hip injuries.
4. Upper Body Strength – What Cycling and Swimming (Almost) Alone Provide
Cycling barely trains the upper body. Swimming does—but only with body weight. Rowing, however, trains the latissimus, rhomboids, trapezius, biceps, and shoulders under real resistance. For runners, this means more balanced musculature, better posture, and fewer compensation patterns that lead to injuries in the long term.
5. VO₂max and Cardiovascular Capacity
Rowing is one of the few exercise machines where such a high proportion of musculature is simultaneously active that cardiovascular stress can also be maximally utilized. Around 86% of body musculature is active—more than with cycling or elliptical training. This creates a strong stimulus for VO₂max, which is considered a key parameter for endurance performance and running performance.
6. Rhythm and Mental Strength
Rowing resembles running in an often underestimated aspect: rhythm. The steady, meditative movement promotes mental concentration—an underestimated factor for runners who must remain psychologically resilient in competition.
The following overview shows why rowing offers the most comprehensive cross-training package for runners:
The rowing movement can be divided into four phases: catch (starting position), drive (power phase), finish (end position), and recovery (return). Throughout this entire cycle, the following muscle groups are trained—and their running-specific benefits:
Rowing is suitable for three different training scenarios:
Recommended value for beginners: 2 × 20 minutes per week on the rowing machine, at moderate intensity. After 4–6 weeks, first measurable effects in strength and endurance appear.
The AUGLETICS Eight Style makes exactly what ambitious runners need possible: effective, quiet, smart rowing training without a gym, commute, or parking search. As SPIEGEL Test Winner 2025 and recipient of the Red Dot Design Award 2025, it is the most technically sophisticated magnetic rowing machine on the German market.
Whisper-Quiet Magnetic Brake
The electronically controlled eddy current brake of the AUGLETICS Eight operates almost silently. Ideal for apartments, multi-family homes, and evening training after a long running day.
Heart Rate Control for Targeted Training Zones
With compatible heart rate monitor integration, you train on the AUGLETICS Eight Style specifically in the heart rate zones that are optimal for active recovery or endurance building. Your rowing machine adjusts resistance to your heart rate—no guesswork, but measurable control.
Virtual Coach – Clean Rowing Technique from the Start
The integrated Virtual Coach analyzes movement sequence, rhythm, and pulling behavior in real time and provides direct feedback. For runners introducing rowing for the first time, this is the fastest path to clean technique and thus to maximum training effects.
30+ Training Programs, No Subscription
From easy Zone 2 sessions for active recovery to high-intensity intervals for VO₂max development: all programs are included, without monthly costs.
Compact and Foldable
181 cm length, foldable with wheels. The AUGLETICS Eight Style is ready when you need it and disappears afterward.
Cross-training is not a compromise. It is an investment in a longer and faster running career. And rowing is the most effective form of cross-training for runners: low-impact, muscle-balancing, cardiovascularly effective, and all in a single, fluid movement.
The scientific evidence supports it: strength training, as rowing naturally provides, demonstrably improves running economy. The AUGLETICS Eight Style makes this training possible at home—quiet, smart, and without monthly additional costs.
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