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Rowing Machine Calorie Consumption: this is how many Calories You Can Burn while Rowing

28. November 2024

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BY Flavio Holstein

When it comes to burning calories and shaping the body at the same time, the rowing machine is one of the best options. Why? Because it challenges almost the entire body, improves your endurance and builds muscle at the same time. But how high is the calorie consumption really? And how can you optimize your training to get the most out of it? Let’s take a closer look.

How many calories do you burn on a rowing machine?

Rowing activates over 85% of the muscles – legs, back, abdomen and arms work simultaneously. As a result, your body not only burns calories during training, but also afterwards, when the so-called afterburn effect sets in. When rowing loosely, you can burn about 300-360 calories in an hour. More intensive training increases this to up to 800 calories per hour.

For ambitious athletes: Professional rowers who row with over 250 watts can burn over 1500 calories in 1.5 hours. This shows how flexible the rowing machine is – it adapts to your fitness level and your goals.

Why is the rowing machine so effective for calorie consumption?

The combination of strength and endurance training makes the rowing machine so unique. The harder you pull and the faster you row, the more calories you burn. The decisive factor is your intensity, not the stroke rate. For an effective workout, you should pay attention to the speed and work with an appropriate resistance. A high resistance helps you to row faster and thus burn more calories.

Tip: Check out our article “Stroke Rate, Frequency and SPM: What Does That Mean When Rowing?” to learn how to make your technique even more efficient.

What does the basal metabolic rate have to do with calorie consumption?

So that you understand how rowing fits into your daily calorie consumption, two terms are important:
  • Basal metabolic rate: This is the energy your body needs at rest – for breathing, heartbeat and body temperature. A rough guideline: body weight (in kg) × 24 = basal metabolic rate in calories. A 70 kg person therefore has a basal metabolic rate of about 1680 calories per day.
  • Performance metabolic rate: These are the additional calories you burn through exercise, e.g. when rowing. If you row moderately for 30 minutes (approx. 300 calories), your daily consumption increases accordingly.

The best thing: By building muscle during rowing training, your basal metabolic rate increases in the long term. Your muscles then burn more calories even at rest – a real advantage, especially if you want to lose weight.

Mann mit Handtuch und Wasserflasche nach dem Training in einem Wohnzimmer mit Rudergerät.

How much fat can I burn on the rowing machine?

When rowing, you not only burn calories, but you can also specifically reduce fat. Moderate training at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate is ideal for fat burning. More intensive training burns more calories overall, but relies more on carbohydrates.

For maximum fat loss, the following applies: It is better to row longer and moderately, e.g. 30 minutes at medium intensity. But be careful: Your diet plays a major role. Avoid reaching for unhealthy snacks immediately after training – a light protein shake or fruit salad is the better choice.

Can I lose weight with the rowing machine?

Yes, definitely! Regular training on the rowing machine not only helps you burn calories, but also build muscle. And as we know, muscles increase your basal metabolic rate – this is especially helpful if you want to lose weight.

In addition, you benefit from the afterburn effect: Your body continues to consume energy even after training to regenerate itself. If you train 2-3 times a week for at least 20 minutes, you will quickly see progress – and not only feel fitter, but also more comfortable in your body.

Your Personal Test

If you are still unsure whether a rowing machine is right for you, take our quiz and find out. Maybe this is the first step to your new favorite workout!

Conclusion: Rowing machine calorie consumption

The rowing machine is a real all-rounder when it comes to calorie consumption and fitness. With the right intensity and technique, you can specifically control your consumption and at the same time build muscles that increase your basal metabolic rate. Whether you want to lose weight, get fitter or simply have fun training – the rowing machine offers you countless possibilities.
The rowing machine shown is the AUGLETICS Eight Style rowing machine. If you think it’s just as chic as most others or you’re interested in the large screen, take a closer look at it in our shop.

About the author

Flavio Holstein

Flavio Holstein ist Gründer und CEO von AUGLETICS, einem Unternehmen, das den Rudersport durch innovative Rudergeräte direkt ins Wohnzimmer bringt. Seit über 20 Jahren ist er begeisterter Ruderer und trainierte zeitweise sogar dreimal täglich, um es in die Nationalmannschaft zu schaffen. Er wurde zweimal deutscher Vizemeister im Vierer und Achter. Mit einem Master in Technischer Informatik bringt Flavio das nötige Hintergrundwissen mit, um modernste Technik und sportliche Effizienz zu vereinen und das Rudern für alle zugänglich zu machen. Seine Vision: Rudern als festen Bestandteil des Alltags zu etablieren und damit das wohl größte Gesundheitsproblem unserer Zeit anzugehen – den Bewegungsmangel. Flavio Holstein is the founder and CEO of AUGLETICS, a company that brings the sport of rowing directly into people’s living rooms through innovative rowing machines. He has been a passionate rower for over 20 years and at times trained up to three times a day in order to qualify for the national team. He became German vice champion twice, competing in both the coxless four and the eight. Holding a master’s degree in technical computer science, Flavio combines cutting-edge technology with athletic efficiency to make rowing accessible to everyone. His vision: to establish rowing as a natural part of everyday life and tackle what is arguably the greatest health issue of our time – lack of physical activity. Flavio Holstein est le fondateur et CEO d’AUGLETICS, une entreprise qui fait entrer le sport de l’aviron directement dans le salon grâce à des rameurs innovants. Passionné d’aviron depuis plus de 20 ans, il s’est parfois entraîné jusqu’à trois fois par jour dans l’objectif d’intégrer l’équipe nationale. Il a été deux fois vice-champion d’Allemagne, en quatre et en huit. Titulaire d’un master en informatique technique, Flavio dispose des connaissances nécessaires pour allier technologies de pointe et efficacité sportive et rendre l’aviron accessible à tous. Sa vision : faire de l’aviron une composante naturelle du quotidien et s’attaquer ainsi à l’un des plus grands problèmes de santé de notre époque – le manque d’activité physique. Flavio Holstein è fondatore e CEO di AUGLETICS, un’azienda che porta lo sport del canottaggio direttamente nelle case grazie a vogatori innovativi. È un appassionato canottiere da oltre 20 anni e in alcuni periodi si è allenato persino tre volte al giorno per riuscire a entrare nella nazionale. È stato due volte vicecampione tedesco nel quattro e nell’otto. Con un master in informatica tecnica, Flavio unisce competenze tecnologiche avanzate ed efficienza sportiva per rendere il canottaggio accessibile a tutti. La sua visione: rendere il canottaggio una parte integrante della vita quotidiana e affrontare quello che è probabilmente il più grande problema di salute del nostro tempo – la mancanza di attività fisica.
Picture of Flavio Holstein

Flavio Holstein

Flavio Holstein ist Gründer und CEO von AUGLETICS, einem Unternehmen, das den Rudersport durch innovative Rudergeräte direkt ins Wohnzimmer bringt. Seit über 20 Jahren ist er begeisterter Ruderer und trainierte zeitweise sogar dreimal täglich, um es in die Nationalmannschaft zu schaffen. Er wurde zweimal deutscher Vizemeister im Vierer und Achter. Mit einem Master in Technischer Informatik bringt Flavio das nötige Hintergrundwissen mit, um modernste Technik und sportliche Effizienz zu vereinen und das Rudern für alle zugänglich zu machen. Seine Vision: Rudern als festen Bestandteil des Alltags zu etablieren und damit das wohl größte Gesundheitsproblem unserer Zeit anzugehen – den Bewegungsmangel. Flavio Holstein is the founder and CEO of AUGLETICS, a company that brings the sport of rowing directly into people’s living rooms through innovative rowing machines. He has been a passionate rower for over 20 years and at times trained up to three times a day in order to qualify for the national team. He became German vice champion twice, competing in both the coxless four and the eight. Holding a master’s degree in technical computer science, Flavio combines cutting-edge technology with athletic efficiency to make rowing accessible to everyone. His vision: to establish rowing as a natural part of everyday life and tackle what is arguably the greatest health issue of our time – lack of physical activity. Flavio Holstein est le fondateur et CEO d’AUGLETICS, une entreprise qui fait entrer le sport de l’aviron directement dans le salon grâce à des rameurs innovants. Passionné d’aviron depuis plus de 20 ans, il s’est parfois entraîné jusqu’à trois fois par jour dans l’objectif d’intégrer l’équipe nationale. Il a été deux fois vice-champion d’Allemagne, en quatre et en huit. Titulaire d’un master en informatique technique, Flavio dispose des connaissances nécessaires pour allier technologies de pointe et efficacité sportive et rendre l’aviron accessible à tous. Sa vision : faire de l’aviron une composante naturelle du quotidien et s’attaquer ainsi à l’un des plus grands problèmes de santé de notre époque – le manque d’activité physique. Flavio Holstein è fondatore e CEO di AUGLETICS, un’azienda che porta lo sport del canottaggio direttamente nelle case grazie a vogatori innovativi. È un appassionato canottiere da oltre 20 anni e in alcuni periodi si è allenato persino tre volte al giorno per riuscire a entrare nella nazionale. È stato due volte vicecampione tedesco nel quattro e nell’otto. Con un master in informatica tecnica, Flavio unisce competenze tecnologiche avanzate ed efficienza sportiva per rendere il canottaggio accessibile a tutti. La sua visione: rendere il canottaggio una parte integrante della vita quotidiana e affrontare quello che è probabilmente il più grande problema di salute del nostro tempo – la mancanza di attività fisica.

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