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How regular rowing training strengthens your cardiovascular system – and why the AUGLETICS Eight Style is the ideal home training machine for it.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Germany and across Western Europe. At the same time, one of the most effective preventive measures has been known for decades and costs nothing but time: regular physical activity. However, not every sport is equally effective – and not every training approach can be integrated into everyday life in the long term.
Rowing combines endurance and strength training in a single, joint-friendly movement and engages over 85% of the body’s muscles. This makes it one of the most efficient forms of training for the heart – and one that can be done in a home gym. This article shows what science says about it, why rowing is particularly well suited for heart health – and how the AUGLETICS Eight Style brings this training into everyday life.
The heart is a muscle. And like any muscle, it responds to targeted training: it becomes stronger, more efficient, and more resilient. Regular endurance training causes a range of measurable changes in the cardiovascular system:
According to the DocMedicus health encyclopedia, “the risk of myocardial infarction in untrained individuals is twice as high as in trained individuals” – and while the risk of heart attack rises steeply in non-athletes from the age of 40, it remains consistently low in those who are regularly active.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous endurance training per week. The key point is: even small steps help. The greatest health gain occurs when moving from complete inactivity to moderate regularity.
One of the most important German heart studies in recent years is the Ex-DHF study, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK). The results were published in the renowned journal Nature Medicine and were described as the most comprehensive investigation worldwide on this topic to date.
At eleven sites in Germany and Austria, 322 patients with heart failure (HFpEF – heart failure with preserved ejection fraction) took part. They were randomly assigned either to a one-year, structured training program or to standard medical care without a prescribed training regimen. The training program included a combination of endurance and strength training – three times per week, starting with 30 minutes of moderate cycling, gradually increased to 60 minutes.
Our results show that a targeted training program has the potential to improve exercise capacity and quality of life in HFpEF patients. Exercise is a valuable addition to treatment. – Study lead Prof. Frank Edelmann, Charité Berlin
After one year, the training group showed, on average, a higher NYHA class – a recognized measure of improved exercise capacity and quality of life in cardiac patients. For healthy adults and people with mild cardiovascular risk factors, the message is even clearer: those who train regularly give their heart the most important protective measure there is.
A frequently cited study in sports science that directly compares rowing with cycling provides an informative finding: in terms of cardiac load, rowing ranks first among classic endurance machines – it is a more intense cardiovascular workout than cycling at a comparable workload.
In addition, findings on VO₂max improvement through rowing ergometers – maximal oxygen uptake as a key parameter of cardiovascular fitness – show that rowing ergometer training reliably increases VO₂max, a value that correlates directly with cardiac efficiency and life expectancy. The higher the VO₂max, the more capable and resilient the cardiovascular system.
Two-time Olympic participant and sports scientist Lars Wichert puts it plainly:
Rowing contributes wonderfully to improving the cardiovascular system and has also been proven to improve cardiac performance. Rowing is an excellent way to improve the heart’s pumping capacity.
What sets rowing apart from classic cardio machines is that it is not purely endurance training. The rowing stroke simultaneously activates the large muscle groups of the legs, core, and upper body – a combination that stimulates metabolism particularly efficiently and challenges the heart on multiple levels.
A large population study of almost 9,000 men followed for nearly 40 years (published in 2024) showed that the combination of good endurance and muscular strength reduces the risk of vascular calcification significantly more than endurance training alone. The American Heart Association has also included this finding in its scientific statement.
Rowing is one of the few sports that naturally provides this hybrid training. Those who row do cardio and strength training at the same time – without having to plan or combine two separate workouts.
Not every endurance sport is equally suitable for everyone. Rowing offers a combination of benefits that makes it particularly valuable for heart health:
Unlike running, rowing places hardly any strain on the joints. This allows regular, intensive training even for people with knee or hip problems – and over decades. Consistency is the most important factor for cardiovascular protection.
Rowing intensity can be controlled precisely – from a relaxed 60% heart-rate workout for fat burning to high-intensity intervals that challenge the cardiovascular system to the maximum. This flexibility makes it possible to train exactly in the heart-rate zones that are medically recommended.
The more muscle mass is active, the more the cardiovascular system has to work – and the greater the training effect per unit of time. In rowing, around 86% of the body’s muscles are involved, according to the English Institute of Sport. This makes a 20-minute rowing session more effective than a 20-minute bike ride or run at a comparable intensity.
Rowing produces clear, measurable performance data: stroke rate, pace, distance covered, heart rate. This enables targeted training control – and staying within the heart-rate zone that is optimal for cardiovascular health.
Regular rowing training for heart health requires one thing: consistency. And consistency happens when the machine is always ready – quiet, uncomplicated, living-room friendly. That is exactly the core approach of the AUGLETICS Eight Style, the SPIEGEL test winner 2025 and recipient of the Red Dot Design Award.
The electronically controlled magnetic brake of the AUGLETICS Eight operates almost silently – ideal for apartments, multi-family buildings, and evening workouts. If you can train quietly, you train more often. And frequency is crucial for heart health.
The AUGLETICS Eight Style offers direct heart-rate integration – compatible with common chest straps. This allows you to train specifically in the medically recommended heart-rate zones: between 60 and 75% of maximum heart rate for aerobic base endurance, or at higher intensities to build performance.
The integrated Virtual Coach provides real-time feedback on posture, rhythm, and stroke technique – crucial for technically clean training that prevents injuries and maximizes efficiency.
With over 30 pre-installed training programs – from relaxed endurance sessions to high-intensity intervals – AUGLETICS covers all heart-rate zones. All content is included, with no monthly subscription fees.
At 181 cm in length and with a sturdy folding mechanism, the AUGLETICS Eight Style fits even in small spaces. What can be stored away easily is ready more often – and used more often.
Developed and assembled in Königs Wusterhausen near Berlin, using oak wood, aluminum, and stainless steel. AUGLETICS is also an official sponsor of the German women’s eight and actively supports rowing in Germany.
Science is clear: regular endurance training protects the heart, reduces the risk of heart attack, improves blood pressure and metabolism, and increases quality of life. Rowing combines this protective effect with an efficient full-body workout that is joint-friendly, precisely controllable in intensity, and measurable.
The AUGLETICS Eight Style makes this training feasible in everyday life: quiet, space-saving, with smart coaching and no ongoing monthly costs. For everyone who wants to do something for their heart in the long term – not just once, but sustainably.
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