The Best CrossFit Rowing Working Out
Picture yourself in a dimly lit gym, the sound of rowing machines humming in unison, and the rhythmic splash of water as athletes push themselves to their limits. Welcome to The Best CrossFit Rowing Working Out , where strength, endurance, and mental fortitude converge in a symphony of sweat and determination. In this article, we delve into the electrifying realm of CrossFit rowing – a dynamic fusion of cardio and strength training that promises not only physical transformation but also an exhilarating challenge for both newcomers and seasoned athletes alike.
With its roots deeply embedded in the philosophy of functional fitness, CrossFit rowing offers a holistic approach to health and wellness by incorporating high-intensity interval training with the full-body engagement provided by the rowing machine. As you navigate through this article, prepare to uncover expert tips on technique refinement, workout variations to keep boredom at bay, and insights into how this seemingly straightforward exercise can sculpt your body while igniting your competitive spirit.
Whether you’re a CrossFit enthusiast looking to elevate your game or a curious newcomer eager to explore new horizons, fasten your seatbelt as we embark on a thrilling journey through the best CrossFit rowing workouts that will leave you breathless yet craving for more.
The Best CrossFit Rowing Working Out
The list of the 30 Best CrossFit Rowing WODs combines “pure” rowing workouts and WODs infused with common CrossFit movements. Whichever option you opt for is bound to leave you with an elevated lung capacity and a better appreciation for dry land!
2K Row
Equipment: Concept2 rower
The 2K row is pretty much the gold standard in the rowing community and perfectly tests power, endurance, and grit. For pure rowing workouts, height and weight are major contributing factors, but if you’re able to finish up in under 7 minutes, you’re definitely doing on the right track!
Last year, I finally broke 7 minutes. Not to bad for a 5’7″. 163-pound, 39 year-old guy!
Need some pointers on maximizing your effort? Listen to Coach, Dr. Cam Nichol; he’s the best rowing coach in the business!
Cindy with a Twist
Equipment: Concept2 rower
Cindy…a beloved CrossFit WOD that is tough enough on a good day. Throw in 20 calories of rowing to start every round and…Cindy gets really tough.
The worst part? In “normal” Cindy, you have that sweet, sweet 20-minute time cap in sight at all times. In this mutation, every second you rest is one second you’re not getting closer to finishing!
Jackie
Equipment: Concept2 rower, barbell, pull-up bar/rack
Jackie is one of those “CrossFit Girls” who always manages to sneak her way into your workouts. She is kinda like an “Easter Egg” with her row, thruster, pull-up combo.
The irony? OG Jackie is enough of a sprint challenge by herself. One of the greatest CrossFit benchmark WODs; if you want to see how much you’ve improved, compare your Jackie times.
Moreno
Equipment: Concept2 rower
You remember how I said that the 2K row is the gold standard in rowing? Well, as you can imagine, most people leave it all on the rower; collapsing in a heap of sweat, lactic acid, and short-term, induced emphysema after finishing that gauntlet.
Now, imagine being that out of it and still having to do 50-plus burpees.
Thankfully they’re not burpees over the rower; 100 percent guarantee you’d eat it on at least one of those jumps!
Sting
Equipment: Concept2 rower
If the man himself is really watching “…every breath you take…”, he is probably gonna get pretty bored. Between those burpees and that rowing, you’re going to be taking a lot of big huffing breaths!
Make sure you try to regulate your breathing on those walking lunges; they’re only real “break” you get. You might just need to send out and S.O.S….(sorry; had to do it!)
5K Row
Equipment: Concept2 rower
While not as revered of a distance as its running counterpart, the 5K row is nonetheless a popular rowing benchmark. In contrast to the 2K (and shorter) rowing tests, the 5K row slips more into the endurance capacity territory.
Finding a sustainable stroke rate and cadence is key with this test. Also, less-than-efficient row technique is more heavily “penalized” in the longer time domain.
Tabata This
Equipment: Concept2 rower
If you like your rowing in shorter intervals and mixed with a number of other movements, Tabata is the way to go. The caveat is, only rowing for 20 seconds at a clip…you really gotta push yourself with each of these 5 segments.
100 seconds of rowing is pretty manageable…right?
Small
Equipment: Concept2 rower, plyo box, air runner
This is the kind of devastatingly difficult CrossFit Hero WOD you wonder why you don’t hear more about! There is literally zero opportunity for rest in this one (maybe you take it slow on the box jumps…?) Moving directly from running, to rowing, to burpees each round…just brutal.
One piece of advice: don’t try to be a hero on those rows!
Double Trouble
Equipment: Concept2 rower, Assault Bike
The Concept2 Rower might be the second most difficult and gruelling cardio implement used in CrossFit.
The most difficult cardio implement? The Assault Bike!
Oh brother; thankfully the rep counts aren’t too high (if you DO want high-rep Assault Bike workouts, check out our list here. We have a ton of them!)
Slob
Equipment: Concept2 rower, pull-up bar/rack, barbell, bumper plates, air runner
So you gutted through the run, rested a little bit on the pull-ups, and knocked out the “light” thrusters in 5 moderate sets.
Your reward? A (heavily fatigued) 2K rowing test.
You break 7 minutes on this version of the benchmark and you deserve a medal!
2018 CrossFit Games WOD 4
Equipment: Concept2 rower
This is the one where they rowed a marathon.
One of the best CrossFit rowing WODs is…a marathon…
I really don’t have a comment for this other than to say that if you attempt this workout, see if you can rig up “Braveheart” onto the monitor as you row. Don’t worry; you’ll finish the movie before you finish the workout!
And when you do…
Ebba
Equipment: Concept2 rower, jump rope, barbell, bumper plates
What you’ll find with Ebba is that just when you get into a good groove with any of the individual movements, it’s time to start the next one.
(I know that this was almost certainly the intention when this WOD was designed)
This is a good excuse to settle in and to find a good pace and cadence throughout. Don’t even worry about the transition from power cleans to shoulder-to-overheads (like you might in DT). When it’s all said and done, it’s going to be the least of your problems!
2018 French Throwdown Qualifier WOD 2
Equipment: Concept2 rower, barbell, bumper plates
To be honest, I don’t think most people who attempt this WOD are going to need that 18-minute time cap, but I thank the French for providing it, nonetheless!
This is a sprint WOD at its core, but that still doesn’t give you permission to blow yourself up on the bar-facing burpees. Probably better to ball out on the row and make a “quick” transition into the cleans (don’t let the bar roll away on that last rep!)
Damper Setting and Drag Factor
Tried one of the best CrossFit rowing WODs or jumped straight to the info section? In either case, let’s start with the elephant in the room:
The Concept2 rower damper setting.
Two closely-related terms associated with resistance on rowing machines are damper setting and drag factor.
The damper is the adjustable lever most notably found on Concept2 and other standard rowers. The lever can be moved to levels between 1 and 10.
The higher the damper setting, the more air is allowed into the flywheel. Although this always leads to greater resistance, the specific amount of resistance each damper level creates will differ, sometimes greatly, with each rower.
Rowers that are not well maintained or cleaned accumulate dirt, grime, and dust in their flywheels. This debris impedes the air flow, leading to less resistance than would be created in a perfectly clean rower. Keep this in mind when using any rower other than your own, well-maintained, garage gym rower (you are regularly cleaning your rower, aren’t you?)
So…if every rower is affected by different levels of cleanliness and upkeep, how are you to know what damper level setting to use with any given rower?
Enter the drag factor
A rower’s drag factor provides an exact measurement of the flywheel’s air load, taking into account the cleanliness, or lack thereof, of the machine. A brand new or perfectly clean rower will provide drag factors anywhere from around 90 to slightly above 200.
So…how do you know what drag factor your rower is on?
Thankfully, this process is incredibly easy on a Concept2 and should be done every time you strap into a rower.
- Hit the bottom button on the rower monitor to light it up and hit it again to select “More Options”
- Hit the top button to select “Display Drag Factor”
- Strap yourself in, grab the handle, and take 2 or 3 strokes. The drag factor will instantly calculate and display
Great! Now you know what drag factor you are at with your current damper setting selected. So…the next burning question: what drag factor should you use to create the ideal resistance for your workout?
This question is a bit trickier and answers will vary depending on your size, gender, ability to create power, fitness level, and rowing ability. As a rule of thumb, “non-competitive” men should stick between 115-125 while women should shoot for between 105-115.
Perfect your pre-rowing damper and drag customizing and you’ll find yourself hitting PRs without even trying!
Rowing Technique
Got your damper setting and drag factors figured? Time to strap in and get rowing!
Sure, you can just pull, pull, pull ’til the cows come home, but utilizing proper rowing machine form is going to save you a lot of time and energy.
In a nutshell, you want to:
- kick with your legs before you pull with your arms during the “pull” portion of the row. Try to straighten your legs as quickly as possible.
- let your arms come back before you bend your knees/return to the starting position during the “recovery” portion of the row
- keep arms in (don’t “chickenwing” these; you lose power and waste energy)
- generally keep your torso upright and between “11 o’clock and 1 o’clock” (no excessive bending forward or backwards)
- maintain a level stroke (don’t pull the handle way high or low)
Go tackle one of the Best CrossFit Rowing Working Out …now!
During Corona, if you had a Concept 2 rower, you were set. The ability to do as much tough cardio work as you want in a roughly 10 square-meter space is a very nice perk and leaves you no excuse for not developing a bulletproof engine!
And Coach Cam even says rowing is more effective than running.
Got a rower and a barbell, dumbbell, and/or a pull-up bar? As we’ve seen from the list of the Best CrossFit rowing WODs, you can really push the limit in terms of the challenging metcons you have at your disposal. Knock out a few of these and you’ll be the most feared oarsman on the high seas!
(actually…probably not, but close!)
Have too many friends and too few rowers? Save your nautical adventure for another day and tackle one of the top CrossFit partner WODs on land!
Conclusion
incorporating rowing workouts into your CrossFit routine can significantly enhance your overall fitness level and performance. The combination of cardiovascular endurance, strength building, and calorie burning makes rowing a versatile and effective exercise. By consistently including rowing sessions in your training regimen, you can improve your stamina, muscle tone, and power output. Remember to focus on proper technique and gradually increase the intensity to avoid injury and maximize results. Take the time to explore different rowing workouts and challenge yourself to push beyond your limits for a stronger, fitter you!
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