The Best Alternatives to Rowing

The best alternatives to rowing are the SkiErg, BikeErg and air bike for cardio, cycling for long steady sessions, and kettlebells or pull-ups for rowing-specific strength. No single swap covers everything, so pick one for your engine and one for your strength.

If you’re trying to get faster at rowing, treat these as a backup. Your stroke only improves by rowing. If an injury has stopped you rowing, ask a GP or physio which of these suits you before you start.

The best alternatives at a glance

Alternative	Best for	Starter session	Watch out for
SkiErg	Whole-body cardio, pulling	10 x 1 minute firm, 1 minute easy	Tired upper body at first
BikeErg	Leg endurance, low impact	40 minutes steady	Doesn’t work your back or arms
Air bike	Hard intervals	10 x 20 seconds hard, 40 seconds easy	Very easy to overdo
Cycling	Long aerobic sessions	60 minutes at a chatting pace	Time, weather, traffic
Running	Quick, cheap fitness	20 to 30 minutes easy	Higher impact on your legs
Swimming	Low-impact recovery	30 minutes easy	Needs some technique
Kettlebells	Hips, back, trunk	5 rounds, as below	Poor form on swings
Pull-ups and rows	Back, arms, grip	3 sets of 5 to 8	Elbow strain from doing too many

Closest to the erg: SkiErg and BikeErg

If you have access to a well-equipped gym or club, start here. Concept2 says the BikeErg has the same flywheel and PM5 monitor as the RowErg and SkiErg, so you can track pace and power in a way you already know. The SkiErg works your arms and trunk, as well as your legs, without the seat or slide. The BikeErg is more leg-focused and gives your back a rest.

Don’t try to match your rowing pace. The numbers on each machine aren’t directly comparable, so judge effort by your breathing and heart rate. Our guide on how cardio can help you become a better rower explains which kinds of cardio suit rowers.

For hard intervals: air bike

An air bike uses your arms and legs, and resistance rises the harder you push. That makes it well suited to short, sharp intervals. A starter session is 10 rounds of 20 seconds hard and 40 seconds easy, after a 10-minute warm-up. That’s only 200 seconds of hard work, but it’s enough. Stop if your form or control slips.

For long steady work: cycling and running

An hour on the bike at a conversational effort works well as a rest-day session or in place of a long steady row. Cycling has little impact and builds leg endurance. Our comparison of rowing machines and cycling goes through what each trains.

Running needs almost no kit and builds fitness quickly, but it’s high impact. Build up gradually. For most rowers who want variety, 1 or 2 easy runs a week of 20 to 30 minutes is plenty. Our guide on how running can benefit rowing training has more detail.

For recovery days: swimming and walking

Swimming works the upper body and trains breathing control with no impact, so 30 minutes easy suits a recovery day. Walking is the gentlest way to add aerobic time, and 45 minutes at a brisk pace counts as easy training. Neither gives you much strength or hard fitness work. Use them for movement between harder sessions.

For rowing strength: kettlebells, pull-ups and lifts

These replace the strength side of rowing, which cardio machines can’t.

Kettlebell circuit. Do 5 rounds of 10 swings, 8 goblet squats and a 30 m carry, with 60 seconds of rest between rounds. Start light and learn the swing from the hips, as your back shouldn’t be doing the lifting.

Pull-ups and inverted rows. Strong lats and a good grip help the pulling phase of the stroke. If you can’t do a pull-up yet, use an assisted machine or inverted rows, for 3 sets of 5 to 8.

Squats and deadlifts. Our strength training for rowing guide explains how to load them and how often to lift.

What to choose for your situation

Situation	Best swap
Erg busy at the gym	SkiErg or BikeErg, same time and effort
River flooded for a week	2 erg sessions plus a long bike ride
Bored of rowing	1 climbing or swimming session in place of a steady row
Back needs a break	Ask a physio, then consider cycling, swimming or walking
Travelling, no gym	Runs or brisk walks, and bodyweight work from our rowing exercises without a machine page

If climbing appeals, our comparison of rowing machines and indoor climbing shows how the two differ and how to combine them.

A sample week with alternatives

This week keeps two rows as your anchor and uses alternatives on the other training days.

Day	Session	Time
Mon	Steady row	40 minutes
Tue	Strength work	45 minutes
Wed	Easy bike or swim	30 to 45 minutes
Thu	Intervals on the erg or air bike	30 minutes
Fri	Rest
Sat	Long steady ride, or a third row	60 minutes
Sun	Walk or stretching	30 minutes

Aim for 1 or 2 alternatives a week and keep your key rowing sessions. If you can’t row for longer, match the time and effort of each session you’re replacing. Our guide to cross-training for rowers explains how to fit other sports around your rowing without adding too much fatigue.