Rowing Machines vs Gymnastics

These are two very different ways to train. Rowing machines build cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance with a repetitive movement. Gymnastics, and gymnastic-style bodyweight training, develops strength relative to bodyweight, mobility, balance and skill. Choose by what you want your body to be able to do.

Rowing machine

• Strengths. Aerobic capacity, endurance, leg and back strength, low impact.
• Limits. One repetitive movement, with little balance, mobility or overhead work.
• Access. Easy to start at home or in any gym. See the rowing machines hub.
• Progress. Easy to measure with split, rate and benchmark tests.

Gymnastics

• Strengths. Body control, core strength, pushing and pulling bodyweight, flexibility and coordination.
• Limits. Takes a long time to learn, can be hard on wrists and shoulders, and generally needs a coach and equipment.
• Access. Adult classes exist at many clubs and gyms.
• Progress. Measured in skills mastered, such as a handstand hold, a pull-up or a controlled cartwheel, rather than times.

Joints and injury

Rowing is low impact. Gymnastics involves landing, inversion and load on wrists and shoulders, so progress gradually under supervision. If you have an injury or health condition, speak to a GP or physio before starting either. For gymnastics, learn the basics with a qualified coach rather than copying skills from a video.

Fitness benefits compared

	Rowing machine	Gymnastics
Aerobic fitness	High	Moderate
Bodyweight strength	Moderate	High
Flexibility	Low	High
Balance and skill	Low	High
Impact	Low	Higher, especially on landing
Cost	Machine or gym membership	Classes and coaching

What each trains for

A rower’s strengths are in sustained work: you can hold a steady pace for 30 to 60 minutes and then repeat it tomorrow. Gymnastics trains short, high-quality efforts with long rest, such as a hold or a set of skills. The two cover each other’s gaps. A rower with tight hips and a weak overhead position gains from mobility work, while a gymnast with little aerobic base benefits from steady rowing.

Using both

A sensible week could include two or three rows for fitness and one or two gymnastics-style sessions for strength and mobility. A sample plan:

1. Monday: steady row, 30 minutes.
2. Wednesday: gymnastics or bodyweight skills, 45 minutes.
3. Friday: intervals on the rower, such as 6 x 2 minutes firm with 1 minute easy.
4. Weekend: mobility work or a long, easy row.

Our bodyweight exercises to help you row better and flexibility for rowers borrow ideas from this world.

Who each suits

Rowing suits you if you want a simple, repeatable routine that you can start alone tonight, with numbers to track and little risk from the movement itself. It is also a good choice for a busy week, because a 20-minute session is complete in itself. Our guide to whether rowing machines are good sets out the benefits and limits in more detail. Gymnastics suits you if you enjoy learning new skills, want to feel more in control of your body and do not mind a slower, coach-led start. Progress can be slow but very rewarding, and it keeps training interesting for years. If you are returning after a break or older, begin with the easier of the two and add the other once you are confident.

Common mistakes

1. Skipping rest between hard gymnastics sessions and long rows.
2. Rushing skills without enough strength or mobility.
3. Forgetting that wrists and shoulders need gradual conditioning.
4. Using rowing as an excuse not to stretch.

Where to start

If you want a simple entry point, try how to use a rowing machine and the first month on the erg. If gymnastics appeals, look for a qualified coach or an adult beginners’ class.