Is A Rowing Machine Good For Golf?

Trying to squeeze in working out while working full time, practicing, golfing, or spending time with family and friends is a lot.

Who has the time to squeeze in all of the above, plus an hour or more training in the gym?

Getting jacked like a bodybuilder isn’t optimal for golf, just look at Bryson, when he returned to golf, he was jaaacckked. 

Since then, he has slimmed down a lot, and now he’s playing the best golf of his life.

You want to find the perfect middle ground between building muscle, cardio, and full-body movements in the shortest time possible.

In steps the rowing machine!

Rowing machines are great at building muscle, burning up to 300 calories in 20 minutes, and using every muscle in your body.

Making it the perfect workout equipment for golfers who want the most bang for their buck.

I would say it’s the #1 exercise machine for golfers.

By the end of this post, you will know all the benefits, the downsides, and how to use a rowing machine.

Which will take your golf game to the next level.

What Exactly Is A Rowing Machine?

Indoor rowing machines mimic the motion required to row a boat. 

It’s a demanding movement that will help you build muscle, improve your stamina, and burn calories simultaneously.

The rowing machine is quite large but is in most commercial gyms.

Rowing machines are the only cardio machines that require your entire body to work together to complete the movement.

For this reason, rowing machines improve golf course performance compared with other cardio machines.

Benefits Of Using A Rowing Machine

Rowing Improves Your Stamina

The rowing machine’s main benefit is gaining better stamina/cardiovascular endurance.

Improving your fitness reduces the risk of strokes, heart attacks, poor blood pressure, diabetes, and becoming fat.

Why is stamina necessary for golf?

Think about it: have you ever started a round playing well, only to fall off towards the end due to tiredness/fatigue?

You may not even notice how much the round has affected you as your usual level of endurance is your base line.

If your stamina improves, you won’t get tired as quickly. 

Better stamina means it will be easier to maintain focus and technique for the entire round.

Start strong and finish stronger!

Stronger Upper Body Muscles

Have you ever looked at the men and women who do rowing competitively? 

If you have, you probably noticed that their upper body muscles are enormous compared to the rest.

The rowing machine imitates the motion of rowing a boat which requires your back, shoulders, legs and arms to work together.

These muscles are used during a golf swing to provide stability and generating power/swing speed for hitting the ball farther.

Increasing your overall strength will make controlling your club easier over time.

More control over your golf club and swing will result in more consistent shots.

Stronger Core And Leg Muscles

Your legs and core are other muscles that get worked on the rowing machine. 

Although the rowing machine works your upper body muscles a little more than your leg muscles, you can still build and strengthen them..

Your core muscles will get worked a lot as they will be engaged throughout the entire movement.

Stronger legs and a tighter core will help you control your swing.. 

Strong legs will help you get that additional power or distance you want too.

Similarly to improving your fitness, stronger legs won’t tire out as quickly walking around the golf course, helping you easily power up inclines.

Improved Coordination

The rowing machine requires you to use your entire body to complete the exercise. 

This movement will train your body to work in sync, which is what you want to do during a golf swing. 

By using the rowing machine your coordination will be better on the course. 

Making you feel more balanced and stable throughout your golf swing. 

That will result in more consistent shots throughout a round, and lower scores.

Weight loss

Losing weight around the midsection can help golfers make fuller turns and help their golf game. 

Sure, there will always be exceptions like John Daly, but that’s what they are… exceptions. 

Rowing workouts can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. 

Because the rowing machine burns calories and builds muscle simultaneously, you will shape up faster than you would using a treadmill.

Healthier Joints

Golf can be tough on many of your joints, so it doesn’t make sense to train a movement that will burden your joints.

Exercises like jogging or sprinting can be tough on your lower body joints due to the repetitive impact of your feet hitting the ground. 

Just ask any long-term jogger you know.

They are sure to have all kinds of ankle and knee-related injuries.

However, the rowing machine is different. 

Because the movement has no impact, it doesn’t put as much strain on your joints. 

Essentially, you are sliding back and forth on a seat doing the movement, meaning there is no severe strain on your knees.

How To Get Started Using A Rowing Machine

Start By Doing A HIT Workout

A HIT workout means you do the movement for a set time, say one minute. 

Then once you hit the minute mark, you stop and take a 30-second rest.

After your rest break is up, then, you start your next minute.

Breaking your rowing workout/rowing exercises up like this will help you get the most from your training session.

There are plenty of apps you can get for these workouts that will set timers to let you know when to go and when to rest. 

Most are free, so you don’t have to worry about paying for them.

Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can, Chew

One of the biggest mistakes people new to training make is going for too much too soon.

It’s understandable, and you may get carried away after watching a few David Goggins videos, but take small steps first, somebody else can carry the boats for now!

If you’re only new to the exercise, start doing 10 minutes first, then once you find that easy to do, move it up to 15 minutes, and so on.

After a while, your endurance will improve, and you can train harder for longer.

Just be patient.

Practice Perfect Form 

Ensuring you exercise correctly will help you get the most from your training and avoid unwanted injuries.

It’s perfectly normal to want to train harder in the gym, but if you’re sacrificing form, then you will progress slower.

Are There Any Downsides To Golfers Using A Rowing Machine?

Lower Back Problems If Not Used Correctly

Rowing itself requires a lot of stability from your upper body and, if done with bad form, can cause pain in your lower back.

The movement itself is relatively safe if done correctly.

However, if you suffer from lower back pain, try another exercise for now. 

If you have a history of lower back pain but it’s not affecting you currently, rowing should be okay. 

Just be mindful and start slowly with the correct form before pushing yourself.

They Take Up A Bunch Of Space

This is only an issue if you plan on buying a rowing machine for your home; if you train in your local gym, it doesn’t apply.

Rowing machines are one of the larger cardio machines. 

Most are 8-10 feet long and a couple of feet wide. So finding the space for it in your home won’t be easy for many people.

That being said, if you have the room, then it’s not a problem.

They Can Be Loud 

Rowing machines make a lot of noise, but so does every cardio machine.

Every time you pull back, a fan gets pulled, and the noise of the fan spinning with air passing through it can be loud.

Also, this movement will make noise because you are on a seat that glides back and forth on a track.

But once again, if you’re in the gym, this isn’t an issue; however, if you live in an apartment, you could get some noise complaints against you.

Make sure to check out the below posts, too, if you’re serious about your fitness when it comes to golf:

Golf Warm-Up Routing To Shoot Lower

Back Stretches For Golf

How To Play Golf With A Sore Left Knee