One of the things that you are going to need to decide on is what sort of resistance that you want your rower to have. The choices are water, air, magnetic, and piston. The differences are significant so you are going to want to know about the different kinds prior to making a purchase. Otherwise, you may not be happy with how the rower performs when you decide to start using it.

Water rowers have a flywheel that is inside of a tank of water. They are costly designs but also give a smooth workout and plenty of resistance. It also the closet that you can get to rowing on the water in your home. Air is the next common kind of resistance. Rather than using water, it uses a fan that spins which provides you with resistance. It costs less than water and also will not make a mess of your home if it fails.

Magnetic resistance is the third kind of resistance. It uses electromagnets to create the resistance that you need in order to work out. This means that it will require a source of electricity and you also need to set the resistance prior to starting. Unlike water or air, you will not have a natural rowing feeling with magnetics but they are quiet and less expensive. The final option is a piston which is the most affordable option. Piston machines lack high resistance so they aren’t suitable for strong people. You can also only use them for a short period of time or the piston will overheat. The advantage of this system is that it is inexpensive and small so piston machines are great for the home.

Metrics

Most people are going to want to track their workout progress. In order to do this, you are going to need some sort of system that will monitor important metrics such as calories, strokes, distance, and time. More advanced rowers can also monitor heart rate and watts so that you have additional information to use when you are tracking your workout progress. It’s important that you keep track of your workout so that you can manage your performance and get into shape or stay in shape.

At a minimum, you should have a rower that gives you a display for calories, time, and stokes. This is the minimum amount of information that you will likely need in order to exercise in an efficient fashion. More advanced rowers give you more information. For example, heart rate tracking is important for when you are training or trying to burn fat.

In addition to having a display, some rowers also work wirelessly with other devices. For example, modern rowers can interface with a smartphone application so that you can record your progress while you are working out. You may also want to get a rower than can use a Bluetooth heart rate monitor so that you can track your heart rate in real time. This will allow you to track your heart rate closely so that you can get the maximum amount of performance. If these metrics are important to you, then you should look for a rower that includes such features. This will allow you to get the best performance from your rower in terms of your workout so that you are more likely to be satisfied with using it.

Resistance Amount

Some people are just starting out and therefore do not need as much resistance as people who have been rowing for a while. For this reason, you going to have to check and make sure that the rower that you are purchasing will give you the proper amount of resistance. Not all rowers are the same so you going to need to try a few different kinds of rowers in the showroom of a store or the gym prior to making a decision about which rower you are going to purchase.

The first two kinds of rowers, air, and water, should, in theory, have an unlimited amount of resistance. This is because they are using natural forces to create resistance and therefore the resistance is based on how hard you are rowing. Many people who are training for competitions prefer these kinds of rowers for this exact reason. They are accommodating to everyone’s skill and fitness level and if you are not sure, then you should go with one of these two kinds of rowers.

Magnetic and piston rowers have adjustable resistance settings. Between the two, magnetic tends to provide you with more resistance than a piston because more electricity creates a stronger magnetic field. Many experienced rowers find that the piston rowers do not have a sufficient amount of resistance for them. Piston rowers are great for people who are starting out but they may not offer enough resistance once you get used to rowing. When you are looking at these rowers, you should test the different resistance settings and make sure that they are proper for your body. This way, you will get a rower that is sufficient for your needs.

When you are shopping for rowers, you are going to need to think about the space requirements that are needed in order to use the rower. If you fail to consider how much room the rower is going to need, you may end up in a situation where you can’t easily use the rower in your home because you don’t have enough room. Almost every rower will provide you with how much room is needed on your floor in order to use the rower. It may be a good idea to give yourself a little extra space in the event that you find that the space requirements are too tight.

Once you are done using the rower, you may need to put it away. This may not be necessary if you have a dedicated fitness space in your home where you can leave the rower out all of the time. However, if you do not have a dedicated fitness area, then you will want to pay attention to how the rower is stored when you are not using it. Many rowers fold up so that they can be stored in a closet. If this is important for you, then you are going to need to look for a rower that has such a feature.

A final feature that you may want to have is wheels. Wheels make it easy for you to move the rower to a different location which is useful for when the rower is used in the home. Wheels should be considered to be a necessity when you are going to fold the rower up and put it away between uses but you may always want to look for wheels.

Rowers need to be built well enough to withstand the forces that are created by exercising. For this reason, you are going to need to make sure that the rower is well made and is durable. If the rower isn’t durable, then you can deal with issues such as the rower breaking when you need to use it or even getting injured when the rower fails. There are a few steps that you can take to make sure that your rower is built well and will last.

One thing to look at is the construction of the frame. Typically frames are made of wood, aluminum, or steel. It doesn’t matter what sort of material has been used to make the frame but rather you should make sure that it is built with a high-quality grade and is thick enough for the material. Many users complain about frames bending or wearing out due to metal fatigue so thicker may be better. If the frame is made of wood, you will want to make sure that it is made of hardwoods that are free from defects such as knots.

Bolts and fasteners tend to be another problem area for rowers. Lower cost rowers tend to use low-quality fasteners which tend to snap or break after using the rower for a while. This can lead to users having to go to the hardware store to get replacement fasteners. A well-made rower will use higher quality fasteners that will prevent you from having to go through such as hassle. You should keep in mind that this isn’t an exhaustive list of common quality problems in rowers so you will want to do your homework in this area.

You can get a rower at just about any price. Many people find this to be advantageous since it means that you can get an inexpensive option if you are just getting started and work your way up if you start to get serious. You will find all of the features that are commonly found on other cardio machines such as calorie count, heart rate, and time spent. This allows you to track your progress while you are working out so that you can get the most from your workouts. If you need something that is perfect for cardio, then you should consider rowing.