How Long Does It Take to See Results From Rowing?

Rowing is a calorie-burning cardio workout that can quickly strengthen your entire body. Rowing machine before-and-after photos often show improvement in many muscle groups. But rowing is particularly beneficial for your back, shoulders, abs and arms.

"Rowing requires 86 percent of your muscles to activate in order to perform the stroke properly," says Annie Mulgrew, CPT, founding instructor for CITYROW. "That's a total-body effort in each stroke, which makes the row machine one of — if not the — most effective pieces of cardio equipment."

But how long will it take to see the results you're looking for? You'll likely start to notice results from rowing within the first few weeks of beginning a consistent rowing workout routine. It might take more like 3 months to notice really dramatic results, though.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about how long it takes to see results from rowing.

"Other than the instantaneous results of feeling empowered and energized, you can expect to notice more definition in your muscles within the first few weeks of committing to a consistent rowing workout routine," Mulgrew says. "You'll also notice that your lung capacity has increased." Think: not feeling so winded during each session.

But, as Mulgrew points out, the single most important thing when you want to feel ‌and‌ see rowing machine results is consistency. "A consistent routine, even if that's only twice a week, is better than going too big, too quickly and burning out," says Mulgrew, who recommends aiming to work out four to five times a week for at least 30 minutes.

Another factor to keep in mind is variety, meaning you don't do the same workout every single day — even if that's rowing. "It's important to get variety into your schedule so your muscles are challenged differently," Mulgrew says.

Once you're working out consistently, it's also important to eat a nutrient-rich, balanced diet, drink enough water throughout the day and get adequate sleep, she says. "All three of these things contribute to your overall health and how quickly you will see results from your rowing workouts."

Then... be patient! "As with anything, it [often] takes 90 days to see and feel the results of your hard work, including overall noticeable muscle tone as well as a positive effect on your body mass index."

According to the rowing machine brand Hydrow, here's a breakdown of when you can expect to see certain transformations due to rowing:

• ‌3 to 4 weeks:‌ Muscle tone, cardiovascular endurance and posture begin to improve
• ‌6 to 8 weeks:‌ Fat loss and muscle definition become more visible
• ‌12 weeks and beyond:‌ Lasting body composition, endurance and strength changes kick in

The reason you can see serious results using a rowing machine is because the workout burns serious calories.

The number of calories burned while rowing varies based on the intensity and duration of your workout. But generally, at a moderate intensity, you can burn 200 to 300 calories in 30 minutes of rowing, according to Harvard Health Publishing. And at a vigorous intensity, you might burn more like 250 to 450.

Most rowing machines will track your speed, distance and calories burned during your workout, making it easier to track your progress. Over time, when paired with a balanced diet, that increase in energy expenditure can contribute to toned muscles and fat loss.

You'll notice muscle definition all over your body rather than in one specific area. If you want bigger biceps or a more stable core, know rowing will benefit these areas. But targeted exercises like biceps curls and planks can better isolate those specific muscle groups. Rowing is best for overall cardio and strength rather than muscle size.

To maximize results from rowing, you'll want to be strategic about your workouts. Most fall into two major categories with different effects on muscle tone and body weight.

"A combination of conditioning classes matched with some more HIIT-style classes as well as weighted work will yield the fastest results," Mulgrew says.

Both types of workouts are highly effective and help contribute to a "rowing body."

Conditioning rowing is an endurance approach that requires sustained motion over a longer period of time. Endurance workouts continue to challenge your muscles but not in a manner that will burn them out in short period of time. This training method tends to burn more calories, as it often involves exercise sessions lasting for an hour or longer.

High-intensity interval rowing typically requires a 20-minute push through a difficult set of resistance and speed. High-intensity workouts challenge your muscles while raising your heart rate to burn calories.

The short bursts boost your metabolism and improve your body's ability to use energy energy due to the increase in oxygen consumption, as the American Council on Exercise notes. Longer workouts torch more calories and boost your cardiovascular fitness.

That's why you'll see the best results alternating between endurance training and short bursts of higher-intensity rowing on several days a week. Take the time to develop a rowing machine workout plan with room for both workout styles. Variety makes it possible to reap the rowing machine benefits of endurance and strength.

Your plan should also leave room for dedicated strength-training sessions to help you further develop muscle size and strength.

If you're new to exercise — or new to rowing specifically — you should slowly build up your strength and endurance before increasing the intensity of your rowing machine workouts.

"Give yourself some time to perfect your rowing technique before working on rowing at different intensities," Mulgrew says. "Laying a solid foundation of technique will ensure that you are able to keep rowing for longer periods of time as well as at higher intensities."

Start slowly if you're new to rowing, especially if you haven't done other resistance training before, either. Rowing will work your muscles in unfamiliar ways. Proper form is critical to not over-stressing your body.

Begin with short, light rowing workouts and focus on your posture and form. Flex through your upper back to build the necessary back, leg and abdomen strength required to row properly. Consider taking a class at a rowing studio so you can have an instructor show you perfect form.

After you begin to build some strength and stamina on the rower, you can gradually increase your intensity and reach your own rowing body transformation. That initial building period will also help with tone and definition as you build strength and burn fat during your workouts.

Along your journey to rowing machine results, you'll want a measurable way to track your progress. Typically that's done using a few key stats.

Before adding rowing workouts into your regular fitness schedule, take a "before" photo for your personal use. Also, note your weight and body fat if desired.

Next, perform a 10-minute rowing workout to determine how you feel. Do a moderate-intensity set — or a low-intensity set if you haven't been exercising regularly. Jot down how you feel and which muscles are fatigued and sore during the trial run. These notes create a baseline and open the door for pushing yourself forward while getting in great rowing shape.

Aim to row two to four times a week based on this initial trial. Gradually increase the intensity and duration. Take weekly notes about how you feel rowing before and after weight loss.

Take weekly or monthly photos and note the changes in your physical appearance. If you eat a nutritious diet and stick with your workouts, you should see subtle differences in muscle tone within weeks.