Elliptical vs Rowing Machine: Which Workout is Better?

Indoor cardio is an appropriate way to lose weight, torch your calories and get your heart rate up regularly. Cardiovascular exercise is a great way to tone your muscle, lose body fat, and reduce the risk of various diseases. There are a variety of cardio machines that you can choose to fulfill your fitness goals.

If you are struggling to figure out the cardio machine, then you can follow this context. It will help you to decide the best exercise machine between Elliptical vs Rowing Machine. Here we have included core details of both cardio machines, with the pros and cons of each. Dive into the comparison between elliptical and rowing machines to finger out the best one for you.

Elliptical vs Rowing Machine: What’s the Difference?

Want to know the key differences between elliptical and rowing machines? Follow below; here, we have arranged a perfect comparison between Elliptical vs Rowing Machine with detailed information.

Elliptical vs Rowing Machine: What’s the Difference?

1. What is?

Elliptical:

An elliptical is a stationary exercise machine that allows getting aerobic exercise, which helps to strengthen muscle, heart, and lungs. It is a perfect exercise machine that is excellent for cardiovascular exercise. Elliptical also helps to build endurance and stamina. Along with cardio exercise, you can also perform high-intensity interval training on an elliptical machine.

Elliptical

Rowing Machine:

According to Wikipedia, a rowing machine is a  piece of equipment used to simulate watercraft rowing action. This machine helps to get a proper indoor cardio workout by engaging up to 86 percent of your muscles. Rowing machine is very effective to tone your muscles and offers some surprising benefits for your lungs and heart. This equipment will also help you to strengthen, endurance, and tone your entire body muscles.

Rowing Machine

2. Ease Of Use

Elliptical:

This machine is extremely easy to use with its pedals and handlebar system. You have to put your feet on pedals and arms on handlebars and then start moving. Elliptical machine resistance is basically controlled by turning a knob or pushing a button. Its intuitive display system will track your heart rate, speed, calories burned, and so on.

Rowing Machine:

Rowing Machine is also easy to use because you have to sit down and begin pushing and pulling. However, you must need to know the proper technique to use this amazing indoor workout equipment. That is because the use of the bad technique can cause back and joints issues. You might need to take proper sessions from a personal trainer or Minotaur to learn the proper technique.

3. Programming Factors

Elliptical:

You will never need to take help from any elliptical trainers to run an elliptical machine. That is because it offers the easiest programming system. You can easily run this equipment and change the option as per your requirements. With an elliptical machine, you can change the resistance levels and change the incline position. In short, an elliptical machine can change the over-stress pattern of your body muscles.

Rowing Machine:

If you use the rowing machine, you can only be able to change the resistance level. This machine also does not offer a variety of programming facilities as the elliptical machine offers. This is why you will easily get bored while performing workouts with a rowing machine.

4. Calorie Burn

Elliptical:

If you are looking for a fully-featured exercise machine to burn your calorie, then the Elliptical can be an excellent machine. It provides enough flexibility in the keens, hips and ankles to manage the motion of your body weight. This machine can burn upwards of 600 to 800 calories per hour. However, how many calories will burn completely depends on your cardiovascular health and weight.

Elliptical

Rowing Machine:

A study showed that you could lose 200 and 350 calories on a rowing machine by performing a workout for 30-minute. The calorie-burning factor is almost the same because it depends on your body weight. However, you can exponentially increase calorie burning by increasing your workout time. While workout on rowing, to get maximum impact, keep you in a target workout zone.

Rowing Machine

5. Injury Risk

Elliptical:

If you use the elliptical machine, there is less chance of fall in injury. That is because you can easily control each functionality of this elliptical machine. However, you must know which area of your body is more prone to injury. Most elliptical uses often suffer from lower back issues. But you can prevent this injury by ensuring proper spinal column position and proper alignment.

Rowing Machine:

With rowing machines most likely to fall in knee injuries. An uncomfortable workout position can suffer you a lot, such as knee pain. Remember never to move your knee in a bent position while working out on a rowing machine. Always remember to maintain the proper instruction of your trainer while using the rowing machine.

6. Durability

Elliptical:

Once you buy an elliptical machine, you can use it for a long time because of its durability. Therefore, you can enjoy this machine’s benefits for a long period of time. It is like a one-time investment. However, as it is an electrical product, you must need to take proper care of it. Reliable maintenance will let you use the elliptical without facing any annoying issues.

Rowing Machine:

Rowing Machine is also a one-time investment, and they also last for a long time. Though they don’t require high maintenance, you have to take proper care of them. Before jumping over the rowing machine, take proper instruction from your trainer. That is because the inappropriate use of a rowing machine can cause several injuries.

7. Pros

Elliptical:

  • Easy to use
  • Variant movement options
  • Burn more calories
  • Budget-friendly
  • It helps to tone muscles
  • Elliptical is able to work full-body

Rowing Machine:

  • It helps to build muscle
  • Controlling system for each stroke
  • It does not require electricity.
  • Super strength training
  • Low impact

8. Cons

Elliptical:

  • Takes up more space.
  • No incline.

Rowing Machine:

  • Need to take help from professionals to work out.
  • It can put strain on your lower back.
  • Wrong exercise movement can cause serious injury.

Elliptical vs Rowing Machine: Which One is the Right Choice for You?

It’s time to declare which exercise equipment or machine will be the best option for you. When your ultimate goal is to lose your body fat and improve cardiovascular health, you can choose an elliptical machine. It will help you to get the best consistent use for workouts with plenty of health benefits.

The elliptical machine will also help you to resist a wide range of diseases. This exercise machine also gives you the option to change the resistance levels you’ll never find in exercise bikes. If you are looking for a  piece of equipment for your home, choose an elliptical machine. It will perfectly fit your fitness goals, needs, and also budget. Furthermore, a cheap elliptical under 200 will be good enough for an entire body workout.

Conclusion

The nutshell winner between Elliptical vs Rowing Machine will completely depend on your fitness goals and personal needs. Both of them offer amazing options for workout and improve cardiovascular health. However, the above-mentioned comparison will certainly help you choose the proper one for your current condition and future goals.

Though both exercise machines offer reliable options for the workout, you can go for the elliptical machine. That is because it offers an accurate combination of strength, and you will have a good time with elliptical cardio training. This exercise machine also offers a more targeted workout, versatility, and more calories burned workout than the rowing machine.


About The Author - Azizul Haque

Hi, this is Azizul. I run this website “Talk For Fitness” that will inform you about all the latest elliptical, treadmills and other physical exercise tools and machinery, uses, and maintenance information. As I am a gym trainer.

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