When he’s not living the suburban life—marketing job, wife, toddler, dog—Zach Fowle is strapped into his ergometer, the rhythmic whirring ticking off the hundreds of miles he travels every year without leaving his basement.
Fowle, 38, has been a competitive indoor rower for five years. However, he didn’t transition from water to machine like many rowers. “My CrossFit coach noticed I always crushed the workout’s rowing segment and suggested I try competing,” he says.
Fowle began with virtual competitions, racing against other rowers worldwide via online platforms and specialized apps. He soon qualified for his first major in-person event, the 2023 World Rowing Versa Challenge (part of the World Rowing Indoor Championships), where rowers competed in five demanding events that tested speed, endurance, power, and strategy. Fowle won bronze (tying for 3rd place). “After that, I wanted to get into everything indoor rowing.”
Other major races followed, including a return to the Versa Challenge in 2024 and the 2025 USRowing Indoor Championships, where Fowle earned silver in the 2,000 meters. (In late February, he is scheduled to compete in the 1,000 meters at the 2026 World Rowing Virtual Indoor Championships.)
Health Benefits of Rowing
If you want to reach peak condition, give indoor rowing a whirl. For proof, look at Fowle. Other than occasional strength training (mostly squats and bench presses), it’s his only exercise. “Regular rowing keeps me in great shape,” he says.
Indoor rowing is a low-impact, high-intensity exercise that’s easy on the joints but pushes the body to its limits. “It’s an effective means to build and tone muscle, strengthen cardiovascular health, and increase endurance,” says Dr. Edward Phillips, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and indoor rower enthusiast.
Research has shown that indoor rowing can match treadmill and elliptical training in increasing VO2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen your body uses during exercise and a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness.
Indoor rowing also offers something other cardio can’t: a total-body workout. “The main misconception about rowing is that it mostly works the upper body,” says Fowle. “But it’s 60% legs, 30% back, and 10% arms.”
Rowing engages about 86% of the body’s muscles with every stroke. It primarily works the posterior chain, the group of backside muscles that run from the heels to the upper back:
- Calves
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the spine)
- Lats
- Traps
- Deltoids.
Indoor rowing’s fitness prowess has even caught the attention of scientists, who are studying how it may protect against the damaging physical effects of long-term spaceflight.
Four Rowing Workouts for Every Level
Although you may never reach Fowle’s performance level, you can utilize his workouts. Here are three of his favorite routines. Adjust the time, distance, rest period, and pace based on your fitness level and workout goal. “They are designed so you can do everything from taking it easy to murdering yourself,” says Fowle.
Before starting, you must first learn proper form and technique. Without them, you waste energy, tire quickly, and increase your risk of lower back strain, says Fowle. “The rowing machine punishes people who are not prepared.”
He advises watching online instructional videos. His choice: Dark Horse Rowing on YouTube. When you’re ready, start accumulating your miles.
20r30: An ideal starting place for beginners. Row at a 20 stroke rate (the number of strokes taken in 1 minute) non-stop for 30 minutes. (Most gym machines display stroke rate. If not, count your strokes every minute.) “It’s a workout that gradually builds aerobic and muscle endurance at a stroke rate that allows you to practice good form,” says Fowle. “Increasing your total meters over time is a sign your fitness has improved.”
Zone 2: This moderate-intensity workout is Fowle’s go-to “steady state” exercise that ignites the body’s fat-burning machine while building cardiovascular endurance. Using a heart-rate monitor, row for 20 minutes while holding a Zone 2 heart rate (60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate, calculated by subtracting your age from 220). Rest for 1:30 and then repeat the sequence twice more. A chest strap or armband monitor is often more accurate than wrist devices. The talk test is another method for estimating when you’re in Zone 2. You can still hold a conversation, but can’t sing, or the effort feels like a four or five on a 10-point scale.
Speed Pyramid: An interval-based routine where you “climb” to the pyramid’s top by gradually increasing the distance and rest period. Once there, you repeat the sequence in reverse to descend. “It’s a great test for endurance and strength,” says Fowle. “The goal is to maintain a fast pace. Not a full sprint, but definitely quick and uncomfortable.” It works like this:
- Row for 250 meters; rest for 1 minute
- Row for 500 meters; rest for 3 minutes
- Row for 750 meters; rest for 4.5 minutes
- Row for 1,000 meters; rest for 6 minutes
- Then reverse the order: 750, 500, and 250.
Row Golf: The Competitive Cardio Challenge
Row Golf is a fun way to track your progress and spark motivation. The workout mimics an 18-hole round of golf. However, each “hole” is a 1-minute sprint in which you row as fast as possible for 60 seconds. Your score for each hole is determined by how many meters you cover. For instance, if you row below 300 meters, that’s a bogey; 300 to 320 meters equals a par; 321 to 335 is a birdie, and any distance above 335 is an eagle. Rest for 1 minute between holes. “Add up your score like golf and then see if you can beat it during your next round,” says Fowle. Not up for a full 18? Play nine holes.
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