Exercise Bike vs Rowing Machine: Which Is Better For Burning Calories?
Picking an exercise bike vs rowing machine should be easy but it isn’t. Which one burns more calories and gives you more benefits? We are going to take a look at the answer to that question, like you might expect it isn’t a clear cut answer
Picking an exercise bike vs rowing machine should be easy but it isn’t. Which one burns more calories and gives you more benefits? We are going to take a look at the answer to that question, like you might expect it isn’t a clear cut answer.
A very wide variety of exercise machines exist out there. Picking the right one can make a huge difference in the benefits you see. It is also essential to ensure that you don’t spend a lot of unnecessary money on equipment that won’t show benefits. Two of the most popular exercise machines are exercise bikes and rowing machines.
Exercise Bikes: Muscles Worked and Calories Burned
Almost everyone has seen an exercise bike, most of us have used one. These exercise machines are easy to use, especially since most of us learned to ride a bike when we kids. You hope on the exercise bike and can go. The resistance is easy to set, the higher you set it, the harder it is to peddle.
There are typically two different types of stationary bikes for exercising, recumbent bikes and the upright bikes. The recumbent bike has you sitting down the whole time that you workout while the upright one keeps you up or forward. While a recumbent bike might be more comfortable, they do not offer the same ability to stand up and are not anywhere near what your regular bicycle.
Your exercise bike will burn between 400 and 800 kcal an hour. This varies depending on what intensity you set your bike to and your fitness level. A workout with an exercise bike is typically a longer one, with an average somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes. It isn’t uncommon to ride for an hour with some riders choosing rides that are even longer.
The main purpose of the exercise bike is to engage in cardio exercise. In other words, exercising your heart. This is the same thing a treadmill does. At the same time as working your heart, the stationary bike works all parts of the legs, including thighs and the buttocks.
When using an exercise bike it is typically easy to do another activity such as watch television or read a book. You can take a hand off the handlebars to flip the page, change the channel and not have to worry. Most people will find it difficult to do more advanced tasks like typing but doing your work while riding the exercise bike won’t make the experience enjoyable anyways.
Rowing Machines: Muscles Worked and Calories Burned
A rowing machine is a little more mysterious when it comes to exercise bike vs rowing machine. Unless you have spent a lot of time in a well equipped gym, chances are you have never used one of these. What it boils down to is that a rowing machine is a machine that simulates rowing a boat by having you pull cables that are weighted to a desired setting.
Your average rowing machine workout lasts about 20 minutes and is very demanding. With a mechanism on your machine you can change up the intensity to match your needs.
There is an extensive diversity of rowing machines of all shapes and sizes. Some at-home machines are as simple as a stand that you put your feet against. The average rowing machine, especially at the gym, features a bench or seat that is attached to a mechanism that holds the handle or handles. Weight for the handles is controlled in a variety of ways such as magnets, water, air, or pistons.
When it comes to exercise bike vs rowing machine, the two have very similar calorie burning with the range for the rowing machine also being 400 to 800 kcal. Again, this depends on the intensity of the rowing machine workout, including how you use the machine.
A rowing machine is still a cardio machine but it is one that utilizes more of the body’s muscles. You will use your legs, glutes, calves, arms, shoulders, back, and abs if you are using the machine properly. About 60% of the workout comes from the legs and 30% comes from the movement. To many people’s surprises though, only 10% of the effort comes from the arms.
Something to note about rowing machines is that they are very demanding on the body as they are meant for an intense workout. Those who have back pain, bad posture, or knee problems may find that it is not the right machine for them.
While you will need to learn proper posture for an exercise bike, it is even more important to learn it for a rowing machine as it takes your whole body to engage the machine. As a quick summary you will want to keep your back straight, head up, and your hands in an equal position.
An area that the rowing machine stands out in exercise bike vs rowing machine is that some machines are much easier to store away when you are not using them as they simply fold up.
The one thing to keep in mind is that if you use a water-based rowing machine you will want to read and follow the directions regarding the water reservoir.
Which Machine Should I Buy? Exercise Bike vs Rowing Machine?
When trying to decide in the battle of exercise bike vs rowing machine, you will see a lot of mixed messages. Both machines come with their own benefits and suit different purposes. You need to determine what your need is and then select based on said need.
A rowing machine is mainly used by athletes or those who want to become better at rowing. That being said, it gives you an intense workout that can help you to build muscles in multiple parts of the body at one time, which is one of the reasons that people choose it over other machines. As we mentioned above though it can be hard on the body and some people will avoid it for that reason alone.
Almost everyone has had some experience using a bike and that makes an exercise bike a familiar choice. Hopping on an exercise bike will give you better power toward burning fat as you typically engage in longer workouts on an exercise bike and it is a purely cardio machine. A bike is also easy on the body and it can be easier to multitask while on a bike.
Final Take:
In the end, a fitness bike tends to be the more popular choice when it comes down to exercise bike vs rowing machines. That is, unless you are a professional or looking for a very specific workout machine. We hope that you have learned enough about the two machines to make the decision, because it is truly yours and based on your needs.
Which machine do you think you are going to choose? Please feel free to share your views and experiences in our comments section below.
So you have decided to finally get off the couch and get back into your fitness routine and back on track for get your weight loss goals but are wondering what the best home exercise equipment for weight loss…
So you are you are interested in finding, picking and buying an indoor cycling bike. With the overwhelming types and choices out there where do you start? How do you choose not only best exercise bike…
Upper body workout and strength is extremely important since your upper body controls many of your daily activities including, reaching, pulling, pushing and lifting. In addition, having a strong upper body helps to improve your overall flexibility, mobility…
For years fitness watches were to be used by men and fitness watches for women were practically unheard of – forcing women who wanted a watch to track their fitness to wear fitness watches designed and made for…
There are two basic types of exercise bikes, the upright bike and the stationary recumbent bike and many people simply don’t know which bike is right for them. In this article “Upright vs Stationary Recumbent Bike: Which One Is Right…
It does not matter whether you live in a rural area, a small town or a large city, you can enjoy the many health and other benefits of jogging as an exercise. You can jog as a part of…
If you are having difficulty deciding which one is better for you then this article on treadmill vs bike will give the information you need to decide which one of these two pieces of exercise equipment will best meet your needs…
How would you track your daily calories intake and how many calories you burned while exercising? It all comes down to picking the right and best fitness activity tracker. So this article will help and provide you with best…
For years fitness watches were to be used by men and fitness watches for women were practically unheard of – forcing women who wanted a watch to track their fitness to wear fitness watches designed and made for…
Your guide to the best workout bags and cheap gym bags for both male and females Also Recommended For You: Best Wireless Earbuds For Working Out: Listing Guide 10 Best Garmin GPS Running Watches To Buy For Your…
Running is a tough task to ace, but when you have one of these 10 Best Running Shoes For Men by your side, your experience will surely become one of a kind. From sore muscles to extreme exhaustion, committing ourselves completely to…
Are you looking for the best wireless earbuds for working out and exercise? Here is a quick listing guide to some of the top best bluetooth and wireless earbuds all your workouts and for the gym.
Many people looking for wonder what the most important feature they should consider. It has hard to argue that having the best noise canceling headphones when you are exercising at the gym or doing your routine jogging exercise makes all the…
Moving can be a pain, especially when you have heavy exercise machinery that needs to be taken from one place to another. Even relocating your equipment from your top floor to the bottom one can lead to damaging…
Are you looking for a treadmill for home use? This treadmill buying guide is will give you some handy tips in choosing the best treadmill to suit both your budgetary and exercise goals. You might be one of those…
Elliptical machine doesn’t specifically target the stomach and abdominal muscles, burning calories generally reduces the waistline to some degree anyway
Sometimes going to the gym can feel embarrassing because the idea of people watching you while you exercise is mortifying. You want to be dedicated to being healthier but simply can’t get yourself through the…
Ellipticals have a variety of benefits, such as: Causing less impact on your joints Providing a full body workout Being a suitable form of exercise for people who are ill, elderly or pregnant Improving your cardiovascular system On…
How Long Should You Run On An Elliptical To Lose Weight Effectively? One of the most frequent questions I have been asked has been, “how long should you run on an elliptical to lose weight?”. After some thinking I figured I could not keep on ignoring this question and have been compelled to write an…
Before you decide on the best elliptical to buy, there are some general and personal considerations you should keep in mind. This will help you check all the right boxes and make sure you end up…
If you are using an elliptical to workout and lose weight, am sure you are asking yourself: how accurate are elliptical calorie counters? Sometimes people can get preoccupied with how many calories their ellipticals say they’re burning. Burning calories means weight loss,…
Speed training is an important part of any sport and it can also be beneficial to anyone who is trying to improve their overall fitness. Speed training not only helps you to run faster, but can help you improve the…
Are you optimizing your daily schedule to its fullest potential? If you are someone who works out on a daily basis, you probably understand the importance of having a set schedule daily workout routine. However, in today’s…
Are you tired of not seeing results from your current weekly exercise plan? Whether you are trying to lose or gain weight, your workout routine demands a dose of variety. In today’s society, it is so…
Most fitness experts will tell you that bodyweight ab workout exercises by themselves are not likely to give you those washboard abs you are seeking. Neither will they help you burn that excess body fat or improve your overall health. If…
Are you considering buying an under desk bike or for a home gym or exercising while at the office? If so, you may want to read this article before you proceed and spend your hard earned money. Getting your…
Everybody is different and finding the right can often be a chore. Some machinery doesn’t accommodate people with sensitive joints while others can be too expensive to maintain. That’s why ellipticals are here to stay. They can be useful tools…
