You’re not sure which to choose between a stationary bike and a rower. Read our comparison between the bike and the rowing machine to learn the differences, advantages, and disadvantages to help you make the best decision!
Exercise bikes and rowing machines are both excellent cardio tools that are good for your overall health. It makes sense to compare rowing and cycling as platforms for getting fit. The first and most obvious is that most gyms give you the option to use the best exercise bikes or rowing machines(opens in new tab).
The second, less obvious reason is that neither activity, unlike running, bears any load, so you can probably engage in it more frequently and for a longer period of time with less risk of injury.
But which one triumphs in the end? Everything is up to you. Do you have any physical restrictions or ailments? What are your goals? Which workout is your favorite? The machine that is best for you may depend on these elements. One is therefore best for you even though it isn’t necessarily superior to the other.
Further Reading: Rowing Machine Vs Elliptical: Which is Better for Exercise?
Pros & Cons of Rowing Machine
In addition to being a great cardio exercise, rowing can also tone your muscles. It quickly gets your heart pumping and works every muscle in your body.
Rowers can choose from various kinds of resistance. You can find our list of the top rowing machines as well as information about the various types of rowers.
Pros
- Burns calories
- Strengthens cardiovascular system
- Great for short high intensity workouts
- Full body workout
- Low impact workout
- Some can be folded in half or stored upright
Cons
- Can put a strain on your lower back and knees
- Requires mobility through the hips to sit close to the floor
- Not great if you have poor posture
- The machine can be loud depending on the resistance
- Long footprint
Pros & Cons of Exercise Bike
Although it works and tones your lower body muscles more so than your entire body, the exercise bike offers similar health advantages to the rower. Your heart rate may rise fairly quickly while using an exercise bike, depending on the resistance level and intensity.
You can read more about various exercise bike types here. The exercise bikes used in indoor cycling classes are what I’m comparing in this instance, though. You can find out which exercise bike is best for you by looking at our list of the best models!
Pros
- Burns calories
- Strengthens cardiovascular system
- Great for longer endurance workouts
- Low impact workout
- Better for knee and back problems
- The noise output is relatively low
Cons
- Can’t be folded or stored a different way to take up less space
- The large footprint isn’t great for smaller spaces
- Primarily just works your lower body
Rowing Machine Vs Bike: What Are the Differences?
It’s time to decide which machine is the best choice for you now that you have a better understanding of each one and how they compare and differ.
Weight Loss
The rowing machine and stationary bike are two exercise machines that provide a powerful cardio workout to burn calories and fat!). Both machines have the benefit of allowing you to change the intensity of your workout by increasing the machine’s resistance, which will increase the number of calories you burn.
The calories burned to depend on how long you work out and how hard you exercise. On a stationary bike or rowing machine, for instance, you will burn about 800 kilocalories in an hour of intense training, but only 400 kilocalories if you exercise more moderately.
While an exercise bike workout session lasts at least 30 to 45 minutes, a rower workout typically lasts 20 minutes. If your main goal is to lose weight, then we would recommend you opt for an exercise bike because you can easily alternate between extended cardio workouts of one hour or more and 20-minute HIIT exercises to effectively burn calories and fat.
Muscles Worked
Cycling and rowing both help you burn fat while improving your anaerobic capacity and cardiovascular fitness. Their differences begin when they have an impact on your muscles, but this also depends on the environment.
When you row, your entire posterior chain is worked during the drive phase, starting from your heels and moving up through your calves, hamstrings, glutes, core, spinal erectors, and neck. Additionally, the quads, forearms, biceps, and lats are worked during the pull phase.
85% of your muscles are engaged, and many of them are moved through their full range of motion, especially in the legs and back. This means that rowing in the weight room will probably make you functionally stronger than cycling. Because the upper body is not as involved when riding a bike in a gym, fewer muscles are engaged (unless you are up out of the saddle).
Physical Limitations
Before beginning a new exercise program, especially if you are recovering from an injury or are just getting into fitness, we strongly advise that you consult your doctor. Prior injuries or even simple aches and pains can gradually return and affect how your body moves.
The exercise bike may be a better option in this situation. Despite the fact that both machines are low-impact, particularly when compared to running, the exercise bike is usually more forgiving than the rowing machine.
Knee and back problems can worsen, especially if your form is poor. Exercise bikes are typically easier on the muscles and joints.
Further Reading: Are Rowing Machines Bad For Your Back?
Space in Your Home Gym
Because space in your home gym is limited, it’s important to take each exercise machine’s footprint into account.
For instance, the NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle measures 55.0 x 29.1 x 56.9 inches in length, width, and height. These are the measurements of the NordicTrack RW900 Rower: 86.5″ L x 22.0″ W x 50.4″ H.
This means that the rowing machine is better for home gyms with long sections of available space while the exercise bike is better for home gyms with wider spaces. When selecting your exercise equipment, keep in mind that this is typically true of each machine type.
Your Goals
What are your fitness objectives? What exercise do you like best, more importantly? Whichever machine you decide on, you should be certain that you’ll use it frequently. You won’t be able to benefit from either type of equipment’s health advantages without using it frequently.
What is your preferred workout duration? Because they work your entire body and demand a significant amount of effort, rowing machines are best for quick, high-intensity workouts rather than lengthy sessions.
That does not imply that exercising while riding a bike is simple. You already know that instructor-led classes are anything but that. But compared to rowing, indoor cycling may be simpler to keep up over time.
Both devices are capable of burning a lot of calories and can help with weight loss. However, if you enjoy cycling, you’ll likely use an exercise bike more frequently than a rower, and the opposite is true if you enjoy rowing.
Conclusion: Rowing Machine Vs Bike
Although both rowing machines and exercise bikes are excellent cardio options with similar health advantages, they each have features that are better or worse for different people. Riding an indoor cycling bike might be better for you if you have back or knee issues. Rowing is a good choice if you don’t have much time and want a full-body workout.
Remember that you should ideally exercise on your rowing machine or exercise bike for 30 to 45 minutes twice or three times per week. You can fully take advantage of the advantages and beneficial results of exercise on your body and your health in this way!