The Fluid Rower range use a special water chamber, with large fan blades that cut into the water when you row. Not only does this give a smooth resistance, it also makes a water noise not unlike rowing in a real boat. Many athletes and rowers have said the find the water noise made by the fluid rower very relaxing and it really helps to stimulate a good fast paced exercise program.

The machine was fairly straight forward to assemble and was supplied with a screw driver and a spanner, so nothing was needed at all to aid the swift assembly. I took around 35 minutes to have the machine fully put together and the large polycarbonate tank filled with water.

The seat is firm and comfortable, the t bar hand grip attached to the cable had a neoprene covering which felt good in the hand. The quality of the materials used in the E316 are very good, the machine felt very sturdy and did not shake when rowed hard. Also the height of the seat position is very good, no bending right down, it almost felt at office chair height but not quite as high. I could see this machine being used by athletes with injuries or older people so they didn’t have to get low to get on to the seat, some rowing machines are very low down.

One thing that really stood out from its main rival the Concept 2 rowing machines was the instant pull with no slack when first starting to row, the concept 2 has a slight delay before you pull your full stroke, this isn’t the case with the Fluid Rower E316.

The an LCD computer covers all the areas you would expect, from 500m times, stroke rate, calories burnt, time, rowing strokes on a clear LCD screen. It hasn’t quite got the features of the Concept 2 but I understand this will be changing very soon.(so watch this space for the latest updates)

• 16 level patented Variable Fluid Resistance
• Direct Drive System (patent applied)
• Rigid frame construction for maximum stability
• Extended transport wheels for ease of movement
• Dyneema(R) cable – no chains, no lubrication
• Interactive Performance Monitor
• Ergonomic handle
• Seat at “office chair” height for ease of entry & exit
• Air-glide seat rollers
• Dual anodised aluminium seat rail
• Concealed roller design – cleaner, safer & smoother
• Unique Heel Support assembly (reg. design)
• Instant one-touch adjustment for foot size
• Compact footprint
• Optional back support

Priced from £999 this is a serious rowing machine, built to a very high standard with quality materials used throughout. Its been rated by many professional rowers to rank in the top 5 best indoor rowing machines in the world. For a fantastic range of Rowing machines visit healthclubsathome.com

One of the main reasons that drive the success of the Indoor Rower is the Performance Monitor, it’s extreme accuracy: all the times and distances it shows are comparable between different machines and users. As well as giving you reliably data to chart your progress, this has also led to the development of such things as the Concept Ranking and the sport of indoor rowing.

The PM3 displays on an LCD screen information live  when you row, as a user you can race against your previous workouts, or against a Pace Boat. Users can choose from a variety of units and display options, including watts, calories, a Bar Chart and a Force Curve. The removable Log Card stores all your data and workouts and allows you to transfer them to different machines or to your computer. This also allows you to upload information to various websites to compete all over the world with your time trials and compares how well your workout ranks world wide. So from rowing at home you really can come part of one the most rated forms of exercise.

The Concept 2 Indoor Roweris based on air resistance, which captures the rhythm and feel of rowing on the water by using a carefully balanced and calibrated flywheel almost like a large fan and as you row wind is generated to also help cool the rower. The resistance you feel using the Indoor Rower is the wind resistance generated by the spinning flywheel. With no brake pads to wear out, and no friction mechanism to generate heat, the flywheel motion is smooth, long lasting, and maintenance free. James Cracknell said “Wherever we train we always take a Concept2; it’s brilliant. It registers your power output, monitors the distance rowed, all the stuff you need to know really. It’s probably about 80-90 per cent similar to rowing a boat on the river.”

The rowing action from the Consept 2 in smooth and the seat glides easily, the frame is aluminium and is strong and light weight. The Concept 2 rowing machine folds for easy storage. Its fairly easy to put together and all the materials used are of good quality. You would expect quality considering prices start from £999 for the base model.

I personally like the Concept 2 but many are put off by the large ammount of wind noise you get when rowing, some like the fact that this action of resistance also cools the rower and the harder you work the more air generated by the large fans.

Concept 2 rowing machine are found in most commercial gyms and have established a massive following all over the world. If your looking for a new or used Concept 2 rowing machine, you can buy refurbished with a warranty from prices starting at only £599

If your looking for concept2 rowing machines for sale check out www.healthclubsathome.com who have a great range of model c and d concept 2 rowing machines, many refurbished as new.

Call 01733 205551 for the best deal on all rowing machines, dont forget to mention Rowing Machine Review

The WaterRower A1 is hand crafted in solid Ash and features an Aluminum monorail design, and is fitted with the new A1 Monitor which has an LCD display found on most rowing machines.

Each machine is unstained but hand finished with Danish Oil, with wood chosen due to its marvelous engineering properties, primary amongst these is its ability to absorb sound and vibration enhancing the Water Rower’s quietness and smoothness of use. Ash, like all woods used in Water Rower construction, is a premium hardwood with incredible longevity and dimensional stability. For reasons of ecology, all Water Rower woods are harvested from replenish able forests. How this plays on your ethics is another matter, this rowing machine is more like a bit of furniture rather than a piece of fitness equipment. Over the years I haven’t seen a Water Rower in a commercial gym and fitness environment, this crown is always taken by the like of Fluid Rower and Concept 2.

At just ofer £760 this rowing machine is not cheap and is aimed at the serious rower, for a few pounds more I would certainly consider the Club Rower as this is aturder machine and will lend to better abuse. Parts of the A1 machine felt a little flimsy when assembling, but once screwed together it did feel solid and heavy.

The Water Rower’s smooth action makes it a pleasure to use, replicating not only the superb physical benefits of rowing but much of the aesthetic pleasure as well. The Water Rower’s patented Water Flywheel uses paddles to connect to a moving mass of water. Like rowing, the connection is fluid, there is no impact, jerkiness and jarring typical of lesser rowing machines. It uses the very same system as the Fluid Rower and the water noise is very pleasing to the ear.

My only concern over time would be that the wood could and would dry out, if stored next to modern central heating radiators. But im sure if you keep it well oiled this would not happen, although on a machine of this price the last thing you would want is for the wood frame to split. I have had no evidence of this but it would play on my mind.

Overall i think I would be tempted to look at the Club model for £800

It features 8 resistance levels and a seat track that retracts for storage. The LCD Computer displays indicates time, time/500m, distance, calories and strokes providing you with a clear picture of your progress. Unfortunately several users have complained of a fault with the software running the LCD computer display on this rowing machine, if you set a certain distance or time and start rowing, the computer will reset itself after a few seconds of rowing or minutes, before you have reached the target.

York Fitness are aware of this fault and are issuing new LCD computers to buyers who have purchased this machine with the fault. I would have expected that a company as big as York re-called the product because there are also some issues when assembling the machine with the size of four of the pre-drilled holes, these are to small for the supplied screw so need drilling out by 1mm.

Its a shame that this York R700 rowing machines suffers from these few niggles as the quality of the parts and materials are very good, the machine responded well and coped with my 6ft 3″ and 240lb bulk sitting on it.

Overall a respnibly priced machine with a good rowing action, built out of quality material, let down by some poor software and some shody pre-manufacturing.

Average price £330

Product Features

Box Contents

Product Description

Product Features

• Steel main frame
• Aluminium rowing rail
• Frame folds for storage
• Single gym-style chain rowing action
• Fan wheel resistance system
• Oversize PVC footplates with adjustable Velcro footstraps
• 6-Function Computer displays: Stroke counter, Strokes per minute, Speed, Distance, Time and Calories Burned (Estimate)
• Dimensions: 212cm x 44cm x 74cm (L x W x H)
• Weight: 19.5kg
• Maximum User Weight: 115kg

Its very easy to jump on a rowing machine and go hell for leather for the first minute and them stop as quickly as you started. You will need to pace yourself to get the most out of rowing machine training.

Rowing Machine exercise can be very rewarding and also very relaxing, almost sending the mind into a hypnotic state, the slow rythmic pulls, the reputition of what your doing can be very relaxing even though your getting fitter and burning calories !!!

First of all lets get your machine ready for action, set the resistance level to around 3-5 with 20 being the hardest.

Try to avoid jumping on the machine and doing 30 minutes flat out. You will need to adjust your body to rowing as it really does work every part of you body, you will suddenly find that you have exercised muscle you didnt really now you had.

First Workouts

The Very Time you start Rowing

Avoid  the temptation to row for flat out for 30 minutes the first time you get on the machine. I would recommend starting with no more than 3–5 minutes at a time to let your body adjust. Then take a break to stretch and walk around. If you feel good, do up to 4 of these short intervals of rowing.

The Second Time you Row

Experiment with stroke rate and power, this is how far you travel on the seat back and forwar along with pulling the T bar. The  stroke rate is your cadence in strokes per minute. Keep an eye on your LCD display if your rowing machine is fitted with one, this will indicate your performance on the rowing machine.  The display should also show  a choice of units such as watts, calories, or pace. Spend 3 minute intervals of rowing, varying stroke rate and pace, as described below.

Workout

• 3 min at 20 spm, comfortable effort; 1 min rest
• 3 min at 22 spm, harder effort; 1 min rest
• 3 min at 24 spm comfortable; 1 min rest
• 3 min at 24 spm, harder, 3 min rest.

End with 10 minutes of steady state rowing at whatever spm and power are comfortable. Be sure to note the power and spm you settle on—you will use it next workout.

The Third time you Row

Introduce longer and faster rowing with stroke variations.

Workout

Do four 5 minutes pieces, varying the stroke rate as follows:

• 20 spm for first 2 minutes
• 22 spm for next 2 minutes
• 24 spm for last minute
• Then rest by rowing very easily for 2 minutes, before starting the next 5 minute piece.

Your work out pace should increase to a faster level than your previous 10 minute pace from last workout.

The Fourth time you Row

Longer steady rowing, harder more energy in your stroke but at the same time keep the pace and speed down.

Workout

• Two 10 minute pieces with 3 minutes rest in between.
  Try to alter your pace, try to increase more than you did for the first 10 minute workout 2. Stroke rate 20–24 spm.

The Fifth time you Row

Short intervals for variety and for a chance to see how fast a pace you can achieve.

Workout

• Row 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy for a total of 20 minutes.
  Watch the central display for your pace. Stroke rate 20–24.
  Record your paces after the workout using the recall/memory function on the Performance Monitor.

Benchmark Piece

• 30 minutes, non-stop.
  it may help if you record your times, pace, distance calories burnt and watts generated. You need to bench mark how well your rowing. You will start to feel good about how you have progressed and hopefull you will be on the start of a great form of exercise. Rowing can be carried out by people of all age groups from the young to the not so young .
• Do remember that before starting any form of exercise, you need to build up gradually and rest accordingly.