Does rowing intense intervals build lower body muscle?

[Alexander the Terrible]

I'm starting on a new workout routine after on and off (3 or 4 days a week) random training. As part of this routine I'm rowing (my goal is to get up to 12000m at the end of 24 weeks) and also doing strength training. I usually injure my knees doing squats, and don't have the kind of equipment for leg presses so I was wondering if rowing intervals will help me strength train my lower body.

[Citroen]

If you get your technique right then the stroke is 70% legs, 10% body/core and 20% arms.

http://www.concept2.co.uk/training/technique_video.php

[Dickie]

I'm starting on a new workout routine after on and off (3 or 4 days a week) random training. As part of this routine I'm rowing (my goal is to get up to 12000m at the end of 24 weeks) and also doing strength training. I usually injure my knees doing squats, and don't have the kind of equipment for leg presses so I was wondering if rowing intervals will help me strength train my lower body.

Not in the way you expect. You have to remember that any pressure put on the handle starts the flywheel moving and your resistance builds up from 0 as you start the motion, so to build up to a reasonabe amount of resistance takes a very quick response over the length of the stroke and does not reach maximum until well into the stroke, whereas when you use weights the full resistance is there even before you start the motion.. I was a powerlifter for many years and I now have over 16 million meters so i do have a point of reference. I do not consider even short intense intervals even close to a medium squat or legpress workout.

One other thing, be careful, there is a lot of strain put on the lower back trying to do intense intervals and more than one person I know has injured their backs trying to do intense intervals.

Fred Dickie
Best Full Squat 450, LegPress up 45 degree incline 1200

[Alexander the Terrible]

Thanks for answering my question, in addition to rowing 4+ days a week, i do upper body and abdominal work to improve my performance. However , lower body work is a bit of a challenge because my knees get sore after squats, hard sprinting, etc. most likely from osgood schlatter or some similar condition. Any help with this would be appretiated.

[iain]

Yes it will build muscle, but is not the best way to do so. I think Xeno does some short sprints at very low ratings (16 SPM or so) and max drag for this - the best achievable on the rower. However, as stated above good form is essential as is a really good warm up. s well as possible back injury from poor form, poor form will probably transfer much of the load onto the back and arms and massively reduce the benefit.

- Iain

[tditmar]

Of course it builds muscle, all you have to do is look at the legs of rowers to see that. And as far as your back is concerned, maintain form, and invest in a set of slides...problem solved.

Slides changed it all for me when I first bought a C2. My lower back was beginning to stay sore throughout each day. It was explained to me that without slides you are essentially rowing an infinitely heavy boat, with them the weight of the C2. Anyway, once I started using them, lower back soreness disappeared for good.

[slwiser]

Do slides cause the USB cable to an out board computer get in the way when the housing in going back and forth? If not how do you locate the cable so as not to be a problem? Thanks