In strength training, rowing (or a row, usually preceded by a qualifying adjective — for instance a seated row) is a form of muscular resistance training exercise that shares many characteristics of rowing a boat without involving water or a boat. When done as a weight-lifting exercise, its purpose is to exercise the muscles that draw the rower's arms toward the body (latissimus dorsi) and those that support the spine (erector spinae). When done on a rowing machine (erg - see below) rowing also exercises muscles that extend and support the legs (quadriceps and hamstrings). In all cases, the abdominal and lower back muscles must be used in order to support the body and prevent back injury.
Rowing is often done on an indoor rower, often referred to as an "erg" or "ergo", which is short for "ergometer", a Greek phrase for "a device that measures work". Nevertheless, many other weight-assisted gym exercises mimic the movement of rowing, such as the deadlift, high pull and the bent-over row. An effective off-season training programme combines both erg pieces and weight-assisted movements similar to rowing, with an emphasis on improving endurance under high tension rather than maximum strength.
Rowing can also be done outdoors on land with a rowbike. Some rowbike manufacturers sell stationary bike stands that permit indoor use.
There are numerous indoor erg competitions that are over a variety of distances. However, the benchmark distance is 2,000 m, and almost all competitions use the Concept2 erg machines. World records for this distance are as follows:
Women:
heavyweight: 6:28.6
lightweight (<62.5 kg) 6:56.7
Men:
heavyweight: 5:37.0
lightweight (<75 kg) 6:02.6
