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Exercises

Rowing machine warm up: easy strokes, mobility, then bursts

Published October 24, 2026

To warm up on the rowing machine, row easily for 5 minutes at a low stroke rate (about 18 to 20 strokes a minute), get off for 3 minutes of walkouts, bodyweight squats and arm circles, add a set of band pull-aparts and dead bugs, then get back on for 3 bursts of 10 to 15 strokes at workout pace with 30 seconds of easy rowing between. About 12 minutes in total; before a steady row, the first 5 minutes are enough.

  1. Rowing Machine Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats
  2. Walkout Abs, Shoulders, Chest
  3. Bodyweight Squat Quads
  4. Arm Circles Shoulders
  5. Band Pull-Apart Shoulders, Upper Back
  6. Dead Bug Abs

Step 1: easy rowing (5 minutes)

Start with light, long strokes and a low stroke rate. Keep the damper low to middle; a high setting does not warm you up faster.

Raise and bursts

Rowing Machine

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats

Easy rowing raises your heart rate and grooves the stroke; short bursts at the end bring you to workout pace.

How to do it

  1. Strap in so the strap crosses the widest part of your foot, and set the damper low to middle.
  2. Drive with the legs first, lean back slightly, then draw the handle to your lower ribs.
  3. Recover in reverse: arms away, lean forward, then let the knees bend.
  4. Row easy, then raise the stroke rate or the push a notch each minute.

Cues

  • Legs, body, arms; arms, body, legs
  • Handle moves in a straight line

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with the arms before the legs finish
  • Damper set to the top

Swap for: Ski Erg, Stationary Bike

Build a session with Rowing Machine

Step 2: hips, hamstrings and shoulders (3 minutes)

The rowing stroke needs deep hip bend at the catch and reach in the shoulders. Move through that range off the machine.

Hamstrings and trunk

Walkout

Abs, Shoulders, Chest

At the catch your hips bend deeply with straight-ish arms; walkouts lengthen the back of the legs in a similar way.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, hinge forward, and put both palms down, bending your knees as much as you need.
  2. Walk the hands out until you reach a push-up position.
  3. Pause one beat with your body in a straight line.
  4. Walk the hands back toward your feet and roll up to standing.

Cues

  • Hands travel, feet stay
  • Ribs tucked at the plank

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging at the far end
  • Walking out farther than you can hold

Swap for: Bear Crawl, Plank

Build a session with Walkout

Hip and knee bend

Bodyweight Squat

Quads

The catch is close to a squat; ten easy reps loosen the hips and knees.

How to do it

  1. Set your feet about shoulder-width apart.
  2. Send your hips back and bend your knees to sit down between your heels.
  3. Go as deep as you can while the heels stay flat.
  4. Drive the floor away to stand up.

Cues

  • Knees follow the toes
  • Whole foot planted

Common mistakes

  • Knees caving in
  • Heels coming up

Swap for: Cossack Squat, Step-Up

Build a session with Bodyweight Squat

Hip mobility

Leg Swings

Hamstrings, Glutes

At the catch your knees come up toward your chest; a few swings each way free the hip flexors and hamstrings for that position.

How to do it

  1. Stand side-on to a wall or rail and hold it with one hand.
  2. Swing the outside leg forward and back like a pendulum, small at first.
  3. Let each swing travel a bit farther while your torso stays upright.
  4. Finish the count, turn around, and swing the other leg.

Cues

  • Loose leg, still torso
  • A little bigger each swing

Common mistakes

  • Arching the lower back on the backswing
  • Forcing full range on the first rep

Swap for: Standing Cable Hip Flexion, Cossack Squat

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Shoulder mobility

Arm Circles

Shoulders

Circles loosen the shoulders before you reach and pull hundreds of times.

How to do it

  1. Stand with both arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height.
  2. Draw small forward circles and widen them little by little.
  3. Reverse direction for the same count.
  4. Keep your shoulders low, away from your ears.

Cues

  • Long arms
  • Small to big

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging up
  • Letting the elbows bend

Swap for: Band Pull-Apart

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Step 3: upper back and trunk (2 minutes)

Pull-aparts wake up the muscles between the shoulder blades that finish each stroke; dead bugs prepare the trunk to hold you steady.

Upper back activation

Band Pull-Apart

Shoulders, Upper Back

Pulling a band apart wakes the upper back, the muscles that finish every stroke.

How to do it

  1. Hold a band at shoulder height with both arms straight out in front.
  2. Pull it apart until it reaches your chest, pinching the shoulder blades back.
  3. Let it return slowly.
  4. Keep your ribs down throughout.

Cues

  • Squeeze the blades
  • Straight arms

Common mistakes

  • Arching the back
  • Letting the band snap back

Swap for: Face Pull, Arm Circles

Build a session with Band Pull-Apart

Trunk activation

Dead Bug

Abs

Dead bugs teach your trunk to stay steady while the arms and legs move, which is what keeps the stroke connected.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back with arms toward the ceiling and knees bent over your hips.
  2. Press your lower back into the floor.
  3. Reach one arm overhead and the opposite leg long, just above the floor.
  4. Return and switch sides.

Cues

  • Back pinned to the floor
  • Breathe out as you reach

Common mistakes

  • Lower back peeling up
  • Moving fast

Swap for: Side Plank, Plank

Build a session with Dead Bug

Using the rower before back day

Five minutes on the rower is a common warm-up before pulling. Then the barbell row's own warm-up sets take you from light to your working weight.

First lift after rowing

Barbell Row

Upper Back, Lats

After a rower warm-up, do 3 or 4 light sets of the barbell row before your first working set.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bar with a shoulder-width grip and hinge until your torso is well forward.
  2. Let the bar hang under your shoulders with straight arms.
  3. Row the bar to your lower ribs.
  4. Lower it under control and repeat.

Cues

  • Flat back
  • Elbows drive back

Common mistakes

  • Standing up taller each rep
  • Yanking with the lower back

Swap for: One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Seated Cable Row

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

2K test or hard intervals

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentRowing Machine, Resistance Bands

You are about to row hard: a 2K test, 500 meter repeats, or short intervals.

Hard rowing needs full range and a fast rhythm from the first stroke, so the plan includes mobility, activation and three bursts that climb toward your target split.

Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rowing MachineSeconds. One-minute blocks, easy strokes. 5 × 60 4 0 s
Walkout 1 × 5 4 0 s
Bodyweight Squat 1 × 10 4 0 s
Band Pull-Apart 1 × 12–15 4 15 s
Dead BugPer side. 1 × 8 4 0 s
Rowing MachineStrokes at workout pace, easy rowing between. 3 × 15 2 30 s
How to run it
Row easy, step off for the floor moves, then do the bursts and start within 2 minutes.
How to progress
Make the last burst closer to your target split as you get fitter.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Steady 20-40 minute row

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets21 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentRowing Machine

You are doing a long, steady row.

At a steady pace the first minutes warm you up. The plan only adds a few minutes of easy rowing and two quick mobility moves.

Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rowing MachineSeconds. One-minute blocks back to back, easy pace. 5 × 60 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Bodyweight Squat 1 × 10 4 0 s
How to run it
Row easily for 5 minutes, step off for the two moves, then settle into your pace.
How to progress
Nothing to progress; the long row itself gets longer.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Rowing machine before back day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentRowing Machine, Resistance Bands, Barbells

You use the rower to warm up before lifting.

Five minutes on the rower raises your temperature; pull-aparts and the barbell row's warm-up sets do the rest. Your first working set then starts properly warm.

Warm-Up + Row
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rowing MachineSeconds. One-minute blocks back to back, easy pace. 5 × 60 4 0 s
Walkout 1 × 5 4 0 s
Band Pull-Apart 2 × 12–15 4 15 s
Barbell Row3 warm-up sets first 3 × 6–10 2 2 min
How to run it
Row 5 minutes, do pull-aparts and walkouts, then do 3 warm-up sets on the barbell row before your working sets.
How to progress
Keep the rowing part the same; the barbell row warm-up sets rise with your working weight.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How to warm up on a rowing machine?

Row easily for 5 minutes at a low stroke rate, step off for a few minutes of walkouts, squats and arm circles, then do a few short bursts at your workout pace.

Is indoor rowing a good warm-up?

Yes. It works your legs, back and arms together, so 5 minutes on the rower warms up most of the body before any workout.

What damper setting should I use for the warm-up?

Low to middle. A high damper makes each stroke heavier without warming you up any faster.

How long should I warm up before a 2K?

About 15 minutes: easy rowing, mobility, activation, and bursts that build to your target split.

How to breathe on a rowing machine?

Most rowers breathe out as they drive with the legs and in as they slide forward. Practise the rhythm during the easy warm-up strokes.