Indoor Rowing: Your Complete Guide to Training, Programming, and Workouts

Learn how to improve strength and cardiovascular endurance with rowing.

If you’re looking for a full-body exercise that improves cardio health, offers strength-building benefits, is low impact, and has low risk of injury, then Indoor Rowing is for you. Commonly viewed as the ultimate full-body workout, rowing can be incorporated into any training program to achieve fitness and athletic goals efficiently and effectively.

Increasing in popularity since the early 2000s, rowing machines (also called ergs) can be found at most gyms or fitness facilities, and they are also accessible equipment for at-home gyms. The erg engages the majority of the muscles in your body—far more than other common cardio machines. 

With Indoor Rowing, you get a comprehensive guide to mastering this versatile piece of equipment and reaping the benefits of improved strength and cardiorespiratory health. You’ll learn proper rowing technique, and you’ll get expert advice on building the most effective workouts to get the most out of your time on the rower:

• Drills to correct common rowing errors for improved technique
• Warm-up exercises, drills, and sequences to prepare the body for the full workout
• Cool-down stretches and movements to help the body recover after the workout
• Three sample workouts for endurance and four sample workouts for interval training
• Off-the-rower strength exercises to improve performance on the rower
• A sample six-week training program with two or three workouts per week

Excellent for both muscular and cardiorespiratory conditioning, the rower has proven to be versatile and adaptable for any training goal. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike—as well as the coaches and fitness professionals who work with them—will find Indoor Rowing to be a valuable guide for full-body conditioning.

Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes both the book and exam.

Caley Crawford is a retired Broadway performer with over a decade of experience in the fitness industry. She was a founding coach and director of training and experience for Row House, a boutique fitness concept. During her tenure, she played a crucial role in expanding Row House from a single location to 96 locations at its peak. Crawford was also instrumental in programming and coaching for the digital platforms Row House GO and Xponential+.
Xponential Fitness, the parent company of Row House and the world’s largest franchisor of boutique fitness brands, announced in January 2023 that 6 of its 10 brands, including Row House, were ranked in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list for 2023.

In addition to her work with Row House, Crawford has served as a Concept2 master trainer as well as the head of customer experience for Myrow, a digital fitness concept. Her connection to rowing is deeply personal, because it provided her with a safe and effective workout during her professional dancing and Broadway performances in New York City, as well as during her pregnancy. In 2024, Crawford launched a new dance and theater training facility in Houston, Texas, called Broadway Dance Lab, where she incorporates her knowledge of fitness into the dance program to ensure students are staying safe and building strength through their training as dancers and performers.
Crawford holds the Pre and Postnatal Fitness Specialist certification from American Fitness Professional & Associates (AFPA), is certified as a personal trainer by National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM-CPT), and has earned the UCanRow2 rowing trainer certification. She is certified in CPR and AED. She has a BFA in musical theater and is an Actor’s Equity member.

Michelle Parolini is a results-driven business and fitness expert with over 15 years of experience in managing coach training programs, developing leadership, and driving business growth in the fitness and retail industries.

Parolini was introduced to rowing at Row House Fitness as a lead coach for the first franchise location. She quickly grew into the role of senior master coach and the manager of coach development for the Row House brand.

Over the course of her time with Row House, Parolini has been integral in growing the brand and keeping their coaches up to date with the latest education. In addition to her role at Row House, she serves as a Concept2 master trainer and holds multiple certifications, including NASM CPT and Pilates Comprehensive. In her over 5,000 hours of one-on-one training, she has worked with LPGA, PGA, NHL, NFL, and Division I athletes, providing tailored fitness solutions.