Indoor Rowing energy expenditure: How many calories can you burn while on indoor rower?

An excellent calorie calculator, which estimates the amount of calories burned based on your body weight and activity is provided here: http://concept2.co.uk/training/bmr_calculator.
You will be amazed on how many calories can an indoor rower burn!

This is also an excellent way to find out how much training you need to complete to get rid of unnecessary weight!

Notice that indoor rower is a great calorie-burner! Below I quote the results for my body characteristics inputting 3 indoor rowing sessions (note, that I normally execute separately each of those training sessions, but for illustration purposes I've added them together on a single day to outline their calorie expenditure).

Example - Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator(s) for a 105kg active person

The BMR for a 105 kg Male, 30-59 years old, is 2080.5 kcal.

Your energy expenditure for the day (excluding exercise) is your BMR (2080.5) multipled by your activity level (2.0)2080.5 x 2.0 = 4,161.0

Your hourly metabolic rate (HMR) is 2080.5 divided by 24.HMR = 2080.5/24 = 86.7

The training cost in activity of each exercise is calculated as your HMR multiplied by the Physical Activity Ratio of the exercise multiplied by their time in hours. See the Energy Costs page for a table of the different PARs for each pace.

ROWING SESSIONS considered:
Session 1 = 86.7 x 14.2 x (45/60) = 923 kcals (45min at 2:00/500m)
Session 1 = 86.7 x 21 x (8/60) = 243 kcals (8min at 1:45/500m)
Session 1 = 86.7 x 33.6 x (6/60) = 291 kcals (6min at 1:30/500m)

The total energy cost of your day is, therefore 5,618 (that is to say, your overall BMR plus all your exercise sessions).

 

Food Groups

The process outline here is a guide to your energy output and is a good place to start if you are interested in weight management. The other aspect is knowing the calorie balance. Energy is provided by three food groups, carbohydrates, protein and fats. The relative balance between these groups is 60% carbohydrates, 17% protein and 23% fats. Carbohydrates and protein provide 4.3 calories per gram and fat provides 9 calories.

The dietary requirements for a daily output of 5,618 kcals is therefore:
Carbohydrates = 5618.427 multiplied by (60/100) divided by 4.3 = 784.0 grams
Proteins = 5618.427 multiplied by (17/100) divided by 4.3 = 222.1 grams
Fats = 5618.427 multiplied by (23/100) divided by 9 = 143.6 grams

First at 2010 (18th Dec.) Greek Indoor Rowing Championship - www.aasport.gr

The end of the season has eventually reached and now I can have a good rest after about 7 months of systematic training at various sports (windsurfing, triathlon, running, indoor rowing).

And nothing feels better than to end the 2010 with a first place at the Greek Indoor Rowing Championship, which this is what happened on the 18th of Dec!!! Best Xmas gift !!!

Distance: 1000 m (standard length for the Greek IRC)
Official finish time: 3.02.8 ( 0.4 secs off my last year's 2009 Greek national record and 2.4 seconds in front of the 2nd place!!! - tough competition this year)
1 st place at 30-39 division (between 15 full time rowers and technically experienced athletes from distinguished national rowing clubs)

Not a national record this time (I am NR holder since 2010), but considering the load of the racing schedule for this year (about one important race every 4-5 weeks since May) I am quite happy to conclude the 2010 this way.

I will rest for about 10 days and prepare the training season for the 2011 Greek Triathlon Race events: http://www.schiniathlon.gr/news-20101122.html

Photos from the Greek IRC will be posted shortly, in the meantime please check: www.aasport.gr and http://www.facebook.com/pages/C2-Indoor-Rowing/118432964891200 (my apologies for the delay but it's time for some celebration too!)

Cheers ;)

p.s: Indoor rowing best 2000 m: 6.38.7 ||| best 1000 m: 3.02.4

DETAILED RESULTS - 2010 GREEK IRC (1000m), www.aasport.gr

#|SURNAME and NAME | AGE | ROWING CLUB | TIME (min,secs)

1 ΠΛΙΑΚΟΣΤΑΘΗΣ ΚΩΣΤΑΣ 32 ΑΝΕΞΑΡΤΗΤΟΣ 3,02,8
2 ΠΑΣΙΟΥΔΗΣ ΑΝΤΩΝΗΣ 34 ΟΕΑΝΑΒ 3,05,2
3 ΓΚΟΥΒΕΛΟΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ 34 Ο.Ν.Α.Τ. 3,11,7
4 ΚΟΥΡΚΟΥΡΙΚΗΣ ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ 38 Ν.Ο.Θ. 3,11,9
5 LIE EVENSEN TROND 39 ΠΡΟΤΥΠΟ 3,15,1
6 ΚΟΝΤΟΣ ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ 39 ΑΝΕΞΑΡΤΗΤΟΣ 3,15,3
7 ΒΟΡΡΙΑΣ ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ 34 PRIMAL CROSSFIT 3,16,4
8 ΚΟΝΤΟΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΘΑΝΑΣΗΣ 38 ΑΝΕΞΑΡΤΗΤΟΣ 3,18,2
9 ΧΑΝΟΥΜΗΣ ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ 39 ΠΡΟΤΥΠΟ 3,20,4
10 ΜΠΑΡΟΥΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ 31 Γ.Ν.Ο.ΣΑΛΑΜΙΝΑΣ 3,33,7
11 ΣΠΑΝΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ ΧΡΗΣΤΟΣ 38 ΠΡΟΤΥΠΟ 3,33,7
12 ΚΑΛΥΒΑΣ ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ 30 ΠΡΟΤΥΠΟ 3,43,1
13 ΠΛΩΜΑΡΙΤΗΣ ΑΝΤΩΝΗΣ 32 PRIMAL CROSSFIT 3,44,6
14 ΧΑΤΖΗΧΡΙΣΤΟΦΑΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ 34 ΟΜΙΛΟΣ ΕΡΕΤΩΝ 3,50,2
15 ΧΑΤΖΗΣ ΑΝΔΡΕΑΣ 35 ΟΜΙΛΟΣ ΕΡΕΤΩΝ Α 4,14,9

Me at 2009 Greek Indoor Rowing Championship

I am not a rower, instead I am a fully passionate windsurfer, but I love rowing especially because it offers an incredible benefit in the CV system and to my opinion is one of the ultimate ways to top up your aerobic (and anaerobic level to less extend) performance. A single stroke exercises a significant part of your body; legs, core, hands, back, shoulders and no other machine in a typical gym can do this (i.e. gym machines aim to exercise a particular muscle group at a time). Of course actual on the water rowing is much preffered but since I don't own a rowing boat or at least I do not belong to a rowing team, I just enjoy the indoor rowing machine at my gym.

(me at the far end, with the white t-shirt, getting ready to start the indoor rowing race at 30-39 YO division)

I took the initiative to participate in the 2009 Greek Indoor Rowing Championship only to experience in close rowing action from dedicated athletes into this sport. However, I did have my preparation too. I studied carefully the rowing technique, I have followed systematically sprint and long in duration training sessions. My aim was to push myself close to a 7 min finish time for a 2000 meters distance, which is the reference distance to judge your rowing ability. If you have never rowed before it's not easy to hit this time limit people, believe me, even if you are a sporty person. I put down a 3 month advanced schedule, based around indoor rowing, in the hope to achieve a respectable ranking at the race. The race was 1000 meters long and on average a 3 min and 10 secs or less finishing time was the average time for most racers each year. After 2 and a 1/2 months in the gym I could hardly get down to 3 min and 15 secs for a 1000 meters distance and that was killing! (I was FORCED to take a break for at least 20 min even for such a short sprint time). I knew though that it was a fair time considering the circumnstances (no coach, no previous experience).
I eventually appeared at the start line of the Championship. I had no stress at all, I knew that I was there just for fun and to enjoy stroking against actual rowers. I had put down a simple plan: Just to follow my own pace - I wanted to stay on a plan that I followed during the gym session. I had a very lengthy warm up time prior to the race: 20 min of stretching and another 20 min of 'jumps' and self-exercises to make me sweat (but not to the extend to get tired of course!). Sprint rowing requires proper warm up, else you can shock your body and run out of glycose storage soon after you start to row hard (rowing IS physically very demanding).
After the hit of the gun (actually the machine's integrated monitor was the countdown watch) I forgot everything I prepared! A mass of 200+ people on the stage were filling in our ears with loud screams. I wasn't ready for this. I was rowing harder than I was supposed, thinking that if I stay behind then I will not be able to catch the experienced rowers at a later stage. I was rowing faster than my average pace (1.32min/500m instead of 1.40min/500m), but I was feeling confident. Perhaps the atmosphere around me was motivating me to forget pain and tiredness. I was in between the first 3 people (out of 12 people) until the first 600 meters (out of 1000 meters). During the last 250 meters my lungs were screaming for rest - I was marginally keeping a steady pace, but to my surprise I realised that I was at first place, with the second guy just 20-25 meters behind me (that's around a 4 to 5 secs lead). When I entered the last 150 meters my body activated the 'red' zone - alarms were buzzing within my brain, I was overloading my body and my muscles were full of lactic acid! I knew I was entering a level 5 intensity, my pace was still around 1.32-1.35min/500m and the distance from the second was increasing, now he was around 35 meters behind me. Could I last during the last 100 meters? (that was approximately another 12 hard strokes to go...). Countdown....12 strokes...11 strokes..........2 strokes...1 stroke........ thanks God it's over. I finished at first!!!!! What was that?? How did this happen????!!! I didn't think too much about the win, because I was ready to collapse. Soon after I stood up from the machine my knees were so weak, I almost had no feeling of a proper balance - I took a few steps and..... fell down!! Embarassing, but I couldn't do anything about it!!! It took me 30 min to recover, and even after that my lungs were feeling as if they were bleeding. However, the end of the day was the most rewarding: A medal for my first place and a new national record at my age group was a fact!!!! A deep satisfaction, but I won't take part to such a race again, because I don't think I can achieve such a win again!!! :D

Finishing time: 3 min and 2 secs - New National Record at 2009 (December) Indoor Rowing Championships (1000 meters). First place in my division (30-39 YO) and in between the approximately 120 athletes (actual full time rowers) from all divisions, I was ranked at 7th place. More details and official results can be found here:
http://www.aasport.gr/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=149&Itemid=177