Rowing Machines in US Gyms?

[Boo Boo]

Ok, not sure where else to post this, so here goes...

I live in the UK, use the gym quite a lot (4+ times a week). I also visit the USA quite a bit - at least a couple of times a year for two or three weeks. So I use gyms in the US when I visit (mainly hotel gyms, some gyms on cruise ships and a gym near my in-laws in California).

One thing that I have notticed at all of the US gyms that I have visited is that NONE of them seem to hot on "rowing machines": many (no matter HOW big the gym is - some are HUGE) will only have one dejected rowing machine in a corner that nobody seems to use. Infact, often I have gone to use that only rowing machine to find that it doesn't work properly or at all (because so few people use it, it not working tends to go unreported...)

In comparison, rowing machines seem pretty big in the UK and a lot of people tend to have rowing as part of their gym programme. Even my pretty small gym (it has 6 treadmills, 3 stationary bikes, 4 cross-trainers, and 1 recumbant bike - to give you an idea of the scale of my gym...) has FOUR rowing machines - all very well used.

So my question is... what gives? Anyone know why rowing machines seem to be so unpopular in gyms in the US? There may be some US gyms that encourage it, but the trend in the number of different gyms that I have been seems to be against rowing.

I just had to ask... have been becoming quite curious...

Boo

[scrapinpeg]

Americans who go to the gym fall into a few categories. There are the free-weights folks, who pump iron the old fashioned way. There are the weight-machine folks, who lift weights on Nautilus or Universal machines. There are the treadmill types, who use stationery bicycles, stairmasters and other cardio machines. And there are the students, typically women, who go to the gym to take classes in yoga, pilates, aerobics, etc.

The free-weights folks don't use rowing machines because they don't use machines. The weight-machine folks don't use rowing machines because the weight machines already have a seated-row exercise, plus others that hit the back from more angles. The students don't use rowing machines because they don't use machines.

The only ones left who might use them are the treadmill types. But their exercises are exclusively lower-body workouts. They walk, jog, go up stairs, and ride bikes, while watching TV. They're not there to build upper-body strength, just to get their heart rate in a target zone for twenty or thirty minutes.

So there's just not much demand for rowing machines here. Those who want that workout get it elsewhere, and those who don't want it... don't want it.

[scrapinpeg]

Also, the treadmill types gravitate to activities they're used to. The stationery cyclists typically ride bikes in real life. The rest are familiar with walking, jogging and walking up stairs.

But it is the rare American who rows boats (or even sees boats being rowed) with any regularity, if at all. It's not a common activity, except in certain (rare) water-intensive communities. So it's not a familiar activity to any but the rarest individuals.

I'd say the question should be, not why there are so few rowing machines, but why there are any at all. Who uses these things?

[OROD]

Ooh, that just gave me a great idea! There are rowing machines, cycling machines, etc, so why not fencing machines!?!

.

[Boo Boo]

Interesting... you think that rowing machines are more common in the UK because rowing is done in some Public (as in expensive fee paying) schools and universities? HOWEVER, most Brits go to "state" (free) schools and there isn't much rowing done there. Despite the Oxford/Cambridge boat race, not ALL brits spend their Summer rowing up and down the Thames

It could possibly be a historical thing and that rowing machines have somehow permuated into gyms from there.

You are right - rowing IS a good allround exercise: cardio, leg strength and some upper body, arm and core. There could be worse cross-training for fencers you know....

Still from watching people in the LA gym I go to (about two weeks a year), there are quite a fe wpeople (mainly women between the ages of 30 and 70) who seem to go for a "all over" (cardio, upper, lower, core) workout. Generally gyms in the UK (at least the ones I have been/belonged to) do encourage the "all over"/mixed workout (generally people have programmes which are written and regularly re-worked by a gym instructor) - am surprised that the same isn't true in the US...

Interesting...

Boo

[mrbiggs]

not ALL brits spend their Summer rowing up and down the Thames

That explains it! I was shocked that you could all fit in there.

[Fencergrl]

I'm surprised by this. Most of the gyms (in Canada) I've been to (unless they are very small hotel gyms) have rowing machines. They're not used as much as the treadmills and bikes, but there's always at least one or two in every gym I've been in.

[Boo Boo]

That explains it! I was shocked that you could all fit in there.

(with our straw boaters on... )

Boo

[Boo Boo]

I'm surprised by this. Most of the gyms (in Canada) I've been to (unless they are very small hotel gyms) have rowing machines. They're not used as much as the treadmills and bikes, but there's always at least one or two in every gym I've been in.

Oh most of the gyms, in the US, seem to have one rowing machine - it just rarely seems used (haven't seen anyone else using it) and, in my recent experience, seems not to work properly (one I used in October seemed to have the resistance of a rubber band, the one I tried to use this month had become detached from it's flywheel).

From what I have seen even the HUGEST US gyms only seem to have one "token", unused rowing machine. Whereas even pretty small UK gyms tend to have 3 or 4 rowing machine that are very well used.

Have just got back from the US, hence posting the question now. It is an observation and I am just curious about why: whether there is a cultural reason or maybe rowing has some negative medical/fitness press in the US.

Boo

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

My gym has 4.

And it costs 50 cents for a day pass.

Killer.

[noodle]

my gym has some.

but it seems like most US gyms are on to the whole elliptical thing. lots of ellipticals.

[larkmaj]

We have 4, but then it is a University gym, and we have a crew team.

It's not completely a bad thing that many people don't use it. It is not hard to hurt yourself on a rowing machine if you don't know how to use one. I mean, I know how to use them and I managed to kill my back on it.

[brutus]

Hmmm...rowing in the boat or on the rowing machine requires heavy leg involvement.Unless you are rowing in kayak.

or a fixed seat boat, like old school style. (they still race with them somtimes!)

[Inquartata]

The British are subconsciously preparing for Channel crossing once the Age of Oil ends and we revert to primitive technologies. Americans ( and Croatians ) don't live on an island.

[scrapinpeg]

Interesting... you think that rowing machines are more common in the UK because rowing is done in some Public (as in expensive fee paying) schools and universities?

Who said that? I was talking about why Americans don't use them, not why UK-ians might. You're reading a lot into my post that wasn't there.


And Balbos, what boats require significant use of legs to row? Every rowboat, dinghy, canoe and kayak I've ever been in, all the work was with the back, arms and chest.

[Boo Boo]

Who said that? I was talking about why Americans don't use them, not why UK-ians might. You're reading a lot into my post that wasn't there.

Errrr. Why if you imply that Americans don't tend to use rowing machine because they don't do much of any actual rowing...

But it is the rare American who rows boats (or even sees boats being rowed) with any regularity, if at all. It's not a common activity, except in certain (rare) water-intensive communities. So it's not a familiar activity to any but the rarest individuals.

Then MAYBE it is a thought that rowing machines are more popular in the UK because rowing is more popular - which it MAY well be (statistically per capita...). Surely that is a logical step for consideration? I am not saying it is why, but it is a possible reason...

I extrapolated some ideas from what you said.

Boo

[Boo Boo]

UK-ians

We call ourselves "Britons" (like you call yourselves "Americans" and not "United States-ians" or "USA-ians")

Boo

[Boo Boo]

We call ourselves Croats,cause over 90 % of population in Croatia are Croats.
And we dont call anybody Britons(this is the first time I have heard it)--we call people from UK Englishmen,Scotts,Welshmen or Irishmen.
Among English we recognise Cockneys,Brummies,Geordies or Mancunians....

Ah, that is where you can trip up. I can think of a number of my fencing friends that, if you just heard them speak, you would call them "English"... you could get a sharp reply from them that they are "not English, but Scottish/Welsh!". Saying that people are British, from "Great Britain" or a Briton is the dumplimatic way to go... (although some people will still remind you that they are infact "Scottish").

Also, in fencing terms, England/Scotand/Wales aren't recognised by the FIE, so you wont see them at any A-grades/World Champs, just the "Brits"...

Boo
(English and British)

[pigeonmeister]

Among English we recognise Cockneys,Brummies,Geordies or Mancunians....

But could you understand them as speaking English?- even we Brummies struggle to understand the Geordies!

PM
(British and English)

[jeff]

I have a Geordie-English dictionary at home! Geez, you need subtitles just to buy a beer!