It’s your friend Kathleen again, and in today’s article, I’m going to talk about your tush. It certainly has a lot of names, doesn’t it? Booty, bum, behind, fanny, tush, butt, bottom, caboose, cheeks, and even keister. For one body part, we’ve undoubtedly had fun naming it!
Does rowing tone your bum? The quick answer to that is Yes. A rowing machine is your surest way to a full-body workout that’s also a great cardio and calorie-burning exercise. It activates your major muscle groups and tones those parts, including your butt.
Lately, it seems as though everyone, both men and women, wants a bigger, rounder behind.
You may see a lot of video clips showing women using resistance bands designed to work the glute muscles, or you may have seen men doing squats and lifts to make their butts bigger.
Those are definitely tried and true methods for making your butt bigger, but I personally don’t have a lot of time to exercise. Between work, the house, my garden, and the kids, I don’t have 2 or more hours a day to get in cardio, strength training, stretching, and then work on one specific body part.
Does that ring true for you as well? I’ve got some good news for you then. You don’t have to.
That’s right, read that again. You don’t have to spend hours doing squats to have a terrific tush.
All you really need is a rowing machine.
It’s true! Keep reading, and you’ll discover what I did- not only is rowing machine the perfect cardio and strength training exercise machine in one, but it can also give you a rounder, bigger, and tighter bottom.
Who doesn’t want that?!
The Benefits of Rowing Machine Workouts
If you’re new to rowing or to this page, let me tell you that rowing machine workouts are the best entire body workouts on the planet. (Ok, next to jumping rope, but who wants to do that for an hour?)
A rowing machine can burn calories like a furnace to as much as 900 calories an hour. Now this varies depending on your current weight and other factors, but it’s reasonable to say that almost everyone can burn 400-600 calories an hour on a rowing machine.
Rowing machine workouts also work all the major muscle groups, including – yes, you guessed it – your behind.
I never gave these pieces of equipment a second look until I injured my back and found out that a rowing machine was one of the few things I could use to exercise without feeling pain.
Since then, I’ve really come to love my rowing machine! You can get a fantastic cardio workout and both upper body and lower body workout simultaneously! I have more energy, and I’m burning calories like crazy, all from using this one little fitness machine.
One thing you should keep in mind, though, is learn to do rowing machine exercises properly. You don’t have to worry about that because I’ll take it up in the next section.
How Do Rowing Machines Work Your Butt?
If you haven’t been on a rowing machine, take a look at this video.
You can see from the movement that rowing machine workouts do a real number on the biggest muscles in the body, the legs and the butt.
You only need to perform the rowing strokes properly, and without even trying, you can get some nicely toned legs and a booty that will get you second looks.
You need to keep your torso upright, using your core muscles. The advantage of this is that, in addition to a nice butt, you’re also going to have some awesomely tight abs and get in the habit of keeping a good posture.
The only time you should allow your torso to lean backward is during the Finish. Lean back just a bit so that your torso is at the 11 o’clock position. You want to use your legs and gluteus maximus muscles (your butt muscles) to do the majority of the work.
Have you ever seen an Olympic rower with a flat butt? No way!
How Long Do You Need to Use a Rowing Machine to See Results?
It depends on how often you work out, how long and how intense your sessions are, and how overweight you are right now.
The thing about being overweight is that you can have some super big and tight muscles, but if a layer of fat is hiding them, no one will know!
This is where cardiovascular exercise comes into play.
You need to do at least 150 minutes per week of cardiovascular exercises, where your heart rate sits at 70-85 percent of its maximum. You can find your maximum heart rate using this calculator.
Rowing machine workouts will blast away those excess pounds. That’s when you will start to see results.
Some people who aren’t overweight, or have very little weight to lose, can see results in about 4-6 weeks, but I think almost everyone who really puts in the time and works out for 20-30 minutes 5 or 6 days a week will see results in about 3 months.
That might seem like a long time, but if you don’t work out, how long will it take you to get that bigger behind?
Put in the effort and you’re guaranteed head-turning results!
Will a Rowing Machine Tone My Thighs?
You bet your grits it will!
There’s a good reason why CrossFit incorporates rowing into their workouts – it works!
Rowing will tone every major muscle in the body, including your arms (read more on how a rowing machine tones arms ), the chest, the back, and your thighs and calves, not to mention your behind.
My leg muscles have become so taut and slim that I’m wearing dresses that I only dreamed of wearing in the past. Cellulite is history, and with all the aerobic exercise I get, I’m back to the same weight I was in high school!
There are many rowing machine benefits, but if you didn’t give a darn about the aerobic benefits, or you aren’t interested in weight loss, there is one thing everyone is interested in, and that’s looking good naked!
You will find that rowing machine exercise is the best full-body workout you can get. With so many of us living a sedentary lifestyle, is it any wonder that our cardiovascular health has gone down the toilet?
Simply by using a rowing machine most days of the week for 20-30-minutes per day will get you into the best shape of your life.
Of course, you still need to eat a balanced diet. No one gets away with eating junk food and/or fast food and still rock a bikini, but it’s not all that complicated. Avoid sugar and junk food, eat healthy at least 80 percent of the time, and get in at least 150 minutes of exercise – you might be mistaken for a trophy wife!
What Exercise Machine Is Best for the Butt?
If you only want to focus on your butt and nothing else, a stair climber, like the StairMaster you see at most gyms, is probably the best exercise machine for your behind.
Bicycle riding, whether you do a spin class indoors or you ride your bike outdoors, is also great for the legs and the butt.
Some ellipticals will also work the glutes, but be sure you really work the legs and not your arms.
Out of all these cardio machines, I still prefer rowing machine exercise because it works both the upper body and the lower body. Stair climbers and bikes only work your lower body.
If your gym doesn’t have indoor rowing machines and you don’t have space for one at your home, then you can get major glute activation with the StairMaster or a spin class.
Will Rowing Tone My Entire Body Including My Hips?
Oh, yes! Rowing machine exercise works 86 percent of the muscles in the body, including all the major muscle groups.
If you want slimmer hips, toned leg muscles, sleek calf muscles, and all the health benefits that rowing machines provide, then you really should take up rowing.
There are cardio machines galore that will help you burn fat, but I’ve come to love my rowing machine because I not only have dropped all my pregnancy pounds, but I’ve also got booty and leg muscles for days!
A rowing machine will work the abs, buttocks, thighs, lower legs, and entire upper body all at the same time ( read more on muscles worked in rowing )!
You don’t need to exercise longer, you just need to exercise smarter. Also if you are interested in seeing some of the top home rowing machines available check out our Hydrow vs Nordictrack RW900 article.
The Final Takeaway
If you want the TL:DR version, here it is:
Yes, a rowing machine will give you a bigger, tighter, firmer butt. You can also lose weight when you use a rowing machine consistently for at least 5 days per week.
You can get an upper body workout and a lower body workout at the same time.
It’s hard to imagine why rowing machines aren’t more popular, but I just heard that even Peloton is thinking of making a rowing machine because they are gaining in popularity.
Get resistance training, muscle growth, super toned legs, and a fanny that will make you buy a new wardrobe – all in one machine.
Life is too short to be unhealthy and unhappy. Get busy with rowing machine workouts and watch how you can transform your body!
Written by Kathleen Langdon – TheHealthPot.com Founder
Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES)
Kathleen, a mother of two, struggled with ongoing weight and health issues. She created this website after she turned her life around. She built Thehealthpot.com to help inspire and motivate others with their fitness goals. Read more about Kathleen here.