Rowing Warm-Up Guide

Why Warm Up?

Warming up raises body temperature, increases blood flow to muscles, activates the nervous system, and lubricates joints. For rowing, it also establishes the neuromuscular patterns you will use during the session. A 10-15 minute warm-up can improve 2K performance by 2-5 seconds compared to starting cold. Skipping the warm-up increases injury risk, particularly for the lower back and knees.

Off-Erg Warm-Up (5 Minutes)

Before getting on the erg, do 5 minutes of dynamic movement: leg swings (10 each direction), hip circles (10 each direction), arm circles (10 forward, 10 back), bodyweight squats (10 with pause at the bottom), and cat-cow stretches (10 reps). This mobilises the hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders — the three areas most stressed in rowing.

On-Erg Warm-Up

For steady state sessions: 5 minutes easy rowing at 18 spm, gradually increasing pressure from 50% to 70% effort. For interval sessions: 8 minutes easy rowing, then 4-6 bursts of 10 strokes at session pace with 1 minute easy between. For 2K tests: 10 minutes easy, 6 x 10 strokes at race pace with 1 minute easy, 2 minutes easy, 1 start sequence, then 3-5 minutes rest.

Cool Down

After any hard session, row easy for 5-10 minutes to flush metabolic byproducts. This active cool-down reduces muscle soreness and speeds recovery. Follow with static stretching of the hamstrings, hip flexors, lats, and lower back. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. A proper cool-down takes 10-15 minutes but significantly improves how you feel the next day.

Tips

• +Never skip the warm-up for intervals or testing — cold muscles cannot produce maximal power.
• +The warm-up should raise your heart rate to 50-60% of max before the main session begins.
• +For early morning sessions, add 2-3 extra minutes to the warm-up as the body takes longer to activate.
• +Include mental preparation during the warm-up — review your session plan and targets.
• +Dynamic movement before rowing, static stretching after rowing — never static stretch cold muscles.

Further Reading

• Concept2 Training Resources — Official training guides and workout of the day from Concept2.
• British Rowing — Indoor Rowing — Training plans and resources from the national governing body.
• Concept2 Rankings — Global erg rankings by distance, age, and weight category.