By: Jace Hieda
Lead Coach, Row House Foothill Ranch
Is Row House hard? That’s a tough one because the term “hard” is just a subjective degree of difficulty. Well, here’s the TL;DR (too long, didn’t read) for you: Row House is as hard as you want it to be!
It’s human nature to seek out the path of least resistance. In the realm of fitness, though, the math is simple: for weight loss, one must expend more energy (calories) than they take in to see results. Here’s where rowing comes into the picture - rowing is an effort-based workout. The more intensity you put into the machine, the more you’ll get out of it!
In a class at Row House, you’ll sometimes hear the Row Coach say something like “if you feel like you’ve got more to give, push a little harder, but if it’s feeling pretty tough, just ease up on the intensity!” As an effort-based workout, rowing classes are adaptable and accessible for everyone, and Row House supports everyone’s fitness journey through harnessing the effort-based work into an all-in-one, full body workout that’s low-impact but high on results.
It can be hard to start a new workout, especially in group fitness, especially if it’s something you haven’t done before! That’s why we ask you to come 15 minutes early if it’s your first time “joining the boat” (our way of saying that you’ve enrolled in a class). Indoor rowing involves 86% of the body’s muscles when done with proper technique, so even if you’ve been on an erg (the rowing machine is an “ergometer,” or “erg” for short), we go through form and movement with you, typically one-on-one, to make sure you have a safe first-time workout with us. Chances are we’ll also introduce you to some of the other members in the class seated next to you; rowing is a team sport, and we bring that mentality into the row room by supporting each other through the workout.
In fact, camaraderie is one of our core values at Row House. Above the studio doors in every single Row House studio across the nation read the words “Pull. Together.” Staying authentic to the sport of rowing – another Row House core value – we row together in the row room for a majority of the workout. While we move as one, though, each individual is rowing within their unique range of intensity. That signature trait, a workout that is inclusive and welcoming, is one we’re proud of; you won’t find leaderboards or coaches calling out or displaying individual statistics at Row House. When we feel seen and supported through every stroke, we are rewarded with strength, celebration, and accomplishment.
The movement involved in rowing with proper technique might be unlike any workout you’ve done before, and that’s okay. Couple that with low-impact floor-work movements that both complement and supplement our work on the rower, and you might find that the Row House workout is pretty different and something your body might not catch on to right away. That’s why every new coach at Row House goes through a rigorous training program called Row House University, and part of that curriculum is learning how to provide modifications and adjustments to meet everybody where they are, and provide them with building blocks (as well as the motivation!) to feel successful and progressively get stronger. We believe that rowing is for “everybody and every body,” but you’ve got to try it out first to understand how it’s only as hard as you want it to be.
Backed by science and data, the benefits of rowing classes are unparalleled. Each workout produces maximum results and delivers the perfect balance of aerobic endurance and muscular strength. Our five primary class types vary in focus and programming to help you find that right balance of a workout that challenges you and one you can come back to time and time again. From coach to coach, class to class, and day to day, you can expect to sweat using the same basic movement, but delivered with different intentions and renewed energy that motivates.
Row House’s mission is “to give people of all different shapes, sizes, and abilities an efficient, effective, high energy, full-body workout in an inclusive group environment -- and one that builds bodies up instead of breaking them down.” For results to show, you’ve got to become comfortable in the uncomfortable, and ask anyone - that’s probably the hardest part. Learning that we can change, especially with a workout that allows you to decide how hard you want it to be, is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
Did we mention that you get to sit down for most of the workout? That’s a pretty sweet deal knowing that the workout is as hard as you want it to be! Find your nearest Row House today and receive your first class free: https://lp.therowhouse.com/try-row-house
We can’t wait to Pull Together with you!