Everyone wants to look young, trim, and attractive, right? That’s a given. Looking back when we were younger, we would enjoy playing, running with our friends, and never giving exercise a thought. Every day was exercise day when you could play outside!
As adults, however, many of us are stuck in an office, spending most of our time sitting. As if that wasn’t bad enough, gravity can also do a real job on our previously tight, toned muscles.
The good news here is that a lot of the damage that sitting causes, as well as the effects of gravity, can be reversed or at least offset, through healthy exercises, such as rowing.
Are you worried that rowing will give you thighs resembling those of a comic book character? Today, I want to discuss what rowing can do for you, including what it can and can’t do for your thighs.
Will a Rowing Machine Make Me Bulky?
No, not for the majority of people. If you’re working out with extreme intensity for more than an hour most days of the week, you might bulk up a bit. However, the majority of people using indoor rowers find that 20-40 minutes per session 4-5 times a weekgive them very defined and toned muscles, not bulk.
How Does Rowing Affect Your Thighs?
When you row, your legs, thighs, and glutes handle most of the resistance that the workouts provide. However, this is different from weight lifting, even though it is still considered to be resistance training. It will take more than rowing to develop a muscular body, and that includes your legs and thighs.
While your lower body muscles do 60% of the job in each stroke, the rest is performed by the upper body. Strong hips, core and back muscles are responsible for keeping you upright and protecting your spine. In other words, this is a balanced work out that engages majority of your muscles and not just your thighs.
Since most women are concerned that rowing might make their thighs bigger, let’s see how working out on a rower can affect the weight and mass of muscles.
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Weight and Muscle Mass
The fact is that while muscles weigh more than fat, the latter takes up more volume. This means that after a few weeks of rowing, your bathroom scale may say that you weigh more than before, but you will appear considerably slimmer and well toned.
If you consistently row, you can expect to develop thicker, firmer thighs than women who have sedentary lifestyles. Rest assured, though, that you certainly won’t have thighs resembling those of a muscular bodybuilder.
This is similar to how female dancers have thicker thighs than the average woman. Think how professional female dancers have thighs that are lean, tight, and firm. Rowing uses similar movements and gives women similar results.
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Calories Burned
If you consistently row most days of the week, this terrific cardiovascular routine torches hundreds of calories in minutes, not hours.
To lose fatty tissues, you need to use exercise machines that increase the heart rate and involve more muscles. Indoor rowers will help you burn as much as 900 calories an hour if you row at an intense rate.
While your body will decide where it wants to lose that weight, eventually, your fatty tissues will be so much reduced that you will start seeing muscle definition almost everywhere!
Are you aiming for those 6-pack abs, a beautifully sculpted back, tight arms (see more on does rowing build biceps), and toned legs and thigh muscles that many women want? Rowing machines are the best exercise equipment for attaining all those. Not only will you engage most of your muscles in one stroke, it’s also a great way to maintain your mental and physical health.
Overall Benefits of a Rowing Machine
Indoor rowing is a terrific means to get a full-body workout every day. It offers tons of benefits, including the following:
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- Works the lower and upper body and 86% of your muscles without making you look too muscular
- Provides both cardio and resistance training in a single workout
- It is low impact, so it’s easy on the joints (click here to see more low impact workout machines)
- Indoor rowing burns tons of calories while building muscle in the legs, glute muscles, shoulders, upper back, thighs, and both upper and lower arms
- You will feel like you have more energy since indoor rowing improves stamina
- You will notice results within 14 days or so because it is a challenge that your body is most likely not accustomed to
When you realize that you can exercise nearly all your muscles and reduce fats with this single piece of exercise equipment, it’s easy to see why everyone wants to buy their own rowers. The best thing about owning one of these machines is that you can take control of your health without even going to the gym.
A little bit of rowing goes a long way, and if you want to look and feel better, you can’t beat a rower.
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The Ultimate Fitness Routine
If you want to get rid of your unsightly flab, keep your heart happy, stimulate all the major muscle groups in your entire body, and get in your aerobic exercise without going to the gym, then an indoor rower will be great for you.
You won’t be as shapely as Wonder Woman or as bulky as a professional bodybuilder, but you will look healthy, well toned, and years younger than your real age.
I think most women would want more of that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does rowing make your thighs bigger?
A: Yes, but not like a bodybuilder. As you row regularly, the workout will give your legs, glutes, and thighs definition and firmness that makes them appear thinner than they probably do right now!
Q: Does rowing machine slim thighs?
A: In a way, yes it does. Rowing machines will make your thighs tighter and firmer, reducing overall body fat. Tight, firm thighs automatically appear thinner.
Q: Why do rowers have big thighs?
A: Professional rowers usually have large thighs because they work out like the dickens! Most women who use indoor rowers have tight, firm-looking thighs and strong, flexible hips that will remind you of a dancer’s body.
Written by Petra Amara – RowingCrazy.com
CEO & Founder of RowingCrazy, National Rower, Coxswain Womens Eight Team, Rowing Coach & Writer
Petra is a Mother of two and owner of Rowingcrazy.com. Petra lives and breathes rowing, she also has a passion for writing which lead her to start RowingCrazy.com to share her rowing experience and expertise with others.
