Full-body cardio that builds your back while it gasses you.
Legs, then back, then arms. Don't yank with your arms before your legs have driven.
The rower is one of the few cardio machines that makes you produce force through your whole body on every stroke, legs driving, torso swinging, arms finishing. Because the flywheel only gives back what you put in, it scales from easy steady-state to lung-searing intervals without changing anything but your effort. Low impact, brutal ceiling, and it rewards technique more than any treadmill ever will.
Legs, body, arms on the drive, then arms, body, legs on the recovery. Push hard through your legs first with arms straight, lean back slightly, then pull the handle to your lower ribs. Rushing the arms early is the classic mistake.
Somewhere in the middle for most people. A higher damper feels heavier per stroke but is not automatically harder or better, intensity comes from how hard you drive, not the lever position. Experiment around 4 to 6 and keep your stroke smooth.
It is excellent, and it is joint friendly because there is no impact. You also work your legs, back, and arms on every stroke, so it doubles as low-grade pulling volume while you build your engine.
