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Buying any sort of fitness equipment is never easy, especially with so many brands and variations between machine models. The same is true with rowing machines, where the price range and internal workings can vary considerably. It pays to get good rowing machine advice. Make sure to listen.

First rowing machine advice: Learn about exercise equipment in general.

The best way to appreciate what a rowing machine can do is to know what other options are out there for you. How are they different from a treadmill, for instance? What benefit can you get from them that you won’t get from a bike or any other fitness machine?

With the great variety of exercises and workout programs, after all, a rowing machine may not be the best fit for your fitness goals. Consult a fitness trainer, if you must, to get qualified general workout and rowing machine advice.

Second rowing machine advice: Learn about the different resistance types.

Resistance refers to the amount of counter-pressure your rowing machine will exert, forcing you to use more muscle strength to perform the movement. With rowing machines, resistance is created using different methods, each one providing a better fit for a particular type of exerciser than another.

Piston resistance models uses hydraulic cylinders attached to the arms of the rowing machine to create pressure. Machines using piston resistance can be designed in highly compact forms. As such, this type of resistance is often found in the smallest models of home rowing equipment.

Air resistance rowing equipment, on the other hand, create the pressure using the work put in by the rowers themselves. If you’re rowing at a furious pace, for instance, the machine’s resistance level will increase to reflect that. The faster you row, the higher it will get.

Magnetic resistance models use electromagnets to create the counter-force while water resistance rowing machines use water, ably mimicking the real feel of paddling on a sculling boat.

Which resistance model you should get depends on many factors. Get qualified rowing machine advice from a knowledgeable sales person or fitness expert so you can make the best choice to help you reach your goals.

Third rowing machine advice: Know your price limits.

Rowing machines run a wide range of prices from compact $200 units to models designed for professional training running up to thousands of dollars. While it would be nice to have the best unit for your home, a moderately-priced equipment will usually get the job done capably.

Here’s good rowing machine advice to keep in mind when you’re shopping: always consider the cheap units. If only one or two people in your household intend to use the machine, it may be worth it to settle on the lower-cost machines. What they may not have in quality and build can easily be offset by the fact that it won’t be used as exhaustively as rowing machines in commercial gyms, leading to a long usable life as well.