Rowing machines: type, condition and enough to go round

A rowing machine works your legs and back as well as your arms while you stay seated, so it gives hard conditioning without the repeated landing of running. Many people find it easier on the knees and ankles than a treadmill, though anyone with a back or joint problem should ask a doctor or physiotherapist first.

It also matters for race training. The HYROX race puts eight workout stations between runs, and the fifth is a 1,000-metre row, so anyone preparing for one needs regular time on a rower. For the cardio area as a whole, see RPM's cardio page and the guide to choosing a cardio area.

If you are preparing for a race, find out which model the event uses and whether the gym's rowers match it, because pace figures differ between machine types.

• Pull gently, then hard. The chain or strap should run smoothly, with no jerk at the start of the stroke and no grinding on the way back.
• Slide the seat from end to end. It should roll quietly on a clean rail with no rough patches.
• Check the footplates. The straps should hold and the heel cups should adjust to your shoe size.
• Hold the handle. Worn grip tape or a bent handle shows years of hard use.
• Read the monitor. It should switch on, reset and show your pace per 500 metres and your strokes per minute.
• Look behind it. A rower needs clear floor behind the seat rail, and one jammed against a wall or another machine points to a crowded room.

There is no right number. What matters is whether you can get one when you train, and whether a class can take them all at once. Race-style classes often put every rower in use for a block of time, which is fine if you are in the class and frustrating if you are not.

• Watch the rowers at your hour, not the tour's.
• Ask whether classes or coached groups book the rowers, and on which days.
• Check whether rowers can be moved, for example onto the functional floor for circuits, or are fixed in a row.
• If you train with a partner for a doubles race, ask whether two rowers side by side are realistic at your time.
• From May to September, when many people stop running outdoors, expect more competition for every cardio machine, rowers included.

Race practice is about moving between stations without losing time. A rower placed beside the sled lane and the treadmills lets you rehearse the order of the race in one area. A rower at the far end of the building means a walk that will not happen on race day.

Ask whether the gym lets you set up a small race circuit at quiet times, and whether coached sessions already do so. RPM's HYROX page describes its HYROX-style training. RPM is independent, not an official HYROX partner or venue.

A poor rowing stroke often ends up loading the lower back, so ask a coach or floor staff to check your set-up on your first visit.

• Foot straps go across the widest part of the foot.
• On an air rower, set the damper low to middle rather than at the top. Heavier does not mean a better session.
• Drive with the legs first, then lean back, then pull with the arms, and reverse that order on the way forward.

Photos of the cardio area at RPM's one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, show treadmills, cross-trainers and an upright bike by tall windows, and spin bikes as well. Rowers are not confirmed. Ask whether there are any, which type, which section they sit in and whether classes book them at your hour.

Women who will train in the women-only Ladies section, which has its own cardio equipment, should ask what it holds. RPM's HYROX-style training runs on the functional floor. Book a free guided tour to see the floor at the hour you would row.