This 25-minute rowing workout fires up your metabolism and builds core strength

Improve your cardiovascular fitness with this speedy AMRAP workout

A man doing on the rowing machine at the gym
(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you’re looking for a rowing machine workout that offers a bit more than, well, just rowing, then look no further, we’ve got you covered! This 25-minute workout from Fitness Coach Sarah Holden uses a combination of rowing and bodyweight exercises that will light up all your major muscles, particularly your core, and burn a heck of a lot of calories. Just head to the rowing machine and make sure you’re wearing a good cross-training shoe.

To ramp up the heat even more this is an AMRAP workout. 'AMRAP' stands for 'as many rounds as possible' and it's a style of high-intensity training popular in CrossFit and HYROX training. The aim is to push yourself to complete as many rounds as you can within a set time period, so it's particularly good for building muscle endurance, stamina and getting your heart pumping (which means lots of calories burnt).  

For this workout set your timer for 25 minutes and complete as many rounds as you can of the exercises below. As there are no rest periods you want to try and work at a continuous steady pace with minimal rest. You'll see in the video above that there were originally two ab exercises in this workout, however, we've removed one and lowered the reps, as we didn't think it was that beginner-friendly. Gym water bottles at the ready for this one, here's your workout:

  • 500 metre row
  • 10 ab rollouts (at the end of the rower come down to your knees, place your hands either side of the seat and slide the chair as far forwards as you can then, squeezing your core, bring it back to the starting position)
  • 10 burpees over rower (or just do these by the side)

If you enjoyed this then we've got a few more rowing workouts that we think may be right up your street. Try this circuit workout from MiraFit next, again it will light up your metabolism, albeit we think it's slightly easier. Alternatively, if you just generally want to work on improving your cardiovascular fitness/rowing in general, give this rowing interval workout from HYROX Master Trainer, Jake Dearden, a try. 

Bryony Firth-Bernard
Staff Writer, Active

Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.