Total Gym vs Rowing Machine: A Comprehensive Comparison

Are you in search of the perfect piece of exercise equipment and trying to choose between Total Gym vs rowing machine?

Look no further! In this informative showdown, we’ll be exploring the similarities and differences between a Total Gym and a Rowing Machine.

The Total Gym uses a glide board to allow you to do a huge number of exercises. The motion of this board is a bit like that on a rowing machine so I can see why you came here to learn more about how a rowing machine compares to Total Gym.

So, let’s dive into our comprehensive comparison of the Total Gym and the Rowing Machine!

What is Total Gym?

The Total Gym is a unique piece of fitness equipment that utilizes your body weight and gravity to provide resistance for a variety of exercises.

Unlike traditional home gyms that rely on external weights, the Total Gym uses a sliding board and pulley system to challenge your muscles.

One of the biggest benefits of the Total Gym is its portability and the ability to change exercises without stopping to adjust weights.

The adjustable height of the slide board allows for a customizable workout, as a higher setting will increase the resistance by lifting a higher percentage of your body weight, while a lower setting will decrease the resistance by lifting a smaller percentage of your body weight.

The Total Gym also allows for a full range of motion during exercise and depending on the model, there are hundreds of exercises that can be performed for the arms, legs, and core.

Total Gym has been producing exercise machines for over 30 years and there are currently several versions of the popular home gym available on the market.

Each model has its own unique features and attachments, but they all utilize the same principle of using your body weight and gravity as resistance.

If you’d like to find out more, head over to my guide to the best total gym machines

Rowing Machine

A home rowing machine, also known as an indoor rower or ergometer, is a versatile piece of exercise equipment designed to simulate the motion and benefits of rowing a boat.

It consists of a sliding seat, a handlebar, and a resistance mechanism. As you sit on the seat and grip the handlebar, you engage your entire body in a smooth, rhythmic motion that mimics rowing on water.

One of the greatest advantages of a home rowing machine is its ability to provide a full-body workout.

Rowing engages large muscle groups, including your legs, core, back, and arms, making it an excellent option for improving overall strength and cardiovascular fitness.

The combination of pushing with your legs and pulling with your upper body creates a powerful, calorie-burning workout that can help you achieve weight loss goals and improve muscular endurance.

Another key benefit of a home rowing machine is its low-impact nature.

Unlike activities such as running or jumping, rowing puts minimal stress on your joints, making it suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.

This makes it an ideal choice for individuals recovering from injuries or those seeking a safe and effective workout option that reduces the risk of joint pain or discomfort.

Rowing is renowned for its ability to improve cardiovascular health. It provides a challenging aerobic workout that elevates your heart rate and enhances lung capacity.

Consistent rowing sessions can boost your endurance, enhance circulation, and promote a healthier cardiovascular system overall.

To find out more please check out my guide to the best rowing machines (or these ones for tall rowers or heavy rowers).

Comparison of Features: Rowing Machine vs. Total Gym

Muscles Worked

The rowing machine offers a cardio-focused workout while still building muscle. It targets key muscle groups such as the hips, glutes, legs, back, shoulders, and arms.

This results in an effective cardiovascular workout that tones multiple areas of your body.

The Total Gym is designed to provide a full-body workout, targeting major muscle groups from the upper body, including the pectorals, deltoids, and lats, to the lower body, engaging the hamstrings, calves, and glutes.

With the Total Gym, no muscle group is left untouched. However, it is not as effective for cardiovascular exercise as rowing.

Intensity of Workout

Experts suggest that a 185-pound individual can burn approximately 311 calories in just 30 minutes of moderate activity on a rowing machine.

Rowing also offers the advantage of being a low-impact exercise, minimizing stress on the knees, ankles, and joints. It is a comfortable option, particularly for individuals with a history of joint or leg problems.

The Total Gym utilizes your own body weight as resistance and provides a smooth cable motion, ensuring exercises are joint-friendly and easy to perform.

The absence of free weights makes transitioning between exercises quick and effortless.

Both machines can offer high-intensity workouts, assuming you push yourself.

However, in terms of calorie burn and overall intensity, the rowing machine takes the lead. It is widely favored by CrossFit athletes for a reason.

Workout Duration

Comparing the workout durations between these two machines is challenging due to their different focus on cardio and muscle toning.

With the Total Gym, you can achieve a full-body workout in approximately 20-30 minutes by seamlessly transitioning between exercises.

Similarly, a rowing machine can provide an intense workout within the same timeframe if you push yourself.

Both machines offer efficient and time-saving workouts, but their emphasis differs, with one targeting cardio and the other focusing on muscle toning.

Size

When it comes to size, both machines are designed to be compact when not in use.

The Total Gym offers the convenience of vertical folding, allowing it to be stored under furniture or in a corner.

Rowing machines sometimes fold (but not as small as a Total Gym) or they can be stored upright to save space.

For example, the Concept2 rowing machine occupies approximately 2 feet of space when stored upright against a wall, so it remains out of the way when not in use.

Similarities Between the Total Gym and Rowing Machine:

Suitability for Beginners

Both the Total Gym and Rowing Machine are excellent options for beginners seeking to improve their strength and functional fitness. They can be used to promote fat loss, enhance metabolic rate, and develop lean muscles.

When utilized correctly, these machines can help beginners achieve a good level of strength and attain a toned physique.

Complementary Benefits

While the Total Gym and Rowing Machine provide valuable benefits, it’s important to note that they should not be considered as substitutes for free weights and traditional weightlifting machines if the goal is to maximize muscle and strength gains.

However, when incorporated into a well-rounded fitness routine, these machines can offer valuable support and complement other training methods to help individuals achieve their desired fitness outcomes.

Both Offer Low-Impact Workouts

Both rowing machines and the Total Gym provide low-impact workout options, making them safer alternatives to other exercise options.

Unlike outdoor running, which can place significant stress on your ankles, joints, and knees, these machines offer a gentler approach to exercise.

By using a rowing machine or the Total Gym, you can minimize the impact on your legs as they do not repeatedly hit hard surfaces. This creates a more comfortable and joint-friendly exercise experience.

These low-impact machines are particularly beneficial for individuals with muscle problems, as they place less pressure on the joints compared to weight training.

They can be suitable for people who are overweight or those with joint and ligament issues.

Additionally, the use of body weight as resistance allows you to customize your weight resistance training to suit your individual needs.

Both Provide Full-Body Strength and Conditioning Workouts

Unlike many workouts that tend to focus on specific body parts, both the Total Gym and rowing machines offer comprehensive full-body workouts.

From your hips, glutes, legs, and back to your shoulders and arms, these machines target multiple muscle groups, providing a well-rounded exercise experience.

Rowing machines, in particular, excel at cardiovascular exercises while engaging major muscle groups throughout your body.

Traditional rowing exercises can activate approximately 85% of your muscles. The versatility of the Total Gym allows for a wide range of exercises that isolate muscles in both the upper and lower body, contributing to a thorough strength and conditioning workout.

Both Offer Portability

In terms of portability, both the Total Gym and modern rowing machine models are designed with convenience in mind.

They are highly portable, foldable, and collapsible, making storage a breeze.

When you’re not working out, you can easily move them to a corner or tuck them away, maximizing your available space. Both machines are equipped with casters and rollers, eliminating the need to lift and carry heavy equipment.

This portability feature allows for effortless transportation and setup, ensuring that you can conveniently position the machines in the center of the room when it’s time for a workout.

Differences Between Total Gym and Rowing Machines

Space Requirements

One significant distinction between these two fitness machines lies in the amount of physical space they require.

The Total Gym takes up minimal space, thanks to its foldable design that allows it to be stored upright against a wall or inside a closet.

On the other hand, rowing machines, especially those with large tanks and flywheels, tend to be bulkier and more substantial.

While some rowing machines can be separated into two parts for storage, their overall size can still be inconvenient for users with limited room space.

Heart Rate Monitor

Rowing machines, such as the Concept2 Model D, offer a comprehensive range of workout data, including speed, pace, calories burned, and most notably, a heart rate monitor.

This feature makes rowing machines ideal for users who want to monitor their heart rate and stroke rate levels during exercise.

In contrast, Total Gyms do not come equipped with heart rate monitors or any other tech.

If the ability to track heart rate is a significant factor in your exercise machine selection, then a rowing machine would be a better choice for your fitness needs.

Workout Plans

Rowing machines offer comprehensive workout programs designed for users of all levels, catering to beginners and progressing towards more advanced levels.

These programs provide a structured approach to help you gradually improve your fitness and skill on the rowing machine.

Many of the latest rowing machines (like Aviron, Hydrow, NordicTrack, Hydrow Wave, etc) come with built-in touchscreens that allow you to access live or pre-recorded training sessions on subscription.

Total Gym equipment, on the other hand, doesn’t come with built-in workout programs.

If you prefer guided workouts, you would need to seek additional video support from external sources. Total Gym TV is a subscription service that has a great range of exercise programmes but you will need our own screen to watch it on.

Types of Resistance

The Total Gym utilizes your body’s own weight to provide an effective workout.

By adjusting the angle and position of the glide board, you can increase or decrease the level of resistance.

This bodyweight-based resistance allows for customized training and helps you target specific muscle groups. It also helps to identify any muscular imbalances or overuse in different parts of your body.

Rowing machines, however, employ various types of resistance mechanisms depending on the model.

These mechanisms generate the necessary mass and drag to create resistance during rowing.

The specific principle used by each rowing machine model can vary, providing different experiences and levels of prominence compared to the Total Gym.

Who Should Choose the Total Gym

There are specific situations where opting for a Total Gym over a rowing machine may be the right option.

When You Need Multi-Planar Movement

Total Gym equipment enables movement in various directions, including backward, sideways, and rotational.

It is particularly suitable for circuit training. Models like the Total Gym XLS offer a wide range of exercises, with options for 6 to 22 levels of resistance. This versatility allows for multi-dimensional workouts and can accommodate different fitness goals.

When You Live in an Apartment or a Small House

The Total Gym operates quietly, making it a good choice for those living in shared spaces or apartments. Some rowing machines can produce noise during usage, which may not be ideal if other people are living close by. However, if you get a magnetic rowing machine they are usually the quietest rowers.

When You Have Limited Storage Space

Total Gym machines are designed to be easily foldable and collapsible, making them very convenient for storage. Rowing machines, with their large tanks and flywheels, tend to occupy more space in your gym area.

When You Prefer Quick and Easy Assembly

Most Total Gym models come ready to use upon purchase. With minimal assembly required, such as attaching pins and adjusting the height, you can quickly set up your gym at home.

In comparison, rowing machines may involve more complex assembly processes, requiring additional time and effort.

When to Choose a Rowing Machine:

Here are some times where opting for a rowing machine might be the way to go:

When You Prefer Adjustable Resistance

Many rowing machines offer the flexibility to adjust the damper, which controls the external resistance you experience during the workout and this can be moved while you are working out.

Some types of rower like water and air resistance rowing machines offer more resistance the harder you row.

To adjust the resistance on a Total Gym you will need to interrupt your workout and adjust the angle of the glide board.

When You Have a Nice Big Workout Space

Compared to Total Gyms, rowing machines generally require more space for effective usage.

They tend to be larger in size and can’t be folded away as easily or as compact as a Total Gym.

Final Thoughts

Both the Total Gym and rowing machines offer unique benefits and cater to different fitness goals and preferences. Whether you choose the Total Gym or a rowing machine, you can achieve a full-body workout and experience remarkable results.

The Total Gym excels in providing customizable resistance, multi-planar movement, compact storage, and ease of assembly. It offers a balanced workout experience that has great versatility and a huge variety of exercises. It is an excellent choice for individuals seeking a comprehensive strength and conditioning workout.

Rowing machines offer a range of benefits, including a full-body workout that engages major muscle groups, low-impact exercise for joint health, efficient calorie burn, versatility in resistance levels, and convenient storage options. With these advantages, rowing machines provide an excellent opportunity to improve cardiovascular health, build strength, and achieve overall fitness.

Ultimately, the decision between the Total Gym and a rowing machine comes down to personal preferences, fitness goals, available space, and desired workout experiences.

Consider your specific needs and priorities to make the best choice for your fitness journey.

If you are struggling to decide then you might want to look at the Total Gym Row Trainer which offers some of the benefits of both machines.

Whichever option you choose, remember that consistency and dedication are key to achieving your fitness goals.

So, embrace the equipment that resonates with you, pushes you to new heights, and brings enjoyment to your workouts.

Whether it’s the Total Gym or a rowing machine, let it be the tool that propels you toward a stronger, healthier, and happier you.