Rowing vs cycling: Which is better for fitness, fat loss and your joints?

The muscle breakdown

While both exercises are good for your heart, they do have some critical differences, especially when it comes down to which muscles each one works.

Rowing is considered a 'full body' workout: it works your legs, core, back and arms all in one stroke. Your legs drive the push, your core transfers the power, and then your back and arms finish the pull. So rowing is roughly 60% legs, 20% core and 20% arms.

Cycling, on the other hand, is primarily leg-driven (think quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves) and your upper body is mostly passive, with a bit of core thrown in to help you keep your balance.

The truth about calorie burn

If you're looking to burn calories and lose fat, you might be wondering which exercise will get you to your goal faster. The answer is, it depends.

Harvard Health offers data on all kinds of exercises, including how many calories they burn. During a moderately paced workout, a 70 kg person burns the same amount of calories doing either exercise for 30 minutes. Both cycling and rowing will torch a decent 250 calories at a relatively moderate pace.

At harder intensities, calorie burn rises substantially on both machines, but there isn't a clear winner. How much you burn depends on how hard you work and how long you can maintain that effort.

The key to burning the most calories is picking the exercise that is sustainable for you.

Is rowing or cycling better for belly fat?

The truth that we all know but really hate to admit is that no exercise can specifically target belly fat. Neither rowing nor cycling will train away a bigger belly without losing weight overall, because visceral fat responds to the same diet and exercise habits that reduce overall body fat.

The Mayo Clinic points to the general recommendation of at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week to reduce overall fat and get fit. There is some evidence that HIIT and strength training can also help you reach that goal. Both cycling and rowing can be used for HIIT through sprint and strength intervals, as well as for on-machine endurance training.

Is rowing or cycling better for your knees?

Both types of exercise are easy on your joints. They're low-impact, so they avoid the repeated landing forces you get with activities such as running.

The most common rowing injury is usually some form of lower back pain. Studies show that anywhere from ⅓ to ½ of all rowers experience some kind of back pain over the year. While most of that research was done on competitive rowers, a history of back pain and heavy time on the erg are both linked to a higher risk of rowing-related back pain.

Good rowing technique can help prevent injury. The key to good technique is to move from your hips, not your spine. As you slide forward to the start of the stroke, rock your hips forward so your body leans in from the hip joint, keeping your back long and flat. At the end of the stroke, lean back slightly from the hips with your core braced. Rounding and arching your back can put too much strain on the spine, and beginners tend to do it without noticing.

Cycling isn't totally off the hook, either. While cyclists can have back pain, the usual culprit is the knees. Overuse issues, such as patellofemoral pain, can be tied to poor bike fit and too much load on the knees, although a predisposition to knee problems can also get in the way of your cycling.

Which should you choose if you have knee pain? Well, it depends on the knee problem. If you're already experiencing some knee pain, you'll basically want to pick the one that doesn't hurt. Stationary and recumbent cycling are usually the most forgiving when you're just getting started. Rowing is also low-impact, but it does require bending your knees deeply, which can be difficult for some types of knee issues.

If you have persistent knee pain, consider getting a professional bike fit and spin an easier gear with a faster cadence.

Cardio and endurance: where each workout shines

You can build cardiovascular fitness and endurance with both rowing and cycling. Rowing recruits more muscles at once, so it can place a greater demand on the heart and lungs.

However, cycling is better suited for those long steady aerobic Zone 2 rides, which build the aerobic base with less fatigue and less need for good technique. So if you are choosing your exercise based on cardio efforts, remember that rowing lends itself well to high-intensity cardio, while cycling favours both sustainable base-building fitness alongside high intensity intervals, when you need them.

Rowing vs cycling: choosing the right workout for your goals

The best choice for you really depends on your lifestyle, your needs and, especially, your goals.

• If you're looking to lose weight: Either one works. The key to weight loss is actually consistency. You may prefer rowing for time-crunched hard sessions, and cycling for longer, easier ones.

• If you have sensitive knees: Start with a stationary bike or a recumbent bike for a slow, gentle introduction. Or ask a clinician for help.

• If you have a history of back pain: Cycling is usually easier on your back, but if you prefer rowing, learn how to use really good rowing technique before you take off on a rowing machine.

• Full-body strength and conditioning: Rowing.

• Limited space or budget: Usually cycling, but it also depends on whether you already own a bike or have to start from scratch.

• Your height and proportions: Body proportions affect how both machines feel. If you're shorter, like me, the rowing stroke can feel less natural. Cycling isn't automatically better, since a bad saddle height or crank length causes its own problems, but a bike fit is usually a one-time fix, while rowing form needs attention every session.

• Enjoyment and motivation: The best workout is the one you'll actually enjoy enough to keep doing, and this is where the two types of workouts can feel very different. Rowing takes your whole body and your full attention. Sure, you can watch a movie or binge YouTube, but you aren't going to be replying to a text, answering an email or even getting a proper drink without pausing your stroke.

This is where cycling is a little bit more forgiving. You can pedal along at an easy pace while you watch a show, scroll on your phone or snack and sip your sports drink. If you're worried about getting bored easily, or if you want your workout to double as downtime, cycling might just be the workout that sticks.

Why not both? Combining rowing and cycling in your training

Maybe you don't have to choose. Cross-training keeps your workouts varied and interesting and covers all the gaps. Rowing, of course, works your upper body and core as well as your legs, and cycling adds low-stress leg volume. You can easily incorporate both types of workouts into a weekly plan.

For example, in any given week, you might shoot for 2 easy indoor rides, a short rowing session and one higher intensity interval day on either machine. This gives you four workouts a week for a well-rounded base season to keep your fitness strong without too much fatigue.

On your easy ride days, shoot for a scenic Zone 2 ROUVY route so your ride feels less like a chore than your days on the rower. You might join a paced group ride to keep you in the easy zone, or choose a recovery workout to keep the effort controlled.

That rowing machine under my backpack and hoodie isn't going anywhere – some days it's exactly what I need, and the hard, focused burn of the erg is its own kind of satisfying. But more often than not, it's my bike trainer that gets me moving, because a good ROUVY route beats a good excuse every time.

Rowing and cycling were never really competing for the same job. Try both, and keep whichever one keeps you coming back.

Related reading

• ROUVY, What are the benefits of indoor cycling? 11 reasons to ride indoors
• ROUVY, The Effect of Cycling on Body Shape: What Really Changes (and What Doesn't)
• ROUVY, Biking vs Walking: Calories, Weight Loss and What's Better for You
• ROUVY, Biking vs Running: Which Is Better for Weight Loss, Cardio and Your Knees