The NO. 077 Row-N-Ride® Upright Rowing Machine is an incredible exercise machine for targeting your entire body. At its full potential, this machine can be used to target your upper body, lower body, and core - specifically the glutes, quads, hamstring, calves, core, biceps, shoulders, and back. Many of our customers who use this product are interested in how to better target the glutes when using the Row-N-Ride machine.
You can use the Row-N-Ride® machine to effectively target the glutes to tone, firm, and shape your butt. However, it’s important to know you can’t really selectively train one body part. With the squatting motion on this machine, you will target your glutes, as well as your quads, hamstrings, core, hip flexors, and back. That being said there are quite a few tips and tricks that can be done to better target your glutes while using this wonderful machine!
Mindful Glute Activation
For those of us who sit for the majority of our day, our glutes are used to being turned off. Because of this, when working out, our glutes don’t always fully activate as we want them to. Glutes require mindfulness to see full activation.
It’s so important when working out to make that mind to muscle connection - focusing on activating your glutes through each exercise. It might sound silly, but this focus is often needed to achieve the glute activation we’re looking for.
To really get the most of your glutes during a workout, I recommend waking up your glutes by adding some glute activation exercises to your warmup. You can do this on the Row-N-Ride machine by completing upper zone squats with glute activations. Throughout this exercise, focus on activating and squeezing your glutes as you go through the entire range of motion.
Hip Extension
The biggest glute activation happens in hip extension. You know when you’re standing back up from a squat and squeeze your glutes and thrust your hips forward? Or when you squeeze your glutes at the top of a hip thrust? Yep, that’s hip extension; and, when targeting the glutes, that hip extension is key.
The great thing about the Row-N-Ride, is it makes the most of the hip extension action of your squat. The resistance on this machine is the highest when you’re at full hip extension - at the top of your squat. Make the most of this benefit by squeezing your glutes and going through that full upper range of motion as you ascend from each squat.
Deep Squats
You’re going to see the most overall muscle activation when completing deep squats on the Row-N-Ride. During this exercise, not only will your glutes be highly activated, but your quads, hamstrings, calves, and core will work their hardest as well when completing a deeper full range squat, as opposed to a regular 90-degree angle squat or more shallow squats. That being said always remember to complete the full range of motion with full hip extension at the top of your squat to get the most out of this entire movement.
Squat Variety
When training the glutes, it’s so important to add variety to your routine to really challenge the glutes from a variety of angles. In real life we move in a variety of ways to complete different motions - activating the glutes to help us complete different daily activities.
To get the most out of your Row-N-Ride machine, and challenge your glute routine, I recommend adding a variety of different squats to your workouts. Including a variety of squat depth, pulses, and squat holds. As well as plie squats to target the glutes from a different angle, or pistol (single leg) squats for more advanced users.
More Resistance
Finally, to see the best results from your glute training regimen, you have to keep challenging your strength to see results. As you get fitter, you should be thinking about increasing the resistance whenever you feel like it’s time to progress, and you’re ready to take that next step. Increasing the resistance of your workout will lead to strength gains, which in turn will lead to glute gains.
The Row-N-Ride provides pretty decent resistance, and as someone who frequently lifts heavy weights and performs high intensity training, I was surprised at how tough it is to exercise on this machine with all three resistance bands in use. Needless to say, this machine can provide an excellent workout for users at a variety of fitness levels. Keep challenging yourself by adding those resistance bands!
If you’re ready to get started, follow along with this 10-minute Glute-focused Row-N-Ride Workout! Get ready to work up a sweat and feel the burn in that booty as I lead you through how to implement the 5 steps above into a full-length workout! Best of luck, and happy booty building!
