Rowperfect Rowing Machine

Perfect your rowing technique

The Rowperfect rowing machine is ideal for indoor rowing training for professional oarsmen and competitive indoor rowers as well as an excellent home fitness exercise machine for those who just want to keep fit.  Got Questions? Visit our FAQ page

Indoor Rowing Machine Perfects Your Rowing and Sculling Technique

Good rowing needs sensitivity towards the boat, finesse, smoothness and controlled power. Real rowing requires precise coordination of the catch and drive. The Rowperfect is the only rowing machine ergometer on which this essential skill can be developed. The problem with other indoor rowing machines is they do not accurately reproduce the dynamics of rowing on water: these rowers use different muscles and this can increase the risk of injury.

The Rowperfect is the first rowing machine to accurately reproduce the physics of rowing and, in doing so, mitigates injury. Many World Champions and Olympic medal winners confirm its effectiveness in helping them win those medals.

The Rowperfect rowing machine has been designed to simulate as closely as possible the dynamical and mechanical properties of a racing scull and rowing boat. It is the world's only rowing machine that truly simulates the dynamics of a light racing boat freely floating on the water.

Why consider buying a Rowperfect Rowing Machine?

Whether you are a competitive oarsman or just want to keep fit, the Rowperfect represents the safest and most effective way of helping you achieve your goals. For athletes and coaches it is an innovative, sport-specific training tool that produces benefits both in fitness and in boat-moving skill. For the general home or gym fitness user, its design helps prevent exercise-induced injuries and the challenge of balancing the limited-tilt seat adds to your core stability and strength.

There are two types of rowing machine: the fixed rowing machine and the dynamic rowing machine. Rowperfect is a dynamic machine. A direct comparison between the two and the benefits is instructive.

For rowers and coaches: The Rowperfect will help to teach good rowing technique and improve on-water performance . By synchronising your crew's power you can achieve 5% faster boat speeds. Rowperfect also helps with selection enabling you to compare athletes of different weights and set training zones for each athlete that work on land and water.

For general fitness and cross training for other sports: Indoor Rowing is a great sport for all-body fitness and toning. Here are some reasons to choose rowing and some explanations about workout safety and the unshaken brain that reduces fatigue. It also helps you gauge the correct training levels using the unique software and a heart rate monitor.

The process of learning to row (as a preliminary to going fast) has four stages:
1 - Learning the concept of balance - centering the body mass

2 - Co-ordination of legs/body/arms for the power phase and recovery phase of the rowing stroke

3 - Learning to do this in time with other rowers

4 - The skill of handling the oar and sculls

The Rowperfect can deliver the first three of these - balance, co-ordination and timing

The closer an off-water rowing machine is to rowing on-water, the better the training will be for improving actual rowing performance on-water. Essentially, training is providing the body with stimuli to adapt. The more accurate and sport-specific the stimuli, the better the results of the training.

Rowperfect Brochure All our news items about Rowperfect; the new Indoor Sculler Rowperfect model.

Rowperfect component list - these are all available to buy as spare parts, contact us for prices .

Increase performance

As a rower, when you first try the Rowperfect indoor rowing machine you'll feel the similarity to a real rowing or sculling boat. A real catch, without slack, a solid, fluid stroke, without a shock load on the spine. In the first year that athletes train regularly on Rowperfect indoor rower they improve personal best times. This is because it is sport-specific and trains the correct muscular firing sequence for boat-moving and improves proprioception .

Here is a simple explanation of the dynamics. For the technically-minded the physics behind the Rowperfect explains why it is so good as a simulator. And its algorithm for weight-correction in the software is based on international race times and was re-verified in 2001 courtesy of Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell of the Great Britain Rowing Team racing the coxed and coxless pair.

There are several interface / software options and a comparison of functionality may help you choose which one best suits you. And session and stroke files from top athletes for you to train against add depth to your goals. Demonstration software is available by email from get-rpw@row-ware.com. And if you want to race or see the results of others' races: The Rowperfect Challenge is an international competition, run annually.

Learn more about the Rowperfect for Windows software including screen shots and how to get a trial version of the software.

Request a users manual [this is 3Mb and so only available by email.]

Physiology and physiotherapy with Rowperfect

The Rowperfect indoor rower is used by exercise physiologists and rehabilitation coaches and physiotherapists because it provides a unique, controlled environment within which specific muscular actions can be monitored, exercised, isolated and corrected. The key to this is the Limited Tilt Seat which can improve balance and core stability.

Understanding tissue adaptation through training and how to construct training programmes to avoid injury , particularly in young and new athletes, is a central part of a modern coach's job. Cross training between sports is an important part of off-season fitness work and Rowperfect is used by rugby and football teams. And for injury rehabilitation and rebalancing bilateral deficits and cross-lateralisation education, one-legged rowing on the Rowperfect ergometer helps the athlete see on the force curve and work more effectively to rehabilitate.

Users' Views

The Rowperfect has been called the 'secret training weapon' that helped top teams achieve sporting success. A lot of famous rowers from around the world have had success using it within their training programme. Some have written testimonials about their use of the Rowperfect. We have testimonials within the news blog on this site.

Frequently asked questions:

Can I retro-fit the MKIV monitor to my rowing machine?

How do different athlete weights affect the split times?

Can I copy the force curve of a top athlete?

I want to see screen shots of the software.

Rowperfect Prices

Rowperfect rowing simulator £995 [No longer available as we are waiting for a new model to be released]

Interface and Rowperfect for Windows software £250 buy

MKIV machine mounted monitor (includes software above) £520 buy

Polar Heart Rate Sensor £50 buy

Rowperfect computer cable £10 buy

Rowperfect interface upgrade and Rowperfect for Windows software [for customers who already have the old interface and DOS software] £95 buy

Rowperfect Service £85 plus parts Contact us to organise collection

New Indoor Rowing Machine - the Indoor Sculler

A new Rowperfect design will be launched in 2008, called the Indoor Sculler. This was announced by Rowperfect Pty the Australian manufacturer in November 2006 in the Rowperfect UK newsletter. Sneak previews of a photo of an unpainted, pre-production model and New Machine line drawing. And now a video of the Indoor Sculler new Rowperfect in action.

A list of interested people who want to receive detailed information is being compiled. Please send me Information about the Indoor Sculler.

MKIV Rowperfect monitor force curve

Legendary coach, Harry Mahon, coaching Simon Dennis
(Olympic champion, Sydney 2000 Great Britain Rowing Eight)