Rowing Warm-Up Guide

By the Watta Team · Updated 9 October 2026

A proper warm-up improves performance, reduces injury risk, and prepares your body for the demands of rowing. This guide provides specific warm-up protocols for different types of erg sessions, from steady state to race-day testing.

Why Warm Up?

Warming up raises body temperature, increases blood flow to muscles, activates the nervous system, and lubricates joints. For rowing, it also establishes the neuromuscular patterns you will use during the session. A 10-15 minute warm-up can improve 2K performance by 2-5 seconds compared to starting cold. Skipping the warm-up increases injury risk, particularly for the lower back and knees.

Off-Erg Warm-Up (5 Minutes)

Before getting on the erg, do 5 minutes of dynamic movement: leg swings (10 each direction), hip circles (10 each direction), arm circles (10 forward, 10 back), bodyweight squats (10 with pause at the bottom), and cat-cow stretches (10 reps). This mobilises the hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders — the three areas most stressed in rowing.

On-Erg Warm-Up

For steady state sessions: 5 minutes easy rowing at 18 spm, gradually increasing pressure from 50% to 70% effort. For interval sessions: 8 minutes easy rowing, then 4-6 bursts of 10 strokes at session pace with 1 minute easy between. For 2K tests: 10 minutes easy, 6 x 10 strokes at race pace with 1 minute easy, 2 minutes easy, 1 start sequence, then 3-5 minutes rest.

Cool Down

After any hard session, row easy for 5-10 minutes to flush metabolic byproducts. This active cool-down reduces muscle soreness and speeds recovery. Follow with static stretching of the hamstrings, hip flexors, lats, and lower back. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. A proper cool-down takes 10-15 minutes but significantly improves how you feel the next day.

Choosing an app?

Which app should you use with your Concept2? →

Seven erg trackers ranked, free options first: ErgData, the Concept2 Logbook, Watta and more — what each is best for.

Tips

+Never skip the warm-up for intervals or testing — cold muscles cannot produce maximal power.
+The warm-up should raise your heart rate to 50-60% of max before the main session begins.
+For early morning sessions, add 2-3 extra minutes to the warm-up as the body takes longer to activate.
+Include mental preparation during the warm-up — review your session plan and targets.
+Dynamic movement before rowing, static stretching after rowing — never static stretch cold muscles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should my warm-up be?

10-15 minutes for a standard session: 5 minutes off-erg dynamic movement plus 5-10 minutes easy rowing. For testing or racing, extend to 20 minutes with race-pace bursts included.

Can I just row easy instead of doing dynamic stretches?

Easy rowing is a decent warm-up but misses hip and thoracic mobility that dynamic stretches provide. The combination of off-erg movement plus easy rowing is significantly better than either alone.

Should I stretch before rowing?

Dynamic stretching (movement-based) is beneficial before rowing. Static stretching (holding positions) should be saved for after the session, as it can temporarily reduce power output if done before exercise.

Every erg counts.

Photograph your erg screen after the piece and Watta logs it for you.

Download on the App Store

iPhone, iOS 15.1 or later · no subscription · Android beta

See everything Watta does