The Martlet

January tends to be the worst time of year for an athlete. Whether it’s the snow, rain, wind, ice or a combination of all in the same day, an outdoor workout can truly test amateur and professional athletes.

For an athlete who prefers to focus on the workout rather then the weather conditions, however, the indoor rowing club offers a dry alternative.

Indoor rowing classes are now being offered at two different locations. While Saanich Commonwealth Place may be a journey for the typical UVic student, the Ian Stewart complex is just a five-minute walk from campus.

The Sannich location offers classes on Thursday, while the Ian Stawart location turns exercising into an intramural sport by forming co-ed teams and singles every Tuesday and Wednesday.

The rowing experience is simulated through an ergometer — a piece of machinery used for testing and fitness training. The device demands the use of the cardiovascular systems (heart, blood vessels, or vasculature, and the cells and plasma that make up the blood) through interval training.

Depending on the number of participants the club has each day, participants have the choice of working alone or as a team by hooking up their two ergometers to row at the same time. Linking the ergometers simulates two people in one boat, giving the feel of a relay or a four-oar boat.

The ergometers are often misused, according to Lisa Lynam, who runs the club and teaches at both gyms.

“You lose the misconception of upper body workout on the ergometer,” she said before adding that participants tend to have the wrong form when learning to row on the machines.

According to Lynam, the workout is meant to target your quads and core muscles, leaving the arms as a secondary workout.

“The way I teach allows you to time your rhythm so if you were to hop into a boat, you would not have any difficulty,” Lynam said.

Unlike running on the treadmill, rowing allows a different approach to working out your legs, back and anaerobic system, and also allows less stress on the knees and joints, which tend to take a beating on the hard surface of a treadmill.

Working out in a club also allows participants to meet people outside of classes and stay motivated. In the Ian Stewart class, there are opportunities to form competitive co-ed teams against one another. Just as in a regular practice for team sports, participants have the opportunity to compete against each other at the end of classes.

The weekly training nights will culminate with the Monster Erg Intramual tournament on Feb. 1, at McKinnon Gym, where other athletes will take part in time

trials in either singles or teams.

This type of indoor fitness offers a fun, unintimidating work environment aimed toward any age group and fitness ability. Space is open and a push for more female and male rowers are needed to make up more co-ed teams.

As Olympic gold-medallist Adam Kreek says, “indoor rowing is an efficient way to burn off those extra holiday calories, and stay fit while staying warm and dry.”