Zwift advisor Ed Baker maintains an interest in indoor rowing and recently participated in the CRASH-B Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championships, where he won first place in the Men’s Masters Lightweight Division. Indoor rowing as a form of training dates back to the Classical Greeks, who built the first rowing machines to help inexperienced oarsmen master rowing technique and timing. The use of rowing machines fell out of favor until W.B. Curtis began sharing hydraulic-based designs in 1872.
Since these early times, indoor rowing has emerged as an effective cardio and aerobic exercise for building muscle, burning calories, and conditioning the lower and upper body. The need for training tools for traditional rowing competitions puts rowing machines in high demand, thereby increasing interest in indoor rowing as an independent activity. Indoor rowing has also become a staple of CrossFit, a high-intensity fitness regimen designed to improve one's health.
