jo.com's Full Review: Stamina 1205 Precision Rower
The fitness room in my mom’s condo has a couple of rowers. The first one I am reviewing is the Stamina 1205 Precision Rower.
General Information:
Although rowing is a fantastic cardiovascular activity it also uses basically all other muscle groups making a rowing machine an ideal piece of equipment for your home. This is my opinion though it sounds like it is coming from an ad! At under $200, Stamina has a great product in its Precision Rower. I do have some warnings however so read on.
The Precision Rower is 48 inches by 33 inches by 27 inches. Compare that to the much larger Concept II rower which is 7 feet 11 inches long by 24 inches wide and weighs 61 pounds.
The weight limit on the Precision Rower is 250 pounds. I found this machine to be sturdy but as you can see by the weight limit it isn’t one of the sturdiest on the market. It only weighs 46 pounds.
Assembly is required. I obviously did not put it together but unlike complex universal machines, this appeared to have a fairly straightforward design.
The frame is powder coated aluminum which I have learned over time is the best kind of frame you can have.
A rower is very different than most other cardio machines. I am going to write this review by telling you what I like about it and what I don’t like about it. There are reasons I don’t use the rower at the gym often. Some may be relevant to you some may not be.
What I like about the Stamina Precision Rower:
The first thing I did after seeing it was to sit on it. This is an easy machine to get on and off however it is low to the ground. I’ll be getting into that in the second section of this review.
The seat was quite comfortable. I found it to be very padded. Unlike some bikes in fitness rooms, your butt should not get numb from sitting on Stamina’s Rower. The seat isn’t huge but I have found that to be true of most rowers.
I put my feet on the foot plates. These move a bit which I like. My feet tend to get numb when I can’t move them so I like the freedom I feel on the Stamina. I found straps that went on top of my feet to keep them in place.
The handles are at a good height and are comfortable to hold onto. They are padded so as my hands started to sweat I didn’t have to worry about them slipping.
I found the machine to be quiet and smooth. When I first saw it I thought that it was small and might be rocky at a fast pace but it wasn’t.
The seat glides back and forth easily. That is what a rower does. As I pull the handles toward me the seat goes forward. I push them away from me the seat goes back thus the rowing action. You can see how all muscle groups would be used when thinking of the workout your back, arms, legs and even abdominal muscles get by rowing.
The LCD display is very small but unlike treadmills and other cardio machines you probably won’t be looking at it much. I didn’t because I found that moving away from it constantly and trying to look at it was distracting. I found it adequate when I did look at it. It gave me speed, time, calories and distance.
The Stamina Precision rower works, like others, on a hydraulic system. What that means is that there are pistons which control the tension. However on this machine the pistons (also called shock resistance) are adjustable. The pistons are on each side of the machine. Think bike pump. I could make the resistance harder or easy by adjusting the tension controls on each side of the machine. The tension controls are easy to turn knobs. My body however really does the work to move the rower. Unlike a treadmill that moves, this doesn’t move on its own.
I really got a great workout on this machine. In general cardiovascular machines’s readouts can be off by as much as 20% however I found that I was burning more calories in the fitness room on the rower versus the treadmill. I still believe elliptical machines burn the most calories but not by much.
Negative about Stamina’s Precision Rower:
Rowers can be hard on some joints. At the same time there is no impact making it easy on other joints so I guess we all have to pick which joints can handle what machine. If I were to pick two areas to be especially aware of on this or any rower it is my knees and shoulders. My knees are fine but if yours aren't you might want to consider a treadmill or elliptical machine. That is why I commented that it is low to the ground. If you have a hard to getting up and down, this machine is not for you.
When I first reviewed the Concept II I said that I found it hard on my knees after awhile. I got a great comment that I would like to share. I learned from it and I think you may as well. "Start holding the bar just over your feet. Extend your legs, keeping your back straight. Your arms should also be straight. Lean back slightly from the waist pulling the bar into your abdomen (bending your elbows). Let the bar go so your arms are straight again and you’re sitting straight up. Bend your knees and slowly slide forward. (Sliding should take about 2/3 of the cycle while the pulling part only takes 1/3). Lean forward slightly until your watchband is over your toes and then start the next stroke."
Since we use both hands on the rower we can’t read while on this machine or drink water unless you stop. I really missed not being able to drink water but that is the nature of the beast. In actuality one could row with one arm to drink but it isn’t something I would recommend.
One reason I like it is also a reason I don’t like it. This explanation involves a bit about my weight training philosophy.
It is fairly well known that if you are weight training you do not want to work the same muscle group 2 days in a row. There is a simple reason for this: During weight training, assuming you are using heavy enough weights, you are making small tears in your muscles. Your muscles are not getting stronger during your workout. They get stronger after your workout during the healing of the tears. Thus you must give your muscles a rest and give them a chance to heal and get stronger.
If, for example, I work my biceps on a Monday and again on Tuesday, the small tears I made on Monday have no time to heal. Basically my on Tuesday workout is a waste of time; it is counterproductive and I can end up injured.
If I work my upper body on Monday and work it hard and then Tuesday do a hard workout on the rowing machine, I am using the same muscle group two days in a row. If I work my upper body as hard as I should be, I shouldn’t have the energy after weight training to be able to row efficiently. So in either case the rower can be counterproductive if you are a weight trainer.
Many of you are not, though, and you concentrate on cardiovascular workouts. Or perhaps you have weights at home and have now learned that you should take a day off if you do a hard upper body workout for a decent amount of time (45 minutes or more) on the rower. If this is the case, this machine is for you.
There is a 5 year warranty on the frame and 90 days on the parts.
Jo, Your Personal Trainer’s Final Thoughts:
This is a terrific machine and I would recommend giving it a try if you weigh no more than 250 pounds. It certainly isn’t the gym quality machine you will get in the Concept II but it is also over $600 less, takes up a lot less room and is really perfect for you if you are just starting out because it is so easy to work. (Hint: It will make a great Mother's Day or graduation gift!) Look around. You may be able to find it in the $150 range.
I found it to be one of the safer machines to work out on. You won ’t fall off of it; you don’t need any balance for it and it is easier on your bones and joints than running, in my opinion.
It offers a total body workout. It does a great job of simulating what real life rowing is like. Working your legs and upper body at the same time makes a great way to warm up before weight training as well.
If I can answer any questions about this product or weight training in general, feel free to leave a comment or question or e-mail me.
Below are some of my reviews of cardio equipment. All my fitness related reviews are on my profile page. Thanks for reading. jo
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