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Rowing Machine Resistance Levels: What Setting Should You Use?
By Paul Kendrick, Cardio & Endurance Editor · Updated 19 September 2026
Most people row too heavy. They sit down, turn the dial to 12 or 14 because that feels like proper training, and spend the next 20 minutes yanking the handle with their arms at 18 strokes a minute. It feels hard, and it isn't a good workout.
The resistance setting on a rowing machine changes how each stroke feels. It doesn't set how hard you're working. You do that, with how forcefully you push through your legs and how quickly you take strokes. Once that clicks, picking a level becomes simple.
What the resistance setting actually changes
Every home rower has a flywheel. The setting decides how much the flywheel resists being spun, and each type does it differently.
Magnetic rowers move a set of magnets closer to or further from the flywheel. Closer means more drag. The dial usually runs to 8, 16 or 32 levels, and the drag at any level stays the same however hard you pull. Machines like the Flesar and YOSUDA magnetic rower work this way.
Air rowers use a fan. The damper lever lets more or less air into the fan cage, and the harder you pull, the more the air pushes back, so resistance rises with effort.
Water rowers spin paddles in a tank. More water means a heavier stroke, and resistance also rises the harder you pull. Some hybrid machines add a magnetic dial on top.
Hydraulic rowers use pistons on each arm. They're a different animal entirely, and the resistance changes as the oil warms up during a session.
Our guide to what type of rowing machine is best covers the wider trade-offs. For choosing a setting, what matters is this: on air and water machines your effort sets the load, while on magnetic machines the dial does much more of the work.
Why heavier isn't harder
Think of the setting like the gears on a bike. A big gear doesn't make a ride harder unless you push it at the same cadence, and if you choose one that's too big, your cadence drops, your legs burn and you cover less ground.
Rowing behaves the same way. A heavy setting slows the flywheel between strokes, so each drive starts from near standstill and you have to heave it back up to speed. Your stroke rate drops, the arms and lower back start doing the work the legs should, and total output per minute often falls.
The research points the same direction. In a 2026 study, participants rowed on a water rower at four resistance settings while holding the same stroke rate. Muscle activity changed relatively little across the first three settings, jumped only at maximum, and stayed below 40 percent of maximal effort throughout (Sensors, 2026). Rowing is an endurance movement. Cranking the dial doesn't turn it into strength training.
Stroke rate matters more than most people think. A 2023 study of college rowers found changing stroke rate altered the movement at every major joint, while adjusting the foot-stretcher set-up changed far less (PLOS One, 2023). Rate and effort are your main controls. Resistance is a comfort setting.
Starting settings by machine and workout
These are our recommended starting points, not rules. Adjust by a level or two until the session feels right.
| Workout | 16-level magnetic | 32-level magnetic | Air rower damper | Water rower |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up and technique work | 2 to 4 | 4 to 8 | 2 to 3 | Low fill |
| Steady rows, 20 to 45 minutes | 4 to 8 | 8 to 14 | 3 to 5 | Recommended fill line |
| Intervals, 30 seconds to 4 minutes | 6 to 10 | 12 to 20 | 4 to 6 | Recommended fill line |
| Short power strokes, under 15 seconds | 10 to 14 | 20 to 28 | 6 to 8 | Upper fill line |
For an air rower, Concept2 recommends a damper of 3 to 5 for most workouts. The number on a magnetic machine isn't standardised, so level 8 on one brand can feel very different from level 8 on another. Treat the table as a starting range, then go by feel.
How it should feel
At the right setting for steady work, you should feel the push through your legs at the start of each drive, and the handle should keep moving smoothly into your ribs without a hitch. You should be able to hold 20 to 24 strokes a minute and talk in short sentences. That matches the NHS description of moderate intensity, where you can talk but not sing (NHS physical activity guidelines).
For intervals, keep the setting similar and raise the effort. Drive harder, lift the rate to 26 to 30, and watch your 500m split drop. If your monitor shows a split, that's the number to train by, not the resistance level.
Common mistakes
Choosing the level as a fitness badge. Nobody benefits from rowing at level 16 with poor form, and a lower setting rowed well will beat it on the monitor within a few weeks.
Leaving it on maximum for "strength". If the handle stalls halfway through the drive, you've gone past useful. Your lower back ends up finishing strokes your legs couldn't, and low back pain is already the most common rowing injury (International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy scoping review, 2023).
Never changing it. A warm-up at your working setting feels clunky. Start two or three levels lower for the first five minutes, then bring it up.
Pulling with the arms first. Heavy settings encourage it, because the legs can't get the flywheel moving on their own. Drop a level, and go back to the legs, body, arms sequence in our rowing machine technique guide.
Comparing numbers across machines. Level 10 on a gym rower and level 10 on your home one aren't the same load. Compare splits and heart rate instead.
Putting it into a session
Here's a simple 30-minute row for a 16-level magnetic machine. Warm up for 5 minutes at level 3, rowing at about 20 strokes a minute. Go up to level 6 and row 20 minutes steady at 22 to 24 strokes a minute, conversational effort. Then drop to level 3 and cool down for 5 minutes.
Once that's easy, keep the resistance and swap the middle section for intervals from our rowing machine HIIT workouts. You'll get fitter faster by changing the effort than by changing the dial.
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Frequently asked questions
What resistance level should I use on a rowing machine?
For most sessions, somewhere in the lower-middle of the range: roughly 4 to 8 on a 16-level magnetic rower, 8 to 14 on a 32-level one, or a damper of 3 to 5 on an air rower. That's heavy enough to feel the drive through your legs and light enough to hold good technique for 20 minutes or more. Go higher only for short power work.
Does a higher resistance burn more calories?
Not automatically. Calories come from how much work you do per minute, which depends on how hard you drive and how many strokes you take, not the number on the dial. A heavy setting often slows your stroke rate and wrecks your technique, so you end up doing less total work than you would at a moderate one.
Is a higher resistance level better for building muscle?
Only a little. Even at maximum, rowing loads your muscles far below what a squat or deadlift does, and one 2026 study found muscle activity stayed under 40 percent of maximal effort at every setting. Row for fitness and do strength training separately if muscle is the goal.
What is the damper on a rowing machine?
On an air rower like a Concept2, the damper is a lever on the fan cage that lets in more or less air. A higher number makes each stroke feel heavier, similar to a bigger gear on a bike, but it doesn't make the workout harder by itself. Concept2 recommends 3 to 5 for most workouts.
Should beginners use low resistance on a rowing machine?
Yes. Start near the bottom third of the range while you learn the legs, body, arms sequence. Low resistance lets you feel the timing without grinding, and you can raise it a level or two once you can row for 20 minutes with good form.
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