Rowing is physically demanding Sports, if not an excruciating one, but it can also be one of the most meditative and rewarding. While rowing on the water is physically demanding, rowing adds to the mental strain, as the only landscape that changes around you as you slide and drag endlessly is the screen in front of you. To make rowing more stimulating and general fitness at home a little more interactive, Tom Aulet Ergatta, a Gaming inspired Rowing machine developed by WaterRower that offers a full body workout and puts you at the center of your own athletic video game.
Aulet designed Ergatta through the lens of a virtual gaming experience because he believes that physical fitness should feel less like a class than a sport. Once users have fitted and attached their shoes to the machine’s classic foot strap, the experience can begin. Each rower is equipped with a tablet that offers an interactive gaming experience for each training session. There are several ways to choose the exact gaming experience you want to play. If you are bored of traditional exercise techniques, this is a great way to keep fit!
The main screen of the tablet offers four different game options: race training, push programs, interval training and open lines. Race training encompasses the larger Ergatta community and gives Ergatta users the opportunity to compete against each other in real time to encourage friendly competition. The race training feature is perhaps Ergatta’s main attraction, as new software is added to Ergatta’s programming every two weeks so users never feel the lull that comes with rowing back and forth with just one steady screen in front of you. Since Ergatta was developed by WaterRower, users can be sure that their training allows self-determined, even resistance and the pleasant sound of running water, while remaining relatively quiet.
Much like the coaches we had when we were doing sports in school, every Ergatta rowing machine is equipped with Active Intelligence, which guides each user through the workout and provides real-time feedback on the importance of pace, form and breathing strengthen every rower. Despite the popular belief that it is primarily an upper body sport, rowing also requires a lot of strength from your core and legs. In fact, rowing hits 86% of muscle groups and helps strengthen and repair physical problems such as bad knees or poor posture.
Designer: WaterRower x Ergatta
Push programs track your progress over time so you can gradually reach and set personal records. This leads to one final challenge to test your progress.
Interval workouts include sharp HIIT workouts like Tabata workouts and pace series for short but effective, goal-oriented rowing.
Race workouts get Ergatta users from every corner of the cyber boathouse to compete against each other and fight to the finish line.
For a more relaxed row, Ergatta users can opt for an open row that allows users to speed up and design their own workouts.
