How to Row in Pontiac, Michigan

Rowing is a great aerobic workout, as it is one of few sports that uses all major muscle groups. It may look like rowing is an upper-body sport, but most of your power comes from the big muscles in your legs. It's easy to get into the sport of rowing, as clubs offer beginner lessons for youth and adults, says the membership director for the Ann Arbor Rowing Club, Martin Myers. There are two major rowing clubs near Pontiac: the Ann Arbor Rowing Club and the Detroit Boat Club.

Things You'll Need

  • Registration fees
  • Swimming test
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Instructions

  1. Learning to Row

    • 1

      If you haven't rowed before, you should start by joining a club to get access to the expensive equipment needed for rowing and instruction. A new eight-oared boat, called a shell, costs about $40,000 in 2011, and single shells can be more than $5,000. Both the Detroit Boat Club, a half-hour drive from Pontiac, and the Ann Arbor Rowing Club, about an hour's drive, offer a number of beginner sessions in the spring and summer.

    • 2

      Ann Arbour Club lessons are six weeks long, and involve a three-day per week commitment with each lesson taking about two hours. The programs costs about $200 in 2011, and most sessions fill up. The Detroit Boat Club lessons are offered for six weeks from mid-June until the end of July, involve two two-hour sessions a week, and also cost about $200 in 2011.

    • 3

      There are no skill or fitness requirements to take a learn-to-row program, other than being healthy enough for a reasonable level of exertion. The clubs provide all the equipment. You do need to pass a swim test before your lessons begin, under the direction of a certified lifeguard or American Red Cross instructor. Wearing long pants and a T-shirt, you must tread water for five minutes, put on a personal flotation device while treading water and swim 50 yards without a life jacket.

    • 4

      Beginner classes focus on technique and cover how to sweep row. Safety is emphasized both on and off the water. You learn stroke techniques on land in a rowing machine before rowing in a shell. You learn rowing terminology and work on techniques that help build strong crews who work together well. With good technique, you have smooth, rhythmic motions that help you get fit and improve your balance and flexibility.

    • 5

      Once you complete the program, you can become a novice member of the clubs for the remainder of the year. This allows you to row in normal practices with other novice members, as well as mix in with more experienced crews.