RipRow™ workout ideas

You can use RipRow™ for any combination of endurance, interval or strength training. It’s like having a cardio machine and a weight set all in one. Some ideas:

Endurance intervals

3 to 20+ minutes. I do these on the RipRow™ instead of riding my stationary bike trainer or pulling on my old-school rower, and I’m climbing faster than ever.

Try replacing your normal running, cycling or rowing endurance intervals on your RipRow™. It will be a lot more challenging at first, but as you gain skill and strength it'll feel great — and it'll give you profound fitness for your primary sport. 

Motocross racers: Mimic a full moto! 

High intensity intervals

30 to 60 seconds.

If you're a BMX racer, mimic a BMX race.

If you want to build very high fitness, RipRow 30 seconds as hard as you can, take 30 seconds rest then repeat until you drop.

This is the hardest yet most effective way to increase fitness, assuming you already have a base. Very few people are willing to do this kind of work.

If you're a RipRower, I'll bet you're up for the challenge!

Strength sets

6 to 20+ reps depending on how much resistance you use. 

If you set the damper to #1 and pull slowly, you can feel 20 pounds or less at the bar.

If you dial the dampers to #11 and pull fast, you can exert 300 pounds or more at the bar. 

How handy to have a full range of movements and resistance levels in your own home (or driveway)?

In this video I’m reaching the end of 6 sets of 100 with the dampers turned to 11. I’ve been working at threshold for over 20 minutes, and you can see my form is breaking down. When you can do this, riding a mountain bike (or moving furniture) feels easy.

Lee McCormack is a world renowned mountain bike skills author and instructor, as well as the inventor of RipRow™. You can reach him at www.leelikesbikes.com and www.riprow.com.