FITNESS REALITY 4000MR Magnetic Rower Rowing Machine with 15 Workout Programs

I can’t compare this rowing machine with any others because it’s the only one I’ve ever used. I can say that I am completely satisfied with it. I took my time unpacking and assembling it. The directions were very clear and the parts for each step were packed together and numbered. The tools necessary for assembly were included. Having suffered through any number of IKEA assemblies now, this was a blessing. There are built-in programs which I haven’t tried yet and the ability to create up to five custom programs. Most importantly, you can set duration and resistance for these. Calories, distance and watt targets can also be set, but are frankly meaningless to me. I’m satisfied setting duration and resistance levels. I’m starting slowly with 10-15 minute sessions at low resistance levels as I feel my way through this. I’m a lifelong cyclist and 76 years old, so, no surprise here, my legs are much stronger than my core and upper body. My sense is that the fitness and strength levels for all areas will even up as I work through this - and that will strengthen my cycling. The best thing about this machine is that you engage 80-90% of your muscles with each stroke. 15 minutes on the rowing machine are probably the equal of an hour in the gym - and the gym is 20 minutes away by car from my house. I’ll add that I selected this machine over others because it has handles that move the way you would move the oars if you were out on the water. When you move your arms out on the recovery part of the stroke, you engage more muscles in your chest and shoulders than you would with a bar on a chain. I’m very happy I selected rowing for my winter program and completely happy I picked this machine. It’s going to help me achieve my focused winter program without a lot of expensive bells and whistles. Updating Dec 27, 2022 OK, six weeks in. Enjoying this machine more and more. Started "BBQ style" (low and slow), have worked my way up through resistance levels. Have not tried the pre-loaded workout programs, have simply plotted out workout sessions in two of the custom levels. I think this is the best way to learn to use this machine. Longest session so far was just 30 minutes at levels 1, 2 & 3, but have a nice secondary program that uses 3-8. As a long-time cyclist, my legs are much stronger than my upper body, and that's why I'm working on lower levels. I like the ability and ease of setting up a program. I wish I had a little more control over the programming. For example, I would like to be able to set a target number of strokes, but you can't do that. Unfortunately, you can't reset stroke count to zero at the end of a session, and the program you're in automatically stops when stroke count hits 999 (you have to press START to get counting going again). I have no doubt this will enable me to achieve my winter fitness goal. AND, since we get 95+ temps here in MO in summer, I'll be able to row on those super-hot, super-humid days. So far, impressed with this machine, glad I spent the extra money for the separate handles. Recommend highly. Further update Jan 6, 2023 Having now spent about 6 weeks with this machine, here's what I've learned. Most importantly, the rowing machine lets you work on the "pillars" of fitness: aerobics and strength. To me. aerobic work is the more important because that concentrates on keeping the heart healthy and maintaining stamina. I'm too old to worry much about building strength, but I want to do some strength work, and this machine lets me do both. What I have done is to make three custom programs working with the structure the machine provides, i.e., 10-segment workouts. I confess I haven't tried any of the 10 programmed workouts because they may use resistance levels higher than I can do. So these are my three programs: No. 11: resistance levels 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4 No. 12: resistance levels 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 No. 13: resistance levels 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 I set the length of each program as the one ends and another is selected. This structure lets me do only an aerobic session (11 & 13) or a session that includes some strength work (11, 12, 13). I can do all three in a short session of 5-minute programs or a longer session of each program for 15 minutes. As I do more work on the machine, I will be able to increase the resistance levels of #12 to do more strength work. To me, that's the great thing about this machine: it's adaptable to my personal level on a literally daily basis. Updating Feb 26, 2023 Still all in on this machine (have rowed 157 miles since Jan 1) with these disclaimers: 1. The console is worthless; the programming comes from another planet. For starters, the "stroke count" function is wildly inaccurate. Stroke count (tempo) is key to towing, and the wildly inaccurate "rpm" reading isn't even close. Simple solution: download metronome app from the web, and use it to set tempo. Second, you, the user/owner, cannot reset stroke count to zero at the end of your workout. Fitness Realty gives you a console that counts repeatedly to 1000 strokes, at which it stops. When it stops, it wipes out whatever program you gad started in, sort of (it gives you 1-minute intervals from wherever you are to the end. Started a 20-minute program at 700 stroke count, going for 24 strokes per minute? So sad, when the stroke counter hits 999, program is ended, and your previously selected 2-minute intervals go to 1-minute intervals. 2. Tech support is non-existent. If you reach out, it replies by quoting, word for word, the user manual. Wait!!! I have the user manual, and I have a question not answered in the user manual, and tech support can only quote the user manual. Hmmm... what's wrong with this picture? Still sticking by high rating, but be aware of where the shortcomings are. Machine has great, adjustable resistance levels and has dual handles to replicate actual water rowing motion. Seat is comfortable (doing 1-hour workouts without discomfort). Don't need a big screen, no downside there, but some assistance with the weak console would be welcome. NOT shopping for a different machine. Fixes seem easy, why don't they get made?

I searched a long time and finally decided on this rower mainly because of the motion in the handles (oars), the distance of the seat from the ground (easier to get on) and the fact that it is magnetic (silent). I also was not interested in all the bells, whistles and workout programs the “smart” machines have. Too complicated for me. I just watch TV. It took two of us about 45 minutes to put together. The instructions were pretty straightforward. It seems well made and solid. So far, I love it and it gives a great workout. The console shows the strokes, time, watts and the calories burned. Just enough for me. I’m sure I will use it often because it is enjoyable.

The first machine I got was DOA. It was stuck in the lowest resistance level. Of course, I only realized that after I had assembled it. Disassembling it and putting it back in the box was, eh, a lot of fun. Well, it can happen. And Amazon made the return process easy and sent me a replacement promptly. Mechanically, this thing is as solid as a tank. I like the fact that the seat position is higher than it is on other rowers, and yet there is no wobbling at all. The frame is super robust and takes any kind of beating during a workout. Unfortunately, the control unit is pretty pathetic. If you choose the manual mode, it resets to the lowest resistance level every 10 minutes. You can circumvent that by setting up a custom program. But be prepared to encounter another flaw: Whenever the stroke counter reaches 999 (usually after around 30 minutes for me), the display freezes. Strokes are no longer counted and the timer just stops in its tracks. Only thing that gets it out of that state is a full reset (by pressing the "Stop" button and holding it for a few seconds). Ridiculous! Despite these flaws, I virtually stopped using my treadmill and stationary bike. Exercising on this machine is just so much fun! However, after using the machine for about half a year on a daily basis, the internal chain broke. The manufacturer's support hotline was pretty responsive. But after some back and forth it became clear that they weren't able to send someone to repair it. They offered to either send me a new unit or reimburse me the full purchase price. I opted for the latter and got a check within a few weeks. Kudos to the manufacturer for standing by their product, but I wish this machine would just have kept on working for a few years.

Todo perfecto . maquina solida , buenos acabados facil de montar , para entrenamiento intensivo en casa .

La compré en abril 2020. Me gasté más dinero de lo que tenía pensado pero nunca me he arrepentido ya que es fuerte, pesada, estable y me sobra. Hago tres entrenos por semana (de media hora en la máquina de remo). Se puede replegar y poner en una esquina. Aunque yo sea de estatura y peso bajos sirve para personas mas corpulentas y altas también. Ha sido una buena compra.