Start Rowing Reviews

Overall good app, but information and functions are hidden on weird screens that you can’t navigate to directly or easily. For example, the workout screen doesn’t show a button for pausing or ending workouts— you have to swipe (why?), and workout stats are only viewable by tapping “view plan”. From a user perspective: I don’t want to view the plan, I want to view my stats. Needs input from a [better?] UI/UX designer.

I like so many things about StartRowing. I like the metronome, the workouts are great, and I like how it counts down and tells you what is coming next. My issues are more about being user friendly. You can’t do any workout you want ( like doing a repeat or skipping), and it’s hard to get out of the workout screen. I have used other similar apps and have not had this kind of issues You need to take that in account before purchasing. If these were resolved I would be happy to add a stars.

The screen goes blank white after starting a workout. Have used this for about three weeks and this is the first time this has happened. Have tried closing out of app, but so far nothing has worked.

Would also like more variety in workouts or the ability to create your own as the base plans are a bit easy.

I’ve been using StartRowing for a week, but I’d really like a little more functionality from it. Would be great to record my avg split time after each workout so I can track my progress rather than just meters rowed alone. I’d also like to be able to turn up the volume metronome/countdown person outside of my music. I can hardly hear the announcements over my music, and I can’t hear a metronome at all. Ive been using the visual metronome, which is great, but would be nice to hear it so I don’t have to keep looking down at my phone.
Overall, so far I think it’s a great app and I am enjoying the progression of my endurance/weight loss program. I’d just like to record more data in StartRowing , please! Thank you!

Let us also build our own workouts. Great app otherwise

I just did the first row in the beginner (on Concept 2). I am not a beginner rower but it’s been a long time. The program calls for 5 x 1 minute at 20 spm (with 1 minute breaks) and concludes that I should have completed 2500 meters. I sat at 25 spm and did 1341 meters. Even full on, I can barely get 10m per stroke. 20spm x 5 minutes = 100 strikes. That would mean 25m per stroke! For a beginner - not possible, certainly not on a Concept 2 set at 4. However, love the concept.

StartRowing is great for pacing yourself. You can create custom routines. Premium has plans with workouts. At $60+ a year I cancelled my subscription, just a steep ask for limited premium feature set.

This doesn’t have a ton of bells and whistles, which is fine with me. I am an intermediate rower at best and found myself out of gas and unmotivated with other programs. This one started on the easier side and is letting me build up endurance at a good pace that doesn’t deter me from getting on the rower 5 days a week. The only con so far is the stroke rate changes are a little clunky. I’d prefer to finish a full stroke and then speed up or slow down as needed, not change mid-way and have to start over.

Great if you want to follow a rowing program. I already lost weight with StartRowing and i was just using this for 2 weeks. Only complaint that i have is the metronome is not accurate. To be able to actually get the strokes per minute the program is requiring is i have to count it in my head. I hope they improve that. Otherwise, good app.

Visual clear and ques were precise not sure is there was an audio at excercise change but when posted on screen was very helpful

Simple, little explanations, follow instructions on screen. Very enjoyable, goes at pace you select!

Great guide and metronome that plays subtly but noticeably while running music too.

Great workout for any ability and any type of tower. Love the choice of workout plans for different abilities and goals. Also, the extra warmup and other exercises off the tower are great for a full body program.

You just never know from purchases in StartRowing World. From the colors of the screen to the voice coach & the program I see it as a high value investment.

First day using StartRowing . The set up is clean and I really like how it helps you keep pace. The pacing lines up perfectly with my rowers internal pacer. After a few days of use I will come back and rate again.

Rowed in college and now that I am retired bought a Concept 2 and hope to get back on the water once StartRowing gets me in shape. Really enjoying the 5x - but as noted in other reviews, know I will be looking for an advanced 5x - maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Thanks!!

I’m a beginner with rowing and I wanted to test an app before spending money on a subscription. I do like the fact that StartRowing lets you build your own workout to test it out. I like the ability to “sync” my rowing\timing with the SPM Timer in StartRowing and the “tink” I get in my ear buds when I got my head down due to exhaustion.

Hands down the best app for rowing. The ability to select from different routines oriented on strength, weight loss, or overall fitness while using a metronome to keep your pace in the targeted zone distinguishes START ROWING from competitors. Sometimes it really is better to be the expert at one thing rather than pretty good at several.

I really love StartRowing! The different rowing plans/programs seem to be quite effective. I do worry slightly over time that I’ll outgrow some of the plans, but hopefully new plans will continue to be added over time. So while I have “start rowing”, I want to “keep rowing” ;)

A few recommendations:
- it would be awesome to be able to row freely with just the metronome and adjust the spm as you row
- I’d love a Level 2 zone heart rate program or even be able to bring the heart rate reading from the watch or other hr monitors into view when rowing.
- in some of the sessions, there is a break as the final portion of the days activity, those can probably be removed since the rowing portion is completed.

Keep up the great work!

StartRowing is easy to use, strait forward and reasonable price wise.