Rowing Workouts Are Only Gaining Speed

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Do you even row, bro? This is a question that might have been relegated to college crew teams a few years back, but now it's a pretty legitimate inquisition in New York City's current fitness environment. A big leader of this charge is Row House, which is getting ready to open its third (and most centrally located) location in October less than two years after debuting on the Upper West Side. Signage recently appeared for the Chelsea location on 23rd Street:

Photo: @RowHouseNYC

Their website lists the opening date as October, as well as a mystery fourth location that's in the works as well.

It's just another sign that the rower is solidifying its place in workout equipment history alongside the elliptical and the bike. Aside from Row House's proliferation, row-specific gyms like Brooklyn Crew are jumping into another borough, while City Row has bolstered the offerings at its Fifth Avenue location by catering to advanced athletes. And more and more New York City fitness spots have incorporated rowing into their routines—Orangetheory Fitness and Throwback Fitness are prime examples.

Are you a row devotee or defector? Let us know in the comments section below.