What does half an hour of rowing burn?

At 70 kg just over 160 kcal at a moderate pace, about 240 kcal vigorously. Counted is total energy, as a watch keeps it in the day's value.

Rowing machine or elliptical – which burns more?

At a moderate pace both are 5.0 MET in the Compendium. Vigorously the elliptical is clearly ahead at 9.0 MET, the rowing machine is 7.3 MET.

Does the rowing machine work for the 10K Challenge?

As variety: three vigorous hours are about 1,430 kcal at 70 kg. The planner does not recommend more because of back and hands.

Calories burned by sportCalories burned

Calories burned on a rowing machine

By Thomas Freimoser · Updated: October 26, 2026

Rowing works the whole body – legs, back, arms. That makes it effective, but also harder on back and hands than most cardio machines.

Short answer

At 70 kg you burn about 325 kcal per hour on a rowing machine at a moderate pace and about 475 kcal vigorously.

kcal per hour by pace and body weight

Pace / variant	55 kg	70 kg	85 kg	100 kg
moderate5 MET · Code 02071	290	325	365	400
vigorous7.3 MET · Code 02070	425	475	530	585

Example person: 35 years, 172 cm · total energy including resting metabolism · rounded to 5 kcal · MET values: Compendium 2024.

Calculate for your bodyHeight, age and sex shift the values by up to 20 %.

What raises the burn

More resistance is not automatically more burn: what counts is power per stroke, force times speed. Many machines show it in watts – from moderate to vigorous the burn rises by about 46 %.
The power comes from the legs: pulling mainly with the arms tires you faster and loads the back more.
Back and arms carry a lot. The planner therefore caps the rowing machine at 3 hours a day.

Frequently asked questions

What does half an hour of rowing burn?: At 70 kg just over 160 kcal at a moderate pace, about 240 kcal vigorously. Counted is total energy, as a watch keeps it in the day's value.
Rowing machine or elliptical – which burns more?: At a moderate pace both are 5.0 MET in the Compendium. Vigorously the elliptical is clearly ahead at 9.0 MET, the rowing machine is 7.3 MET.
Does the rowing machine work for the 10K Challenge?: As variety: three vigorous hours are about 1,430 kcal at 70 kg. The planner does not recommend more because of back and hands.

In comparison

Similar burn at 70 kg, from the calmest to the most intense variant:

Elliptical325–585 kcal/h
Hiking390–510 kcal/h
Stair climbing445 kcal/h
Rowing machine325–475 kcal/h

And for the 10K Burn Challenge?

With the rowing machine alone it would take 3.1 hours to burn 1,000 kcal. The planner shows how a whole day of 5,000 to 10,000 kcal comes together.

Build a day in the planner

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For healthy, trained adults only. Burning 10,000 kcal in a day is extreme. Drink, eat, rest – and stop immediately at any warning sign. Safety & methodology