is rowing good for cross training

Very good, I have used a concept 2 quite a bit and they are great... Can alternate with cycling or elliptical. Rowers measure very high on vO2 max tests.

Just learn to do it correctly. I'm embarrassed to say this but I recently tweaked my knee rowing.

Given that a lot of it involves your upper body, I'd say it's not as good as some others.

The elliptical, cycling or water running are probably better options.

Rowing has a ton of glut, leg and core engagement if you are doing it right. The upper body is mostly back. I erg a lot in the winter and you can get a hell of a workout and in my experience it translates pretty well to running fitness. Focus more on longer intervals (5-10 mins), flatten your feet and explode from the legs, don’t collapse your back, make sure your form and technique are good before putting down real power.

I was on a research vessel for a 6 week mid-ocean trip and they only had an Erg for exercise equipment. It was great—I came off that trip in better shape than any of the others I did. I bought my own Erg and even competed in the Crash-B championship in Boston. It’s a great competition for a washed up half miler.

I honestly believe that erging is the best cross training for running, done right.

it's around 70% legs, contrary to public view. And does a decent job at getting you ready for the impact of running.

When I'm hurt I always come back in the best shape after doing a lot of rowing.

But you have to put the hammer down, not just paddle easy of course. and to do that you need to build up to it and get the form right, or your back will get hurt badly.

No, that’s not given and it’s wrong. Rowing is lower-body dominant.

Paddling yes, rowing no.

Yes it’s a great full body workout, I need to get back into it but I can usually only do 15 minutes at a time because the seat is super uncomfortable. It’s great at building upper body strength which I feel a lot of runners neglect but that strength does matter

re the leg discussion, there is some subtle upper and lower leg stuff going on in rowing, and as someone who kayaked some, they even teach you some foot push techniques timed with paddling. and if you're doing it right it's more abs and pushing oars through water, less pure arms, but that's kayaking.

re machine rowing in general, most people can only do it so long, it might make sense as part of a whole workout with other stuff going on that work other body parts, or come at the abs and arms some other direction. i have like a whole workout 1-2 nights a week which is a mix of abs and arms but like 10 or so different little items. circuit training kind of stuff.

last, i'd mix it up, do some actual sports and paddling on a pond or lake, not all rowing machine or even the circuit stuff. fittest i was there wasn't some big plan and endless workouts. i was just active all the time, usually playing a sport. i think athletes avoid the sports version because there are often escape clauses or outright prohibitions on them playing other sports, due to injury risk. the south african sprinter who tore up his knee playing rugby on the side. no one is firing us for some rare injury playing sports on the side.