My guilty pleasure is Quora, which I dip into if a question intrigues me. Sometimes I “archive” the more interesting topics here.

“Why don’t I feel as exerted exercising on a rowing machine as I do with jogging, even when the rowing machine is on highest resistance?“

I am not much of a runner but I erg a half-million meters or more per year. Running has always struck me as much more difficult just because of the impact factor (and as a consequence, I do it less). Proficiency, familiarity, experience, and some of the variations in people’s bodies can all account for different perceptions of exertion.

My first high-volume exercise experience, in my teens, was lots of cycling, and I also started doing some barbell training before I started using the erg. I think both of those probably helped, to some extent, with the technique and rhythm/control aspects of the erg. I had to work a lot harder to learn, practice, and become proficient in technique for a smoother, more efficient running stride. So I too find rowing “easier” than running, although I can certainly get a good workout with either one. Someone who grew up loving cross-country running and first used an erg much later might have the opposite experience.

As others have said, if the machine you are using is on “the highest resistance,” and assuming it’s a rowing ergometer, you are probably putting unnecessary pressure on your back and breaking form. There are a few technologies out there, though, and I only have experience with how the Concept2 machines work. For those, though, you should adjust according to the drag factor readout on the performance monitor, and choose a drag factor that suits your age class, weight class, and expertise – somewhere in the range of 100 to 135 for most people. The highest drag factors should be reserved for very short tests.

Concept2 ergometers can produce the desired drag factor at very different damper settings depending on how clean the flywheel assembly is, how old the machine is, and on the environmental conditions (pressure, humidity). With an unfamiliar machine, you should always check the drag factor before you settle on a damper setting.

At a hotel, I once used a very sad, lonely Concept2 erg that could only eke out a drag factor of about 100. A new machine (at sea level) ranges from <90 at the lowest damper setting to >200 at the highest. If you can’t get a normal (up to 140) drag factor out of a Concept2 at a gym, you should probably tell the staff to get someone in to give it some care (or consider replacing it).