Simple Response

Yes and no. I can’t give a quick answer to this question because I need to define “good” before I can give a proper response.

What Does “Good For” Mean

The use of the word good is very vague and makes this question very challenging to answer. Does good mean that the rowing machine is effective at building muscle mass in the muscles of the back? Does it mean that it encourages blood flow and movement in general which can have good implications for pain etc. I would define good in the context of this question as something that has a positive effect on the back. Therefore the rowing machine is good for the back, it moves the back through the hinge position and also requires the muscles of the upper back to pull through the horizontal pull movement pattern.

However if what you mean by “good” is that it develops muscular strength or muscle mass then the answer is no. The rowing machine is not an effective device for strength or muscular development, it simply does not provide enough resistance to create strength or hypertrophy adaptations like resistance training does.

Hypertrophy and Strength Development of The Back

If you are looking to strengthen or build muscle in the muscles of the back then you will need to perform resistance training with an emphasis on three movement categories, being the hinge, vertical pull and the horizontal pull. Think deadlifts (hinge) pull ups (vertical pulls) and rows (horizontal pull). These three movement patterns will develop the muscles of the back and can cause both strength and hypertrophy adaptations based on the weight and rep scheme used.

The Rowing Machine Creates Cardiovascular Adaptations

If you are planning to use the rowing machine in your training programme, it means you are trying to improve your cardiovascular system. The rowing machine is used to perform both high intensity and low intensity cardiovascular sessions that develop the cardiovascular systems in different ways. The rowing machines is one of the most effective tools within the gym to help develop the cardiovascular system. That being said, it is very ineffective for training the muscles of the back.