After turning on the Hydrow (there's a switch on the base in the front of the rower), you can select a profile and choose a workout based on athlete (aka instructor), workout duration (up to 75+ minutes), workout type (strength, mobility, yoga, etc.), or workout style (beginner, cardio, HIIT, instructional, etc.). You can mark certain workouts as favorites so you can go back to them later. If you don't feel like doing a guided workout, you always have the option to do an open row.
There are two types of rowing workouts and all take place on water: Some are led by an instructor (or two), which feel similar to a rowing fitness class. The instructor chooses the type of music that goes with the workout, or you can choose the genre of music you'd like within the Hydrow platform. There's also a no-music option if you want to listen to your own workout music or to the instructor's voice on its own. The other type of rowing workouts have no instructor, and use a first-person viewpoint (either on the front or back of the boat) so you can feel like you're actually in a boat rowing on water. You can even pick one of these workouts based on location, taking a sunset row down Indian Creek in Miami or through colorful Vermont in the fall. These long, open-row workouts are actually my favorite because I often catch up on Netflix while working out in the morning.
I love that there are so many ways to filter through the huge library of workouts, too. It was so inspiring in the first month of using the Hydrow because I could try a new workout every time based on how much time I had, my energy level, or the type of workout I wanted to do. This really pushed me out of my comfort zone. I'm used to rowing long and slow, and this got me excited about short, fast-paced workouts.
