Dynamic R1 Pro Rower Review

If you are looking for a rower with very strong resistance for your home gym application, then the Dynamic R1 Pro Rowing Machine will be of great help to you. There are so many rowers in the fitness industry that one may be confused on which one to try on. Some use water, air, magnet or hydraulic for creating the resistance. In this case, the Dynamic Fitness R1 pro Rower has been designed with a dual resistance system of both air and magnet. This means that you will experience a quieter rowing experience and multiple resistance levels from the electromagnet resistance, and a water-like resistance type from the air resistance.

This rower is of great value for both beginners and experts rowers who are seeking a full body workout. The muscles involved include the legs, shoulder, biceps, triceps, and abdominal muscles, flexor muscles of the fingers, gluteal muscles and the calves.

Specifications

The Dynamic Fitness R1 Pro rower has been built and designed with quality. The seat is made of aluminum to support every size and minimize breakages or falling apart. The handle is attached to a nylon strap while the foot pedals and foot straps are also constructed from a durable material.

The rower is 97” longer, 17.7” wider and 42.6” high and weighs at 83 pounds. The seat is lifted 19.5” off the ground.

Resistance

Dynamic R1 Pro rower is a multi-level resistance system with combination of both air (Concept2) and magnetic resistance (Velocity Fitness). The air resistance system works by pulling the handle and spinning a fan flywheel. Resistance is created when more air is brought into the flywheel causing the spin to be faster. Generally, the faster you row the machine, the more resistance you get. Like the air resistance system, the magnetic resistance works by pulling the handle and spinning the wheel. A magnet is located inside the flywheel that either moves closer or farther away from the flywheel and thereby creating resistance. It does not produce a noise effect like other resistance types. Moreover, the resistance remains constant independent of the rowing speed. There are 16 levels of magnetic resistance that can be adjusted using the multi-control monitor.

Combination of these two resistance systems results in a smooth and strong rowing stroke. Although the air resistance can be a bit noisy, the magnetic resistance is quieter and sets in to reduce on the noise levels as opposed to an ‘air only’ rower. The combined resistance is reasonable in rowing as the user can feel the high-end power of the air and the low-end power of the magnetic.

Assembly and storage

Dynamic R1 Pro RowerDynamic R1 Pro rower is easy to store and assemble. Assembling takes less than an hour but can be a challenge if you have not read through the directions carefully.

When not in use, you can fold your machine and store it to minimize on the space. Folding involves pulling the lock pin, folding the seat rail up and allowing the pin to lock in space. This costs you less than 10 seconds. Folded dimensions are 54” by 18” by 63”

The built-in caster wheels facilitate the mobility and portability of the rower as you move it around for storage.

Multi-control monitor

The monitor is quite user friendly and enables you to monitor and track your workout on every row. The display shows the time, split time, strokes per minute (SPM), distance covered in meters, calories burned, pace, watts, pulse and the resistance level. These data are controlled by 6 buttons identified as: start/stop, up, down, recovery, reset and enter.

The monitor has an adjustable arm to enable you position it in a convenient angle that will make it easier for you to read. It is backlit, and therefore lets you read through the display even when it is dark. The menu lets you effectively manage various features such as presetting workouts, games or language settings.

Some of the monitor’s training options include;

  • Manual mode, that lets you set your own target and achieve it. You can select on distance, calories or time and row till you achieve the target.
  • The race mode lets you compete against the computer basing on distance and split time.
  • User mode, that lets you choose up to 5 different user programs to be stored on the monitor.
  • HRC mode is for selecting a target heart rate to maintain throughout the workout.
  • Profile mode lets you choose up to 12 different profiles based on fitness metrics.
  • Watts mode is for selecting a desired watt level to apply during exercise levels.

Rower capacity

The Dynamic R1 Pro rower weighs at 83 pounds with a capacity of 300lbs. It can actually accommodate anyone with up to 350lbs but much more than that can overburden the machine and probably malfunction. Moreover, both short and as tall as 6.6” people can comfortably fit in this rower and still have some space remaining.

Comfort when rowing

Dynamic R1 Pro RowerThe design of the Dynamic R1 Pro rower ensured that the seat is large enough and it glides on the lightweight aluminum rail. It is very soft, hence minimizes on any pressure to reduce back pain. The seat is 19.5” off the ground to enable people with joint problems to get on or off the rower with ease.

The handle is soft for a comfortable grip with natural hand position all through the workout session. The nylon strap attached to it eliminates any noise resulting from rowing.

The adjustable foot pedals are large enough to accommodate foot widths and shoe sizes.

Pros

  • Anyone who is used to air resistance rowers will find this rower less noisy.
  • The foot pedals are adjustable and can accommodate any shoe size.
  • Easy to set up and assemble
  • Strong resistance from both resistance systems
  • Multi-function monitor
  • Foldable for convenient storage
  • Has a maximum capacity of up to 380lbs.

Cons

  • Although the magnetic resistance system is not noisy, the air resistance system is. Therefore, this rower will produce some noise due to the combination of the two.
  • The monitor has to be powered by an electrical outlet so as to power the magnetic resistance. This means that the rower may be of little value in case the monitor breaks.

Thanks to Daniel for this review.

My name is Daniel and I’m a personal trainer and yoga instructor in the Toronto area. Rowers have been a part of my daily regimen for over 10 years. Contact me at The Fitness Crab where I teach clients the basic principles of fitness, how to set up a home gym and offer private coaching.

Check out our other rowing machine reviews