I Tried the Zwift of Indoor Rowing and Here’s What Happened

Let me start with a confession that might surprise you: Even as a rowing instructor who owns a rowing company, I don’t look forward to long erg sessions.  

I know, I know. It sounds ridiculous coming from someone who teaches rowing and certifies rowing instructors for a living, but here we are.

I think it’s a holdover from my Concept2 World Erg Challenge days, when I would routinely crank out 1 million meters in a single month. That’s roughly 33,000 meters per day, which translates to 3-4 hours of daily rowing. 

After that experience, the thought of settling in for a long, solo session on the erg makes me want to find any excuse to do literally anything else.

So when EXR rowing asked me to test their indoor rowing app and share my honest thoughts, I knew exactly when I’d put it to the ultimate test: during one of those longer row days when motivation is hardest to find and boredom hits fastest.

If this app could make those sessions bearable—or better yet, actually enjoyable—then it might be on to something special.

Getting Started With EXR: Surprisingly Simple

The first thing that impressed me about EXR was how ridiculously easy it was to get started. A few clicks on my phone, and I was up and running on my Concept2 PM5 monitor. Even better? It automatically connects to your Concept2 online logbook.

Those meters matter, baby, and having them log automatically is absolutely key for me these days. Green check number one. ✅

Now, I’ll be honest: I’m not always a fan of the more cartoony interfaces you see in fitness apps. I got bored pretty quickly with Zwift for biking, for example. All those bright colors and animated characters felt more distracting than motivating. So I was a little skeptical about what EXR would feel like once I actually started rowing.

But from the first session, this felt different. The interface was engaging without being overwhelming, and I could tell right away that I’d be able to focus on my workout while still enjoying the visual elements.

I just didn’t realize how much fun those visual elements would turn out to be.

When Virtual Became Real

A few days into testing EXR, I was about halfway through a 10k row—one of those longer distances that typically has me watching the meters tick by painfully slowly. I was settling into that familiar rhythm of boredom when something unexpected happened.

Through my AirPods, I started hearing this strange sound getting closer and closer. At first, I couldn’t figure out what it was. The sound was building, getting louder, more distinct, but I had no idea where it was coming from.

Then I saw it on my screen: I was rowing under a railroad bridge at the exact moment a train was crossing overhead.

The timing was perfect, the sound effects were spot-on, and for a brief moment I completely forgot I was sitting on a rowing machine in my house. I was somewhere else, experiencing something completely unexpected and unrelated to the grind of accumulating meters.

That train encounter became one of my favorite things about EXR. Those completely disarming instances when something unexpected comes along. 

The more time I spent on the app, the more I found myself actually looking forward to discovering what Easter eggs might pop up along the virtual course.

And here’s what really impressed me: these fun elements never distracted from my ability to focus on my workout. I could still watch my splits, still dial in on technique, still get serious about my training. 

It wasn’t like watching TV while rowing, where you’re either focused on the show or focused on your workout, but rarely both. This felt more like rowing with a soundtrack that happened to include some delightful surprises.

The Real Game-Changer: You’re Not Alone Anymore

But the train moment was just the beginning. The real revelation came when I started noticing other rowers along the course.

At first, it was just fun to see them—little avatars representing real people somewhere else in the world, grinding through their own workouts. Then I started getting competitive. Passing someone felt genuinely satisfying. Getting passed? Well, that lit a little fire under me.

The best sessions were when I’d find myself in an impromptu mini-race with another rower. We’d be matching pace for a while, then one of us would push a little harder, then the other would respond. No words exchanged, no formal competition set up—just two people somewhere in the world deciding to push each other for a few hundred meters.

And suddenly, those solo sessions in my basement didn’t feel so solitary anymore.

This is huge for anyone who’s spent time rowing alone. Whether you’re in your garage, your basement, or a corner of the gym, indoor rowing can feel pretty isolating. You’re doing this incredible full-body workout, but you’re doing it by yourself, staring at a wall or a screen, with nothing but the sound of the flywheel and your own breathing for company.

EXR changes that completely. You’re still physically alone, but you’re virtually connected to a community of rowers who are all choosing to show up and do the work.

Some days you’re the person doing the chasing, some days you’re the one being chased. Either way, you’re not grinding through those meters alone anymore.

What made it even more immersive was the variety of courses available. One day I could row the actual World Rowing Championship course in Bled, Slovenia, feeling like I was competing on the same water where Olympic dreams are made and broken.

Another day I might tackle the iconic Head of the Charles course. But then EXR would surprise me with something completely different—virtual worlds that don’t exist anywhere in reality, or long tunnels with sound effects that made me feel like I was rowing through some futuristic underground waterway.

Each environment felt distinct and purposeful, not just different wallpaper for the same experience.

Why This Matters for Rowers Over 40

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re someone who takes your rowing seriously, or would like to. You might be in your 40s or 50s, maybe dealing with a busier schedule than you had in your younger years, but you’re still committed to staying strong and competitive, even if it’s just with yourself. 

You know that indoor rowing is an incredible workout—low impact, full body, scalable to any fitness level—but you also know how mind-numbing those longer sessions can be.

Here’s the thing about rowing at home or in the gym: you’re missing something that on-water rowers take for granted. The camaraderie. The shared suffering. The way a crew naturally pushes each other to dig deeper when things get tough.

When you’re training solo on an erg, you lose all of that. You’re just you, the machine, and whatever entertainment you can cobble together to get through the meters. Some people can do it with music, others need Netflix. But even then, you’re essentially enduring your workout rather than truly engaging with it.

EXR solves this in a way I didn’t expect.

It’s not trying to be a game that happens to involve exercise. It’s built specifically for people who understand rowing, who appreciate the sport, and who want to feel connected to a larger community of rowers without having to join a club or find a team.

The accountability factor is real, too. When you can see other rowers on the course, when you know people might notice if you suddenly disappear mid-workout, when you’re tracking progress that feels social rather than purely personal, it changes how you show up.

You’re not just accountable to yourself anymore. You’re part of something bigger.

The Verdict: Time Well Spent

After testing EXR during some of my longest training sessions, I can honestly say it gave me a new lease on endurance-rowing life.

Those 10k sessions that used to feel like a slog? I actually found myself looking forward to them. (Did I just say that??? Yes, yes I did!)

The app delivers on its core promise: it makes solo rowing feel less solitary. Whether you’re motivated by the unexpected discoveries along virtual courses, the friendly competition with other rowers, or simply the variety of environments to explore, EXR gives you reasons to stay engaged beyond just watching your split times.

Is it perfect? No app is. I’d love to see them add an easy way to interact with other rowers during sessions for starters. And I sometimes found the connection between my rowing machine and the app a little wonky to get started.

But EXR has built is already impressive and, more importantly, effective at solving the real problem: making indoor rowing workouts something you want to do rather than something you have to endure.

This is especially valuable if you:

• Train primarily on your own (garage, basement, or gym)
• Sometimes struggle with motivation during longer sessions
• Miss the community aspect of rowing
• Want variety in your training environment
• Appreciate quality course design and attention to detail

Full disclosure: EXR provided me with access to test their app, but these thoughts are entirely my own. 

Ready to give it a try? You can download EXR and test it for free for 14 days. Plus, you can get a 15 percent discount on your subscription with code “UCR2”.

Whether you’re grinding through winter training or just looking to add some spark to your indoor sessions, EXR might be exactly what your rowing routine has been missing.

What’s your experience with indoor rowing apps? Have you tried EXR or something similar? Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear what’s working for other rowers.