The rowing machine monitor's first purpose is to give you the all-important workout data. If you're going to progress and achieve your goals, you need to know about your performance. How far are you rowing? How fast? And what are your splits, if you race. To train, you need to be motivated, and nothing motivates more than the desire to set a new personal best , or beat your partner.

Rowing machines have been slow to incorporate hi-tech displays compared to exercise bikes and treadmills, choosing instead to use the no-nonsense 'just show 'em the numbers' approach. The best-selling Concept2 updates its basic monitor once every decade or so, but it never stops it being the first choice for many serious rowers. In recent years they've gone online and added connectivity to bring apps in to the picture.