Well, I guess they can. I am 6′ 4″ and weight about 265lbs. When I got my concept 2 rower I thought I could break it, even though it says it is rated for someone twice my weight. I have looked at it as a warm up machine for me and my clients, and we never pay attention to the digital monitor because of that.
But my kettlebell coach asked me what my time was in the 500 meter row? My response was, I have no idea. I prefer to lift free weights for cardiovascular work instead of using machines. Sprinting on the rower might break it.
So the video below shows my first effort at 500 meters and its ugly.
https://youtu.be/M2XdjSm6uQc
