small guy rowing

[WalterL]

hey, I am 15, 5 foot 1 and weigh 50kg and have a 7:30 2k. I am struggling to keep up with the bigger guys in my squad but still want to pursue rowing as an athlete rather than a cox. Is there anything I should be trying to do differently both on and off the water in order to make the top boat?
Thanks:)

[Bob S.]

hey, I am 15, 5 foot 1 and weigh 50kg and have a 7:30 2k. I am struggling to keep up with the bigger guys in my squad but still want to pursue rowing as an athlete rather than a cox. Is there anything I should be trying to do differently both on and off the water in order to make the top boat?
Thanks:)

Why? The cox is often the most valuable member of the crew. While a cox is not exactly putting in as much physical effort as a rower, coxing is by no means a free ride nor is it all that easy physically. The cox of a winning crew is right up on the podium with the rest of the crew. Your 2k time is impressive for your weight and age - about average for LWT M in the 13-18 age group, even though many of that group are no doubt a lot taller and heavier. It seems likely that you are already doing the right thing as far as training is concerned. At 15, there is still a possibility of considerable gain in height. If that happens, you have a chance. Otherwise, you are a long way from top boat status.

[WalterL]

thanks, although I am already almost as tall as my dad so I have no hopes on a late growth spurt XD

[skiffrace]

You surely can pursue rowing as an athlete, but won't be competitive, even in the lightweight category.
It's the nature of the rowing mechanics, and you can do about it as much as about changing the gravity.
Keep that limitation in mind and enjoy rowing!

[strider]

Go for greater power in your stroke. Get a slight lean to bow with a little more open hip angle, and you will get way more power from your glutes.
There may be shut downs of this that follow, but I rowed HW in college at 145 lbs, 6 feet tall. Bio mechanical efficiency still gets power to the water.
My coach was frustrated that no one else learned this, but it kept me competitive. I still row that.


Watch races on-line, even Olympic. Lots of water missed at the catch, sometimes four feet or more, and people wash out at the finish.
Many of those guys may as well be a whole bunch shorter for the time their oars are in the water.
But they have great strength, so the impact is big, despite short duration of the blade in the water.

[G-dub]

I wonder how the young man did? Being in a masters club that does well for itself, but isn't located in a highly urban area or near a university that produces rowers exposes us to all types of bodies. Many are reasonably short - the couple of people over 6-3" really stand out. But the better guys are more around 6' which is still tall to me. At 5'-8" I'm having to learn to use all I can of my body. I have decent erg power relative to others in the club but the erg enabled me to deliver that with a fairly short stroke. I really need to concentrate on really compressing and gettting a good layback to stay in the water as long as I can. I'm constantly being told to "get longer Walters, which gets old after awhile. It sure would be sweet to only have to row within my power sweet spot instead of extending it to accommodate boat set. Such is life. Being 55 and stocky doesn't help with compression either!