muscle groups

[Ultra54]

I have seen images of which muscle groups are being used while rowing but if an expert was asked in percentages totals what would be the order of most >least used? I feel the upper body comes into play more so than the legs. Anyone care to add their two cents?
Thanks

[Citroen]

If you think that then you're doing it wrong.

It should be 70% legs, 10% core, 20% arms.

Drop the drag, stop bum shoving and drive with the legs (your quads are your biggest power muscles).

[Bob S.]

I have seen images of which muscle groups are being used while rowing but if an expert was asked in percentages totals what would be the order of most >least used? I feel the upper body comes into play more so than the legs. Anyone care to add their two cents?
Thanks

For top OTW rowers, the muscles that stand out are the quads and the lats.

Bob S.

[hjs]

I have seen images of which muscle groups are being used while rowing but if an expert was asked in percentages totals what would be the order of most >least used? I feel the upper body comes into play more so than the legs. Anyone care to add their two cents?
Thanks

Depending on technique, the legs and back do most of the work, the pulling muscle of the arms also work, if you roch ove enough you abs also do work, the chest, shoulders, back of the arms do not much.

[mikvan52]

...and if you can get your heels down the hams and the glutes make a big difference...

[Atorrante]

I have seen images of which muscle groups are being used while rowing but if an expert was asked in percentages totals what would be the order of most >least used? I feel the upper body comes into play more so than the legs. Anyone care to add their two cents?
Thanks

My two cents are this. You may feel the upper body more involved than the legs, but actually it is the opposite. The rationale for this is that legs muscle are bigger and stronger than your arms muscle, so altough they are doing most work, the upper body muscle are the ones that sore.

[jamesg]

percentages totals what would be the order of most >least used?

This question is the wrong way round: ergs and shells have sliding seats so that the legs can do all the work they're capable of. So the question becomes: is my technique good enough to work my legs to the full and so go fast?

We can use the monitor to check this, in a backstop drill. Pulling first arms only, then arms+swing, then arms+swing+slide to full length. The respective Watt/Rating ratios tell us how much work goes into the three types of stroke, and the differences show the single contributions.

If the legwork alone is less than the total arm+swing work, then we are not actually rowing at all. A reasonably good technique with full leg use will show almost twice as much from the legs as from arms and swing.

There are some substantial advantages in such real rowing: less risk of injury; the boat goes fast; we get fit; we use almost all muscle groups to their full extension and so keep them strong and ourselves flexible and ready for anything.