Form check - beginner

[7rav1s]

New to rowing and the forum (great info here). Looking for a form check before I get too many bad habits.

Stats:
Age = 35
Weight = 160 lbs (72.5 kg)
Height = 5'7" (1.7 m)
Pace in video = roughly 2:10 at about 26 s/m
Final time for 2k = 8:31 (average 2:08)
Drag = 107 (read it should be between 100 and 140, should I increase to a number closer to the middle of that range?)

This is the start of my 2nd 2k after a few minutes rest (C2's short workout of the day). I know I had cleaner sections of the workout, seems to take me a while to get in rhythm. The short workouts of the day are about my limit; I am not in very good shape, but I am working to get better.

Too much lean back?
Knees coming back up too soon?

[Bob S.]

Too much lean back?
Knees coming back up too soon?

Yes and yes. Lean - front and back lean should be about equal. Knees - coming up before the hands have cleared.

You can check this one out frame by frame. This way you can see how he gets the body angle just about the same at each end of the stroke and also how his knees do not start to bend until his hands are passing over them.

http://www.invernessrowingclub.org.uk/p ... o_erg.html

Bob S.

[hjs]

All in all looking very ok, I don't think the layback is to much. At the front end the stroke is a bit short, you could go bit more forward.
The relative slow pace is mostly a matter of your current fitness, drag is low, but certainly enough to go al lot faster. To go faster the drive should be more explosive, think about it like a jump from the ground, to do that you really need to push with your legs.

But again, it looks relative ok, could be a lot worse.

[Bob S.]

All in all looking very ok, I don't think the layback is to much.

I was going to challenge that, hjs, I compared his layback with a screen shot of Xeno's video at the end of his drive and it looks like the OP has almost 3 times the angle of layback. But then I checked out a rowing forum website discussion of layback and the comment was made that a longer layback helped shorter rowers to get a long enough stroke. I see that the OP is 5'7", as compared to what for Xeno? around 6'6"? Anyway I concede the point. I agree that the forward lean angle is too small, which, of course, emphasizes the imbalance of the forward and back lean.

Another point I just picked up from the stats was the stroke rate. The OP said that it was a 2k and I assume that it was intended as a time trial. 26spm is a low rate for anyone in a 2k time trial and is especially low for shorter rowers. I would think that 34-36 would be about right here.

Bob S.

[7rav1s]

Thanks for the feedback. I will work on increasing leg explosiveness, moving forward more, and increasing my fitness and pace. I will also try and get taller. For what it is worth this was not a time trial per se. I am so new each workout is a new personal best. I am still trying to get comfortable and I am not pushing myself to the limit they way I would if I was running.

On going a 'bit more forward', my understanding from hjs' and Bob's comments is that means both sliding farther forward and increasing my forward back lean. Two questions:
a) is it ok for my heels to go up a lot more as I slide farther forward?
b) how much more can I allow my shoulders to roll forward (a tendency I have when I tried to lean farther)?

Again thank you. I will work on whatever tips I am given and maybe post another video in the future.

[hjs]

All in all looking very ok, I don't think the layback is to much.

I was going to challenge that, hjs, I compared his layback with a screen shot of Xeno's video at the end of his drive and it looks like the OP has almost 3 times the angle of layback. But then I checked out a rowing forum website discussion of layback and the comment was made that a longer layback helped shorter rowers to get a long enough stroke. I see that the OP is 5'7", as compared to what for Xeno? around 6'6"? Anyway I concede the point. I agree that the forward lean angle is too small, which, of course, emphasizes the imbalance of the forward and back lean.

Another point I just picked up from the stats was the stroke rate. The OP said that it was a 2k and I assume that it was intended as a time trial. 26spm is a low rate for anyone in a 2k time trial and is especially low for shorter rowers. I would think that 34-36 would be about right here.

Bob S.

Bob, there is no one fixed technique for everybody. In general one could say someone with a not so heavy upperbody could make langer angles compared to a heavier erger. Xeno is very heavy, his weight has always been his weakpoint.

Re rating, certainly right, but I don,t think this was a 100% effort, for that the pace was simply to slow. All in all it does not look bad. It simply is a bit soft, the stroke is to gentle.

[hjs]

Thanks for the feedback. I will work on increasing leg explosiveness, moving forward more, and increasing my fitness and pace. I will also try and get taller. For what it is worth this was not a time trial per se. I am so new each workout is a new personal best. I am still trying to get comfortable and I am not pushing myself to the limit they way I would if I was running.

On going a 'bit more forward', my understanding from hjs' and Bob's comments is that means both sliding farther forward and increasing my forward back lean. Two questions:
a) is it ok for my heels to go up a lot more as I slide farther forward?
b) how much more can I allow my shoulders to roll forward (a tendency I have when I tried to lean farther)?

Again thank you. I will work on whatever tips I am given and maybe post another video in the future.

A no problem at all. The shins should be vertical, it depends on ankle flexibility was you heals will do.
B as far as feels natural, the more extended your arms/shoulders are, the better, the arms are just hooks at the beginning of the stroke, you should feel your arms pulling your shoulder, not tension in your biceps.
Its legs, backswing, arms roughly said, and when you get tired it should be legs that do so.

[truth1ness]

Big thing I was noticing was the bent arms way too soon. They should be straight and loose, hanging off the cable like ropes with hooks at the end. The biceps shouldn't be bending the elbow until a moment after your body swing starts. Relax those arms, especially on the recovery, it kind of looks like you're muscling them forward. Try gripping the handle as loosely as you can all the way at your finger tips, just let the handle drop down and pull you forward on the recovery, this will also remind you to keep your knees down while your body swings forward or else you'll hit them, don't keep bouncing your hands over your knees. Hinging your body forward before your knees will help you get into your forward lean better which others have pointed out you need more of, hamstring stretches help a lot with this. The lean back isn't too bad, it'll probably go away once you get the relaxed long arms and forward lean, you are probably just leaning back to make up for the length you are losing by not leaning forward and bending your arms early.

[jamesg]

Rowing is done off the feet, not off the rear end. So we recover after the finish with first hands away then swing, then slide, so that the weight is well forward. For anything else, if you are relaxed and quick, and pull full length, you won't drown.