Good form vs. long distance?

[gooseflight]

OK. You have a few things to work on.

Your stroke sequence is a bit off. The first curve results from starting the drive with the arms -- this explains the weak hump -- and then adding the legs. The video shows some of this.

I'm not clear whether or not the stroke in the video produces the first curve but anyway the arm draw starts way too early in the stroke. You actually have to lift the handle over your knees.

You also have the same problem in reverse on the recovery where again you have to lift the handle over your knees. This explains in part why you can't get your body over at the catch. During the recovery your shoulders remain behind your hips.

The drive sequence is legs -> torso -> arms. Until the legs are near fully done nothing else happens. Just hang off the handle, arms straight. The hands finish the stroke they don't start it. You should have the sensation of pushing the machine away with the feet.

The recovery is the same sequence in reverse. Arms -> body -> legs. Hands away smartly, body pivot from the hips to get the shoulders over, then and only then break the legs to return to the catch.

At no point should you need to lift the handle over the knees. The chain stays more or less level.

You also over compress a bit at the catch, i.e., your knees go beyond vertical. It's minor but could be fixed. Could be due to footplate height.

[hjs]

Nbr 1 eat! You are super light for your height, really get some muscle on those bones.

Stroke, overall, it looks very tensed, shoulders pulled up, back curved all the way, indeed zero movement in your torso. Looks like you really should work on your overall flexibility.

You overreach the catch, reason is the lack of movement in the back, the legs compensate for that. During the recovery sit UP and let your shoulders relax and go DOWN. you should push your lower back forward.
Other big fault, you end the stroke wrong, your legs break before the handle is fully pulled back, this costs lots of speed. Solution is rowing strapless, that way you can,t pull yourself up on the straps like you do know.

In short, you start the stroke in a very weak position, you back can,t do much, second you miss the last part by breaking your legs before you end the stroke. This makes it weak and inefficient. You don,t use what you have.

[lindsayh]

yes I agree with the above - the sequencing of the arms and legs are mismatched so the power doesn't come in an efficient way - lots of room for improvement (which is good news of course)

[Anth_F]

Henry has covered everything and on point as usual!!

It's actually not too bad overall, but if you have rowed 5M + meters like that, i can imagine it's going to take some time to correct the mistakes. The main one being weak position to start the stroke and continued poor posture throughout. As has been said, very inefficient no swing etc!! But with work on technique and some strength training to put some muscle on, you should be going much much faster at your height/age etc

[jackarabit]

Geoff, 5MMm is a lot of time sitting on your tailbone. Lower the heelcups.

[skiffrace]

@gcanyon: by now you are probably more confused by the above "advice" than before.

Sit with a mirror at your side. Put the laptop with C2 technique video in front of you. Row making sure each and every of your strokes look like the girl in the video. Continue until it becomes automatic.

PS. don't worry about what your powercurve looks like. Once you develop correct technique, power curve will fix itself.
PPS. Your height and weight are what they are, and don't waste time trying to "put muscle on your bones". Just train to become fit and healthy.

[gooseflight]

Sit with a mirror at your side. Put the laptop with C2 technique video in front of you. Row making sure each and every of your strokes look like the girl in the video. Continue until it becomes automatic.

That won't help because GC already 'thinks' he's about right. In common with a lot of us what is actually being done is distinct from the perception of what's being done.

The guy is 6' 4". 2:05 pace for a few 100m shouldn't present any difficulty at all. There are clearly flaws in the stroke sequence. His curve shows that and the video shows it.

Why ignore the curve? It's good feedback.

Main thing is to sort the sequence. Starting the stroke twice is hard work!

[hjs]

@gcanyon: by now you are probably more confused by the above "advice" than before.

Sit with a mirror at your side. Put the laptop with C2 technique video in front of you. Row making sure each and every of your strokes look like the girl in the video. Continue until it becomes automatic.

PS. don't worry about what your powercurve looks like. Once you develop correct technique, power curve will fix itself.
PPS. Your height and weight are what they are, and don't waste time trying to "put muscle on your bones". Just train to become fit and healthy.

mostly skip this advice

Read the other comment in combination with looking at your clip to see what is ment. Erging is not rocket science.
Re weight really, eat more, weight is not a given, training costs a lot of energy. And rowing is a power endurance sport. You really can use a few kg of muscle.

[Anth_F]

@gcanyon: by now you are probably more confused by the above "advice" than before.

Sit with a mirror at your side. Put the laptop with C2 technique video in front of you. Row making sure each and every of your strokes look like the girl in the video. Continue until it becomes automatic.

PS. don't worry about what your powercurve looks like. Once you develop correct technique, power curve will fix itself.
PPS. Your height and weight are what they are, and don't waste time trying to "put muscle on your bones". Just train to become fit and healthy.

mostly skip this advice

[MarkEg]

@gcanyon: by now you are probably more confused by the above "advice" than before.

Sit with a mirror at your side. Put the laptop with C2 technique video in front of you. Row making sure each and every of your strokes look like the girl in the video. Continue until it becomes automatic.

PS. don't worry about what your powercurve looks like. Once you develop correct technique, power curve will fix itself.
PPS. Your height and weight are what they are, and don't waste time trying to "put muscle on your bones". Just train to become fit and healthy.

mostly skip this advice

*entirely*

[skiffrace]

Re weight really, eat more, weight is not a given, training costs a lot of energy. And rowing is a power endurance sport. You really can use a few kg of muscle.

Let's do a small thought experiment. Strip all the novice ergers posting here from their protective layer of flab (which they are trying to shed by 'erging').
How much muscle would they exhibit? Not much more than the OP of this thread. He is either lucky, genetically 'gifted', or smart and hard working. He *does not* have those extra inches of blubber. He looks like people used to look like 50, 60+ years ago - trim and slim, which is a huge advantage in todays obese world.

Sure, most of us could use a few more kgs of muscle. However, how much you have is to large extent genetic, and all the weight training in the world will change it only somewhat (unless you do steroids, that is)

And yes, looking at the correct technique and comparing it immediately with your own is the 2-nd most effective way to learn, certainly more effective than reading theoretical tips. The most effective way would be have a rowing coach teach you direct, if that is an option.

[MarkEg]

Re weight really, eat more, weight is not a given, training costs a lot of energy. And rowing is a power endurance sport. You really can use a few kg of muscle.

Let's do a small thought experiment. Strip all the novice ergers posting here from their protective layer of flab (which they are trying to shed by 'erging').
How much muscle would they exhibit? Not much more than the OP of this thread. He is either lucky, genetically 'gifted', or smart and hard working. He *does not* have those extra inches of blubber. He looks like people used to look like 50, 60+ years ago - trim and slim, which is a huge advantage in todays obese world.

Sure, most of us could use a few more kgs of muscle. However, how much you have is to large extent genetic, and all the weight training in the world will change it only somewhat (unless you do steroids, that is)

And yes, looking at the correct technique and comparing it immediately with your own is the 2-nd most effective way to learn, certainly more effective than reading theoretical tips. The most effective way would be have a rowing coach teach you direct, if that is an option.

That sounds much more like a sweeping generalization than a 'thought experiment' to me.

[gcanyon]

Nbr 1 eat! You are super light for your height, really get some muscle on those bones.

I understand the point, but I'm naturally thin -- presumably genetically, no one in my family is any more muscular. I'm not really focused on being bigger/faster just for the sake of it, I just want to row with good form. But of course if you have suggestions I'm happy to hear them.

you really should work on your overall flexibility.

I'm definitely not flexible, in most ways. Anything in particular I should stretch to improve my stroke?

your legs break before the handle is fully pulled back, this costs lots of speed. Solution is rowing strapless, that way you can,t pull yourself up on the straps like you do know.

I don't understand what you mean by "your legs break before the handle is fully pulled back?"

Thanks!

[hjs]

Re weight really, eat more, weight is not a given, training costs a lot of energy. And rowing is a power endurance sport. You really can use a few kg of muscle.

Let's do a small thought experiment. Strip all the novice ergers posting here from their protective layer of flab (which they are trying to shed by 'erging').
How much muscle would they exhibit? Not much more than the OP of this thread. He is either lucky, genetically 'gifted', or smart and hard working. He *does not* have those extra inches of blubber. He looks like people used to look like 50, 60+ years ago - trim and slim, which is a huge advantage in todays obese world.

Sure, most of us could use a few more kgs of muscle. However, how much you have is to large extent genetic, and all the weight training in the world will change it only somewhat (unless you do steroids, that is)

And yes, looking at the correct technique and comparing it immediately with your own is the 2-nd most effective way to learn, certainly more effective than reading theoretical tips. The most effective way would be have a rowing coach teach you direct, if that is an option.

Common, "gifted" look at his current level.

If you think that training serious and gaining muscle is not possible you know very little about training.

To compare the op with a overweight people ?? He has very low bodyfat and a very low Bmi. You proberly also think anorectic girls are "gifted"

Re technique, the guy asks a serious question on this forum, people try to give some tips. That happened often before and most of the times those people improved rapidly. I find it pretty insulting to think that this op can not do something eith the advice given. Erging/rowing is not rocketscience, with a bit of effort everybody can get a half decent stroke.

[gcanyon]

Geoff, 5MMm is a lot of time sitting on your tailbone. Lower the heelcups.

They're already on the next-to-lowest position in the video -- I had assumed that since my feet are small for my height that even that was on the low-ish side. I'll try the lowest position. and see how that works.