mid back fatique

[m06w41]

I'm on week 6 of the Pete Plan and working on baseline fitness. Not overdoing it but taking it easier based upon some wise advice here and my goal now being weight focused. So, I'm not overworking myself and concentrating on my form but after a few minutes of rowing, I end up feeling a bit of an ache both sides of my spine mid-back below my shoulder blades...mid-back. It's not sharp or horrible, but somewhat mildly uncomfortable and seems to stick around for a good portion of the session sometimes.

Again, maybe it's a lack of core strength or baseline fitness but any form issues that this may bring to anyone's mind? I still feel like a klutz sometimes but keep watching videos and working on technique and I'll upload a video soon but wanted to check since work is a bit dull today.

[Dangerscouse]

Try hanging from a pull up bar, if you have one, or simply extend your arm, slightly bend at the elbow and lean to the side, hold for 20-30 secs and swap sides. Repeat as necessary.

It might not seem very targeted, but it really helps me as I get that same issue.

[robbiep]

Looking at your online logbook, I can see that your stroke rate is nice and low. That's good, in that it helps to ensure good technique - I'm a big believer in getting the basics dead right.
There are two real possibilities for the pain you're suffering.

1. 'Rounding' your shoulders. Where your back isn't nice and straight through the catch / drive, or your back sags forwards during the drive.
2. Conditioning. Basically, you're building strength in that area, and the muscles are screaming at you as you put them through a lot of work.

Might be worth while looking at your force curve too, seeing if you're using the arms / back too much as a proportion of the overall work.

[m06w41]

Fantastic - thanks fellas.

@robbiep - I have been working on keeping a less rounded and straighter posture and given my tendency to slouch I wondered if simply I am not strong enough there. At times, I wondered if I was arching my back my trying to keep it too straight...it sometimes seems so awkward. But I'll work on thinking about the rolling forward. One thing that seemed to stand out after rewatching a couple more form videos today and which similar to what you mentioned @robbiep, maybe I am still using my arms/back too early in the drive. Certainly that seems to be where fatique centers. I'll get a video here asap.

The slow spm is somewhat related to keeping my HR down. I think Dangerscouse mentioned it in a prior post of mine that I'm probably struggling with a lack of baseline fitness. So slower for form and fitness to start.

@Dangersouse - I'll do the pull up bar suggestion. There's a certain amount undoing the inflexibility that is part of this process as well. I tend to rush stretching given the short window of time I have to row but the bar seems quick enough.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

I'm on week 6 of the Pete Plan and working on baseline fitness. Not overdoing it but taking it easier based upon some wise advice here and my goal now being weight focused. So, I'm not overworking myself and concentrating on my form but after a few minutes of rowing, I end up feeling a bit of an ache both sides of my spine mid-back below my shoulder blades...mid-back. It's not sharp or horrible, but somewhat mildly uncomfortable and seems to stick around for a good portion of the session sometimes.

Again, maybe it's a lack of core strength or baseline fitness but any form issues that this may bring to anyone's mind? I still feel like a klutz sometimes but keep watching videos and working on technique and I'll upload a video soon but wanted to check since work is a bit dull today.



I occasionally get that too. Have you tried using foam roller on your back? That might help you recover.

[mromero680]

I almost never get sore from the rower but I've been sore in that same spot since my row a couple mornings ago. I did all out power tens every 500m for 7500m with power cleans every 1250. Have been using foam roller and lacrosse ball to loosen things up by tomorrow morning. Can't remember ever being sore in that spot before.

[mitchel674]

Your drag factor is nice and low (99). One thought I have is perhaps you are not engaging your core as you initiate your drive. This could put a strain on your back particularly if you are hunched over. Think of your arms as just hanging from the bar as you start your drive. Keep your arms and shoulders loose but feel your lats and core abdominal muscles engage as you drive. This should take the pressure off your mid-back and keep you very connected to the erg.

This is a great tip I learned from Eric Murray videos. He goes on about feeling the "hang" and not having any tension in your arms and shoulders. Once I understood what he was going on about, It made a big difference in my rowing comfort.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

I almost never get sore from the rower but I've been sore in that same spot since my row a couple mornings ago. I did all out power tens every 500m for 7500m with power cleans every 1250. Have been using foam roller and lacrosse ball to loosen things up by tomorrow morning. Can't remember ever being sore in that spot before.

I use a mixture of foam roller , backballer , and surprising effective is a really firm rubber medicine ball that has a bit of squish. I combine this with a stretch where i lie on my back , draw my knees up and with my feet on the ground , rotate my knees and my hips from side to side. I often get referred pain as my back is hyper mobile and often a small tiny snick in my back will resolve the pain. Perhaps worth a try. I would do five to ten minutes of this ahead of using the roller . I also use the foam roller longitudinally.

[sberb]

Regarding posture, have you watched any of RVA Performance videos on YouTube? When I’m thinking about keeping my back strait I channel Cassie. Watch how she keeps her arms strait out of the catch. Her form is awesome.

https://youtu.be/r6T91GbWsBU

[m06w41]

Regarding posture, have you watched any of RVA Performance videos on YouTube? When I’m thinking about keeping my back strait I channel Cassie. Watch how she keeps her arms strait out of the catch. Her form is awesome.

https://youtu.be/r6T91GbWsBU

Massive help - thanks. Fell out of the seat (figuratively) in the past couple weeks.

[sberb]

Awesome! Glad to help!

[m06w41]

Been a few months since I responded as the CFA exam got in the way of much of my time toward end of last year. As suggested above, it seems my mid-back ache and fatigue is mostly due to poor form.

The back issues persisted when I started rowing again mid-December after my exam. After looking at RVA as suggested by sberb and Eric Murray from mitchell674, i have focused carefully on form and the past 3 rows the ache has been minor and temporary and so much less intrusive.

It appears I had been doing a couple things which may have aggravated it; 1) when sitting into the catch I would roll my shoulders forward a bit to lengthen the stroke but it doing so also made me roll my back and slouch a bit instead of remaining straight and 2) without much core strength i would slouch a bit through the stroke as well, especially when tired.

The Eric Murray comment about "...hanging loose like a gorilla in the catch..." was eye opening. And then I imagined a rod running down my spine to figure out how to maintain a straight back. I'm a natural sloucher so doing all this take practice but it seems to have alleviated the middle back ache that had developed.

Still intend to upload a video because I'm sure there is more improvement but in case anyone ever experiences it, figured I'd provide an update.

[kevinrasco]

This is an old but good question.

I like all the advice I read above, but my answer was a little different. Stretch, and form are never bad suggestions...

I suffer some arthritis that limits my spinal mobility. This makes me very sensitive to exercise with impact. My breakthrough was finding a drag factor that smoothed my stroke with a moderate / comfortable resistance. Too much is just hard to do, too little caused a jitter in the chain. This was hard for me to control with form, and led to discomfort similar to what is described above.

Maybe not the most conventional way to optimize the drag factor, but it made C2 rowers one of my favorite exercises.

Kevin R.
Adaptive ParaRowers

[btlifter]

I probably have the least expertise on technique of anybody responding. So, take this with a grain of salt. But, the cue I find really helpful for myself is to imagine reaching my belly button forward. This helps me pivot from the hips, as opposed to the back.

I also find that this cue takes the added strain of "trying" to stay upright off, which relaxes my back (in a good way) too.

[Dangerscouse]

I probably have the least expertise on technique of anybody responding. So, take this with a grain of salt. But, the cue I find really helpful for myself is to imagine reaching my belly button forward. This helps me pivot from the hips, as opposed to the back.

I also find that this cue takes the added strain of "trying" to stay upright off, which relaxes my back (in a good way) too.

That's a good point Cam. Artificially straightening your back constantly can just displace the strain to another area: you still need to be relaxed, but not slouched. Loose enough, but also slightly tensed enough to take the strain.

I assume you meant to add that your belly is still braced when you push it forward? It might be misinterpreted as meaning pushing the whole belly out, rather than just the belly button