Tips to avoid back pain

[tm3]

Great explanations, thanks to both of you!

No surprise I'm sure but I consider one of my biggest technical flaws is still using too much arm pull and not enough leg push. Once you get a bad habit it's hard to break, I guess.

The good news, however, is after struggling with rower induced back pain for years it now seems to be a thing of the past!

[Tsnor]

Think hanging on a chin-up bar. If you had to hold yourself up with arms 1/2 bent at elbow you'd tire out quickly.

Now think rowing. If you hang from the handle the same way you hang from the chin-up bar and wait to fire your arms until long after leg drive than you are much more efficient - less tired at the same output level.

One caveat - you need to make sure that the leg drive gets applied to the handle, not used up by stretching arms and back. One key to this is holding the lats firm, which is why the post said "Feel the hang on your arms and lats as you initiate the drive." Other keys include arms and chain in a straight line when your legs start their drive. If they are at an angle they will be pulled into a line before any of the leg drive pulls the chain. And not shooting your but back while leaving the handle in the same spot.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

I have had lower back issues. I managed this with

1) lower back rotations before i row. I lie on my back , draw me knees up, then rotate my torso so my knees touch the ground on each side.

2) for the first 100 days of rowing i didnt rock back at all. After 150 days i began to carefully rock back.

3) i blocked out the first foot of the rail to avoid over reaching.

4) i rowed on a very low drag.

[anthonymdavis]

Hi folks,

Great tips here. I’ve been rowing for about two weeks and starting to notice my lower back acting up during the session. Many years ago, I was rear-ended by an 18 wheeler when stopped at a stoplight. That messed up my back a bit, but after about year and half, I managed to get back to health. I rejoined the service, joining the Coast Guard. Previously, I was a rescue aircrewman with the Navy. After a few winters in the Bering Sea with the USCG, I was reminded of potential back issues. A little over a year ago, I had a stroke and it wiped me out for a bit until I quit feeling sorry for myself and forced myself up. I’ve been working out and I’m now down 45 lbs. I got the rower as I thought it was a good change in my training. I’ve found the first 1,000 meters are okay. The last 4,000 are a test of will.

I’ve just reached my first goal of 100,000 meters by hitting 101,000 last night.

I know... I’m rambling... The tips you folks collectively provided here are very useful and I’ll be applying them. Thank you. ~ Tony Davis

[Dangerscouse]

Hi folks,

Great tips here. I’ve been rowing for about two weeks and starting to notice my lower back acting up during the session. Many years ago, I was rear-ended by an 18 wheeler when stopped at a stoplight. That messed up my back a bit, but after about year and half, I managed to get back to health. I rejoined the service, joining the Coast Guard. Previously, I was a rescue aircrewman with the Navy. After a few winters in the Bering Sea with the USCG, I was reminded of potential back issues. A little over a year ago, I had a stroke and it wiped me out for a bit until I quit feeling sorry for myself and forced myself up. I’ve been working out and I’m now down 45 lbs. I got the rower as I thought it was a good change in my training. I’ve found the first 1,000 meters are okay. The last 4,000 are a test of will.

I’ve just reached my first goal of 100,000 meters by hitting 101,000 last night.

I know... I’m rambling... The tips you folks collectively provided here are very useful and I’ll be applying them. Thank you. ~ Tony Davis

Wow, that is one helluva story. Rowing is generally speaking meritocratic ie the harder you work, the better you get, but it's not easy and it does take a lot of patience to start with. There's a very good reason why 99% of gym users only use it as a warm up.

Take it easy, build up slowly from a solid foundation and you should be fine. It's generally the extremes of distances that are the issues for the lower back eg 100m and marathon

[anthonymdavis]

Thank you. During these first couple weeks, I had 3 or so days when I did two sessions for 10,000 meters each. I was running out of days in the month for my goal of 100,000 meters for the month, but I found I was a bit more worn out than I needed to be. I ‘might’ row today being the last day of the month. I’ve reached my goal with 101K so I don’t need to. I’ve got a toothache and it’s a Sunday... two good reasons to take it easy. I might still get on it. Yet, you make a great point to ‘build up slowly’. At 64, I don’t see a lot of reason to rush anything.

I’m glad to have the opportunity to make good conscious choices about health & fitness, and the forums here seem to have a lot of good info.

Tony