Concept2 Forum

Thank you all in advance for the feedback. 6 weeks ago I started rowing again after 15 years off and want to ensure I get my technique right to avoid injury. I was having issues at the higher stroke rates (still am), that I have been able to improve upon with the feedback I received 3 weeks ago. http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=107256

Last night I filmed my stroke in the hopes that I could receive some more criticism/tips. Video is taken at minute 10 of second 19 minute pyramid workout for the night at 28 spm and pulling about 1:42/500m split.

I think that my right elbow is poking out too far as I was fighting with a blister, but I am not sure due to camera angle. I am not sure if I am coming too far up the rail for the catch.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as I still have 6 weeks to fix things before the Crash-Bs.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/ooq2kMPkoFA

I think it looks pretty good! You are over compressing a little at the catch but not too bad. Remember shins perpendicular. Your leg drive looks good. Nice hanging on the handle. A little more body angle at the catch wouldn't hurt. It looks like you're a little bit too upright (but that could be camera angle). Relax on the recovery. You look very stiff coming out of the finish. Try to make the turn around a little smoother. The more you can relax on the recovery, the more energy you save for the drive.

All-in-all, I like it.

Marsh_Creek_Sculler wrote:I think it looks pretty good! You are over compressing a little at the catch but not too bad. Remember shins perpendicular. Your leg drive looks good. Nice hanging on the handle. A little more body angle at the catch wouldn't hurt. It looks like you're a little bit too upright (but that could be camera angle). Relax on the recovery. You look very stiff coming out of the finish. Try to make the turn around a little smoother. The more you can relax on the recovery, the more energy you save for the drive.

All-in-all, I like it.

Yep, gap between upperbody and legs at the catch should be less/closed, for the rest it looks pretty ok, maybe a bit rigid, during the recovery try to stay as relax as possible. During the drive you should be rigid again.

BermyNick wrote: Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as I still have 6 weeks to fix things before the Crash-Bs.

You should ask the gym for two things:

1. Move all of those ergos 30cm further forward away from the wall
2. Change their choice of music

Citroen wrote:

BermyNick wrote: Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as I still have 6 weeks to fix things before the Crash-Bs.

You should ask the gym for two things:

1. Move all of those ergos 30cm further forward away from the wall
2. Change their choice of music

Music was definitely not my choice! hahaha When we do sprints we pull them them a bit farther away.

I have a couple of observations that lead me to ask questions. Keep in mind that I am not suggesting that what you are doing is wrong. I can't row the way that I see the top people do. and I suck at rowing. I don't know how much of an effect if any, these things have on your rowing.

1. you have that hand - wrist drop thing going on- in your left hand. maybe your right too, hard to tell.
2. your legs splay open at the catch- ever so slightly but I noticed it.

1. some people are aware that they are doing it and some aren't. do you get sore in your forearms or wrist? or what is the purpose of the hand drop? I watched that flip video of proper rowing technique and in it, it was suggested that you keep the hand & wrist aligned with your forearm sort of thing.

I often see this being done when the rower actually goes even further to do an ' underwrist curl " to get a few more cms distance from the row.

2. Do/ Did you have a hip injury ? Again, I am not suggesting that this is an error or needs to be corrected. Maybe it is just your specific anatomy that leads to this.
Maybe everyone's legs open up at the knees at the catch. I watch videos of proper rowing technique and their models always keep their knees on the inside of their arms. I think that it may be that your large inner quads that are pushing your knees out by 2-4 cm.

It could be that your lower leg is not in direct line with your ankle at the pushoff drive. This might possibly lower the efficiency of your drive as you would be pushing a bit off center. There would be a lateral component to your drive as well as vertical & horizontal.


you are quite upright and rigid at the end. I thought that this was due to you being aware of how close that wall is to your head/back.

Edit: not relevant but just interesting . This is the 2nd or 3rd video that I have seen in the past 8 days in which the end of the rail is almost up against a wall.

Marsh_Creek_Sculler wrote:You are over compressing a little at the catch but not too bad. Remember shins perpendicular. A little more body angle at the catch wouldn't hurt. It looks like you're a little bit too upright (but that could be camera angle). Relax on the recovery. You look very stiff coming out of the finish. Try to make the turn around a little smoother. The more you can relax on the recovery, the more energy you save for the drive.

I really focused on relaxing my torso on the recovery and shortening the my recovery at the catch today. I also focused on keeping my knees closer together. Everything really clicked. My stroke felt much more efficient over the 2x25min workout we did. It will be interesting to see how it translates at higher spm and shorter distances, but it felt incomparably better. Thanks.