New Member - video critique

[euan12345]

Hi,

I have just up to the forum. I have been rowing indoors on/off for a few years, but for 2020 I would really like to make improvements. Currently, I am 5ft 10, and around 95kg. My 2k pb is 7:29, and ideally I would like to beat it this year.

I have uploaded a short 10 strokes from this morning's trip to the gym. It would be very appreciated if anyone could take a few moments and suggest where I am going wrong with my stroke:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opK_kOHjLfM
The strokes in the clip were I believe R28, and 1:50 split.

Thanks in advance for any advice, and would be happy to try out any suggestions.
Regards,
Euan

[euan12345]

(I forgot to add that obviously cross-training and weight-management will be big goals for this year, also!)

[Dangerscouse]

Tbh I can't see anything wrong with that stroke. Maybe you could compress a tiny bit more at the catch but it maybe detrimental.

All you can really do improve now is to keep doing lots of metres at different stroke rates. Fitness and strength will come with time but your technique looks really good for a newbie.

[euan12345]

Thanks very much for taking a look and your kind words!
I agree with the compression at the catch idea - I am a little less than ideal due to stomach and flexibility. But will get better over time.

Tried it out on a 10k today (C2 Holiday challenge), and beat my previous best this month by over a minute (missed my PB by 10 seconds, but I don't that at this stage). Things are definitely moving in the correct direction. What felt like an effort previously this month, seemed much easier today.

Thanks again,
Euan

[lindsayh]

as the others say not bad at all.
couple of little things (IMO)
I would say that it is better for the wrists to be firm and straight rather than the break/twist at the end which is tending to draw the hands a bit high at the end of the stroke. Makes the stroke a bit inefficient and less powerful.
The elbows will/should then probably finish a bit further back behind the line of the back with the handle level with the pecs at about nipple height.
Hard to see but it looks like the legs splay out a bit at the knees rather than staying parallel which may weaken the drive.

[hjs]

(I forgot to add that obviously cross-training and weight-management will be big goals for this year, also!)

Technique looks fine to be honoust. Build your fitness and get your diet sorted, thats the clear weak link! In the longer run, volume in meters will help both those goals.

[Dangerscouse]

as the others say not bad at all.
couple of little things (IMO)
I would say that it is better for the wrists to be firm and straight rather than the break/twist at the end which is tending to draw the hands a bit high at the end of the stroke. Makes the stroke a bit inefficient and less powerful.
The elbows will/should then probably finish a bit further back behind the line of the back with the handle level with the pecs at about nipple height.
Hard to see but it looks like the legs splay out a bit at the knees rather than staying parallel which may weaken the drive.

Personally I draw my elbows back lower down and have the handle more or less the bottom of my ribs but I do know a lot of people who row with it higher up too. Maybe worth playing around and seeing what works and feels best.

Definitely agree with splayed legs always being a bad idea

[Eric308]

Tighten the foot straps...too much play in the feet. Not a good way to gain leverage. Practice unstrapped for full effect. I also agree with Lindsay about keeping the wrists straight. Seems to me your technique could lead to serious arthritic complications.
https://www.concept2.com/news/necessity-foot-straps

[euan12345]

Thanks - lot of nice tips to help me out, which i really appreciate!

I'm definitely guilty of splaying the legs - can you believe a few years ago, I actually splayed them so much that my right arm was between them at the catch. Of course, it is terrible technique and I sorted that a while back. But still room for improvement!

The advice about the elbows/wrists is great also!
I just need to be a bit careful - one thing I should have mentioned at the start, sorry, was my left elbow was totally smashed 15 years ago..
99.9% of the time I can row without issues, but if I make a bad stroke due to bad timing or concentration, it can get tight. Which sometimes takes a few minutes or occasionally a few days to clear up.
I would say my wrist movements are my subconscious way of compensating for it - letting them do the work instead of the elbow, and keeping the elbow lower down. But I also had more layback when these issues were happening - so from tomorrow onwards, I will keep the wrists straighter and see if it works for me or not.

Thanks for the tip about the footstraps. Once this Holiday Challenge is finished tomorrow, going forward I will make a point of doing some 'feet-out' drills, engaging abs more.

Thanks once again to everyone - I don't think there are many at my gym which enjoy using the machine as much as me, so I thankful to those who have the experience to offer their advice.
Euan

[Dangerscouse]

When you do row strapless be careful as to start with it's all too easy to come off the back of the rower as you will unconsciously use the straps as a brake.

With practice you should be able to row normally without them, but not at higher rates or for sprints, as the straps are important for both of these sessions

[Gammmmo]

Looks better than my stroke...

[Cyclingman1]

Press toes into foot rest during drive phase.

[euan12345]

I tried a few things today, and I can honestly say there are going to be huge improvements going forward! The sensation was strange - things felt easier, and I saw lower splits, but at the same time I was struggling to keep moving for anything more than 1000m at a time. My heart rate wasn't super-high, but I was just not getting through it. I simply put it down to extra force, and new muscles being used and my body trying to adjust. Plus it was the end of the C2 Holiday challenge, so my thoughts were more about just getting the final m's done.

The two main things I worked on:
1) getting tighter to the catch with less leg-splay. Forgive the expression, but my mindset was 'nipples to knees'. It might have been more like thighs in reality. But just the thought of getting the chest pushed that little bit more forward, and the phrase also helped keep my legs to within chest-width. It was a huge difference - my legs actually felt tired after the workout, which has not happened often before. So it is a huge positive for potential power going forward.

2) the wristy stuff at the finish. really worked on keeping wrists straighter; i noticed my knuckles were over the top of the handle, so I re-positioned, so only the fingers were on the other side. I even did some strokes without the thumb attached, just to try and avoid my previous actions. It worked around 50% of the time, I still have to get over the old habits. Would anyone recommend doing something drastic as sticking ice-lolly sticks on the wrists to program them to stay straight and avoid 'breaking' at the finish? (I used to play golf, and there were all kinds of gadgets and accessories to help with technique).

Anyways, I will leave it for now and probably record again after new year and see where I am in comparison to before.
Thanks once again!

[frio]

It's pretty good. I spotted a couple things that are pretty minor:

1)try to move your hands away completely before you bend your legs on the recovery. Your hands are very slightly trying to get away from your knees.

2) you're flexing your arms slightly at the beginning of the drive and starting to lean back before your legs are flat. I like to almost imagine pushing my hands forward to keep my arms straight on the first bit of the drive, I find this helps to get a bit more "engagement" at the catch.