Concept2 Forum

Hello, can anyone critique my form here? Unlisted YouTube link:

https://youtu.be/rAOEOf7nOvw


Some of my questions/self-criticisms:

• Shoulders aren't always depressed.

• Excessive layback? The back seems to curl when I lay back. Should I shorten my layback?

• T-rex arms at the release? This is partly due to the fact that I'm trying to make sure the chain angle is high at the catch (so that I get a better connection to the machine).

• No heel rise at the catch but this is deliberate. I tend to overcompress, so I'm trying to get my form right before lengthening my stroke.

• And I remembered to drop my arms at the release later. This is an issue I'm aware of.

I'm not the best person to ask regarding technique, but it looks good to me, and I agree that your shoulders are hunched so you need to relax a bit more.

Maybe there's slightly too much separation between the discrete phases, but that will develop with practice.

Lay back doesn't look excessive to me, and I'd guess that as long as your core is tense (or semi-tense) a slight curl won't be an issue.

Lifting heels isn't a suggestion per se, it's more about lifting them if you have to due to inflexible ankles, so if you can row without doing it, that's a good thing.

Thank you for taking time to view my video and respond.

Form doesn't look too bad. To address your questions:

- Can relax some - want lats engaged but not tons of tension in shoulders
- I don't see excessive layback at all but I do see maybe trying to "muscle" the end of the stroke causing that feeling and you can see feet pulling against straps
- The release is fine - as Stu said with time the motion will become more fluid
- No heel raise is good as long as you are getting shins parallel and shoulders past hips
- You don't really want to drop your arms - in fact that is a mistake many people make, they dont need to remain high but the handle should travel at a fairly level path - don't force then down just relax/release

The rowing form can always be tuned and you may also find there is some uniqueness in what you do. While there are some principles you need to have right like using legs and hips other things can vary some.

Maybe it's the angle of the shot, but to me it looks like your shins aren't quite vertical at the catch.

Thanks @KeithT and @Ombrax for the comments.

Regarding fluidity, I can have a more fluid stroke with more overlap between legs, back and arms but I thought keeping the overlap to minimum made for a more efficient stroke?

I don't see excessive layback at all but I do see maybe trying to "muscle" the end of the stroke causing that feeling and you can see feet pulling against straps

This is an issue I have. I worry that I'm not accelerating "through my hips" but this leads me perhaps to pivot my trunk a bit too hard then forcing me to use force to stop myself. Is this what you meant?

Maybe it's the angle of the shot, but to me it looks like your shins aren't quite vertical at the catch.

Are you saying I'm overcompressing at the catch (the stroke is too long, angle is less than vertical) or undercompressing (the stroke is too short, the angle is more than vertical)?

With a lengthier stroke, my power curves didn't look good enough, so I shortened it a bit.

Anyway, I feel that I have enough of a "base" to experiment on my own to see what feels and works best.

1. Opening back a little early in your stroke
2. Too much tension in your delts, traps & rhomboids. Tension should fall mainly on your lats.
3. Think of driving your elbows back. Although this may be due to the camera angle.

Overall, very nice.

AnlamK wrote: ↑

July 7th, 2022, 3:42 am

Anyway, I feel that I have enough of a "base" to experiment on my own to see what feels and works best.

Good to hear. As Keith said, we all have variations that work for us, but aren't textbook.

Mostly I'd echo what others have already said; looks pretty good!

re "the layback" I certainly don't think it's excessive. However, if you are able to allow your torso to come foeaward another few centimeters at the catch, then maintain that torso position for a fraction longer at the start of your drive, you may find that the end of your stroke is both more powerful and more fluid.

Presently your hips are already relatively open near the end of your stroke, forcing a bit of a "jerk" to get more power as you complete your stroke. Keep them a few degrees more closed and you can generate momentum more smoothly.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions.

if you are able to allow your torso to come forward another few centimeters at the catch, then maintain that torso position for a fraction longer at the start of your drive, you may find that the end of your stroke is both more powerful and more fluid.

The issue is that I can't really control when my torso pivots. When I push with my legs, my torso naturally goes backwards. When I put torso a bit more forward, the torso pivot starts even earlier.

Assume the torso is at 1 o'clock at the catch and at 11 o'clock at the release. When I push my legs with my torso bit more forward, the torso starts unwinding with more speed from 1 to 12 and hence the motion from 12 to 11 starts even earlier.

Maybe this is a flexibility/mobility issue, as I don't have the flexibility to touch my toes without bending my knees.


The most reliable way for me to delay the torso pivot is to shorten my stroke and not compress so much at the catch. I do also see better force curves when I do this. This allows a slower 1 to 12 o'clock swing and gives me more control about when to initiate the swing from 12 to 11.

Circling back to mict450's comment:

Opening back a little early in your stroke

As I explained I can't really control this. Maybe it's due to a mobility issue because when I push with my legs, my torso unwinds naturally.

I jut think your 'pieces' of the stroke look ok - as in position and path of your arms, torso, shins.
Shoulders look tense as others have said.

Biggest thing I see and it's a big one. I don't see a solid catch point. Seems like everything or something is always in motion.

There should be a very short moment where everything feels still and your pushing the foot plates away from you.
I don't see that.

AnlamK, if you don't feel you have control over torso movement, my suggestion would be to practice that. Practice it, then practice some more. The "reverse pick drill" is where I would start (plenty of YouTube videos)

*note if you've already been focusing on gaining control of this... then continue focusing on that!

Thank you btlifter

I've done the pick drill and the reverse pick drill many times.

The problem (of trunk pivoting too early) occurs when I combine hip movement with the leg drive.

I'm aware of it and I'm working on it. I've made some progress in delaying the trunk pivot but my form slips and old habits resurface when I don't concentrate. Still, progress is progress.

AnlamK wrote: ↑

July 6th, 2022, 11:20 am

Hello, can anyone critique my form here? Unlisted YouTube link:

https://youtu.be/rAOEOf7nOvw


Some of my questions/self-criticisms:

• Shoulders aren't always depressed.

• Excessive layback? The back seems to curl when I lay back. Should I shorten my layback?

• T-rex arms at the release? This is partly due to the fact that I'm trying to make sure the chain angle is high at the catch (so that I get a better connection to the machine).

• No heel rise at the catch but this is deliberate. I tend to overcompress, so I'm trying to get my form right before lengthening my stroke.

• And I remembered to drop my arms at the release later. This is an issue I'm aware of.

You start your stroke, by pulling your back, instead of first pushing your legs and keeping your shoulders forward and halveway starting to bring you back in.
Second, at the catch, close the gap between your chest and legs, fould your upperbody more.
Stay a bit more relax, you look a bit tight and rigid. Good when your stroke, but relax when you are in the recovery of the stroke.

hjs wrote: ↑

July 20th, 2022, 12:42 pm

You start your stroke, by pulling your back, instead of first pushing your legs and keeping your shoulders forward and halveway starting to bring you back in.
Second, at the catch, close the gap between your chest and legs, fould your upperbody more.
Stay a bit more relax, you look a bit tight and rigid. Good when your stroke, but relax when you are in the recovery of the stroke.

Good to see you back Henry. Hope everything is better again for you and yours