Concept2 Forum

Hello! I’ve been lurking on this site for several months, since picking up rowing at the gym about 6 months ago. This is my first post.

I’ve watched several form videos online, and try to replicate all the tips while rowing, but it’s hard to know where I need to focus on improving, or what exactly to think about while rowing form wise. (As soon as I think I have the legs down, I move on to core, and then realize I’m messing up the legs again, etc.)

I recently recorded myself. I can see that it looks like I’m pulling too “high” and that I’m also pausing too long at the end of a stroke. I definitely struggle to get beyond 26 spm and usually end up rowing at 18-20.

Anyway, I would really appreciate any input from anyone. Thank you in advance!

https://youtu.be/bQzJpgFnRfI

Video link above.

From previous vids and seeing other's comments before compared to mine...I'm not very good at this (!), but FWIW:

The overriding impression I get is of too much arms doing inefficient things. Leg drive and swing look good to me - others may see something else. Arms are bent at the catch and start to work very early. Handle is brought very high (many do that but I prefer to see it brought to the sternum.) This high lift mean there's a lot of wrist action - injury risk. At the start of the recovery, you get the arms away well but drop your hands very low and then lift again towards the catch. A straight path for the chain back and forward again is more efficient. HTH

That high finish will cause you serious problems, as well as being useless and a waste of time. Here you can see how erging and rowing are done:

https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/ ... que-videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20rSoTo8fQA

All you need use is your legs and hips; all the rest of us is there only to transmit the forces from the legs, not to do work it's incapable of.

The chain tension system takes the handle where necessary on recovery, so long as you get your hands away and swing forward first, before moving the slide. It's possible to get your weight on your feet before the catch, if you set the stretcher plate low with the straps over the toes. Then use your legs to take the catch, not the trunk or arms.

If you pull a long hard stroke, with the legs, rates 20-23 are enough to get fit.

Technique wise, that Zac Purchase video is as good as I've seen.
The music is easy on the ear also.

Welcome!

Other than the arm motion, it looks pretty good. Pull the handle to your sternum, then return it along the same level path to the catch. A piece of tape on the chain guide will visually help keep it level.

Your hesitation at the finish is, again, due to the arm motion. When you finish the stroke, push your hands away briskly. That will stop the momentum. Your body lean over will follow, then the knee bend back into the catch.

Once you have gotten the three basic parts down solid (legs, back opening at the hips, arms : arms away, lean over, legs) they will start flowing together and you'll have a beautiful stroke like the videos James posted.

Good rowing and have fun!

Long shins and heel cups too high by 2 holes results in body tilt clockwise, weight is all on the tailbone, big hand drop @ recovery is assisting your abs in pulling your upper body weight uphill to the catch. You aren’t overweight near as we can tell backlit and camera positioned way too low so seems to me you’re perfectly able to compress chest to knees but to no real advantage in achieving an optimal fwd lean catch position. Stop sitting on your spine.

And raise the camera pov up and camera right, close the garage door and light from your left side or put the camera outside for daylight lume. Here’s to effectual videography. Easier than efficient indoor rowing!

jackarabit wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 10:21 am

Long shins and heel cups too high by 2 holes results in body tilt clockwise, weight is all on the tailbone, big hand drop @ recovery is assisting your abs in pulling your upper body weight uphill to the catch. You aren’t overweight near as we can tell backlit and camera positioned way too low so seems to me you’re perfectly able to compress chest to knees but to no real advantage in achieving an optimal fwd lean catch position. Stop sitting on your spine.

And raise the camera pov up and camera right, close the garage door and light from your left side or put the camera outside for daylight lume. Here’s to effectual videography. Easier than efficient indoor rowing!

If I may and the OP may wonder as well, what are you referencing when you say “Long shins”? Not seen that term before.

Calves, tibia, shin bone, shin (splints), long shanks? From Old High German, Middle English, and Wes Virginny. Ex: “Shinny up yonder tree afore Pa ketches us and skins us alive!”

jackarabit wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 5:03 pm

Calves, tibia, shin (splints)? From Middle Murcan: “ Shinny up yonder tree afore Pa ketches us and skins us alive!”

nick rockliff wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 5:12 pm

jackarabit wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 5:03 pm

Calves, tibia, shin (splints)? From Middle Murcan: “ Shinny up yonder tree afore Pa ketches us and skins us alive!”

You are so easy, Nick. I can’t get a minute to polish my Pa Kettle act and already you’re laughin’. I was surprised that Joe would not know. I bet he wouldn’t be surprised at all the stuff I don’t know, ya think? I’m getting a Tee made sez “I luv a good jackacomeback.”

jackarabit wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 5:23 pm

nick rockliff wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 5:12 pm

jackarabit wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 5:03 pm

Calves, tibia, shin (splints)? From Middle Murcan: “ Shinny up yonder tree afore Pa ketches us and skins us alive!”

You are so easy, Nick. I can’t get a minute to polish my Pa Kettle act and already you’re laughin’. I was surprised that Joe would not know. I bet he wouldn’t be surprised at all the stuff I don’t know, ya think? I’m getting a Tee made sez “I luv a good jackacomeback.”

Happy to entertain today! I’ll be here all week. Apparently the reference was to his long shins necessitating a drop in his foot stretchers. Thought maybe you were using it to describe some horrible rowing form faux pas…

Joebasscat wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 5:54 pm

jackarabit wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 5:23 pm

nick rockliff wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2023, 5:12 pm

You are so easy, Nick. I can’t get a minute to polish my Pa Kettle act and already you’re laughin’. I was surprised that Joe would not know. I bet he wouldn’t be surprised at all the stuff I don’t know, ya think? I’m getting a Tee made sez “I luv a good jackacomeback.”

Happy to entertain today! I’ll be here all week. Apparently the reference was to his long shins necessitating a drop in his foot stretchers. Thought maybe you were using it to describe some horrible rowing form faux pas…

You are a good sport, Joe. OP can’t change his anatomy of course. I’d say choice of high foot position (quite often contracted as “high feet” in the IR CW) fails to optimise the user interface.

Wife sez it’s a plate glass window not a garage door in OP’s vid. I keep telling her I don’t see a gym logo stenciled on a window.

Luther, joking aside, I’m serious about the high feet thing as is jamesg. I gave the same advice two years ago, almost verbatim:

Feet are too high by at least two holes. In combination with long thighs and shins, rotates entire body CCW with reference to foto, effectively seating you on tail bone (base of spine) rather than on pelvic sitzbones. No surprise you can't get body angle to 13:00 hours @ catch.

Check out linked vid and demo touching on this postural problem by former Georgia Bulldogs rowing coach. About 2:45 in IIRC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js9CwDU1Bi0