Concept2 Forum

My rowing form needs some work. My forearms are touching and rubbing against my knees. (BTW, when your all the way forward on the rower does that position have a name?)

I have been pulling around mid stomach level. I am using the 2nd set of holes from the top on the footrests and I'm a size 11 shoe. I am 5 feet 10 inches tall. How can I improve my form so my arms don't rub against my knees?

I'm not a full time rower, but, IMO if your forearms are rubbing or hitting your knees, your timing is off. You knees should have "dropped" out of the way or not yet be "in the way" during that phase of the stroke.

Watch the tutorial video. My wife has the same problem and for some reason just cannot figure out the timing of the legs first then upper body.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will jump in.

Gene

What part of your forearms are touching what part of your knees? Is it the inside of your forearms on the outside of your knees (which is not particularly unusual), or the bottom of your arms on the tops of your knees (which is bad)?

The position you're referring to is the catch.

PaulH wrote:What part of your forearms are touching what part of your knees? Is it the inside of your forearms on the outside of your knees (which is not particularly unusual), or the bottom of your arms on the tops of your knees (which is bad)?

The position you're referring to is the catch.

The part near just below the elbows toward the inside of the forearm when I am at the maximum catch pos.

It's a little hard to picture without having a rowing machine to hand, but I don't think that's anything unusual. You could try keeping your knees together a little more (as I intend to tell my daughter on a daily basis as she gets older), but as you compress at the catch things do tend to scrunch up

Your forearms should not be anywhere near your knees! Your arms should be extended straight whenever your knees are significantly bent.

Make sure you start the drive with the legs and only add the back after the legs are at least half way down and only add the arms after the legs are down. On the recovery, keep the knees down until your arms are fully extended and your body angle is set, then bend the knees--don't move your arms and back once your legs start to move.
You won't be able to row this way at high ratings, but it should be no problem at low ratings.
To get the hang of this, start at the catch position (body angle forward arms straight) and row with legs only--arms and back do not move at all! This is hard. After a while add the back. Then after a while add the arms. This should help with the sequencing.

PaulH wrote:It's a little hard to picture without having a rowing machine to hand, but I don't think that's anything unusual. You could try keeping your knees together a little more (as I intend to tell my daughter on a daily basis as she gets older), but as you compress at the catch things do tend to scrunch up

Yes, I tend to bend forward some on the catch.

Nosmo wrote:Your forearms should not be anywhere near your knees! Your arms should be extended straight whenever your knees are significantly bent.

Make sure you start the drive with the legs and only add the back after the legs are at least half way down and only add the arms after the legs are down. On the recovery, keep the knees down until your arms are fully extended and your body angle is set, then bend the knees--don't move your arms and back once your legs start to move.
You won't be able to row this way at high ratings, but it should be no problem at low ratings.
To get the hang of this, start at the catch position (body angle forward arms straight) and row with legs only--arms and back do not move at all! This is hard. After a while add the back. Then after a while add the arms. This should help with the sequencing.

I noticed if I keep the row handle about chest high I don't rub the knees. Maybe I am holding the handle too low at gut level.

keepitlow wrote: I noticed if I keep the row handle about chest high I don't rub the knees. Maybe I am holding the handle too low at gut level.

If you have a moderate amount of layback, you should be pulling in to the sternum. If you are pulling into your belly button then your hands are too low. Some ergers have a very large amount and pull back almost to their chin--but in this case the chin is low rather then the hands being high.

You may also be dropping your hands too much on the recovery but that is not really a problem.

In any case no matter how low or high your hands are, your forearms should not touch your knees unless you are raising your knees too soon on the recovery or pulling with you arms too soon on the drive.

If you can post a video of yourself rowing and we may have additional insights.

Check this out (and look for anything by Xeno Muller on YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXnKyJdA ... re=related

This is a cartoon rowing stroke. No one rows like this at high ratings but it is worth imitating at low ratings, then at higher ratings your legs arms and back will sequence more smoothly.

Nosmo - I think keepitlow's issue is at the catch, and I don't think it's that unusual for your arms to be close to or even touching the knees at that point - even the little animation you linked does that!

The part near just below the elbows toward the inside of the forearm when I am at the maximum catch pos.

If you touch at this position, you probably have your knees too wide open. You may also be slouching and bringing your seat under you, rather than getting in front of it. To reduce or eliminate this, keep your back straight at all times to sit taller.

http://www.ara-rowing.org/rowing-stroke

This shows the sequence as it should be.

This is the classic sequence drill, also used for warm-up: on the backstop with back straight, pull arms only; then add swing after hands away; then slight knee lift AFTER the swing; then gradually increase knee lift until you reach the strong catch position with back straight and chest hard up against thighs, shins vertical.

Don't be in any rush, there's no hurry to take the next stroke because the boat goes anyway, and the next stroke in all likelihood will be very hard work. The girl in the sequence has her blades covered in just two of the 8 pics. The above WU sequence might start at rating 60, but it'll end with the highest boatspeed at 20-22.

Feel your feet when you reach the full stroke and make your legs work, rowing is done off the stretcher, not off the seat. That's what makes it hard and worth doing.

jamesg just reminded me of a very important point - are you erging, sculling or sweeping? If you're erging I don't think what you describe is too unusual, but if you're on the water it points to more serious problems (without having a scull here to check, I'm not sure I could even get into the position you describe at the catch!)

Thanks for the youtube. It really helps.

I seem to have fixed the problem by keeping my knees together and grabbing the row handle near the ends and not in the middle area.

I used to grab the row handle in the middle, so my arms were in line with my knees. Now my knees ride together inside of my arms and they don't bother each other.

PaulH wrote:Nosmo - I think keepitlow's issue is at the catch, and I don't think it's that unusual for your arms to be close to or even touching the knees at that point - even the little animation you linked does that!

Maybe I'm misinterpreting but I thought he said "forearms". Otherwise I'd agree