"cowboying" knees at the catch

[dwiggin3]

Aside from increasing my fitness level, lowering my times and loosing weight (like that isn't enough), I'm really trying to focus on improving my technique this winter. I’ve found that when I'm on the water - either in the throws of a hard race or hard practice, my technique fails me when I get tired and everything just goes south from there. My thought is that if I can spend the winter working on improving it, it will help once I’m back on the water. I'm noticing a few things and could use some help with:

1. At the catch, I spread my knees fairly widely - almost "cowboying". Granted, there should be some separation where the right arm moves between the leg at the catch (for starboard) but I suspect that I'm spreading them too widely and engaging the hip-flexor muscle more than necessary. It isn’t painful. When on the erg, I've tried keeping the knees together all the way from the catch to the finish but it seems that when I do this, I'm engaging muscles that I do not normally engage when "cowboying" and I feel I'm not as effective in my reach or drive, nor can I as easily breath. Granted, I've got belly fat/big bust that makes it more difficult compact my body at the catch however, I'd like to find out what the correct position is and work on it now - even if my belly/bust is in the way.

2. My hamstrings are very tight. I'm working on stretching them by bending over and holding it but it's not going well at all. I was in a 4 recently at a head race and not 500m in, my left hamstring started cramping and it was hell finishing. I couldn’t even help row the boat back to the dock it was so bad. I suspect that if I could really stretch these muscles I'd find myself with better technique at the catch (as discussed above). At the catch, I’m nowhere near having my shins vertical to my ankles. Suggestions on stretches for hamstrings?

3. During erg sessions that last 15min or longer, I've noticed that I get chafing on the upper hamstring area - a few inches below the butt. I suspect it's from my shorts rubbing on my skin at the edge of the seat as I row. If I reposition myself on the seat, it helps but then I'll end up with a sore there as well. Thoughts on how to prevent or mitigate this?

4. I tend to bunch my shoulders up when rowing. I’m much more aware of it and have made improvements but I’d like to hear what has worked for others in overcoming this. Additionally, because I am short with short legs, torso and arms, I can over-reach in an attempt to gain a few inches. As a result, I have terrible posture. As with the shoulders, I’m much more aware of it and am working to straighten out my lower back. How have others overcome this?

I think that’s about it for now…. I look forward to your response.

[Nosmo]

You can physically prevent you knees from spreading by using a strap or something to tie your knees together.

Stretch very slowly without much force. It just takes a lot of time. I erg first thing in the morning when my hamstrings are often tight. If I am feeling particularly stiff, I will stop and stretch several time during the warm up. It makes a big difference. Stretching cold just doesn't do much for me.

For the rubbing try some vasilene or bag balm. Use good rowing shorts

For the shoulders, mirrors worked for me. I had a really problem with tense shoulders both in the boat and on the water. I stoped after using mirrors. The set up was two large mirrors, set up so I could see my full stroke from the side by looking forward. Once I saw it it was easy to correct.

[kevhughes]

2. My hamstrings are very tight. I'm working on stretching them by bending over and holding it but it's not going well at all. I was in a 4 recently at a head race and not 500m in, my left hamstring started cramping and it was hell finishing. I couldn’t even help row the boat back to the dock it was so bad. I suspect that if I could really stretch these muscles I'd find myself with better technique at the catch (as discussed above). At the catch, I’m nowhere near having my shins vertical to my ankles. Suggestions on stretches for hamstrings?

Healthy hamstrings are strong hamstrings. There is strong evidence to suggest that our response to stretching is actually a psychological acceptance of the discomfort rather than more flexible muscles. Try working in a couple deadlift sessions every week. You'll strengthen the whole posterior chain (the muscles at the back of the body,) become much more flexible, and be a better athlete.

[ks]

...There is strong evidence to suggest that our response to stretching is actually a psychological acceptance of the discomfort rather than more flexible muscles.

Do you have references for this? Sounds interesting and I'd like to read more about it.

thanks,
Kevin (S)

[ks]

...There is strong evidence to suggest that our response to stretching is actually a psychological acceptance of the discomfort rather than more flexible muscles.

Do you have references for this? Sounds interesting and I'd like to read more about it.

http://ajp.physiotherapy.asn.au/AJP/52- ... 1Folpp.pdf

Aust J Physiother. 2006;52(1):45-50.

Can apparent increases in muscle extensibility with regular stretch be explained by changes in tolerance to stretch?

Folpp H, Deall S, Harvey LA, Gwinn T.

School of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney.

The aim of this study was to determine whether an intensive stretch program increases muscle extensibility or subjects' tolerance to an uncomfortable stretch sensation. Twenty healthy able-bodied individuals with limited hamstring muscle extensibility were recruited. A within-subjects design was used whereby one leg of each subject was randomly allocated to the experimental condition and the other leg was allocated to the control condition. The hamstring muscles of each subject's experimental leg were stretched for 20 minutes each weekday for four weeks. Hamstring muscle extensibility (angle of hip flexion corresponding with a standardised torque) and stretch tolerance (angle of hip flexion corresponding with maximal torque tolerated) were assessed on both legs at the beginning and end of the study. The intervention did not increase the extensibility of the hamstring muscles (mean change in hip flexion was -1 degree, 95% CI -4 to 3 degrees) but did increase subjects' tolerance to an uncomfortable stretch sensation (mean change in hip flexion was 8 degrees, 95% CI 5 to 12 degrees). These results highlight the importance of distinguishing between real and apparent increases in muscle extensibility when assessing the effectiveness of stretch, and indicate that whilst a four-week stretch program increases subjects' tolerance to an uncomfortable stretch sensation it does not increase hamstring muscle extensibility.

[romad63]

i have similar problems with my legs. Mine is more in my calves but my hammys are well football player hammy's.

someone suggested Yoga to me. Now me this big bad rower, lol is taking Yoga 2x a week and know what? it's the smartest thing i've ever done.

I've been doing it since the end of our season (late Oct.) and I can tell the difference not only in general but on the erg. My length on the erg is much longer than it was and I can def tell will translate to the boat.

[miep]

I see a lot of problems with knees; I think this is an underrated hazard of erging: weak knees can cause painful knees (some of my highschool rowers have them actually 'pop' once in a while, brrr), loss of power in the leg drive, sometimes overcompensated on the trunk. I see the mistake carried over in boats and go virtually unnoticed.

One thing you could try is to keep a soft plastic water bottle with water in it between the knees. It will make you fully aware of whether you row with knees 'outside' or with knees banging into each other in the first part of the leg drive. I believe both are mistakes; the leg drive should be straight away, with knees virtually not moving away or towards each other.

In the first few strokes, you'll either crush the bottle (your knees are banging into each other) or drop it. When working with high school kids, it makes it all the more fun to actually fill the bottles but take the top off; fun to do in the boat too, on a hot day.

Once you master taking strokes keeping the bottle between your knees, you'll feel which muscles to use in your hips. Repeat every few weeks, to remain aware of how you should use hips to stabilize legs.