What percentage of total rowing wattage comes from the legs

[dipnoi]

I am a cyclist and I row to cross train. I use a watt meter on my bike. Does anyone know the approximate percentage of total rowing wattage that is accounted for by the legs? I am assuming it is 60-70%, but that's just a guess. Knowing this value will help me design rowing workouts to compliment cycling.

[jamesg]

That % is probably accurate enough, tho' it requires plenty of work with the legs and so long strokes - actual rowing in fact. You could check it by comparing some LSD work at full stroke with what power you can develop at the same effort level with arms and swing only, remembering to adjust for rating. Not an easy test to calibrate; I find I can pull for an hour at 160-170W @20 full stroke, but more than a minute or two at 70-80W @30 arms and swing only tends to make me wonder if I've better things to do.

I find my rowing CV "fitness" helps a lot when I get on my mtb in spring, despite riding uphill causes much pain in the quads. A ballast problem no doubt. Then the uphill stints seem to help with rowing speed by letting me keep the work per stroke relatively high (which for me means Power/Rating > 8W'). Do you plan to get any other specific benefit?

[dipnoi]

Do you plan to get any other specific benefit?

I just want to get a whole body aerobic workout. Cycling is quite leg specific. I used to run, and this was a little better, but a knee injury put an end to all that. But I was rowing an hour a few times a week even then.

Now I find that I can use rowing as a recovery workout after a hard bike workout day. If I row at 190 watts, my legs "feel" an effort of approximately 133 watts (assuming 70% contribution). This is well below my recovery upper limit of 160 watts. Nevertheless, I can definitely tell I've put in sufficient effort after an hour or so at 190 watts.

[tdekoekkoek]

I am a cyclist and I row to cross train. I use a watt meter on my bike. Does anyone know the approximate percentage of total rowing wattage that is accounted for by the legs? I am assuming it is 60-70%, but that's just a guess. Knowing this value will help me design rowing workouts to compliment cycling.

It depends on your technique. the better you row, the less you rely on your upper body. I think it is close to 80% legs. I don't know the actual %age, but I would suggest that you concentrate on the drive with your legs. Also do a lot of ab work and that helps your technique.

Cheers,

Trevor

[ranger]

quote="tdekoekkoek"]the better you row, the less you rely on your upper body. I think it is close to 80% legs

I get about 50% with my legs, 50% with my core, back, and arms.

Some rowers might indeed get 80% with their legs, but that would be pretty amazing.

For instance, that means that someone who could row 6:16 for 2K, like Pete Marston, could do a 2K at 1:41, legs only.

A legs only 6:44 2K would be classy indeed.

ranger

[NavigationHazard]

I am a cyclist and I row to cross train. I use a watt meter on my bike. Does anyone know the approximate percentage of total rowing wattage that is accounted for by the legs? I am assuming it is 60-70%, but that's just a guess. Knowing this value will help me design rowing workouts to compliment cycling.

It depends on your technique. the better you row, the less you rely on your upper body. I think it is close to 80% legs. I don't know the actual %age, but I would suggest that you concentrate on the drive with your legs. Also do a lot of ab work and that helps your technique.

Cheers,

Trevor

More like ~45-~60% legs depending on gender, weight class, and stroke rating. See Kleshnev's analysis at http://www.biorow.com/RBN_en_2002_files ... News02.pdf

[Robert Wildes]

That study indicates that rowers should concentrate and ways
to increase torso involvement in their strokes.

On the other hand, it could be demonstrating that one will never
use their torso, on a percentage basis, as much as their legs
and arms.

[Tinus]

Energy supplied by the torso may be seen as a misnomer.

In rowing people are used to refer to legs, back and arms. However this is more a reflection of how the body looks like it moves. The legs extend, than the back swings and finally the arms contract. It is not a reflection of how energy/work is generated by the body as in a three stage rocket.

There is no extension or contraction between the the hips and the shoulders and so the trunk is not like applying work between hips and shoulders. The trunk is kept relatively passive and straight. From an alternative perspective one could say: the muscles of the torso are used to move the limbs and not to move the trunk.

So the work done by the muscles of the torso is to alter (extend) the hip angle and the angle of the upper arms. It's comparable to running. As only the legs and arms move it may look like as if only the legs and the arms work but the muscles of the torso work as well. However the amount of work done is not very much. The muscles are much more used for stability than movement. I personally like to alter the rhythm 'legs then back then arms' into 'legs then arms'.