Technique Critique

[Siolag]

I’m a fairly new rower and would like some feedback on my technique/stroke. This was the last rep of a 15 x 200m workout. High stroke rate and effort. I can record a different video/angle with different effort levels if necessary.

Thanks in advance.

https://youtu.be/_AUdpk1zPQ4

[PhilS1961]

I shared a video a while ago and I got lots of useful input.

I'm sure many more qualified people will reply too. My input, your shoulders should be in front of your hips at the catch. And relax on the recovery!

Good effort!

Phil

[jackarabit]

I shared a video a while ago and I got lots of useful input.

I'm sure many more qualified people will reply too. My input, your shoulders should be in front of your hips at the catch. And relax on the recovery!

Good effort!

Phil

Sounds about right! Work on flexibility in posterior chain: lower back, glutes, quads. Get your shoulders in front of your butt b4 breaking knees on recovery. Look at this:

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

[Siolag]

You are both spot on, flexibility is an issue for me. Having said that it’s improved massively over the last 4-6 weeks. Cheers!

[jackarabit]

Gee thanx. Do we split the prize now or do we wait to share with 10 guys with the same opinion?

[hjs]

Really change this, a lot is not well!

The rowing motion is a rocking back and forth of the back, this is fully missing here.
At the catch, your lower back should be in a 11 o clock position, and should roughly go to 13.00 o clock. You start already at 1300 and go back a lot more. Simply put, not nearly enough bending forward at the hips.

The shins should be vertical at the catch, to compensate your lack of movement in the upperbody, you overcompensatie in the knees.

You upperbody should be close to your upperlegs, you keep a big gap between the two. At the catch your shoulders should be close to your knees, in your clip they are half a meter apart. Sit up! And bend back, from the hips forward, get this shoulders to your knees. Bending should be in the hips, not the lower back.

You should be sitting up, you are halfway of your Lowerback. Practice this sitting on the ground. Sit up tall, bend forward.

Really change the way you move now, you are in all sorts of weird angles, big changes of injurees and you are not using the full motion of your body. Practice by going slow, fast short stuff, for now is not suited.

Good luck, this is the time to learn a good stroke, as a newby the motion is not yet ingrained in your system.

[Ollie Russell]

Not a bad effort at all, but you are missing some key aspects of the stroke. I dont want to repeat what others have said, but alot could be fixed by simply sitting on the seat properly...balls touching the seat, rather than the upper buttock area. This would allow you more flexibility at the catch, the handle should almost be touching the frame of the rower. Your lean back at the finnish seems a little excessive for me, personally i have the handle touch just below my pec/nipple area...if you were sat upright more it would be easier to bring the handle down a little lower which would engage the lats more and you'd possibly find you wouldnt lean back so much. You also seem to be missing the throwback phase of the drive which is when you have completed the leg drive and you open up at the hips to throw yourself back...to finnish with the arm draw, which again is down to your seating/flexibility issue. I will post a link to a video you should find fixes this quite easily.

Good points!

You are using your arms at the end of stroke, many people seem to want to yank the handle at the start which is not efficient.

The chain/handle is straight and remains so through your stroke. Some people raise and lower it over their knees.

There are some other points to raise but that will come with experience and some research. I hope i havent been condecending, i am a new rower myself. It took me a good month to really get my technique down, and im sure if i posted a video there would still be some points to be raised!

Best of luck.

A great video to get you used to the order of the movement.

https://youtu.be/N0dzPz0tD5I

[Anth_F]

Most has been covered above... but i'll add further.

The rowing stroke should be a natural looking movement once it's learned, and then executed properly. This doesn't look at all natural however, some things you have going on work to a point, and you're likely getting a workout, but it's a weak stroke that will be costing you lots performance wise, with the work you produce on the machine.

Sitting upright with good posture will help a lot! not only with being able to produce a more efficient and powerful stroke, this will also stop you overextending the finish and wasting energy there. And reduce the chances of lower back injuries later on.

Also you use the straps to pull yourself back to the catch on the recovery phase of the stroke, i highly suggest you opt for rowing strapless for a while, this will help significantly with that issue.

Gee thanx. Do we split the prize now or do we wait to share with 10 guys with the same opinion?

I'll have my share thanks

[Dangerscouse]

If you do try rowing strapless make sure you get your technique refined a bit more first; leaning that far back will almost certainly mean you will come off the back the rower. It take some getting used to, and you need a good centre of gravity.

As others have mentioned there are things to improve upon, but there's also some good technique too so it won't be too long before you're rowing more efficiently.

Best of luck with it all

[Erik A]

Eric Murray does a lot of workouts on Youtube... see his channel to take a look. he has pretty good form to compare yourself against
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujMlYbOnCzA

[jamesg]

Current 2K is 8:53.

Not bad, given that style. How long ago, at what rating? Could do better now no doubt.

[Ombrax]

The rowing motion is a rocking back and forth of the back, this is fully missing here.
At the catch, your lower back should be in a 11 o clock position, and should roughly go to 13.00 o clock. You start already at 1300 and go back a lot more. Simply put, not nearly enough bending forward at the hips.

The shins should be vertical at the catch

To the OP - HJS is spot on here.

You really need to work on the 11:00 to 13:00 thing.

C2 has several videos on their site of how to do it (and a few on common mistakes).

Watch them, then watch your video. You'll see the difference.

Start off easy, don't try to go fast, do try to get the various parts of the movement right - there will be plenty of time to go hard and fast later.

Good luck - rowing is a great way to improve your overall fitness.

[Anth_F]

Good luck - rowing is a great way to improve your overall fitness.

It's also a great activity in general... well, at least thats what i think

[Neorticros]

If you reach forward without lifting your heels, your body will tell you how to do it. Eventually you'll have to set your body at the 11 oclock they told you as you dont lift them. Try it and feel comfortable with the movement before you lift them. Shoulders in front of hips at the catch.

When you master that movement at the cath, row without straps. It will fix your problem on the other end of the motion. Your body will tell you how to do it (since you don't want to visit the ground).

So basically, let your body tell you what to do. Start by not lifting your heels for a few days, then start not using straps for a few days too. Watch some technique videos while you do it. When you figure things outs feel free to lift your heels and to use straps back again.

Think those 2 tips will fix most things. Then the experts will help you to fix the small things.

[Siolag]

Current 2K is 8:53.

Not bad, given that style. How long ago, at what rating? Could do better now no doubt.

Rating? Not sure what you mean sorry!

It was last week.