Your help please

[NickB65]

Hi to everyone, newbie here... I am trying to learn how to row and have been using online tutorials On Youtube. I am a qualified PT and relatively fit. However, with moderate steady effort I can only achieve a constant split of around 2:40ish. With close to maximal effort, i'm around 2:10ish. I can't seem to generate much power and if I really go for it, i'm almost out of the seat at the start of the drive!

So I wonder if anyone would mind taking a quick look a the short video i've just taken and critique my from to give me pointers as to where and how I need to improve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17d48se ... e=youtu.be

Many thanks in advance,

Nick

[jamesg]

How tall are you?

Here you can see the action sequences used when rowing, during both recovery and pull. They let us make a long hard pull from a strong posture at the catch:
https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/ ... que-videos

The erg has a flywheel that spins fast, and to engage this at the catch we too have to move fast; which requires an appropriately safe and strong posture.

Your high feet and hunched posture make a hard fast pull impossible, and risk your back.

[Sakly]

Hi Nick,

I think you are to focused on the correct movement pattern that you forget to create tension in your body and speed in your stroke - your movement has the same speed in both directions.
As what James said, you sit hunched and cannot transfer any power to the handle with a back like this. You have nearly no hip hinge, the most important part beside the leg drive.

[Dangerscouse]

Welcome to the forum, Nick. Think of rowing as jumping horizontally, so it needs to be a sharp, snappy drive to create enough power.

Imo, you need to compress a bit more, with a straighter back, as you're trying to gain length by leaning over your knees. Remember that the rowing stroke is a transfer of power through the feet up to the shoulders, so you need to keep the shoulders tense and also loose at the same time.

What is the drag factor you are using?

[GlennUk]

couple of things i'd add, sit tall and engage your core. At the start of the drive you core should hold your body stable allowing power to be derived through the leg drive.

To help with sitting tall, try to adjust the monitor so its at eye level when sitting tall, this will encourage a good, upright posture.

Also Stu (Dangerscouse) mentioned drag factor (DF), there are recommendations for setting this on the C2 website based which may be part of the issue too. If the DF is too low, then to generate power as Jamesg said you need to move quickly up the slide, it may be better to increase the Df a little and see if that helps.

HTH

Glenn

[MPx]

Welcome Nick. Just to add that you look good in the vid to me - so many of the faults we regularly see aren't there like pulling the handle up to your neck while lying back on the rail. Shouldn't take too much change to make the difference - as others have said, properly engaging the core at the catch looks like most of it.... Stick with it.

[EarthRower]

As a newbie myself, I offer a suggestion based on a lesson I learned: take your time to warm up well before doing any maximal effort attempt. You should literally feel warm and loose when you finish warm-up. When I just got my rower, my son asked me what watts I could generate. I sat down and showed him just how powerful I was, and pulled one of my intercostal muscles. It took almost one month to heal.

[Cyclist2]

Welcome!

I see three immediate things:
1. Feet slightly high - drop them to where your shins are vertical at the catch (already mentioned in this thread)
2. Back hunched - can't get transfer of power from legs to the handle in this weak position (already mentioned in this thread)
3. Hands dropping on the recovery - leads to (or from) the hunched back. Sit up straight, keep hands at the same level on both the drive and recovery.

Good luck and have fun!

[PaulH]

Further to Sackly's point, aim to spend twice as long on the recover as the drive (rather than the ~1:1 ration you currently have). Keeping that sort of ratio (or even 3:1 - not realistic for a race, but perfectly reasonable for practice and training) while keeping a rating around 18-24 will enforce that snappy drive.

[Ombrax]

Welcome to the forum Nick.

Along with one comment, I wanted to give you some encouragement:

First the comment - one thing that stood out to me (others have also mentioned it) is that you're a bit hunched over at the catch. Try to keep a straight back, and hinge at your hips. Don't over-reach - if you do you won't be in a good position for a strong start to the drive.

Regarding your pace - don't worry too much about that now, at the start it's more important to improve your technique. Once you have that straightened out you can work on going faster. Rowing isn't easy - which is one of the reasons it's a great workout - so it will take some time for you to work your way to a 2:00 pace 2k. (some never get there) But if you keep at it you will most definitely improve. Some of that improvement will be "free" as your technique improves, but the rest of it will require lots of effort and sweat, but you will be rewarded.

Good Luck

[mict450]

Welcome to the campfire. Pull up a rock and set a spell. Your stroke looks a little "soft". You need to put a little more "umph" in it. Concentrate on your form & fitness & you'll find your splits decreasing. Also rowing/erging is a tall mans sport. You look to be about 5'8" to 5'10". Be the best that you can be and not compare yourself to others.

[Sakly]

Also rowing/erging is a tall mans sport. You look to be about 5'8" to 5'10". Be the best that you can be and not compare yourself to others.

True, but I am on the same side (5'8" and not really heavy as a HWT) and really like to compare myself to others through rankings or challenges as this motivates me to get even more or of my comfort zone. Everybody is different and should know if this motivates or not.
In the beginning this should obviously not be the focus - completely agreed.

[mict450]

True, but I am on the same side (5'8" and not really heavy as a HWT) and really like to compare myself to others through rankings or challenges as this motivates me to get even more or of my comfort zone. Everybody is different and should know if this motivates or not.
In the beginning this should obviously not be the focus - completely agreed.

If it works for you, I agree it would be best to carry on. I suppose I was writing more in relation to my experiences, rather than Nick's. Mark Twain said, "Comparison is the death of joy." I have personally proven the validity of Mr Clemens' sentiments many times over in my relatively short sojourn in mortality, unfortunately.

[Sakly]

True, but I am on the same side (5'8" and not really heavy as a HWT) and really like to compare myself to others through rankings or challenges as this motivates me to get even more or of my comfort zone. Everybody is different and should know if this motivates or not.
In the beginning this should obviously not be the focus - completely agreed.

If it works for you, I agree it would be best to carry on. I suppose I was writing more in relation to my experiences, rather than Nick's. Mark Twain said, "Comparison is the death of joy." I have personally proven the validity of Mr Clemens' sentiments many times over in my relatively short sojourn in mortality, unfortunately.

Hehe
But this shows everybody is different and should know (or get to know) what's working best individually

[Willy.VdW]

A beginners question: In the video of the OP, it seems to me that the legs, back an arms during the drive
follow each other without any overlap.
When I do that, the drive doesn't feel like a continuous movement but rather like 3 seperate movements.
When I do the drive with a bit of overlap between the 3 parts, it feels much more "fluid".
Please let me know if that is good or bad.