Elbow Position At The Finish

[[old] RowtheRockies]

All, I have been experiencing a little wrist pain on the outside of the left wrist and am wondering if it has to do with my elbow position at the finish. I have already made an adjustment in how high I bring the handle from my sternum down to the bottom of rib cage to keep my wrist flat. I have noticed however that my forearm seems to tweak to the outside at the finish while my wrist is obviously remaining fixed and am wondering if this is the source of the problem.<br /><br />At the finish should your elbows be close in to your body (keeps my forearms from bending out) or away from the body. Presntly my upper arm forms about a 75 degree angle to my torso (my elbows are up). Should I get my elbosw closer in to my body?<br /><br />Thanks<br /><br />Rich

[[old] PaulS]

75 deg sounds a bit high, i.e. your elbow is higher than the handle at the finish.<br /><br />Your elbows should be only high enough to allow the forearms to remain parallel with the floor, if you are pulling in at the top of your sternum the elbows would be very high, if at the bottom of the sternum, a bit lower, etc....<br /><br />The angle of your arm to torso will be dependent on the height of your finish and the length of your upper arm, so it's impossible to specify what that would be without further information. Keeping the forearms parallel with the floor is the same for everyone.<br /><br />Also make the focus at the finish to be drawing the elbows back, rather than the handle in. The "lats" can provide a lot more force than your arms.

[[old] akit110]

<!--quoteo(post=56928:date=Feb 23 2006, 06:26 PM:name=PaulS)--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(PaulS @ Feb 23 2006, 06:26 PM) </b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Also make the focus at the finish to be drawing the elbows back, rather than the handle in. The "lats" can provide a lot more force than your arms.<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Would it be accurate to describe the sensation here as trying to squeeze the shoulder blades together?<br /><br />When I do the seated row on the low pulley machine at the gym, I find I am very conscious of this sensation (chest out, shoulder blades retracted, elbows in) as it's necessary to pull the heavy weight stack to fully activate the lats but on the rower I don't believe I am doing this now that you mention it.

[[old] MomofJBN]

<!--quoteo(post=56963:date=Feb 24 2006, 06:23 AM:name=akit110)--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(akit110 @ Feb 24 2006, 06:23 AM) </b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Would it be accurate to describe the sensation here as trying to squeeze the shoulder blades together?<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />That's the sensation I try for.<br /><br />Rich - upper arms should be dangling down from the shoulders, not out away from the body.<br />

[[old] RowtheRockies]

<!--quoteo(post=57017:date=Feb 24 2006, 02:16 PM:name=MomofJBN)--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(MomofJBN @ Feb 24 2006, 02:16 PM) </b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--quoteo(post=56963:date=Feb 24 2006, 06:23 AM:name=akit110)--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(akit110 @ Feb 24 2006, 06:23 AM) </b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Would it be accurate to describe the sensation here as trying to squeeze the shoulder blades together?<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />That's the sensation I try for.<br /><br />Rich - upper arms should be dangling down from the shoulders, not out away from the body.<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Thanks! I think I am holding/lifting my elbows rather than dangling, I'll try lowering them.

[[old] MomofJBN]

To clarify, the elbows will end up slightly behind the torso, but shouldn't be away from it. So your forearms will end up touching (or nearly touching) your torso.