Strength training lats before rowing - does this help or hinder form?

[alexarowing]

I have been rowing for a couple of months but often struggle to keep my shoulders down. I have terrible posture, text neck and am trying to improve strength in my back and core to fix this. As much as I try to disengage my traps, my shoulders sometimes shrug up especially as I increase intensity of my rows. I have been doing lat pull downs as part of my strength training and row immediately after strength machines - only for about 20 minutes as I am very unfit and weak. However, I’m not sure if strength training lats helps me to engage them during rows (otherwise I barely know they exist lol) or just tires them out and makes it harder to keep good posture and form? I’m thinking of switching to seated rows but either way, not sure if this is helping or hindering. Thanks!

[Dangerscouse]

Stronger lats, and all body strength will always help with rowing, but I think you're looking at the wrong issue.

We all tense up during a hard session, and you need to learn where your tension lies. Do you also grip the handle, or just hook your fingers? You'll also possibly find that you take shallow breaths when you hunch your shoulders, which is a common issue, and it's something you need to focus on when you're not rowing too hard, so you can transfer it into the automated moments of a harder session. Remind yourself to take a couple of deep breaths and shrug your shoulders at the same time, then drive with your legs and try to engage your lats.

If you've got bad posture, due to driving, working on a computer etc then doing reverse planks every day will be really helpful. They can be with 'table top' legs or outstretched legs, but just make sure to hold your core tight too, and do not let it sag. This is a great strength and stretch exercise that is ideal for bad posture.

[alexarowing]

Stronger lats, and all body strength will always help with rowing, but I think you're looking at the wrong issue.

We all tense up during a hard session, and you need to learn where your tension lies. Do you also grip the handle, or just hook your fingers? You'll also possibly find that you take shallow breaths when you hunch your shoulders, which is a common issue, and it's something you need to focus on when you're not rowing too hard, so you can transfer it into the automated moments of a harder session. Remind yourself to take a couple of deep breaths and shrug your shoulders at the same time, then drive with your legs and try to engage your lats.

If you've got bad posture, due to driving, working on a computer etc then doing reverse planks every day will be really helpful. They can be with 'table top' legs or outstretched legs, but just make sure to hold your core tight too, and do not let it sag. This is a great strength and stretch exercise that is ideal for bad posture.

Thanks for the advice! I just hook the handle (to the point where I nearly flew off the other day lol) and try to breathe deeply but I do have dysfunctional breathing which affects tension in my shoulders generally, I’m sure that does contribute when I’m rowing. Will definitely check out reverse planks, thank you!

[Tsnor]

knowing bad form is 95% of the way. your description is excellent. you got this.

Try squats with good form and light weight. Say goblet squats. Feel your back SHAPE. Shoulders are down. Back is counter curved / straight. Butt is out. Duplicate that rowing on the leg drive.

One thing that helps engage lats is pretending to bend the handle in a bow with the center up and the ends where you hold the handle down. Don't do it hard, a gentle suggestion of bending it will lock your lats in the right place. GL

aside: doing exercises in a different plane that rowing is a very good thing from a muscle balance perspective, so continuing the strength training and the lat pull downs is a good idea whether or not it helps form.

[alexarowing]

knowing bad form is 95% of the way. your description is excellent. you got this.

Try squats with good form and light weight. Say goblet squats. Feel your back SHAPE. Shoulders are down. Back is counter curved / straight. Butt is out. Duplicate that rowing on the leg drive.

One thing that helps engage lats is pretending to bend the handle in a bow with the center up and the ends where you hold the handle down. Don't do it hard, a gentle suggestion of bending it will lock your lats in the right place. GL

aside: doing exercises in a different plane that rowing is a very good thing from a muscle balance perspective, so continuing the strength training and the lat pull downs is a good idea whether or not it helps form.

Thanks so much for the support and advice! I imagine the squats with good form would help keep the forward lean on the leg drive? I’ve been wanting to venture out to squats and deadlifts at the gym but the free weight area still scares me hahaha, even bodyweight squats at home would be useful though so I’ll take it on board for sure. Another thing is when to do them, before rowing and tiring my legs out before I even start or on a rest day when my muscles should be recovering? Hard to find a balance starting from basically no exercise, I tried swimming as ‘active recovery’ recently and there was certainly no muscle recovery happening lol. Anyway, thanks again for the advice! I’ll definitely try the bending handle tip next time I row.

[jamesg]

I have been rowing for a couple of months but often struggle to keep my shoulders down.

So don't struggle, relax; the first thing coach tells us.

The backstop drill (first arms only, then swing after the arms, then slide after the swing) is used during warmup.

https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/ ... que-videos