Ahhh Rowing, seems like it should be easy but it actually demands thought and attention. It’s easy enough to hop on a rower and hack away but to row efficiently and with power you must have timing and precision. The concepts are simple but there are a lot of moving parts.

In the above clip you see the classic rowing posture. Arms and back are engaged creating tension. Shoulders are allowed to come forward without excessive rounding.  The legs drive back while the arms are straight and stabilizing the handle. After full extension of the legs the arm finish the upper body pull by driving the elbows back. The whole process reverses in the return.

The next clip shows a common mistake that is caused by the core (abs and back) not being engaged during the movement. Jamie is reaching with his shoulders and back with minimal effort from his legs. This is due to the shoulders not being stable and the back muscles not engaged. Jamie is basically disengaging his upper body from his lower.

In this video the upper back stays engaged but the lower back and abs are relaxed causing the butt to shoot back early. This removes the power from the legs completely. Here Jamie has disengaged his lower body from his upper

The final video is an example of poor timing. The arms and knees are both bent during the return, rushing back to the start position.

All of these mistakes force the upper body and back to do the work of the powerhouse legs. The movement is inefficient and exhausting.

Slow down and work on keeping tension through your shoulders, back and abs as you practice rowing. When you do you may find that the timer becomes more natural.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast

Above all else remember to breath!

Want some help improving your row? Register for Jamie’s Rowing Clinic Feb. 11, 2018 930-1130a