Top 5 Most Common Technique Mistakes On The Indoor Rowing Machine

Written by admin on May 15, 2018. Posted in Class, Coaching From Jack, Rowing, Rowing Benefits

There have been misconceptions that rowing can hurt the back because the nature of the forced backswing in rowing but the reality is that if you are getting hurt while rowing you are most likely doing it all wrong. Rowing helps strengthen the back and core in so many different ways. Generally, the lower back muscles in various individuals are often ignored and become weak. Therefore, when an individual begins rowing a dull pain might begin to sink in and they think this is bad and therefore should stop when in reality their back has not been use to the rowing exercise movement. However, it is perfectly natural to feel the soreness after a rowing session as the individual is not necessarily use to the muscles being used in the rowing stroke. Proper technique requires an individual to focus on good technique and swing with the back as it is supported by the legs when the arms are stretched out to hang off the shoulders and latissimus muscles. Once you take a Roworx Fitness indoor rowing class in Long Beach you will find the proper rowing technique which will strengthen your core and back. The following 5 most common indoor rowing mistakes on the machine are listed below and instructions on how to correct those mistakes.

1. Placing your feet too far up in the foot straps

Tie In And Footboard Placement Should Be Across The Forefront Of Your Feet Near The Toes

The most important and probably most overlooked technical cue when setting up on the rowing machine is where the feet should be on the footboards. Most people tie in the straps too high and therefore are not able to properly lean over the legs and get enough front angle to get power on the rowing stroke. The key here is to tie in so that the foot straps come across the widest front part of the shoe near the bend of your foot. However, this is not 100% accurate as some people have longer legs than others so therefore you must look at how far they can come forward when they tie in. If the individual’s shins are not vertical at the front or catch of the stroke, then the individual must tie in even lower to be able to get your shoulders in front of the hips and over the knees.

2. Damper Or Level Setting On The Side Of The Machine Is Set At 10!

All Damper Settings Need To Be Set Somewhere Near The Middle From 4-6

Rowing Benefit: Control Explaining Proper Use Of The Damper Setting / Tension Setting: The tension or level setting on the side of the flywheel of the Concept 2 or any other machine for that matter should nearly always be set from about 4-6 which puts the lever right near the middle of the wheel. From beginner rower to the Gold Medalist Rower in the Olympic Games every oarsman rows near the middle of the lever setting. You must understand that the rowing machine does not create the resistance when you are rowing, you do. The harder and faster the knees come down as you jump off the footboards from the front of the stroke, the faster you will go. The more you put into the machine and the better your technique gets, the better and higher your watts will become. If you are familiar with split times then the faster you row, the lower the split times will become. To find the proper resistance setting use the Monitor and press ‘More Options’ from the main menu and then press ‘Row to display drag factor.’ As you row hard the drag factor will appear with a certain number on the screen. The higher the drag factor, the heavier it will feel and the farther you will go per stroke. The lower the drag factor, the lighter it will feel but it will be harder to go farther per stroke. Just like gears on a bike you want to set the one gear near the middle so that it is not too heavy nor too light to get through a rowing workout. It’s all about the technique, length, and catch timing of the stroke that will give you the advantage in the sport of rowing. A general rule of thumb is to set women that weigh around 100-140lbs to around a 90-110 drag and for women that are 140lbs and above to around 110-120 drag max. For men that weigh around 130-160 to about a 110-120 drag factor and men that are 160lbs and above to 120-140 max drag. These are very loose numbers but it gives you a guideline on where you can start to feel those numbers and then adjust from there as you row and become more familiar with the rowing technique.

3. The Handle Is Coming Too High Or Too Low Into The Body And At The Front Of Each Rowing Stroke

Proper Hand Placement On Rowing Handle: The hands are usually placed on a wide stance setting with the pinkie finger almost near the edge of the handle. The thumbs are supposed to hang underneath the handle to promote a relaxed pull through the latissimus muscles. If the thumbs are not hanging underneath the handle they might promote a dip of the handle as you approach the catch and the finish of the stroke. Keep the handle and your chin/head level as you focus right into the monitor throughout the stroke and remember the quickest most efficient distance between two points is a straight line.

4. Breaking The Knees Too Early

Make Sure The Handle Comes Out And Away Over The Knees Before They Come Up And Return For The Next Stroke

Breaking the knees too early on the recovery is a common mistake, if you find you are having to lift the handle of the rowing machine over your knees on the recovery- this could be you! The recovery phase of the rowing stroke should follow the same pattern as the drive phase- but in reverse. Once the stroke finishes the first movement of the recovery is to allow the hands to flow forward until your arms are nearly straight. As the arms begin to straighten, the body tilts over bringing your bodyweight onto the front of the seat. It is only at this point that your knees start to bend, and you begin a steady roll into the catch. Getting the sequence of movements out of the finish of the stroke right is very important to maintaining good technique throughout your rowing stroke, and your body position should not change as you roll into the catch. Always make sure your handle clears your knees before you begin to roll forward on the slide- this is a good way of ensuring you are setting up your stroke in the correct sequence.

5. Trying To Use Your Arms And Shoulders To Pull And Muscle Your Way Through The Rowing Stroke Instead Of Using Your Legs While Hanging Off Your Back And Rowing benefits: muscle groups Latissimus Muscles

Use Your Legs And Imagine Yourself Trying To Jump Off The Footboards And Or Breaking The Footboards As Your Quads Burn While Driving Through The Stroke.

It can be tempting to want to put everything into the drive from the get-go: arms, shoulders, back, legs- the whole lot! But using your arms before its their turn in the sequence is a common technical mistake in rowing. We’ve all heard the correct sequence of the drive phase. It begins with the catch, where the resistance is taken by the lats, core and lower back connecting to the legs. The legs drive first, followed by the body-swing with the arms finishing the stroke. In making the mistake of bracing in the shoulders and the arms first, pressure is taken off the legs reducing the effectiveness of the drive. As the stroke continues and you move into the draw into the finish, this is also significantly diminished as the arms have already been used at the catch. This makes for a very inefficient stroke, where energy is expended in the shoulders and arms unnecessarily at the catch, while also limiting the effectiveness of the leg drive- the major muscle group you are trying to utilize!

A good way to try to make sure you are not bracing in the shoulders and arms at the catch, is to think about having a tall neck with lots of space between your ears and your shoulders. Let your arms remain loose as you roll into the catch and focus on taking the initial pressure on the drive in your lats, core and lower back, connecting through to your legs.

More Tips And Technical Cues On The Catch And Finish Angles And Technical Form

The rowing stroke is commonly compared to a weight lifting clean and or squat. The rowing stroke starts from the finish as the body, shoulders, and hands swing forward and come up past the feet near the front the flywheel. At the catch and or front of the stroke the hands are well past the front of the feet with the shins vertical and the shoulders relaxed extending forward with the chin level looking right into the monitor. The heels at this point can come up if the shins are vertical. The heels are designed to come up as the rowing machine manufacturer notes that not everyone is perfectly flexible. Remember that the shoulders need to be in front of the hips as you lean forward to the front of the stroke at the catch position so that you have a nice solid platform to push from. Being long and strong during the stroke is an essential part of the rowing stroke and those who can do it well and consistently will have a superior rowing stroke over the next individual during timed events or competition.

Learning to Row: Rowing is really a very natural motion and most people pick it up quickly. Review the technique information provided above and following all the instructional cues and information about how to properly learn the technique. Rowing takes time and patience to learn just like any other sport so make sure you don’t pull too hard until you are comfortable with the technique.

General Notes: To start, use a damper setting of 1-3. This may feel light at first, but once you get used to the motion and get the wheel spinning faster, the resistance will rise. Start a training log. Use a calendar, scrap paper, your computer or a log page supplied in this handbook. It will be rewarding to monitor your progress.

Look for a workout partner or a Indoor Rowing Class like Roworx: It will probably make your workouts more fun and will help you stick to your new routine. Stretch before and after your workouts. Warm up for five minutes by rowing easily, with a few 10-15 stroke spurts of harder rowing.

Your First Few Workouts: Resist the temptation to row for 30 minutes the first time on the machine. We recommend starting with no more than 3-5 minutes at a time. Then take a break to stretch and walk around. If you feel good, do up to four of these short intervals of rowing.

Next row: Begin experimenting with stroke rate and power. Stroke rate is your cadence in strokes per minute(SPM). It is displayed in the upper right corner of the Performance Monitor. You should not exceed 20-22 strokes per minute for the first few workouts, then gradually try to row 22-24 SPM, then 24-26 SPM, then 26-28 SPM. Power is how hard you are pulling. It is displayed in a choice of units in the central display area: watts, calories, pace. Try some 3-minute intervals, varying stroke rate and pace, with one minute of very easy rowing in between for rest.