Indoor Rowing 101, Part 1

A series aiming to get you up to speed on the WaterRower and help you get the most out of your rowing machine.

Whatever your level of athletic endeavour, if you are using rowing for exercise, you will likely soon be hooked on bettering your scores. And if you are new to rowing, the fastest way to improve is by learning the basics of good rowing techniques. Unlike the treadmill or exercise bike, basic technique goes a long way on the indoor rower.

By understanding the correct sequence of the rowing stroke, you will dramatically improve your biomechanical efficiency, going further and faster with no extra effort. The easiest way to learn the correct stroke sequence is to break it down and learn it step by step. In this article, we are going to focus entirely on the business end of the stroke, the drive.

There are two distinct, but equally important, phases to the rowing stroke sequence: the “drive” and “recovery”.

Put simply, the drive is the period when you are pulling on the handle, accelerating the WaterFlywheel. The recovery is the period between strokes when you are rolling up to take the next. If you visualize a rowing boat, the drive is the part when the oars are in the water, the recovery is the part they are out of it.

Step 1 – The Catch Position

The 'catch' in rowing is the front end of the stroke, the moment the oar enters the water in preparation for the drive. The rowing stroke is a full-body effort, and the whole chain of events depends on starting from the correct body position at the catch.

In the correct catch position, as shown above, the legs are compressed until the shins are at least vertical. Only the balls of the feet are contacting the footplate, with heels elevated. The hips are rotated forward, and the chest and shoulders are forward of the hips and seat.

The head is up, the eyes looking forwards, and the chest is off the knees. The knees should be the width of a fist apart, and both legs should be between the arms. Arms should be straight and shoulder relaxed but extended forward, creating a stretch across the back between the shoulder blades.

Step 2 – The Drive Sequence

The main event. The moment you are driving the boat through the water, drawing the handle from the catch position all the way to your body in one explosive movement.

It all starts with the legs. Rowing is predominantly a leg sport, and they are the driving force in the stroke. To begin, do nothing but push the legs down, like a leg press. Explode off the balls of your feet, driving your knees down. As shown in the image above, the arms remain straight, and the chest and shoulders remain rocked forward of the hips as the legs drive. The core is engaged, and it should feel like you are hanging off the handle.

As the legs reach about halfway through their extension, the hip angle starts to open. Keeping the arms straight, continue the work of the legs by opening the trunk.

As the trunk rotates vertically, the arms, which have so far been passive, start drawing the handle toward you.

Finish with the handle in your sternum, your legs flat, and your shoulders back. This is the finish position.

To recap - The order of movement goes: legs push, the trunk opens, and arms draw to the chest. It’s a similar movement pattern to power clean in weightlifting. While rowing styles can vary, this basic order of movement is unequivocal and universal.

With a little practice, this sequence will soon become automatic. To help, try this drill to help embed the movement pattern into your muscle memory.

Starting from the correct catch position, execute just the initial leg drive. Repeat this isolated movement, hanging off the handle, driving the legs all the way flat, but keep the upper body static and rocked forward.

At the point when your trunk would begin to open, stop, return to the catch, and repeat ten times, then add the hip rotation and trunk opening to the end of the leg drive, stopping at the point you would normally draw the arms. Repeat this ten times, then finally add the arm movement, making full strokes for ten strokes. This is a good drill to incorporate into your warm-up every time you row.

Next, we will focus on the equally important ‘recovery’ phase.