This video was extremely helpful. Thank you for the tips. I’ll add one thing: in addition to keeping the heels down to maximize power, it also takes pressure off the knees, which helps keep the knees healthy.
The rowing machine has revolutionized my visits to the gym! Why did it take me decades to discover it? I hit 60 this year. Lifting 4 times a week after a 25 year break from lifting. Warming up for lifting on the rowing machine is great. Getting in the gym a couple more times a week for half an hour / 40 mins of rowing, cycling and stretching is a great add on.
Just be aware that your heal is supposed to rise at the catch and that the drive should be "toes to heals". If you doubt this, look at the foot stretcher... the ball of the shoe is fixed but the heal is designed to rise... look at real rowing boats... it is the same.
Robbocree, we appreciate your response and clear dedication to being a rower. You are 100% correct. In rowing the heels are allowed to lift to get increased length and indeed the snapping of the heels and suspending the mass from the handle are of the utmost importance to make your mass work for you. Thank you for pointing that out. Being IRA Rowers as well as CrossFit Games competitors, we've discovered that one of the greatest errors in working with non-rowers who use the machine for non-rowing purposes is the lifting of the heels and crashing at the catch. This is exacerbated by the belief that they should be pulling the handle and pushing through the toes which as you pointed out is a major issue. In an effort to create the safest and most effective experience possible we coach that athletes should keep the heels down at the catch because this creates a downstream effect that repairs multiple issues at once, in effect enacting Pareto's Law where we can help 80% of the population with one single cue. Over time, we fully expect and encourage athletes to allow the heel to lift again, but not until they've corrected the major issues that we experience on a day to day basis with beginners. We really appreciate you taking the time to raise this point because it is an important one and one in which we have veered from the traditional path of rowing coaching in order to create a more efficient path to learning for the community we work with.
Dark Horse Rowing ... nice explanation... ... hadn't thought about that ... actually might teach that to my rank novices myself... nice tip... cheers... easier to allow the onto their toes after they've mastered the art of pushing the footplate firmly.
+robbocree It's really great to hear you say that. It's not often that someone in the rowing world is open to hearing our perspective but we truly have found the rate of acceptance for technique skyrockets because of the upstream downstream effects of an athlete learning what foot connection really means. We catch a lot of flak for it, but man is it effective!
I’m a gym rat and I have the money to buy some good equipment. I am so pleased with my purchase and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Super excited.
From a rowing perspective, I don't see why one would not want their heels to lift. Yes, there's less power at the catch, but the point of the catch is not to stomp recklessly, but to pick the boat up powerfully, then have maximum wattage about halfway through the drive. Lifting the heels is actually a great way to extend the length of the stroke which is what this video is all about.
aviramster what Daniel is saying is that in tradition rowing the point of the stroke is to pick the boat up out of the water with the blade and move the shell forward. By starting the stroke at the palms of the feet and then transferring it into the entire foot, you are allowing yourself the greatest amount of lift off the footboards. Lifting the heels off the footboards in a shell also allows for maximum swing in your stroke, meaning you are grabbing the most water for your stroke. This leads to an increase in distance covered as long as you do not compromise the rest of the strokes mechanic by trying to grab too much water.
I am a novice rower and this video is very very helpful to me because my coach is always pointing out to me that I need to get more length and I feel this video could help me understand how to lock things in place so that I can accomplish that goal
Ooh yes. I kind of figured out that going too far back (too wide of an angle) was just exhausting, and I couldn't go faster than 30m/s for any significant amount of time. All those points-- heels down, not going too far forward on/bending knees too far, leaning back too far-- ensure that you don't lose potential energy in your stroke. As soon as those angles are violated, you have to work harder to basically get your stroke going again; they break your stroke....not to mention possibly causing some crappy injuries like overextended knees, low back problems from not engaging your abs and letting the back bow forward, and so on. Awesome video.
Hey Shane. Great video. I try to keep this position when I row. But I noticed watching the olympics that the athletes seem to round their back at the catch. Is that something that elite athletes can do that might cause injury for lesser mortals? Just curious . Thanks
Your points are well made, Sir! Perhaps it is useful to instruct your audience by an apt meme. 'Keep your finish compact'. Meaning, only slightly lean back, even less than you show to be correct, for the exact reason you mention. A "compact finish" may increase your rhythm or stroke rate with only marginal loss to the drive's energy delivered, your point exactly! Alternatively, when you keep your stroke rate equal in stead, you benefit from more time to your recover, better resting your muscles and making for a sharper catch, mustering more muscle bundles in better synch, creating better acceleration during the first tenths of seconds of the drive, higher speed during maximum force, and power is force times speed.
What a great break down Ben! We always love other ways of explaining the mechanics of the stroke. Every coach will coach differently and every athlete learns differently so a greater tool box of cues makes everyone better!
Impressive knowledge for a non rower. Would like to see a stronger catch position though. If you compress a bit more into the catch you will gain more length by getting more out of your legs. If you see at 2:33 your butt is almost half the way up the slide. You can see at 4:30 that you are using your upper body to get more length slightly which is a weaker position. Rowing is mostly legs so if you can get more out of your legs = more efficient rowing and faster times.
Indeed, you need to lock you back in a 90° before starting to push on your feet. Otherwise you're putting too much pressure on your lower back. Never forget 80% of the power comes from the legs
Okay, but in real rowing is lifting of the heel at catch very normal for a good length of the drive. Knees just above the ankles. You can keep connection with the forefoot (heads of the metatarsal bones). Also on the ergo (concept2, RP3). In this video is your drive with the legs now too short.
Gerard, we appreciate your response and clear dedication to being a rower. You are 100% correct. In rowing the heels are allowed to lift to get increased length and indeed the snapping of the heels and suspending the mass from the handle are of the utmost importance to make your mass work for you. Thank you for pointing that out. Being IRA Rowers as well as CrossFit Games competitors, we've discovered that one of the greatest errors in working with non-rowers who use the machine for non-rowing purposes is the lifting of the heels and crashing at the catch. This is exacerbated by the belief that they should be pulling the handle and pushing through the toes which as you pointed out is a major issue. In an effort to create the safest and most effective experience possible we coach that athletes should keep the heels down at the catch because this creates a downstream effect that repairs multiple issues at once, in effect enacting Pareto's Law where we can help 80% of the population with one single cue. Over time, we fully expect and encourage athletes to allow the heel to lift again, but not until they've corrected the major issues that we experience on a day to day basis with beginners. We really appreciate you taking the time to raise this point because it is an important one and one in which we have veered from the traditional path of rowing coaching in order to create a more efficient path to learning for the community we work with.
You should be clear with your alterior intention (for heels down) in your video, with an additional comment on why it's OK if the heels come up. Why not just coach "vertical shins" and let your athletes assume their natural heel position? It is a great video otherwise and I look forward to more.
Good video, thanks! Your knees should be under your upper arms at the catch, not the elbows. Shins should be vertical, not under vertical or over vertical. Forearms should stay in the same horizontal position from catch to finish, without dropping elbows below hand height at any stage of the stroke...this prevents bent wrists through the drive phase and through to the finish which is a very weak position...so, keep elbows up at all times! Finally it's important to accelerate from the catch through the middle of the stroke right through to the finish without letting pressure off. From the catch to square off, you have lifted the boat up out of the water, then from square off through to the finish it's your job to hold the boat up out of the water and stop it dropping back down, thereby creating more drag on the hull...think as if it's trying to lift the boat up out of the water in the last half of the stroke. Remember also it's legs, body, arms when driving backwards from the catch and arms, body and knees / legs up coming up on the way forward. But, you get all your length whilst in the finish position with your knees / legs flat down. Your hands should be over your shins at this point and you maintain that position whilst coming forward on the slide right through to the catch without trying to get additional length whilst coming forward up the slide. Remember from the finish the sequence is, arms / elbows straight whilst shoulders are still behind your hips. Only when your elbows are straight and your arms and shoulder sockets are stretchedas farforward aspissible, do you then move your shoulders in front of your hips by povoting over using the hips ( not shoulders), Level without dropping your shoulders down at all ( keep head and shoulders level at all times). Only then your legs/knees come up, with your arms stretched out over your shins and you start to move forward up the slide keeping your body in that position all the way through to the catch. Your body thenstays in that same forward position all the way back to the square-off position.
Felicia Mckee I have the same rower and reach for the same spot! That being said, I really wish I had the Concept 2 just for the sake of training consistency with all the trainers using the same machine. The WR is beautiful, but at some point I’m going to move to the C2.
@@RustyKnorr I feel the same way! I purchased the WR because I have a super small place and have to keep in it my living room. Loved the look and how it stands against the wall. However, after 2 months of rowing, I don't feel I get enough challenge. Eventually, I'll move on to the Concept 2 as well!
Me again, Shane. Ergdata also measures "Drive Speed". What can we do with this metric in order to improve our stroke? Is this a measure of force and is it useful to work at ? Thanks in anticipation.
I am a rower, you're supose to have your calf at a T with the ground, and your feet naturally lift. To get a maximised stroke you lift your heals, your not supose to be pushing with your heel, you push more with the balls of your feet.
Приобрела эту модель, спасибо ребятам из Зоны Спорта, рассказали какую лучше выбрать, что в нем есть, с чего лучше начинать, чтобы не отбило желание тренироваться.
as stated in other comments as well, lifting off the heels is absolutely fine and done in literally every stroke(except sprinting and some people like to keep their heels down at the start). great video otherwise
Econ, we appreciate your response and clear dedication to being a rower. You are 100% correct in your statement. Being IRA Rowers as well as CrossFit Games competitors, we’ve discovered that one of the greatest errors in working with non-rowers who use the machine for non-rowing purposes is the lifting of the heels and crashing at the catch. This is exacerbated by the belief that they should be pulling the handle and pushing through the toes which as you pointed out is a major issue. In an effort to create the safest and most effective experience possible we coach that athletes should keep the heels down at the catch because this creates a downstream effect that repairs multiple issues at once, in effect enacting Pareto’s Law where we can help 80% of the population with one single cue. Over time, we fully expect and encourage athletes to allow the heel to lift again, but not until they’ve corrected the major issues that we experience on a day to day basis with beginners. We really appreciate you taking the time to raise this point because it is an important one and one in which we have veered from the traditional path of rowing coaching in order to create a more efficient path to learning for the community we work with.
Hey Shane, thanks for this approach on stroke lenght. I am 184 cm tall, but my stroke length is about 104 cm. Should I be concern about this length? If it were, what should be a average good stroke length for my body? Tks in advance, Roberto
I have quite a long reach, but find it hard to square the blade at the catch before it slices through the water. It seems that the longer the stroke, the harder it is for me to square the blade at the catch. Can anyone explain what I’m doing wrong?
Hey Shane. Thanks for all you videos. I find that at the catch I feel slack in the chain. I’ve upped the damper setting a notch to 6 and still feel it. Also when I drive with my legs I don’t feel a lot of resistance. Any ideas? Thanks.
That means you're driving with your toes instead of your heels, make sure you're using your heels to drive and then brace the core to gain control over the stroke. Maybe practice rowing steady feet out.
@@mike3271 probably, ankle mobility tends to become an issue. Do you stretch frequently and if so for how long? I recommend spending 10-20m stretching post workout. Maybe even longer to be honest
@@NanoZE-rt7tt I try to do a lot of stretching but the only ankle stretches i know of require a 2nd person to do. i do quad/hamstring/calf stretches after my workouts though. i will try to google search some ankle stretches to try and find some that can be done by myself.
@@mike3271 you are correct to lift your heels to achieve vertical shins. Read the comments from DH elsewhere. They concede that lifting your heels is fine, they just coach heels down to encourage better technique amongst cross fitters. Unfortunately , given the title of this video, keeping your heels down actually shortens the stroke unless you have unusually flexible ankles. .
I.m in wales,UK in britain. I.v been erging for longer than i can remember.....funny thing about erging though, for me personaly anyway, if i stop just for 3 or 4 days my fitness dips and i.d struggle to pull 1.45 per 500 for 45 mins...its weird how fast i lose that peek fitness.
Oh here we go.....now you cant see a picture.....i.m not in a rowing club of any kind....never been to an indoor erging reggatta.....dont hate coz you cant do it.....i.m just an average joe who spends alot of time erging and cycling....
Artincorona, we encourage people to keep their knees under the elbows as a matter of training the body to follow good positioning. So if that means that it shortens the range of motion then we encourage that and as positions improve one doesn't need to re-learn technique. May we ask what is making it difficult?
Dark Horse Rowing I find I can get more power with my knees not kept under my elbows. If I open my knees up a bit, for me, I find it easier but I will try your method a few times and see if it gets easier.
+artincorona just remember that to change technique takes more than a couple tries. It's something that needs practice and time and when changes like that are made power and speed may drop until you get comfortable. So if you're up for it don't get too frustrated early on but if you're happy with your technique now then no need to change if you don't want
How do you feel about adaptive rowing which allows an overweight person to flair the knees because his large belly prevents him from keeping the knees in? I'd imagine you'd agree that we should "chose our battle." Ha!
Wrong, you're supposed to allow the heels to come off the foot plate at catch, and if you say 'well then you wont have any connection on the drive phase it's actually an initial drive with the ball of the foot and then heel comes in about mid drive and adds a boost to the power. 'Not supposed to take heels off the foot plate' smh
Highlight mixtapes, we appreciate your response and clear dedication to being a rower. You are 100% correct. In rowing the heels are allowed to lift to get increased length and indeed the snapping of the heels and suspending the mass from the handle are of the utmost importance to make your mass work for you. Thank you for pointing that out. Being IRA Rowers as well as CrossFit Games competitors, we've discovered that one of the greatest errors in working with non-rowers who use the machine for non-rowing purposes is the lifting of the heels and crashing at the catch. This is exacerbated by the belief that they should be pulling the handle and pushing through the toes which as you pointed out is a major issue. In an effort to create the safest and most effective experience possible we coach that athletes should keep the heels down at the catch because this creates a downstream effect that repairs multiple issues at once, in effect enacting Pareto's Law where we can help 80% of the population with one single cue. Over time, we fully expect and encourage athletes to allow the heel to lift again, but not until they've corrected the major issues that we experience on a day to day basis with beginners. We really appreciate you taking the time to raise this point because it is an important one and one in which we have veered from the traditional path of rowing coaching in order to create a more efficient path to learning for the community we work with.
Gawd, what’s with the “real rowing” snobbery. Look very carefully. It’s hard to see but if you study the video closely you’ll notice that he’s not in a boat, he’s not pulling on oars, and there is no f*cking water anywhere in sight! Don’t let those first six letters of “rowing machine” fool you into thinking that what you know about _actual_ rowing has got anything more than only the most superficial application to using a C2 (or the like).
Dark Horse Rowing, the point was to provide an expression of support and appreciation for you and your video on the one hand, and a mild rebuke, on the other hand, to the various folk sniping at you from the sidelines, their criticisms being based on the highly dubious proposition that working out on a rowing machine is the same as working out on a boat. But the fact you had to ask suggests that my sarcasm may have completely obscured said point, and made me come across not like something of a fan, but rather like a total arse-head. Oops. My bad. 😬
HAHA, yes I completely missed the sarcasm. My apologies, sometimes when I'm moderating the comments if I've seen a few too many terse comments I start to get a bit short. Thanks for the clarification and I appreciate the support.
Dark Horse Rowing, no worries. Yours is one of several useful videos I’ve been studying as I brace myself, yet again, to try to tackle my lifelong battle with being overweight/obese. I’m 51, 5’9” in height, and currently 312lbs in weight. For the exercise side of things, I’ve been looking at Peletons, other indoor bike trainers, ellipticals, and rowing machines. As of this morning, I made my decision: Concept2 Model D wins. So thanks for your contribution to that decision-making process. Once more into the flabby breach, dear friends, once more; or close my heart up with a big blob of cholesterol an’ stuff. 😃
This video was extremely helpful. Thank you for the tips.
I’ll add one thing: in addition to keeping the heels down to maximize power, it also takes pressure off the knees, which helps keep the knees healthy.
The rowing machine has revolutionized my visits to the gym! Why did it take me decades to discover it? I hit 60 this year. Lifting 4 times a week after a 25 year break from lifting. Warming up for lifting on the rowing machine is great. Getting in the gym a couple more times a week for half an hour / 40 mins of rowing, cycling and stretching is a great add on.
It’s the little points you give that make such benefits! Always stoked to stumble on an older video of yours✊️🤘✊️
It's always fun to see comments on the older ones as the coaching has definitely evolved since we started.
Fantastic. I was popping my knees way out to maximize reach. So glad you addressed that. Thank you. . .
Just be aware that your heal is supposed to rise at the catch and that the drive should be "toes to heals". If you doubt this, look at the foot stretcher... the ball of the shoe is fixed but the heal is designed to rise... look at real rowing boats... it is the same.
Robbocree, we appreciate your response and clear dedication to being a rower. You are 100% correct. In rowing the heels are allowed to lift to get increased length and indeed the snapping of the heels and suspending the mass from the handle are of the utmost importance to make your mass work for you. Thank you for pointing that out.
Being IRA Rowers as well as CrossFit Games competitors, we've discovered that one of the greatest errors in working with non-rowers who use the machine for non-rowing purposes is the lifting of the heels and crashing at the catch. This is exacerbated by the belief that they should be pulling the handle and pushing through the toes which as you pointed out is a major issue.
In an effort to create the safest and most effective experience possible we coach that athletes should keep the heels down at the catch because this creates a downstream effect that repairs multiple issues at once, in effect enacting Pareto's Law where we can help 80% of the population with one single cue.
Over time, we fully expect and encourage athletes to allow the heel to lift again, but not until they've corrected the major issues that we experience on a day to day basis with beginners.
We really appreciate you taking the time to raise this point because it is an important one and one in which we have veered from the traditional path of rowing coaching in order to create a more efficient path to learning for the community we work with.
Dark Horse Rowing ... nice explanation... ... hadn't thought about that ... actually might teach that to my rank novices myself... nice tip... cheers... easier to allow the onto their toes after they've mastered the art of pushing the footplate firmly.
+robbocree It's really great to hear you say that. It's not often that someone in the rowing world is open to hearing our perspective but we truly have found the rate of acceptance for technique skyrockets because of the upstream downstream effects of an athlete learning what foot connection really means. We catch a lot of flak for it, but man is it effective!
@@Robbocree DW
I’m a gym rat and I have the money to buy some good equipment. I am so pleased with my purchase and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Super excited.
Finally!!!!! Somebody teaching heels down. I always used to the comparison to squatting. Maybe people will listen to you.
From a rowing perspective, I don't see why one would not want their heels to lift. Yes, there's less power at the catch, but the point of the catch is not to stomp recklessly, but to pick the boat up powerfully, then have maximum wattage about halfway through the drive. Lifting the heels is actually a great way to extend the length of the stroke which is what this video is all about.
Daniel Curtis I am on a path to improve my technique, can you elaborate your point.Thanks.
aviramster what Daniel is saying is that in tradition rowing the point of the stroke is to pick the boat up out of the water with the blade and move the shell forward. By starting the stroke at the palms of the feet and then transferring it into the entire foot, you are allowing yourself the greatest amount of lift off the footboards. Lifting the heels off the footboards in a shell also allows for maximum swing in your stroke, meaning you are grabbing the most water for your stroke. This leads to an increase in distance covered as long as you do not compromise the rest of the strokes mechanic by trying to grab too much water.
Ryan, thanks now i know there is need in stomping the rower but rather working on flewidity.
You're very welcome. A last tip is the heels coming back down to the footboard shouldn't be a noticeable action, it should just happen naturally.
I am a novice rower and this video is very very helpful to me because my coach is always pointing out to me that I need to get more length and I feel this video could help me understand how to lock things in place so that I can accomplish that goal
Yes! It's all about finding GOOD length, not just length for length sake.
This is a great video! I've very much enjoyed lots of others from DH, but this addresses one of the most difficult parts of the stroke. Thanks Shane!
Thank you Sandy! I really appreciat this. It's nice to hear things are making sense and helping.
Ooh yes. I kind of figured out that going too far back (too wide of an angle) was just exhausting, and I couldn't go faster than 30m/s for any significant amount of time. All those points-- heels down, not going too far forward on/bending knees too far, leaning back too far-- ensure that you don't lose potential energy in your stroke. As soon as those angles are violated, you have to work harder to basically get your stroke going again; they break your stroke....not to mention possibly causing some crappy injuries like overextended knees, low back problems from not engaging your abs and letting the back bow forward, and so on. Awesome video.
Hey Shane. Great video. I try to keep this position when I row. But I noticed watching the olympics that the athletes seem to round their back at the catch. Is that something that elite athletes can do that might cause injury for lesser mortals? Just curious . Thanks
Your points are well made, Sir! Perhaps it is useful to instruct your audience by an apt meme. 'Keep your finish compact'. Meaning, only slightly lean back, even less than you show to be correct, for the exact reason you mention. A "compact finish" may increase your rhythm or stroke rate with only marginal loss to the drive's energy delivered, your point exactly! Alternatively, when you keep your stroke rate equal in stead, you benefit from more time to your recover, better resting your muscles and making for a sharper catch, mustering more muscle bundles in better synch, creating better acceleration during the first tenths of seconds of the drive, higher speed during maximum force, and power is force times speed.
What a great break down Ben! We always love other ways of explaining the mechanics of the stroke. Every coach will coach differently and every athlete learns differently so a greater tool box of cues makes everyone better!
Beautiful explanation thank you!
Impressive knowledge for a non rower. Would like to see a stronger catch position though. If you compress a bit more into the catch you will gain more length by getting more out of your legs. If you see at 2:33 your butt is almost half the way up the slide. You can see at 4:30 that you are using your upper body to get more length slightly which is a weaker position. Rowing is mostly legs so if you can get more out of your legs = more efficient rowing and faster times.
Indeed, you need to lock you back in a 90° before starting to push on your feet. Otherwise you're putting too much pressure on your lower back. Never forget 80% of the power comes from the legs
what do you mean non-rower?
wow! this is actually a very great video! so helpful for my novice rowing
Okay, but in real rowing is lifting of the heel at catch very normal for a good length of the drive. Knees just above the ankles. You can keep connection with the forefoot (heads of the metatarsal bones). Also on the ergo (concept2, RP3). In this video is your drive with the legs now too short.
Gerard, we appreciate your response and clear dedication to being a rower. You are 100% correct. In rowing the heels are allowed to lift to get increased length and indeed the snapping of the heels and suspending the mass from the handle are of the utmost importance to make your mass work for you. Thank you for pointing that out.
Being IRA Rowers as well as CrossFit Games competitors, we've discovered that one of the greatest errors in working with non-rowers who use the machine for non-rowing purposes is the lifting of the heels and crashing at the catch. This is exacerbated by the belief that they should be pulling the handle and pushing through the toes which as you pointed out is a major issue.
In an effort to create the safest and most effective experience possible we coach that athletes should keep the heels down at the catch because this creates a downstream effect that repairs multiple issues at once, in effect enacting Pareto's Law where we can help 80% of the population with one single cue.
Over time, we fully expect and encourage athletes to allow the heel to lift again, but not until they've corrected the major issues that we experience on a day to day basis with beginners.
We really appreciate you taking the time to raise this point because it is an important one and one in which we have veered from the traditional path of rowing coaching in order to create a more efficient path to learning for the community we work with.
You should be clear with your alterior intention (for heels down) in your video, with an additional comment on why it's OK if the heels come up. Why not just coach "vertical shins" and let your athletes assume their natural heel position? It is a great video otherwise and I look forward to more.
Good video, thanks! Your knees should be under your upper arms at the catch, not the elbows. Shins should be vertical, not under vertical or over vertical.
Forearms should stay in the same horizontal position from catch to finish, without dropping elbows below hand height at any stage of the stroke...this prevents bent wrists through the drive phase and through to the finish which is a very weak position...so, keep elbows up at all times!
Finally it's important to accelerate from the catch through the middle of the stroke right through to the finish without letting pressure off. From the catch to square off, you have lifted the boat up out of the water, then from square off through to the finish it's your job to hold the boat up out of the water and stop it dropping back down, thereby creating more drag on the hull...think as if it's trying to lift the boat up out of the water in the last half of the stroke.
Remember also it's legs, body, arms when driving backwards from the catch and arms, body and knees / legs up coming up on the way forward. But, you get all your length whilst in the finish position with your knees / legs flat down. Your hands should be over your shins at this point and you maintain that position whilst coming forward on the slide right through to the catch without trying to get additional length whilst coming forward up the slide. Remember from the finish the sequence is, arms / elbows straight whilst shoulders are still behind your hips. Only when your elbows are straight and your arms and shoulder sockets are stretchedas farforward aspissible, do you then move your shoulders in front of your hips by povoting over using the hips ( not shoulders), Level without dropping your shoulders down at all ( keep head and shoulders level at all times). Only then your legs/knees come up, with your arms stretched out over your shins and you start to move forward up the slide keeping your body in that position all the way through to the catch. Your body thenstays in that same forward position all the way back to the square-off position.
This helped me. I now have a spot on my Waterrower (2 black bolts on the top) that I strive to reach with my handle.
Felicia Mckee I have the same rower and reach for the same spot! That being said, I really wish I had the Concept 2 just for the sake of training consistency with all the trainers using the same machine. The WR is beautiful, but at some point I’m going to move to the C2.
@@RustyKnorr I feel the same way! I purchased the WR because I have a super small place and have to keep in it my living room. Loved the look and how it stands against the wall. However, after 2 months of rowing, I don't feel I get enough challenge. Eventually, I'll move on to the Concept 2 as well!
What a brilliant explanation. Thank you so much. (64 trying to regain fitness)
Wonderful to hear Andy. We hope we can help in your path to regaining fitness! Good luck and let us know how we can help.
Great videos! Just one thing: Force contains acceleration (F=m x a). It’s contained in F, not an extra parameter.
Excellent. Easy to follow.
Me again, Shane.
Ergdata also measures "Drive Speed". What can we do with this metric in order to improve our stroke? Is this a measure of force and is it useful to work at ?
Thanks in anticipation.
I'm going to try this. I definitely struggle to keep my heels planted though.
I am a rower, you're supose to have your calf at a T with the ground, and your feet naturally lift. To get a maximised stroke you lift your heals, your not supose to be pushing with your heel, you push more with the balls of your feet.
supposed 😉
Приобрела эту модель, спасибо ребятам из Зоны Спорта, рассказали какую лучше выбрать, что в нем есть, с чего лучше начинать, чтобы не отбило желание тренироваться.
Nice video on technique
Glad you liked it!
Thanks
Fantastic !
as stated in other comments as well, lifting off the heels is absolutely fine and done in literally every stroke(except sprinting and some people like to keep their heels down at the start). great video otherwise
Econ, we appreciate your response and clear dedication to being a rower. You are 100% correct in your statement.
Being IRA Rowers as well as CrossFit Games competitors, we’ve discovered that one of the greatest errors in working with non-rowers who use the machine for non-rowing purposes is the lifting of the heels and crashing at the catch. This is exacerbated by the belief that they should be pulling the handle and pushing through the toes which as you pointed out is a major issue.
In an effort to create the safest and most effective experience possible we coach that athletes should keep the heels down at the catch because this creates a downstream effect that repairs multiple issues at once, in effect enacting Pareto’s Law where we can help 80% of the population with one single cue.
Over time, we fully expect and encourage athletes to allow the heel to lift again, but not until they’ve corrected the major issues that we experience on a day to day basis with beginners.
We really appreciate you taking the time to raise this point because it is an important one and one in which we have veered from the traditional path of rowing coaching in order to create a more efficient path to learning for the community we work with.
Hey Shane, thanks for this approach on stroke lenght. I am 184 cm tall, but my stroke length is about 104 cm. Should I be concern about this length? If it were, what should be a average good stroke length for my body? Tks in advance, Roberto
How do you use a rowing machine for beginners?
He's obviously not a rower but he makes sense.
+Sylvain Van Laer thank you for the compliment! Happy to hear he's making sense and providing value for you.
how is it obvious?
Thanks Screw You Google. Your support is appreciated!
Sylvain Van Laer
I have quite a long reach, but find it hard to square the blade at the catch before it slices through the water. It seems that the longer the stroke, the harder it is for me to square the blade at the catch. Can anyone explain what I’m doing wrong?
nice video thanks.. greetings from Germany
Heels must come up slightly . In a boat you drive with the balls of you feet. Heels planted destabilises the boat.
Another great video.
Is it ideal that 'vertical shins' coexist with 'heels down' at the catch??
Hey Shane. Thanks for all you videos. I find that at the catch I feel slack in the chain. I’ve upped the damper setting a notch to 6 and still feel it. Also when I drive with my legs I don’t feel a lot of resistance. Any ideas? Thanks.
Check that your chain's resistance band isn't worn out. It should have 5# resistance.
SUPER
Thanks! Hope you'll continue to watch!
This will help my slav squat
Graсccciaas
man no matter what i do, i HAVE to lift my heel when I start the drive. although i make contact with the whole foot as i drive.
That means you're driving with your toes instead of your heels, make sure you're using your heels to drive and then brace the core to gain control over the stroke. Maybe practice rowing steady feet out.
@@NanoZE-rt7tt i cant get my ankles vertical without lifting my heels, is that a flexibility issue perhaps?
@@mike3271 probably, ankle mobility tends to become an issue. Do you stretch frequently and if so for how long? I recommend spending 10-20m stretching post workout. Maybe even longer to be honest
@@NanoZE-rt7tt I try to do a lot of stretching but the only ankle stretches i know of require a 2nd person to do. i do quad/hamstring/calf stretches after my workouts though. i will try to google search some ankle stretches to try and find some that can be done by myself.
@@mike3271 you are correct to lift your heels to achieve vertical shins. Read the comments from DH elsewhere. They concede that lifting your heels is fine, they just coach heels down to encourage better technique amongst cross fitters. Unfortunately , given the title of this video, keeping your heels down actually shortens the stroke unless you have unusually flexible ankles. .
I'm 6'5". Inseam 34. Do you think the beam would be long enough for me to fully extend?
No, you should be fine! Rowers that are 6'6 use the machine without issue!
Nailed a 1.41 per 500m for 45 mins last night.........13840 meters.. i watch these vids for a bit of motivation. I.ll try these tips tonighy....
thats great time! i cant get lower then 2:05 for 500M.. im using 125 od the drum and getting 28Spm.
That's fantastic Carl. Where in the world are you and why haven't you joined our program yet?
I.m in wales,UK in britain. I.v been erging for longer than i can remember.....funny thing about erging though, for me personaly anyway, if i stop just for 3 or 4 days my fitness dips and i.d struggle to pull 1.45 per 500 for 45 mins...its weird how fast i lose that peek fitness.
Can I see a picture?
Oh here we go.....now you cant see a picture.....i.m not in a rowing club of any kind....never been to an indoor erging reggatta.....dont hate coz you cant do it.....i.m just an average joe who spends alot of time erging and cycling....
What if you find it difficult to keep your knees from flaring out and not being able to keep them under your elbow like you explained?
Artincorona, we encourage people to keep their knees under the elbows as a matter of training the body to follow good positioning. So if that means that it shortens the range of motion then we encourage that and as positions improve one doesn't need to re-learn technique.
May we ask what is making it difficult?
Dark Horse Rowing I find I can get more power with my knees not kept under my elbows. If I open my knees up a bit, for me, I find it easier but I will try your method a few times and see if it gets easier.
+artincorona just remember that to change technique takes more than a couple tries. It's something that needs practice and time and when changes like that are made power and speed may drop until you get comfortable. So if you're up for it don't get too frustrated early on but if you're happy with your technique now then no need to change if you don't want
How do you feel about adaptive rowing which allows an overweight person to flair the knees because his large belly prevents him from keeping the knees in? I'd imagine you'd agree that we should "chose our battle." Ha!
Those of us with larger chests struggle as well... :)
Thank you! Great technique help with this video.
Good to hear Steve! Keep up the solid work and focus on your technique.
Wrong, you're supposed to allow the heels to come off the foot plate at catch, and if you say 'well then you wont have any connection on the drive phase it's actually an initial drive with the ball of the foot and then heel comes in about mid drive and adds a boost to the power. 'Not supposed to take heels off the foot plate' smh
Highlight mixtapes, we appreciate your response and clear dedication to being a rower. You are 100% correct. In rowing the heels are allowed to lift to get increased length and indeed the snapping of the heels and suspending the mass from the handle are of the utmost importance to make your mass work for you. Thank you for pointing that out.
Being IRA Rowers as well as CrossFit Games competitors, we've discovered that one of the greatest errors in working with non-rowers who use the machine for non-rowing purposes is the lifting of the heels and crashing at the catch. This is exacerbated by the belief that they should be pulling the handle and pushing through the toes which as you pointed out is a major issue.
In an effort to create the safest and most effective experience possible we coach that athletes should keep the heels down at the catch because this creates a downstream effect that repairs multiple issues at once, in effect enacting Pareto's Law where we can help 80% of the population with one single cue.
Over time, we fully expect and encourage athletes to allow the heel to lift again, but not until they've corrected the major issues that we experience on a day to day basis with beginners.
We really appreciate you taking the time to raise this point because it is an important one and one in which we have veered from the traditional path of rowing coaching in order to create a more efficient path to learning for the community we work with.
My average stroke length on Concept 2 erg is 1.20 I know...I'm a shrimp 🍤
Not sure I'm understanding. Are you saying that on average, you travel 1.2 meters with every stroke?
thats kind of dumb to let youre heals on you should go farther and than from the moment heals can help they should help
Gawd, what’s with the “real rowing” snobbery. Look very carefully. It’s hard to see but if you study the video closely you’ll notice that he’s not in a boat, he’s not pulling on oars, and there is no f*cking water anywhere in sight! Don’t let those first six letters of “rowing machine” fool you into thinking that what you know about _actual_ rowing has got anything more than only the most superficial application to using a C2 (or the like).
What's the point of this comment?
Dark Horse Rowing, the point was to provide an expression of support and appreciation for you and your video on the one hand, and a mild rebuke, on the other hand, to the various folk sniping at you from the sidelines, their criticisms being based on the highly dubious proposition that working out on a rowing machine is the same as working out on a boat. But the fact you had to ask suggests that my sarcasm may have completely obscured said point, and made me come across not like something of a fan, but rather like a total arse-head. Oops. My bad. 😬
HAHA, yes I completely missed the sarcasm. My apologies, sometimes when I'm moderating the comments if I've seen a few too many terse comments I start to get a bit short. Thanks for the clarification and I appreciate the support.
Dark Horse Rowing, no worries. Yours is one of several useful videos I’ve been studying as I brace myself, yet again, to try to tackle my lifelong battle with being overweight/obese. I’m 51, 5’9” in height, and currently 312lbs in weight. For the exercise side of things, I’ve been looking at Peletons, other indoor bike trainers, ellipticals, and rowing machines. As of this morning, I made my decision: Concept2 Model D wins. So thanks for your contribution to that decision-making process. Once more into the flabby breach, dear friends, once more; or close my heart up with a big blob of cholesterol an’ stuff. 😃
Dude you’ve never rowed, trying to sound clever with big words. Sad.
I look forward to your video where you teach it correctly and easier.
awesome!
Brilliant!!