All about Rowing

Some call it the "torture device" others perhaps embrace it, but we all know that the rowing machine can pop up in a WOD on any given day. Technique is of course vital, and we wanted to highlight 2 great videos that explain the technique and common errors (and how to fix them)

The rowing technique



Common errors

• Over gripping the handle (squeezing too hard, bent wrists)
• Breaking arms at the catch.
• Arms too wide (hunched shoulders)
• Lunging at the catch (leaning too forward)
• Over reaching at the catch (hands too close at the fly wheel)
• Pulling with the back instead of using the legs first.
• Excessive layback (leaning back too far)
• Bending knees too early on recovery.
• Moving too quickly forward
• Sliding too far forward --> Keep shins vertical.
• Body shooting backwards before legs.

Below, all summarized errors are explained:

What damper setting?
The damper setting either increases or decreases the flow of air into the fly wheel.
More airflow in = more resistance.

The catch position

Often people assume that the higher the damper setting, the better the workout, but that is not correct.
What controls the intensity of your workout, is simple how hard you pull on the handle. More about the damper setting can be read here.
The closest setting to actual water resistance is 3-4, and is used a lot by actual rowers. For people outside of the rowing sport, the damper setting can be used in a broader sense. Usually, the heavier/stronger users will use a higher damper setting (towards 10), while lighter/less stronger users will use a lower setting.

More on this:




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