Indoor rowing is one of the most misunderstood exercises in the gym. This is partly because indoor rowing is somewhat counter-intuitive: it looks like a machine where you just pull on the handle as hard as you can.
Few people really think that going on a treadmill and running flat out for as long as you can is a good way to train. But I see people do this on the rower all the time. In fact, I used to do it myself when I first joined the gym!
But while creating a lot of sweat and getting puffed out might make you think you are getting a good workout, you can achieve so much more once you improve technique. You will generate more power, use more of your body, go faster and be able to row for longer. You don’t have to be ‘into’ rowing or want to compete in order to benefit from better technique. Plus, you won’t look like a newbie in the gym!
How indoor rowing works
The most important thing to understand about the indoor rower is that the numbers are measuring the speed of the flywheel, not you. So doing faster strokes doesn’t necessarily make the wheel go faster. It’s the amount of power applied to the wheel that makes it go.
The power comes from the legs, trunk and arms working together and applying force to the machine. The majority of the power comes from the legs, not the arms. According to Concept2, the leading manunfacturer of indoor rowers, your legs are responsible for 70% of the power in your stroke. Good technique is all about getting this right, which allows you to generate more power on the wheel.
Technique
I am sure that everyone reading this has either seen an indoor rowing machine in action or used one. Sitting on the sliding seat with your feet on the footpads and your hands on the handle, you push back as far as your legs will take you and then slide forward ready to push back again.
Good rowers have a smooth flowing motion. You will notice that they move faster and more forcefully on the push back than they do on the slide forward. It is the push back, or the drive, that makes the wheel move. The slide forward is your opportunity for recovery.
Legs and Feet
Before starting to row, adjust the footpads so that your heels are as high as possible and make sure they are the same height on each side. The straps should go over the bottom of your shoelaces, i.e. quite high up the foot. This is because you need your feet to bend when you push off the balls of the foot. Unless you are very flexible, you will need to let your heels come off the footpads in order to get your legs in the optimum position to push back.
The optimum position for the legs at the catch (just before you push back) is shins vertical. Most people don’t come forward enough for their shins to be vertical. In the picture above, my shins could be a tad further forward. If I had longer legs, my knees would be poking up between my arms at this point.
If you are not very flexible, it is tempting to let your knees tip outwards in this position as you try to get your hips forward. But if your knees are bending outwards you will lose a bit of power on the drive back, so try to avoid this or actively work against it by thinking about pulling the knees in. Whatever you do, don’t have your arms on the insides of your knees. If you simply can’t get close to the shins vertical position at this stage, just go as far forward as you can; your flexibility will improve over time.
And for you very flexible people, it is not advisable to come too far forward so that your bum is almost touching your heels. You do need to keep a couple of inches gap between the seat and your heels in order to generate maximum power.
On the drive back it is very important to push hard with your legs, as this is where most of the power comes from. The arms do contribute with a pulling motion but if you don’t push with your legs you will not be able to maintain high speeds for long. The power comes from straightening, or extending, the knees and the hips.
The leg drive is very similar to a squat and the idea is to get faster as you move back. This can be quite tricky to get your head around at first. When I first started rowing, I didn’t get the concept of increasing speed as you move back. There just didn’t seem to be enough time! However, now that I’ve got it I can see that I simply wasn’t pushing hard enough with my legs. When you do, you automatically move faster as you slide back. It’s hard to do this straight off the bat, so get rowing first and get into a rhythm, then focus on pushing as hard as you can with your legs and you will see what I mean.
One word of warning though: if you exaggerate the leg drive too much, you can actually end up pushing forcefully back with legs and hips but not bringing the handle back with you (called ‘slide shooting’). Remember to move the handle and the seat at the same time. In other words, maintain the angle of your back until your legs have straightened.
Trunk
Keep your back straight and chest up throughout the stroke. A common technique error is rounding the upper back and shoulders at the catch. This happens when people are only thinking about pulling with their arms. But as we know, most of the power comes from the legs, from the knee and hip extension. Think of your back as a lever, opening your body at the hip. If your back is rounded, it is not going to be as effective as a lever.
As you drive backwards, use the weight of your trunk to add force to the stroke at the end by leaning back slightly. This finishes the process started by your legs. It is important not to over-lean though. In the picture above, I could afford to lean back a few more degrees – and if I was rowing hard, I would. But that would be enough.
Arms and hands
At the catch (the forward position), your arms should be straight. As you drive backwards, your arms pull straight back, elbows slightly flared as you bring the handle into your chest. Watch out that your wrists are straight; it’s easy to get into the habit of curling the wrists under slightly as you pull into the chest.
It is important to keep the cable as straight as possible and for the cable to travel in a straight line, otherwise power will be dissipated. If you’re not careful, your knees will get in the way and you will find yourself having to lift the cable over your knees as you slide forwards or backwards. The way to avoid this is to let the handle pass your knees first, before allowing the knees to rise.
So from the front position, you drive back hard with the legs and keep the handle slightly in front of your knees until your legs have straightened out, then finish the stroke by pulling the handle into your chest and levering your trunk backwards. On the recovery, let your arms straighten first and allow the handle to come back past the knees before you bend them to slide forwards. When you are not used to this process it can be a bit jerky so try to make the stroke as smooth as possible. It doesn’t take long for this to become a flowing movement.
Head
Keep your head looking straight ahead. Make sure you set the computer display on the rower so that your head is in the right position when you are looking at it. A lot of people have the display a bit too low.
Summary of technique
- At the start, straight arms, back straight, chest up, looking straight forward
- Big push with the legs to start the drive back
- Wait until knees are straight before passing the handle over them
- Pull handle into chest with straight wrists and use trunk to lever back slightly
- On the recovery, allow handle to pass knees before bending them
- Keep back straight and chest up
Check out http://gubernatrix.co.uk/2008/03/indoor-rowing-training/ for how to train with the indoor rower, including ways of measuring your rowing and using the numbers on the computer display to help you improve.
Further information
I recommend watching the following videos from Crossfit on rowing technique, as you will be able to see a good stroke in action:
Rowing basics – mov version, wmv version
- Angela covers all the main technique points in this article and demonstrates both good technique and some common errors
Technique refinements – mov version, wmv version
- In this video, Angela goes into more detail about some aspects of technique.
The concept2 website is also worth a look as they have some good resources and information. In particular, check out Technique on the Indoor Rower, part of the Concept2 online rowing guide.
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Thanks guber! Down to 8:35 for the 2k so far, want to crack 8:10 to match CrossFit’s “well-rounded beginner”
Great technique article. Nothing overlooked. I was a competitive rower for about 4 years and did a lot of training on the ergo. My coach was really rough on us when we weren’t using proper form and I cringe whenever I go to a gym and see people just flying back and forth on the slide all over the place.
I had a personal best of 7:52 when I was 19. Haven’t been in competitive shape since then. Shame really. Thanks for putting it out there simply and concisely. More people need to know how to use the ergo properly or they just waste their time.
@ Michael: Good luck, I’m sure it won’t take long. It’s a good idea to train at longer distances (3000m, 5000m) and short distances (500m, 750m), both of which will improve your 2000m time.
@ Sara: Thank you, it’s great to get a vote of confidence from someone who knows what they are doing! I’ve just done my first competition, which was fun. I clocked 8:14.9 so at least I now have a benchmark. I would love to break 8 minutes!
[...] All Round Strength Training – Check out Sally’s Rowing Techniques Here [...]
Breaking 8 is hard. Took me three years. I dont know if I could do it again having been out of rowing training for well over 5 years since then. Time sure does fly. However I’ve been weight training a good bit as of late and your site is a real inspiration, so I gotta say thanks! I was just doing 1RMs today and hit a personal best of 60kg for squats. I was shaking and grunting and about to die, but I did it with a straight as an arrow back!
@ Sara: the weight training should help with the rowing. I’ve got a lot of power for a lightweight – just need to improve fitness and speed up. Breaking 8 does sound hard but I like to have a target to aim for. At the comp I was in the other week, there were a few girls who were well below 8 minutes, so that made my competitive hackles rise! The open winner did 7:17.
My friend and I race each other on the rowing machines for extra motivation. 2000m and 5000m. He is 4 inches taller than me (6ft 4inch to my 6ft 0inch).
What would be a good handicap for him to make this a fair contest?
@ Martin: well, in racing there are only two classes – lightweight and heavyweight. I believe mens lightweight is under 72.5kg or 11.5 stone. Although your friend is taller, longer levers are not the be all and end all. The best way to beat him is to improve your technique!
One thing you can do is make sure you both set the right drag factor on your rowing machine, so that the machine is set up optimally for each of you. See http://gubernatrix.co.uk/2008/03/indoor-rowing-training/ for information on how to do this on the concept2 rowers.
thanks for the info and the link. Are you saying that on a rowing machine with the same damper setting a 4 inch height difference would make no difference between two people of equal fitness?
Hi Martin, I’m saying that if you set the correct damper setting for you, and your friend sets the correct setting for him, then that’s probably as “fair” as you can make it.
However, the fact that he is taller is something you just need to live with as there aren’t different classes for height in rowing. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll always beat you – and if he does, it’s not necessarily because he’s taller
Brilliant article.
I just bought a Reebok home based Series 3 rower… only for fat burning and general fitness – combined with cycling alternate days.
So far it’s working
I didn’t know what I was doing with the rowing and this article has been exceptional!
The best feel I get it to crank up the resistance to max and then I feel like I can pull against it.. anything less is “floppy” << steady!!!
It takes me 15 mins to do 1 mile and this allegedly burns 80 calories ish – most importantly is that I’m getting fitter and can go further and further before I have to stop for heart rate to return to a normal rate :0
Many thanx once again!
Stu
Hi Stu! Glad you found the article helpful. With regards to resistance on the rower, you might find the related article http://gubernatrix.co.uk/2008/03/indoor-rowing-training/ helpful as well. It explains more about how different levels of resistance can be used for different training effects. Good luck!
@ Martin, the concept 2 site has a weight handicapper system. This is more so people of different sizes can compare performances. If he is a beanpole, this might not help you any. Here is the link: http://concept2.com/us/interactive/calculators/weight_adjustment.asp
The article is really good, the indoor rower is a great piece of kit. If you only use one peice of CV equipment, choose the ergo! A word of caution, people should have avery quick (max 1 min) back stretch if rowing for more than 60mins (in that case stretch after 40 mins or so) to allow sinovial fluid to correct itself. As a former lightweight crew rower, I regularly clocked up 90mins on the ergo. Just make sure you have a good DVD to watch
Thanks for the info Niall!
Good training tips Angela.
I did a PB of 19.53 for 5k about 18 months ago, and it almost killed me!!!
I had to take a break for a year or so and just got back into it – struggling to get anywhere near that time now…can only hit the high 20 mins, but hopefully with this advise I’ll bring back down again
Hi have bin rowing for about a year now,started on 2k and progressed to 10k.Am 47 and 12stone.PBs 2k 7.15 and 10k 38.49 500m/56.5 sec.Will personal training enhance my times.Thanks.
Hi Colin, your 500m time (56.5 secs) doesn’t seem right. I’ve never heard of anyone rowing under a minute for 500m. Joining a rowing club or working with a rowing coach should enhance your times. I am not sure that personal training would help much, unless your personal trainer was an experienced rower. Rowing is relatively technical and in my experience generic personal trainers are not particularly adept at coaching indoor rowing.
If you don’t have access to a specialist rowing coach or club you’ll need to do your own research into rowing training methods and so on.
Am sorry it was late when i posted this comment and i meant to state my 500m splits average was 1min 56.5 secs when i did my Pb 10000m in 38 mins 49 secs.
Thanks for your reply.
Hello
I have just bought a water rower and my 12 year old son recorded 8 mins 20 seconds for 2,000 meters.
It’s the 3rd time he’s used the machine, never rowed before, so with technique could certainly get much better
I can’t seem to track any junior records or guides, just wonders how it would rate.
Best regards
Sounds talented!
You could take a look at the crash-b (world indoor rowing champs) results:
http://www.crash-b.org/
I also recommend poking around the Concept 2 website at http://concept2.co.uk/ as they have various results and rankings.
Hello
Thanks so much for this. Hope you don’t mind a couple more questions
So looking at the concept results my son would be no2 ww this year!
And I am an unfit (getting fitter) 42 yr old, 17stone, 6’2 and I am covering 7.5k in 30 mins.
So I’m wondering if comparisons can be made between the concept and waterowers in terms of resistance? (Though there are no damper settings required for the Concept rankings). Should I be adding water to my rower?
Sorry if you have answered this a thousand times before;) feel free to point me to waterower or another site that would handle this.
Many thanks
Matty Causon
I’ve never used a WaterRower I’m afraid, so I’m not sure what comparisons can be made with a Concept2.
Hi
I am 55 with a pb this year of 7.36 for 2k after 18 months of rowing. Unfortunately I think I am getting near a plateau. A real frustration is that I am 78kg (and would need to starve to get 75kg and into lightweights) and most of the better heavyweights are 90kg+. Have there been any discussions about introducing further weight classes?
Andy
Not as far as I know!
I am fairly fit guy and row on a concept 2 a couple of times a week (i usually do 2 min itervals) . No matter how much i concentrate on my technique i find after so many minutes that by backside hurts and i need to stop for a few seconds. How can i stop this.
Hi Paul,
It’s difficult to say without seeing you rowing. It might be technique, it might be that you just need to adapt to it (like riding a horse!) or something else (e.g. piles). I do know someone who uses a small cushion when rowing, so you could try that.
i just joined a gym first time ever.never been on a rowing machine,my mate was there so we had a race. put it on 10 and went for it. did 2000mtrs in 8 min 32 sec.1000mtrs in 4 min 15.was wondering if that was average.just read your site (brilliant reading)knowing what i know now think i could do better.will try after new year.thanks martin. by the way i am 57 hope not to old.
I am sure you can improve significantly on that time. Technique improvements alone will knock quite a lot off.
Reading the above I would comment.
When setting the damper on a concept2 always go into the menu and select drag factor and then row hard. Ideally you are looking for between 120-140 on I have concept2 rowers used at various gyms this can be between damper 4 to
10. 10 Is too high for 99% of the population 4 – 6 is normal.
For some excellent workouts check out pete plan on the web. Some are very hard.
My comment to the chap above ref pain in the glutes it can only be solved by spending more time on longer rows or try interval training where you can get off and stretch for 30 seconds and keep putting the overall distance rowed up.
My favourite workouts are to lower the stroke rate to 20 strokes per minute but keep pace at about 1.55 per 500m. Try this for 2.5K between squats, deadlifts, lunges its a real killer on the legs.
ROWER = Best gym kit available.
[...] Read more here – http://gubernatrix.co.uk/2008/03/indoor-rowing-technique/ [...]
Great info and follow on comments. My dad won the gold at the British Indoor Rowing a few years ago and I thought I would start to train to see what it was like. I am fit and healthy but so far this machine is beating me. I have concentrated on technique and can row 5k with no problem but 2k is a struggle. I can’t seem to get the speed up high enough. My times are 10 minuts which I know is rubbish but don’t know where I am going wrong. Resistance is on 6, RPM is 33 for 1500k and up to 40 for last 500k. Any ideas how to increase the speed?? Thanks
Anna, take a look at my post on ergo training – this will really help you:
http://gubernatrix.co.uk/2008/03/indoor-rowing-training/
One of your issues is that your SPM is very high. You are probably cutting your stroke short and losing a lot of drive through the legs. You need to train at a lower SPM and focus on getting more from each stroke. The sample workouts in the post I linked to will help you.
hello there, its a nice day outside today, dont you think?
winter almost gone!!
Thank you very much for all the information!. At last things seem to become clear.
I do have a question though:
What’s the best way to build up muscle on a rower, instead of losing too much weight?
Are there any training programs for that?
My rower has a resistance level of 1-16.
Ik hope someone knows the best way to achieve this.
Thank you!
It’s very hard to build muscle on a rower, or any cardio machine. You need to lift weights, or at the least do bodyweight exercises such as pull ups and push ups.
I need to knock 30 seconds off my 2,000m time to hit my target of 8 mins but hope to achieve it.
I’ve not been rowing for very long, so this has pointed out a few areas I need to improve – thanks!
Still trying to find the best resistance.
http://www.martinprest.com/2012/01/05/my-secret-love-affair-concept-2-indoor-rowing-machine/
Good post Martin – and good luck with the rowing!
I have had a E.316 water rower for about 1 month after using magnetic rowers for a number of years. i have just posted my best ever time of 6.47min for 2000mts this was at resistance level1,having read the Concept web site it states that the resistance level is not important. I have always struggled with my technique but I think I have it about right its just about consistency from now on. Do you think my time compares with times posted on the Concept 2 I am 57 in May by the way.
You might find amateur times posted on the Concept2 website for your weight and age group. Also check out the results on http://www.crash-b.org/ – world indoor rowing championships.
However, the fact that he is taller is something you just need to live with as there aren’t different classes for height in rowing. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll always beat you – and if he does, it’s not necessarily because he’s taller
Hi
I’m trying to find guidelines for what’s OK for my 13 yr old son to do on the rowing machine i.e. how long should he be on it, how often, etc. Any advice?
Thanks
Jo
Hi Jo,
It depends what his goals are, but I can’t envisage a scenario where he would do any harm. Rowing is a low impact, non contact sport, there’s not a lot that can go wrong!
Check out http://concept2.co.uk for indoor rowing training programmes.
@Jo – there are lots of 13 year olds rowing, so he’s not doing something unusual. Make sure he works on his technique using the info at concept2.com, which also contains the world ranking to show how he’s doing. One tip would be to keep the resistance low, nothing higher than 3, to help protect his back. You may find more info at the 2 main rowing forums, one at the UK site above, the other at c2forum.com (that’s the US one).
i do 5k 4 x a week plus my weights and other cardio.
my time is 20 mins no faster no slower, happy with the time.
.my best time for 500 mtr was 1.29.9,
age 35,im 50 now and i der’nt try it.
good luck to all you rowers