Improving your Rowing

Getting Better:

If I had to name one reason why I love sport it would be this: you can always get better at it. The opportunity to get better makes me show up, encourages me to work hard, keeps me engaged in the process, and teaches me that each time I think I’ve found a new limit, I can test it. There’s endless satisfaction to be had in achieving something your body has never done before.

I believe in CrossFit, but I’ll always be a rower first. This series of videos is geared towards all of you who are CrossFit athletes first, to allow you to think of yourselves as rowers.  We begin the series with a general overview of the stroke, and delve into more specific technique elements as the series goes on. I’ve tried to keep each video fairly simple, one technical element at a time. (my favorite part is that it’s endless…there’s always more technique!)

Here’s the first go: How the rowing stroke should look on the Concept2

Here’s the first break-down: Why you should NEVER stop the flow of the handle

Notes on Practice:

We drive up the hill of achievement by pushing in two areas. Technique is our front-wheel drive.  Efficiency of motion and technical simplicity grab the road ahead and allow us to get greater, bigger results for each watt of energy applied. Fitness is the rear-wheel drive. The heart, the lungs, the oxygen delivery system push us from behind and offer our main support. We need both. And both can be endlessly improved.

Try to spend some time working on technique without the stress of being at your physical max effort level. Go through the stroke in slow motion, get used to the flow.

It’s important to continue to be aware of technique as your effort level increases. The ability to maintain efficient technique at higher levels of stress is the goal.

Sara-Mai Conway is the owner of Flywheel Fitness, an Indoor Rowing and Cycling Studio, and the director of Austin Rowing Club. Sara-Mai has coached rowers for over ten years at the NCAA Division I level. She continues to compete and most recently raced at the 2010 San Diego Crew Classic.