Rowing is one of those movements where you either love it or hate it.
For some, no matter how hard they pull on the handle that elusive split time just doesn’t go down. What can I do to get better???
For many one of the best cues is to push not pull.
For the untrained eye most people perceive the rowing movement as a pull of the arms when in reality majority of the effort is the extension of the knees and hips (push). A change in the way you approach the movement will make a massive improvement in your rowing times.
Our muscles around our legs and hips are far stronger than those of the upper body; by using the bigger muscles first we can then maximize our output.
Check out Brian Shaw (Worlds Strongest Man) rowing 100m, I doubt that there is anyone able to pull a faster 100m! (Not too sure how he would go for 2km though 😉 )
How to fix it???
The Knee and Hip drill
Set up in the 11 o’clock position with knees bent and initiate the rowing movement by driving through the legs.
Focus on bracing through the mid-section abs and back staying tight as you drive back. Finish off the movement by extending through the hips and finishing in the 1 o’clock position, do not bend the arms at all.
On your return count 2 seconds and time it so that you are ready to go for your next stroke after the 2 second count. Work through 5 sets of 10 when you are rowing next and then notice the gains as your power output goes through the roof.
Watch the video below to see exactly how to perform the drill.
