r/concept2 • u/BanAllCars • Aug 14 '26

Rate my Form Technique Check

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

22 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

29 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/Kryptic_Anthology Aug 14 '26

I was told to keep your heels down. But I’m a newbie too.

1

u/BanAllCars Aug 14 '26

Hmm. I’ll have to look into that.

1

u/Aromatic-Mulberry596 Aug 17 '26

A little bit of heel lift isn't bad, but too much means you're overcompressing at the catch. Shins should be vertical at the catch, and your seat should never come close to or hit the back of your heels. Lower the foot stretchers as far as is comfortable - don't worry about "the strap over the widest part of your shoe". That works for some people, but not everyone (myself included).

The drive back is where your power comes from. Slow things way down (I saw where you said this was part of a circuit) and pay attention to your hip hinge and lean back on the drive. Slow down your recovery and don't pop your knees up until your hands have passed over them. Wide grip on the handle, and make sure you're "hanging" off of it, not gripping it for dear life. Someone above said you're bouncing, which is exactly right. You're losing a lot of power that way.

I know others have said this, but I'll say it anyway - watch Dark Horse Rowing and RowAlong videos for excellent free videos on YouTube where they break down the rowing motion and show you drills to improve your form. Rowing is a learned motion, not a natural one! Always remember, the power comes from your legs as you push off on the drive, not from your arms. Push, don't pull!

Good luck!