RowAlong Community Forum

In case you hadn't spotted it, I recently uploaded a video where I compared my Concept2, RP3, Aviron and Water Rower - all rowing 200m at full force, capped at 20spm.

It's not a water tight testing protocol - but I think it's revealing enough.

On top of that, I also tested whether using a deep layback, and pulling the handle up to my throat made a difference.

If you haven't watched it already, here it is: https://youtu.be/j8Cfx22qbLE?si=DATgMeCMZrI9CwoP

It was a most interesting and indeed revealing post.
You were stating that the deep layback stroke can be done for a short while, yet is unhealthy as ordinary stroke style ("You will get injured)"
I don't like that deep layback business at all (in fact i don't care as much about speed, as I do about stroke efficiency), yet wat atrribute of the deep layback stroke make it unhealthy, and where will one get injured then?

Well, firstly - lower back problems. I had to spend a LONG time stretching / yoga and my massage gun on my lower back after making the video as the force at the back of the stroke goes right into my L2 area when rowing this way. Either the exception of the RP3, which doesn't have that 'stop' at the back, localising the force.

But also, the strain on the core, the forearms and the shoulders is massively amplified when rowing this way. So yes, I could go noticeably faster, but at a potentially huge cost.

And even if I could get past the other issues, the lower back one is the deal-breaker for me.

John

John, what you discovered has created a corollary to my Prime Directive for long term success, which is "When in doubt, do less (or go slower)." The rowing corollary is "When in doubt about your form, don't change." I don't know if I have perfect, let alone good, rowing form, but I haven't been injured in 3 years of rowing which is what I want, so until I know I should be doing something different, I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing. If the time comes along and I do get injured and it's clear that it's the result of a form problem, or I need to change my form as a result of a hip replacement or something, THEN and only then will I change.

At first glance I misread the title as "Rowing machine slowdown" and thought yeah, me too, I feel your pain!