Tag: rowing
Question of the Day
When we row with our feet out of the foot stretchers I have a lot of trouble getting up the slide never mind getting up on time, and it’s really embarrassing being the only one in the boat who obviously struggles with these drills. Is there any thing I can work on to improve this area?
It sounds like you’re not getting or staying connected throughout the stroke and are most likely trying to use your calves and shins to pull you up the slide. If you lack connection at the catch, as you pull through the drive your feet are going to come off the stretchers and you’re going to “fall” backwards, which is obviously going to make it pretty difficult to get back up the slide on the recovery in time with everyone else.
The first thing you have to do is establish that connection right as the blade enters the water at the front end. In this instance the connection refers to the grip the blade has on the water and the relationship between the body and the handle. In order for you to have good connection, regardless of whether you’re rowing feet in or feet out, the blade has to go straight to the water at the catch, meaning there has to be an immediate unweighting of the handle as you come into the front end. If you’re already at full compression when you unweight your hands, your entry to the water will be late. You have to anticipate your arrival to the catch and time your hands accordingly, if that makes sense. Basically what I’m saying is that when you’re about two inches away from the front end with your slide, your hands should already be moving up to drop the blade in.
Once your blade is in the water, you have to maintain a consistent application of power throughout the entire drive. Keeping your quads engaged will be a big help here. As you approach the finish also be aware of how much you’re laying back. If you’re laying back too far then you’re going to end up in the lap of the rower behind you, which is going to result in your feet flying off the stretchers. Having a good squeeze right at the end of the stroke combined with maintaining a similar layback to when you’re rowing feet in will help you maintain that connection with the stretchers. If you lack connection at the finish you’ll end up having to reset your feet and use your hamstrings, calves, and shins to pull you up the slide which will lead to all sorts of problems, the least of which is your timing at the catch.
When your coach or coxswain tells you to stay connected, don’t just think “OK, I have to keep my feet on the stretchers”, think “I have to keep X, Y, and Z muscles engaged throughout the drive so that my finish is supported”. Connection at the catch, a consistent drive, and supported finished are the main components you want to shoot for here. If you find you’re still having trouble with this on the water, try spending some time on the erg rowing feet out, preferably beside a mirror so you can watch yourself. I’d also recommend doing some planks to help you strengthen your core. Core strength is a huge component in having a supported finish and is especially important to have when rowing feet out.
College Rowing Video of the Week
Video of the Week: Into the Cut
How quickly do you think going three boats across down the cut would teach a coxswain to steer straight as an arrow?
Question of the Day
Hi! I tried looking online about my “problem” and I couldn’t find much so here I am, looking for some help! My coach always tells me that I “open” the body too early at the catch/drive. I don’t understand what he means because every time I try to correct it, I’m wrong. Do you have any solution that could help me? Thanks a lot.
Sure! So, opening up the back/body too early means that you’re starting your layback before the legs are all the way down (aka before you’ve finished the leg drive). I’ll try and illustrate this below with one of my typically-crude illustrations because I think things like this are easier to understand when you can visualize them. The explanations are in the picture but if something doesn’t make sense, feel free to comment and I’ll clarify.
Coxswains, this is something in particular you can be watching for when the rowers are on the ergs. If you see someone opening their back too early (as illustrated above) or doing the opposite, which would be shooting their tails (when you essentially take the legs completely out of the drive and use only your upper body for power, leading to lots of fun low-back problems), correct them and go through the proper sequence with them once or twice until they get it.
Rowers, if you’re having issues with getting the sequencing down, try doing the reverse pick drill on the erg (or ask your coach if you can add it to your warmup the next time you go out). This will go through the legs-back-arms progression one section at a time starting with legs only (arms and body stay in the “body over” position), followed by the back (legs down, back in the layback position, arms straight out), and then finishing with the arms (legs – back – arms).
Q&A Rowing Teammates & Coaches
Question of the Day
Hi, I’m debating talking to my coach about why I am not in the first boat. I am not trying to be cocky I just want to know what’s preventing me from being in the top boat. I’ve consistently been within top 5 for both raw scores, and weight adjusted on the ergs. My coaches tell me I have a great attitude and I’m assuming my technique is fine because he has never said otherwise, plus I stroke 2V. When we do pieces at most 1V is a seat ahead of us. Do you think asking could come off as egotistical?
There’s definitely a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it but as long as you’re not coming off as whining and “why am I not getting my way, you have no idea what you’re missing, I’m so much better than this person”, I don’t think there’s any harm in you asking. I would actually encourage you to talk to your coach and see what he/she says. If you truly think you’re on par with the rowers in the 1V and your coach doesn’t give any indication that he/she disagrees, I would ask for a seat race.
If your coach gives you a reason or reasons as to why you’re in the 2V, take it in and make an effort to work on whatever things might be keeping you out of the 1V. It’s possible that there’s nothing keeping you out except for the fact that only eight rowers can fit in the boat (which sounds like that might be the case). As annoying as it is, let that motivate you to work harder so that when it comes time to make lineups your coach says “this guy who’s been stroking the 2V has really been stepping up lately, let’s see what he looks like in the 1V”.
College Q&A Rowing Training & Nutrition
Question of the Day
What are the differences between rowing programs for DI, DII, and DIII schools? I know only DI and DII can offer scholarships but other than that what’s the difference as far as intensity and daily routine go?
Each program at each division is as intense as they want to be. I think it’s assumed, and in most cases subsequently shown, that D1 programs operate at a higher level of intensity than other programs, mainly because the expectations (from the athletic department, alumni, overall history/legacy of the team, etc.) are so high.
In terms of daily routine, that’s also going to differ between programs. The two D1 programs I’ve been a part of had/have two practices a day, at least four days a week, and then one long Saturday morning practice. Lifting was typically done twice a week but that changes based on the season. These are done as a team whereas at the D3 level lifts are done on your own, which gives you the flexibility to work around your schedule and fit it in when you can. The number of hours you can practice with a coach present differs between division 1/2 and division 3 with D3 getting less time than D1/2 (hence why they only practice together once a day).
Suicide Awareness + Prevention
Yesterday morning about midway through practice the lightweight guys did an on-the-water “tribute” for suicide awareness and prevention. The lightweights started doing this last year after they were approached about getting involved with the group that was holding an awareness and prevention walk in the park on the other side of the inlet. They thought it would be cool to do something on the water so they had the middle four rowers take their oars out of the oarlocks and stand up in the boat.
This year they managed to get the bow 7 of the far left boat standing and the middle 6 of the other two. It was really cool to see and so funny to watch as they all carefully removed their oars and stood up. It was about 45-50 degrees outside so there was a lot of motivation to move as gingerly as possible so as to avoid falling in the water. I didn’t notice until we were finished but there was actually a good sized group of people on the shore watching us and clapping for the guys when they got everyone standing up. They all said thank you to those of us in the launches and seemed genuinely grateful for the guys’ contribution.
When I was a freshman at Syracuse in 2006 I think there was something like three suicides at Cornell/in Ithaca in the month of August alone. (The gorges are popular jumping spots.) It was really jarring because as a freshman in college, hearing about so many people taking such extreme measures to rid themselves of their problems made me really nervous about the next few years. Fast forward a few years to 2010 with all the suicides of teenagers and young adults because they were being bullied over their sexual orientation or typical teenage bullshit. Fast forward again just a few months and that was when I started hearing about people my age committing suicide at alarming rates because they were so overwhelmed by student loan debt and being unable to find a decent paying job. I still read articles about this and it scares the shit out of me because I relate to that stuff so hard.
I think the vast majority of people who read this blog are either in high school, are in college, or have just graduated and there’s a lot of shit that goes along with being at each one of those stages in life. If you see or suspect someone is having a hard time, offer your support. All it takes is just letting someone know they can talk to you if they ever need it and then actually being there when they need you.
If you see or hear someone bullying someone else, say something. Someone’s personal hardships, who they’re into, what they look like, etc. doesn’t make them cannon fodder. Sometimes people make really shitty decisions when they’re in a dark place – been there, done that – and more often than not it’s a call for help and having crass remarks directed towards them is not what they need. If you notice any of the warning signs of someone being suicidal, you have a responsibility to tell someone. That someone should be an adult – one of your coaches, a parent, a teacher, a counselor at school, etc. Do not just brush it off as them being dramatic or trying to get attention.
If you’re going through something, regardless of what it is or how big, small, or insignificant it seems, talk to someone. If you don’t think you can talk to a friend, parent, coach, or someone at school, you’re always more than welcome to email me. Sometimes (or most of the time) it’s a lot easier to vent to a stranger about things that are going on than it is to talk to people you know. It can be hard for the people who know you to understand that but I get it so you can always email me if you’ve got something going on and need someone to talk to. I’m available to give advice or just listen. I really hate when people try to solve my problems for me so if you just want to get stuff of your chest and rant, go for it.
This post isn’t entirely related to crew but hopefully you can see how it has a place in our sport. Like eating disorders, it’s something that isn’t talked about enough. That combined with the stigma of mental health issues contributes to a large part of the reason why people don’t ask for help and then the people who knew them lament over how “normal” they seemed because they never came off as sad or depressed. You’d be surprised how easy it is to keep all that stuff hidden if you really wanted to. There’s a lot of pressure with rowing, a lot more than there is with other sports at times, and sometimes it can be overwhelming when combined with everything else we’ve got going on. Suicide is never the answer though. There’s always people willing to help, regardless of whether they’re a friend or a stranger.
Image via // @beantownkmd
The hardest core workout you’ll ever do
If you follow me on Instagram then you probably saw my post about the plank progression the guys did at practice today. I definitely recommend trying it and seeing how far you can make it through the progression. It’s a great way to build core strength, which as we all know is crucial to having a good stroke. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though … it hurts.
8 seconds middle plank – 8 seconds left side plank – 8 seconds right side plank
5 seconds rest
16 seconds middle plank – 16 seconds left side plank – 16 seconds right side plank
5 seconds rest
32 seconds middle plank – 32 seconds left side plank – 32 seconds right side plank
5 seconds rest
64 seconds middle plank – 64 seconds left side plank – 64 seconds right side plank
5 seconds rest
2:08 middle plank
5 seconds rest
4:16 middle plank
5 seconds rest
8:32 middle plank
In total that comes to about 21 minutes of planking if you manage to make it all the way to the end. A good way to gauge whether or not you’re doing the planks right is if you’re shaking and having a hard time breathing … good luck!
Image via // @mitmensrowing
Question of the Day
Hi! I’m a novice and I have a problem with my oar. My coach said that it doesn’t square early enough. I square just before the drive but he said I need to square earlier. I don’t understand how I can do this ? I feel like I will catch a crab if I square too early (which I did twice today). Do you have any solutions or a way to know how to square at the right time? Is my oar too close to the water on the recovery? Thank you, your blog is the best btw!!
When you say “just before the drive” I assume you mean just before the catch. You do need to square earlier than that, so your coach is correct. Ideally, you’d be squaring or starting to square over your knees, meaning that when you reach the bodies over position of the recovery your blade would be squared or starting to square. I usually like to have the people I’m coaching start squaring over their knees and be completely squared by 3/4 slide, that way all they have to do when they reach the catch is unweight the handle and drop the blade in. If you wait longer than that and start to square around 3/4 slide (this is know as a “quick catch”) you run the risk of going in the water late. (This is more so the case with younger rowers, not so much experienced ones.)
If you’re catching crabs trying to square your blade then yes, your blade is probably too close to the water. That’s probably partially because of the boat being unset and down to your side and your hands being too high. Both of those things seem counter-intuitive but it only takes one person to offset the boat, so it is possible.
Next time you go out I would focus really hard on keeping your hands level coming out of the finish (imagine gliding them across a table top) and starting to square as soon as your hands are over your knees. It’s going to feel awkward and uncomfortable but that’s how most changes in rowing feel. I promise it’ll help a lot though. Just think to yourself “hands away, square, place, push”.
College Novice Q&A Rowing Technique
Question of the Day
Hi! I started rowing last spring for my college and I was sculling basically all the time. (I swept like twice I think, the first 2 learn-to-row things). However, this year, my coach wants me in a four. We had our first practice yesterday evening and it was awful. I couldn’t do anything right and I was a pain in the ass for the others. Do you have any general advice for a rower that goes from sculling to sweeping ? (I was rushing my slide and couldn’t get the blade in correctly either). Thanks!
If it was your first day in the four and only third time sweeping, there’s only so much fault they can put on you for practice sucking. I mean, if you’re used to sculling it might take a couple days to get used to sweeping. That’s fairly natural, I think. I would talk to your coach about the issues you’re having and ask her to maybe work with you a bit if you’ve got a dock rower or to maybe lengthen out the warmup a bit and watch/correct your form as you go along before you get into the day’s workout.
With regards to rushing, just … relax. Get used to following another person and taking your time on the recovery. Keep your eyes forward and watch their body move. Anticipate their movements and move with them. Focus on the sequence (arms – back – legs coming out of the finish) and matching your sequence to the person in front of you.
With getting the blade in right, there’s a million things that could be. It all starts at the finish though. If your recovery is poor you’re not going to have a good catch. Work out those issues and getting the blade in will start to become a little easier and feel a bit more natural. Get to the catch, place the blade, then push. Repeat that to yourself – place, push. Place, push.