Rowing Machine

Technique

Start with knees bent, arms extended, and grip on the handle. Drive through your legs first, then lean back slightly and pull the handle to your lower ribs, finishing with your elbows back. Reverse the sequence smoothly: extend arms, lean forward, then bend your knees to return to the start. Keep your back flat throughout the stroke.

Steps

1. Set your feet securely and grip the handle with straight wrists
2. Drive the seat back by extending your legs
3. Lean back slightly once your legs are nearly straight
4. Pull the handle to your lower ribs with your elbows behind you
5. Extend your arms, hinge forward, and bend your knees to recover

Common mistakes

• Pulling with the arms before initiating the leg drive
• Rounding the lower back at the catch
• Bending the knees before the handle clears them on the recovery
• Leaning excessively far back at the finish

Variations

• Low-damper steady-state rowing
• Higher-damper power rowing
• Feet-out rowing
• Single-arm rowing

FAQ