Request for form feedback re:burning forearms

[tkriplean]

Just to add something else, last thing I promise, when you mention lack of shoulder flexibility, do you drive a lot and have a desk job? I'd definitely recommend doing reverse planks / bridges after each session if you do, as this is ideal to counteract the rowing action and properly open up your shoulders and upper back.

There's no downside to doing this and it can be as long or short as you want. I always do it after a session now after my wife commented that I was starting to get a slight hunchback!!

Indeed, I started doing this a couple weeks ago! Because I read you suggesting it in a different thread Your wisdom precedes you. Now that I'm thinking about it, supermans might be good to throw into the mix too: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitne ... w-to-do-it

And yes, I'm on my computer a lot in a compromised position.

[reuben]

Now that I'm thinking about it, supermans might be good to throw into the mix too: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitne ... w-to-do-it

If that superman gets too easy, try doing them with a rollout wheel, straight ahead or alternating a bit to each side. Toes and wheel are the only things that touch the ground. I can't do them anymore, but I should get back on that wagon.

[Cyclist2]

I agree with MPx and iain about the wrist motion at the finish. Early in the video you're curling your wrists down, later you are overcompensating, curling your wrists up. Do neither, just pull straight into your sternum, don't worry about where your elbows are. Just let it feel natural. Even small movements like that over a long distance will fatigue your forearms.

I had a forearm fatigue issue from feathering my oars on the water. I started doing exercises to strengthen them and the issue went away. The exercises I do are what I call weighted roll ups - get a short closet rod, dowel, or an old model B/C wood handle, attach a 4' rope to the center and put a weight on the end, then just roll up the rope. Do it overhand and underhand, in both directions. Your forearms will be burning after a few of those, believe me. I went from a grip strength of around 80lbs to over 100lbs after a few months.

Your overall stroke looks good otherwise, no major flaws that I see, just keep tweaking away at it until it all feels like second nature.

[nick rockliff]

Your stroke overall is fine whichever method you end up using. I've flicked my wrists at the end of the stroke for 20 years and never had a problem.

I do see something which others don't seem to have mentioned. At the catch your grip and arms seem relaxed as they should. After about the first 15cm/6 inches of the drive you seem to tense your grip and your arms quite dramatically.

[tkriplean]

I do see something which others don't seem to have mentioned. At the catch your grip and arms seem relaxed as they should. After about the first 15cm/6 inches of the drive you seem to tense your grip and your arms quite dramatically.

Oh wow, good catch, eagle eye! I bet this is the brace from when my heels touch down and more power starts to be transferred. I think maybe my shoulders are too far forward, leading me to brace too much with my arms and not enough with my lats. Maybe if I don't reach quite so far, my heels won't come up as much, my shoulders can stay back, my back won't round as much, and I can focus on bracing with my lats / core instead of arms. Thanks Nick!

[tkriplean]

I had a forearm fatigue issue from feathering my oars on the water. I started doing exercises to strengthen them and the issue went away. The exercises I do are what I call weighted roll ups - get a short closet rod, dowel, or an old model B/C wood handle, attach a 4' rope to the center and put a weight on the end, then just roll up the rope. Do it overhand and underhand, in both directions. Your forearms will be burning after a few of those, believe me. I went from a grip strength of around 80lbs to over 100lbs after a few months.

I love this exercise, it has been part of my lifting routine for awhile! I think my forearm strength is decent enough (e.g. I can deadlift ~400lbs w/o straps), but what you said earlier is more likely the issue: small issues in the stroke compounded over long distances can lead to a lot of burn.

[tkriplean]

I put together everyone's insights and came to some realizations. To use Stu's term, I went and "interrogated" my stroke and came back with what I hope are some improvements. It should address most of what we discussed on the finish, as well as hopefully what Nick pointed out about my catch (or close to my catch). Here's an update with the realizations and the adjusted stroke:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp9jgxAyoxs[/youtube]

I feel stronger in this stroke, at least for the short period I tested it out. Overall, I'm least confident in whether I addressed Nick's observation that I'm greatly tensing my arms near the catch.

I'm going to give a half marathon trial a go again tomorrow. We'll see if I can maintain these changes under pressure, or if I'll need to gradually introduce them

Thank you everyone!

[nick rockliff]

I do see something which others don't seem to have mentioned. At the catch your grip and arms seem relaxed as they should. After about the first 15cm/6 inches of the drive you seem to tense your grip and your arms quite dramatically.

Oh wow, good catch, eagle eye! I bet this is the brace from when my heels touch down and more power starts to be transferred. I think maybe my shoulders are too far forward, leading me to brace too much with my arms and not enough with my lats. Maybe if I don't reach quite so far, my heels won't come up as much, my shoulders can stay back, my back won't round as much, and I can focus on bracing with my lats / core instead of arms. Thanks Nick!

Your feet are probably a tad too high too. Try dropping then a hole.

[MPx]

That bit from the side about a minute in looks really good to me. The bit after that from the front looks like some sort of TRex/flick was creeping back in just a little bit? You'll be doing well to keep the new stuff going through the extended time of a HM. Don't beat yourself up about it...may take a couple more goes to ingrain the improvements when tired. Best of luck....

[Sakly]

Aside to the other observations, I would try to raise your hands a bit on the catch, as you will get a faster force engagement/flywheel connection. You see the handle raises some cm from catch during the first few cm of the stroke. This creates slack, which robs you some power.

[tkriplean]

Failed again, same forearm issue, around the same time

I think I mostly successfully implemented the changes, though sometimes it felt a bit like whack-a-mole.

Perhaps this is partly or mostly a mental thing, where I'm now expecting to be hit with forearm failure, and by making it salient, I'm overly susceptible to playing up the pain? The fact that my forearms feel like rocks after a failure seems like evidence against this hypothesis. Then again, after a 1 minute rest, I was able to easily row another 10k at HM+15 pace (and lower rate) without any forearm discomfort (and my forearm was squishy again by the end of the effort). Perhaps there's just some sort of effort/duration threshold I'm creeping over that leads to accumulative forearm fatigue / pump?

I think I'll give this one more shot before end of season, and if I fail there, I'll give up for a bit and enter another training phase.

Thanks again for all your ideas.

[Ombrax]

Failed again, same forearm issue, around the same time

Did you record a video to confirm that you aren't doing anything subconsciously?

If I had to guess, I'd say it's grip or wrist-action related. Try holding the handle with your thumbs on top instead of under it. That will prevent you from over-gripping the handle, and your fingers will still have plenty of power to hand on to the handle.

It feels a bit strange a first, but quickly became an instinctive part of my routine. (doing that helped eliminate an elbow problem I had for quite a while)

Good Luck

[Steff]

Travis,
Looking good, try these things:
At the finish realise that your forearms will be diagonal to the handle, so to grip it tightly you'll have bent joints. Instead try to use just the pointers and maybe middle fingers at the finish, the thumbs aren't involved - let the rest of your hand do nothing, it may not even be in contact with the handle. This situation doesn't happen when sculling because the oars are diagonal to the forward force of the stroke but perpendicular to the forearms.
In the recovery, your knees are breaking too early: sit forward on the seat, on the sit bones, and let body follow the arms away before you break the knees. If you set the body forward before you lift the knees, it will get rid of the lunge - you want the tension at the catch to be developing in the legs and stomach and then you release it with a squeezeeee, not tension in the upper body or arms, the latter just hang!
I agree with the other comments that huge late pressure on the arms may be your source of discomfort, but I am only guessing. Cheers.

[Ruin Christmas]

Travis,

NB: I just started 2 months ago, am much slower than you, and know little about form. But one thing that helped me cope with shoulder/grip annoyances and make rowing more comfortable and ergonomic was the Trakfitness Sportrower (I don't work for them but not sure if we are allowed to link to another company, just search for it). It was easy to attach and if you are just rowing for fun & fitness like me it might be worth a shot if none of the other advice proves fruitful.

[jamesg]

I can't continue gripping the handle.

So don't do it. You have far too much action with the forearms. Relax. Let your wrists stay flat and straight. Otherwise they make us suffer, as you have observed.

Rowing is all about relaxation. We can't possibly carry the forces generated by our legs, through bent wrists. Those forces are far too high.

Rowing is done by using the legs to come fast off the stretcher: because boats and flywheels go fast. Nothing else.