Gentle Catch, No Shoulder Pain?

[SumBigGuyRowing]

I'm relatively new to my ergometer. I was a regular in the Spin class at my YMCA. I'm a 55 year old male. I was enjoying my ergometer for a couple of months, then I developed pain in my right shoulder. Not serious, but it prompted me to take a few days off.

Can you give me advice or guidance on how to do a more gentle catch. I wonder if, for a beginner, launching into the catch with a powerful leg-push, which will also lead to a pull-strain on the shoulder gives the feeling that "oh, yeah, I'm flying now, this is great". But maybe that's not really a good way to row. What do you think?

[mict450]

I wouldn't recommend trying for a more gentle catch. It should be powerful, strong & fast.

Your shoulder problem could possibly be due to a number of factors:
1. Overuse syndrome, ie: too much, too fast,
too soon. Increase time/distance or
intensity by no more than 10% per week
& never both at the same time.

2. Technique related. Your delts are
relatively small & weak when compared to
your lats. "Attempt" to bend the handle
in half to engage the lats more. They
should be taking the brunt of force
generated by the drive, not your shoulders.

3. Drag factor too high. Most recommend
110 to 130. I'm always well below 100
when erging. I'm assuming that you
have a Concept 2.

4. Are you shoulders raised in a shrugging
posture? Keep those shoulders down
and relaxed.

Rest, ice & anti-inflammatory meds are your friends. You are, like many of us, well north of 40. At our age, it's easier to get injured and once injured, takes a lot longer to get healthy. Take it slow & easy. You just have the rest of your life to enjoy erging. All the best to you.

[jamesg]

From a rowing point of view, make sure you are using a simple relaxed action with the correct sequences and no extraneous movement such as lifting the hands, flying elbows, handle under the chin at the finish.

At the catch, the correct recovery sequence and posture let us use the legs. This is essential on the erg, to accelerate our entire body mass to flywheel speed before the chain can engage. By maintaining length, this catch action reduces forces needed at the handle, for any given work and power. As far as possible, we use the shoulders only to transmit forces and not to develop work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0dzPz0tD5I

A video of your action can help, as also some data on height and weight; ratings and power in a typical workout; warmup procedure, drills used, drag factor, foot height. Ergdata can also show average stroke force and length.

The backstop drill as used for warmup can also show how we distribute work between legs and hips, shoulders and arms.

[G-dub]

Not seeing you in action makes this tough. Could it be you are over extending your arms/shoulders and trying to reach too far? Keeping shoulders down and more packed in may help

[max_ratcliffe]

Where is your shoulder pain? Well, in the shoulder, obviously, but...

If it's anterior pain, beneath the anterior delt, then it could be a spot of biceps tendonitis. So it could be getting caused by breaking your arms too early. If that's the case, then I found that really making sure I hold the handle loosely helps me keep my arms "long" and not pull too soon.

Lots of "ifs" there, but we don't have much to go on.