Rowing is a dynamic, full-body movement that can be both an incredible workout and a technical challenge. Over the years, I’ve honed my philosophy on rowing based on what I’ve learned from skilled coaches and personal experience. While rowing techniques and cues may vary among coaches, my focus has always been on maximizing power and minimizing inefficiencies. A successful rowing stroke is one that is fluid, relaxed, and efficient, channeling energy directly into the machine without unnecessary movements or wasted effort. This blog will walk you through key components of the rowing stroke—setup, drive, recovery, and more—so you can row with purpose, precision, and power.
Setup
How to Sit
Upright but relaxed, not too stiff
Sit forward, should be able to lean on knees
Avoid leaning back, prevents proper drive sequencing
Feet
Should be strapped in with the ball of the foot over the plate
Easy guide is have the strap over the end of the laces
Hands
Edges of the handle
Thumbs wrapped (!!)
Wrists should be flat
Drive Sequence
The two most important parts of the drive are sequence and length. If you do not have a smooth transition between legs, back, and arms, you will lose significant power and make rowing infinitely harder than it has to be. The other key is length, we want to try and put a lot of power into the machine over a long stroke. This starts with long arms and a significant reach forward, and a solid finish
Initiate with the legs
Keeps shoulders over the hips, arms long
Think about getting the heels down as quick as possible
DO NOT PULL SHOULDERS BACK EARLY
Press through the full foot, not just the toes (sometimes helps to think about pressing through heels specifically)
Opening the back
Happens ~½ way through the leg drive
Should finish after the legs are fully extended
THIS IS THE #1 FAULT I SEE IN CROSSFITTERS - OPENING TOO EARLY
Finish with a slight lean back, 1:00 on a clock
Arm pull
Not adding a significant amount of power
Just continuing momentum of pull from legs and back
Pull to the bottom of sternum
Arms should come straight forward and straight back, imagine the handle on top of a table
Recovery
A key part of the recovery is trying to do as little work as possible, the seat will want to slide back to the start without you having to do extra work. Make sure that arms are extending first, then back, then shoulders. It seems basic, but it is so often overlooked as part of a good rowing stroke, and can really make things so much easier.
Arms
The arms need to move first, this sets your momentum up to allow the machine to carry you to the catch
If you move anything else first, you will have to work harder to get back to the catch
Arms should move straight forward, avoid letting the hands drop and drag along the thighs
Please for the love of god, do not pause with your hands on your thighs, if you feel the need to pause and take a full breath before continuing, you are just going too fast or using a damper that is set too high
Imagine if you were running and you paused every time your foot hit the ground before taking another stride - this is what I see this pause as in rowing
Back
Once arms are FULLY extended, you can then swing the shoulders forward (11:00 position) so that you are slightly leaning forward
Should be upright, but not stiff, and a certain amount of back rounding is okay, just not excessive, stay off of thighs
Legs
Only after arms have cleared the knees and you have swung forward should you let your knees break and roll the slide back to the finish
The seat should roll back under control, and not crash towards the feet
The seat should come up as far forward as possible while maintaining a forward body angle and minimizing lower back flexion
Common Faults
The number 1 most common fault I see in Crossfitters is initiating the stroke by throwing the shoulders back before driving with the legs
Emphasize getting the heels down as the first part and keep the shoulders in front of the hips
Just like in olympic weightlifting, we want to keep our chest over the bar, just the same in rowing
Not finishing the stroke/pushing the hands away before extending the legs and finishing shoulder swing
Emphasize finishing the pull all the way into the sternum, slow down the stroke
Dropping the handle to the knees and pausing during the recovery
All this accomplishes is totally killing the momentum you have developed during the stroke, it throws off timing and makes the recovery significantly less efficient
Damper, Stroke Rate, Pacing
Setting the damper (STRIDE LENGTH ANALOGY)
In general, I think that a damper of 4-5 is the most effective for the widest range of athletes. I recommend this setting for everyone, maybe slightly lower for smaller athletes. This setting allows us to row in an aerobic range that permits continuous movement without overly fatiguing the leg muscles
I think that advanced athletes would benefit more from increasing their stroke rate (strokes per minute), rather than increasing the damper
An increased damper can be used in shorter efforts (500m or less) but if you are increasing damper beyond what you normally do, you can risk blowing up your legs with a stimulus you are unprepared for
Stroke Rate (per minute)
In general, the longer the distance the slower the stroke rate
For pieces 1000m or longer, I would recommend 18-22
For 500-1000m, I would recommend 22-26
500m or less, 26+
This will vary based on the anatomy of the athlete, shorter athletes will have naturally higher stroke rates and taller athletes will have lower
Pacing in Calories
Quick conversion
1200 cal/hr = 20 cal per minute
900 = 15 cal per minute
600 = 10 cal per minute
1500 = 25 cal per minute
1800 = 30 cal per minute
Rowing calories vs. meters
Common misconception, but there is no need to change your technique/pacing for calories or meters
The machine is just measuring how much power you are putting into it and converting that to meters or calories
Effective Warm Up Drills for Technique
Pick Drill
Start in finish
10 strokes arms only, keep shoulders leaned back
10 strokes arms and body, make sure to keep legs fully extended
10 strokes arms, body, and bringing legs up ½ way
10 full strokes
Can go through this progression more than once
Reverse Pick Drill
Begin in the catch
Perform 10 strokes, just the first half of the drive
This is very short, just practice engaging the legs first while keeping shoulders over the hips
10 strokes full legs, extend all the way while keeping shoulders over
10 strokes legs and back, keep arms straight the whole time (this one is very awkward)
10 full strokes
Pause Rowing
Have the whole class row together, pausing at various points in the recovery
Pause at hands away - keep the body leaned back in the finish
Pause at body over - extend hands and swing the shoulders forward while keeping legs down
Pause at ½ slide - hands extend, then swing shoulders over, and just break at the knees
Rowing is more than just pulling on a handle—it's a technical skill that demands attention to detail and intentional movement. By mastering the setup, drive, recovery, and avoiding common faults, you can make your stroke more effective and efficient. Whether you're rowing for fitness, competition, or recreation, remember that the goal is to move with control, power, and rhythm. With practice, patience, and these principles in mind, you’ll develop a rowing stroke that feels both powerful and effortless, helping you reach your fitness goals with confidence and precision.
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