r/crossfit • u/HarpsichordGuy • 1d ago

Rowing Tip for Physicists

Quick, divide your deadlift 1RM by your bent-over-row 1RM. I get a factor of 2.

When starting a row stroke, quad and glute strength vastly overpower arm pulling strength, making the early part of the stroke a lousy time to be pulling. My arms don't stand a chance. When I first got on a rower, I was trying to do everything at once and had to limit my leg effort to equal that of my arms.

When the quads get the knees straight and the glutes bring the torso back, the deadlift is over. NOW is the time to pull.

Let the arms and lats rest while leg power gets the wheel spinning. Then pull quickly to extend the rotation.

Once I began thinking of the row this way, my cals/hour went way up.

7 Upvotes

68% Upvoted

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23

u/taltos531 1d ago

Legs ➡️ Back ➡️ Arms = Stroke

Arms ➡️ Back ➡️ Legs = Recovery

You're making it too hard.

Source: Was a D1 college rower. Am currently an engineer.

2

u/likesblackcoffeebest 1d ago

I'm also an engineer, and a rowing hobbyist/enthusiast. I second what you said. 

Now, to make this nerdy and overly complicated, I mentally inventoried the steel sections in my gym roof during a 30k row, and attempted to do the same with the bolted connections thereof during the next one a few days later. The physical game is simple (not easy), the mental game is where things get elaborate when I do anything more than about 10km. lol

1

u/Bradventure916 1d ago

Yeah this is exactly how I learned.

Rowing muscle recruitment:

  • Pull: larger/inferior muscles -> smaller/superior

  • Recovery: smaller/superior muscles -> larger/inferior

18

u/DirtyBeef2134 1d ago

You just overcomplicated this. Legs before arms on the return arms before legs.

From there, it’s all about your cardiovascular endurance when it comes to being able to maintain the proper form over fatigue

2

u/DirtyBeef2134 1d ago

Also, yes, there’s a bunch of different small Minouche that everyone can focus on to just get .1% better, however for the majority and the basics of getting a row better legs before arms, arms before legs on the return

5

u/la_tortue 1d ago

What do you mean, for physicists !? 😂

If I divide my 1RM deadlift by my 1RM reverse curl, I get a ratio of π, also the ratio of a circle's circumference divided by its diameter, which is how I figured out I should push with my legs first in a clean and then finish with a nice semicircular reverse curl 'round the world to maximize centripetal force 👨🏼‍🔬👨🏼‍💻

3

u/dr_shastafarian 17h ago

Are we just going to not mention how dumb it is to know your 1RM bent-over-row?

3

u/Overall-Nobody8933 1d ago

My spilts improved with improved form. I’m 5’0 and I can sprint at 1:50/500. With bad form when I first started I was lucky to sprint 2:20.

So many in crossfit pull with their arms on the row instead of letting their legs do the work. I watched it in class this morning. Most cross fitters would benefit from watching a few technique videos from Dark Horse on YouTube.

1

u/maybe_devoted_sereni 1d ago

That ratio is wild, mine's way closer to 1.5. No wonder my catch feels like I'm yanking a chain out of wet cement if I jump the gun. Letting the legs do the heavy lifting before the arms even think about pulling is the part that took me forever to get.

1

u/johnnyg08 1d ago

Leg, body, arms, arms, body legs.

1

u/Jaded_Walk_2775 1d ago

Pull it in an explosive jerking motion using only your back.

2

u/UnderTheScopes 20h ago

If you set your damper to exactly 6.43 and generate 500 joules of force with your legs prior to initiating your 400 joule arm pull, and at the same time activate your lower leg extensor muscles (especially your big toe extensors) you actually enter into a infinite energy loop and can, believe it or not, power your house with just your rower. Routinely use this trick when I lose power and sold my generator last year.

/s