Training Tips

12/05/2014 - For all you "arm rowers"... Bodyweight Activation Drill for Rowing with Erin Cafaro

"Erin won’t lay claim to the drill, as it has been around the rowing world for a very long time under many different aliases – like a top CIA spook – but she will stand behind its effectiveness and even uses it for her Olympic Medal contending athletes. This drill teaches you how to activate your bodyweight on the drive of the rowing stroke and can be done with a partner or a tie down to secure the handle (i.e. not letting you pull the row handle beyond the catch position). From here, your goal is to try and become “light” on the seat by driving through your heals, engaging those glutes, and activating the entire PC. The resulting affect is that the more weight you “lighten” from the seat, the more of that weight – your body weight – that you have on the handle and increasing the force on your stroke. The other huge benefit to this drill is that it forces the straight arm we have spoken about in so many of our row drill videos. Just try and see how long you can stay bent arm in this position, after you are done ego blasting you will learn that straight arms are one of your better friends in life. This is an easy drill with complex ramifications… go out there and have fun with it."

As seen on Athlete Cell.