How to use your glutes in rowing.
Timestamps
00:45 Are your glutes activating?
David Frost (webinar speaker – Functional Movement for over 60s) said Are your glutes ‘along for the ride’?
Are your glutes working – how do you know if they are working?
Watch video of yourself rowing – check your legs are pressing down flat and your arms draw. But can you see your back swing? Are you starting leaning forward and do your shoulders move dynamically? Activating the back swing uses the glutes. They are the hinge that connects your legs to your back.
02:30 Legs initiate the drive
The power phase starts with your legs and when you get to a point where your legs are very nearly straight, you should be beginning your back swing. If your back is passive and isn’t accelerating the oar through the water (if the water mound in front of the spoon reduces) you aren’t using your back enough to go faster than the boat is currently going through the water. Your body has to move quicker than the blade to keep pressure on the face of the oar spoon.
03:30 Why glutes matter
If your back is passive then you’ve probably lost connection to the foot stretcher. When you do activate your glutes you’re recruiting extra muscles to power your stroke. But it’s hard to activate the glutes. Strengthening the glutes is also important so we can make them really useful. Christiano Ronaldo the footballer was warming up with glute activations – this is interesting – an elite pro athlete still feels the need to activate his glutes before starting playing.
06:00 Exercises for glute strength
- Clamshell – lie on your side on the floor, knees bent and ankles pressed together. Raise and lower the upper knee. Swap sides.
- Fire Hydrant – kneeling on all fours with hands below the shoulders. Lift one knee out to the side with a bent leg. Raise and lower the knee keeping the ankle at the same height as the knee.
- Crab Walk – Using a gym elastic band across your thighs, crouch down a little and walk sideways 10 steps in each direction.
08:00 How to activate glutes for rowing
First know how to activate the muscle and know what it feels like when it is working before trying it in the boat. When approaching the catch clench your bum (butt). You are looking for the feeling of ‘holding in a fa*t and you don’t want to let it out’. This activates the muscles and when you drive with your legs, the muscles are engaged.
Watch the numbers on the erg first – do 10 strokes approaching the catch first. Then do normal rowing without clenching for 10 strokes. For an improved back swing, the body swing only drill is good to do – get a video of it free from the Coach Mastermind course.
