Upper back pain is actually quiet common with rowing.

There are a few reasons that it might happen, and I cover them in this video.

Specifically, I talk about whether it could be your rib, and some things you might want to pay attention to. In the next video and blog post I will cover some things you can do off the rower.

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Do you get shin pain when you row or afterward?

It's possible that you are overusing your feet and shin muscles while you are rowing.

There are some things you can do off the machine, but you also want to pay attention to what you are doing on the machine.

In this video I show some things you might be doing while rowing to contribute to these symptoms and a drill to help stop them.

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I get this question a lot and I will answer this to the best of my abilities here This is actually from my book, but I thought it might be helpful to put here too.

First off, there are four different types of rowing machines and they are classified based on the type of resistance they use: magnetic, air, hydraulic, or water.26 Different people tend to prefer one over the other, or are looking for a bargain and choose one based on that. In my opinion, the best way to choose a rower is to try a few out. Go to a local fitness studio or gym equipment store and try the rowers that they have. Some people love the sound of the whoosh whoosh that the water-based rowers make. Some people like the quietness of some of the magnetic machines. It really is about your personal preference. I do talk about the WaterRower and Concept2 in this book because they are the most common ones, but I will talk about them more here too. With that in mind, let me give you a brief overview of the different types of resistance.
 
Magnetic Resistance
 
These are usually the quietest machines, so if that is important to you, you might want to look at these types of rowers. These machines usually give you a smooth rowing feeling as well. They use magnets and a spinning flywheel to change the resistance you feel on the machine. The biggest disadvantage to these machines is that they don’t really simulate water rowing as much, but if you just want a good workout, go for it. As long as your criteria are met, then yay! I talk more about the criteria later in this section.26
 
Air Resistance
 
Air resistance is the most popular type of rowing machine. The resistance is based on airflow through a flywheel, so as you pull, the flywheel spins. The more power you put into your stroke, the faster the flywheel spins. These machines also have a form of damper setting, mentioned earlier in this book. Air resistance machines are good at replicating rowing on the water, the resistance adjusts with your rowing, it’s smooth, and it usually needs less maintenance. The downside is that these machines are usually a little louder than other options.26 The Concept2 is an example of this type of machine and is considered the “gold standard” with rowing machines. 
 
The Concept2 is the most common machine used in CrossFit boxes, Row House, and erg rooms for people who do the sport of crew. The way this machine feels is pretty similar to being on the water and the numbers correlate very well to numbers that people would get when rowing on the water. So people competing often use this machine. Concept2 also has an online database to compare times with other people and competitions throughout the year as well. Most of the apps that are created for the indoor rowing machine are compatible with the Concept2. However, this machine is a little more expensive, with a current price tag of roughly USD $900.27 People will search for these machines to go on sale, and they get purchased fairly quickly, however this machine holds its value fairly well and can have multiple millions of meters on it and still work great. Even though this machine feels like being on the water, it uses air resistance, not water.
 
Hydraulic Resistance
 
These rowing machines are usually at a lower price point and are often quiet as well. These machines will still give you a good workout, but they aren’t very comfortable or as smooth as the other options. The hydraulic rowing mechanism uses pistons that are attached to the handles, and you pull against the air or fluid in the cylinder, and levels or clamps change the resistance. A downside is that the resistance will not stay consistent, as the oil heats up, the resistance will change. These rowing machines often have two handles as well, which can be nice if you want that type of movement. Another thing to keep in mind is that these machines often need more maintenance.26
 
Water Resistance
 
Water rowers use paddles in the water as their form of resistance. There is water in a tank, and when you pull on the handle, the paddles move the water. The mass of the water moving creates a drag and therefore creates resistance. Similar to air resistance machines, the more power you put, the more the water moves. These machines are usually quieter than an air-based machine, are nice and smooth, and sound nice. There is also little maintenance needed with these machines. 
 
The WaterRower is an example of this type of machine. There are water rowers that are not this brand, but the brand WaterRower is the next most common water based rowing machine that people get, and is roughly the same price as a Concept2, currently at USD $895.28 People love the sound this machine makes, as it makes you feel like you are on the water. If you are going to get this machine, there are some things you might want to consider. First, the footplate is actually a little narrower than it is on some other machines. So, if you have wider hips or shoulders, this is something to consider. I mentioned it earlier in the book, but this position can cause you to compensate a little if you are not careful. There are some footplate extenders you can get that are a little wider, but it is an extra cost, but definitely something to consider if you need it. Second, the seat is a little higher, so it changes the angles at your ankles, knees, and hips. Not bad, just different. And lastly, the screen is down low on many models, so if you look at the numbers a lot, it might take a toll on your neck.  But the WaterRower comes in steel or wood, looks nice, and sounds cool.28 There are also some apps that work with this machine, so keep that in mind too. Not as many as with the Concept2, but still more than with off brand rowers.
 
Now let’s cover the “off” brand rowers. Pretty much any other brand is an “off” brand rower, such as: Lifestyle, NordicTrack, Sunny Health & Fitness, Stamina, etc. There really are so many that I won’t list them all. Each is a little different, but knowing the resistance differences might help point you in the right direction. Some of the key things to pay attention to are: how does it feel, do the numbers tell you the info you want, is it in the price range you want, and does it have all the features you want? For example, if you want to hook up to a program like ErgRow that monitors your meters, not all machines will do that. Same with hooking up a heart rate monitor, they won’t all do that either. If a machine doesn’t tell you the split or pace like mentioned earlier in this book, I personally wouldn’t buy it, as it won’t give you numbers that are helpful in setting goals and seeing improvements.
 
Regardless of the machine, every one varies in how it feels, so I recommend trying them out if you can. If you are going to look for a rowing machine on sale, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, indoor rowing competitions, and local Facebook CrossFit groups are great for searching. Depending on the machine, there are different things to look for. The basics include: does the screen turn on and work? Does the seat slide smoothly? Is it broken or chipped at all? Have they been keeping up with maintenance?
 
I hope that helps and feel free to reach out if you have questions!

If you found this helpful and want to learn more about rowing, checkout my book!

Did you go to the MD and they said...

"don't row, it's bad for your back!"

As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, I am not a huge fan of when people say this. Here's why.

First, it's common for people with back pain to stay stationary and not move. This is a behavior that is based on fear of pain. Then someone says not to move, and we fear moving even more. In reality, our bodies want movement, so when you have back pain, doing some stretching, and walking is actually beneficial and often makes you feel better.

Well, when someone says don't row, it's a similar fear component that happens. Not only that, but most people don't know how to row well, and with good form, so what makes you think your MD knows how to row?

Let me just paint an example. Let's say 1000 people go into an MD's office, and 100 of them said, I hurt my back rowing. Well now that MD has heard a lot of, ooooohhhh rowing and back pain must go together. Now, when someone says, hey I have back pain and I want to row, the MD says, not a good idea, because all that person sees is people getting hurt. The real question is...Hey Doc...Did you do some research on this? Do you know how to row? 

Personally, in the clinic, if someone tells me something and I see it a lot, I want to research and find out more info. Or go try it myself. When I first got out of PT school, I went and did Groupons for over 15 different gyms. I wanted to try Crossfit, Orange Theory, Boot Camps, Cycling classes, etc. I wanted to know what my clients were doing, what feedback they were getting, and how they might get hurt so that I could better help them. I can tell you that not a lot of people do that. Let alone the MD's. Now I am not saying some people don't do this, because some do, but not all docs will. So I beg you, please start a conversation with your MD if they say rowing is bad for your back. Do some research and be educated when you chat with them.

I have tons of videos on back pain and rowing, feel free to send them my way. If you know the things that might aggravate it while rowing, work on it and pay attention to your form, and continue to listen to your body, there is no reason that you should not be able to try rowing. Not only that, but you are just as likely to hurt yourself cycling (which causes tons of SIJ, low back injuries), or bending over to pick up your kids or a pencil. So please don't live in fear of movement. Strengthening the muscles and working on your form and rowing really can be amazing.

So start the conversation with your doc, because we all need to learn and progress together. Education is key!

This is one of the most common questions I get.

First, I want to say that this is my opinion as a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and please check with your surgeon. But I also want to say, please read my next blog post next week for more info on this.

However, I also believe that rowing is a fantastic activity to do and I explain in this video some reasons for that and some ways to avoid hurting your back.

I will follow this with a post I did in my Facebook group the other day and why I think having a conversation with your surgeon, especially if they say not to row, is really important. That will be coming soon! 

I have been working with a lot of OTF'ers lately, and there seems to be a lot of people getting plantar fasciitis, or ankle pain, or shin pain. So I made a video for some of them to help with some calf/achilles/platar fasciitis stuff. This isn't medical advice, but it's some tips and tricks that you can give a shot.

If you join the Facebook group below, you can always ask a question and I make a video like this one to try and help the best I can.
​
If you like this and want more information, follow me at:
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Pausing at the finish is something I see really often in crossfit gyms, especially around The Open workout time.

People often do this because they are out of breath, or they just don't know how to slow down.

Once you learn to control your rowing, you really shouldn't need to pause.

Pausing is not ideal when rowing. If you think about it in terms of rowing on a boat, if you pause, you are losing your momentum and making your recovery piece up the slide back to the catch a little more abrupt, which is not ideal.

I explain a lot of this in the video, check it out.

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​
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Do you ever feel like you aren't really pushing with your feet when you row?

Give this a shot! Try rowing strapless. Checkout the video to see what I mean and why it can be helpful!

If you like this and want more information, follow me at:
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YES!

​Definitely, you need a good posture when rowing, And the advisable posture for rowing is being straight and tall. Keeping the back not rounding at the beginning part and not going to far at the end.

If you like this and want more information, follow me at:
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You can also join our community of rowers!
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Try to relax and stay connected to the machine.
In this way, you will have control in rowing and not over using those shin muscles.
​
If you like this and want more information, follow me at:
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You can also join our community of rowers!
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