April 4, 2017
Workout Strategy Why Foot Placement Matters So Much While Rowing
Do you lift your heels when you row? Are you predominately pushing through your heel or toe? Would you like use to rhyme the rest of the article? Today we’re talking about your ol’ stinky dogs and why they’re so important while you’re rowing.
When you squat (with a barbell or otherwise) and drive up, are you going to drive through your toes and lean back? If you answered yes, do not pass go and do not collect $200. The answer is NO and that is essentially what you’re doing when you lift your heel and push through the toe. Instead, we want you to think about dropping down, and just as you would when you come out of that squat, push up through the mid-foot. That’s exactly where we want you to push when rowing. Not predominately through the heel, not predominately through the toes, but right through the mid-foot for optimal connection with the machine.
When you push through the mid-foot it allows you to access the entirety of your body, including and ESPECIALLY, your legs! It taps into your posterior chain and allows you to start accessing that power that you have back there. And that, my friends, is where it is at, if you know what I mean. That’s what we care about, accessing that power, that force, that ability to drive into the machine. That’s where your speed comes from!
Having your feet in the correct position in the foot stretchers, with the strap across the widest point of your foot (think ball of the foot or shoelaces), is going to ensure that you’re in an appropriate position for optimal power. Once you’ve got that covered, now you have the ability to access that power point. Now let’s play a game called “Your Feet Are Too High.”
Feet too high >> hip impingement >> can’t get deep enough into the catch >> deviate to lifted heel so you get closer >> eaten by a troll.
To conclude, having your feet in the proper position, connecting with your full foot and pushing through your mid-foot will not only ensure nice power when rowing, it will save you from the trolls.
