Rowing is gaining popularity as a form of exercise both outdoors and indoors due to its ability to work the entire body, thereby increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of time used. Ultimately though, the muscles used while rowing depends on what stage of the row the rower is in. The four stages of rowing include the catch, the drive, the finish and the recovery.
The Catch
The catch stage is when the rower is positioned forward in the seat and is reaching forward just about to put the oars in the water. In this phase, the hamstrings are contracting to bend the knees, helping to bring the body forward. The abdominals are contracting to bend the trunk and allow for maximal reach. Finally, the shoulders and triceps are working to extend the arms as far as possible, which will allow for greatest amount of explosion through the drive phase.
The Drive
The drive phase is the phase when the rower dips the oars into the water and begins to drive through the water, creating the movement of the boat. In this stage, the quadriceps and glutes are firing to put as much strength and force into the stroke by extending the legs. The back and biceps are not only fighting against the counter force of the water, but they are also pulling the oars through the water, creating additional force to improve speed of the rower.
The Finish
The finish is the ending of the drive phase. At this point the legs are fully extended and the arms have pulled the arms in as close to the body as possible. The glutes, hamstrings, lower back and quads are contracting to maximize extension and utilize the strongest muscles in the body to create as much force and speed as possible. The upper back and biceps are still firing to continue the pull on the oars.
The Recovery
The recovery phase is about bringing the body back to the catch stage. The hamstrings are contracting to bend the knees and bring the seat forward. The abdominals are working to flex the trunk and perform the forward lean. Lastly the chest, shoulders and triceps are all working in unison to push the arms forward as far as possible.
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