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Conditioning · Rowing

Reverse Rowing Pick Drill

The reverse rowing pick drill builds your rowing stroke from legs-only pushes to full strokes. It trains leg drive and the timing of your legs, torso, and arms.

  • Beginner
  • Low injury risk
  • Rest 30 sec
Video by The Strength Center on YouTube

How to do it

  1. Sit near the front with knees bent, shins nearly vertical, torso tilted slightly forward from your hips, and the handle held with straight arms.
  2. Push through your feet to straighten your legs, keeping your arms long and your torso angle unchanged.
  3. Slide forward by bending your knees to repeat the legs-only stroke.
  4. Progress to strokes that add a hip pivot toward a slight backward lean as your legs approach straight.
  5. Progress to full strokes by adding a handle pull toward your lower ribs after the hip pivot.
  6. Straighten your arms to move the handle away from your body.
  7. Hinge forward from your hips to restore your forward torso angle.
  8. Bend your knees to slide back to the starting position once the handle clears them.

Form cues

  • Keep your grip loose.
  • Let your shoulders stay low.
  • Make the transitions smooth.
  • Return slower than you drive.

Common mistakes

  • Seat shoots backward aloneKeep your trunk firm so the seat and handle move backward together during the leg drive.
  • Pulling with the arms earlyReturn to legs-only strokes until you can push without bending your elbows.
  • Leaning too far backFinish only slightly behind upright rather than reclining toward the rail.

Safety

Forceful strokes with a rounded back can strain your lower back. High resistance or abrupt pulls can also irritate your shoulders and elbows.

  • Adjust the foot supports so the straps cross the widest part of your feet.
  • Use light resistance and easy pressure while learning the sequence.
  • Stop the drill if fatigue prevents you from maintaining your position or timing.

If rowing causes back, knee, or shoulder pain, shorten the stroke and seek guidance from a physiotherapist before continuing.

Muscles worked

Front
Back

Primary muscles

  • Glutes
  • Quadriceps

Secondary muscles

  • Core
  • Hamstrings
  • Lats

Equipment

  • Rowing Ergometer

Sets and reps

Sets
2–3
Target
60–90 seconds
Rest
30 sec

Spend roughly equal time on legs-only, legs-plus-torso, and full strokes, advancing only when each stage feels controlled.

Variations

Easier