Conditioning · Rowing
Rowing Pause Drill
The Rowing Pause Drill adds a brief stop between strokes to practice recovery timing. It develops controlled leg drive and a smooth arms-body-legs return on a rowing machine.
- Beginner
- Low injury risk
- Rest 30 sec
How to do it
- Sit with your feet on the footplates, legs straight, torso leaning slightly back, and handle against your lower ribs.
- Extend your arms to move the handle away from your body.
- Pause for 1–2 seconds with your arms extended and legs straight.
- Hinge forward at your hips until your shoulders are slightly ahead of your hips.
- Bend your knees to slide toward the front until your shins are nearly vertical.
- Push against the footplates to straighten your legs, keeping your arms long.
- Pivot your torso slightly backward from your hips.
- Pull the handle toward your lower ribs with your elbows traveling past your torso.
Form cues
- Keep the handle path level.
- Breathe normally through the pause.
- Keep your shoulders relaxed.
Common mistakes
- Rushing after the pauseResume the slide gradually rather than racing toward the next stroke.
- Slumping during the stopStay tall through your trunk instead of letting your lower back round.
- Squeezing the handleHook your fingers loosely around the handle with your wrists straight.
Safety
Jerking against heavy resistance can strain your lower back or shoulders, especially as you tire.
- Secure the foot straps across the widest part of each foot.
- Warm up with a few minutes of easy, continuous rowing.
- Use a light-to-moderate resistance setting for this technique drill.
- End the interval when you can no longer restart smoothly.
If rowing causes back, hip, or knee pain, shorten the slide and seek advice from a physiotherapist before continuing.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Rowing Ergometer
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–4
- Target
- 30–60 seconds
- Rest
- 30 sec
Use the same pause point throughout each interval; prioritize timing rather than speed or distance.