How to "Hang off the handle" when rowing - makes you row faster!

[@DrTattie]

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[@halley4032]

Great analogy, I have passed your video on to a few rowing mates, who sometimes don't quite 'get' this 'hanging off the handle' thing. As 'monkeys' we're designed to 'hang' and not particularly adept at lifting heavy stuff 😂

[@rowalong]

That’s such a good way to think about it!!

[@canningsimon]

When “the hang” is good the sense (and actual ) of power generated is glorious. Power strokes seem to help focus on the hang.

[@rowalong]

Power strokes are the time to let it shine. And to be honest, minimum drag factor rowing is too - because if you don't get that drag, it's really hard to put the power in. That's why the 'brute force' people tend to row with a higher drag factor.

[@donaldtallman]

Spot on, John! I’m going to forward this to some of my rowing buddies who still don’t get it!

[@rowalong]

I hope it helps - it’s my current ‘bug bear’ that I can’t stop talking about during rows - the importance of the hang.

[@peterallen4516]

I agree, not really hanging off on the warm ups but in the workout hanging off the handle really increases the split time. As a newbie to rowing these little tips have helped improve my times.

[@rowalong]

That’s great to know. I’m trying to make sure these little tips that I roll into the wider chat about technique in the main RowAlong workouts get a life of their own for just that reason.

[@hajnigettingabendonit]

This is brilliant, thanks.

[@rowalong]

I'm really pleased you liked it enough to comment. Thanks!!

[@markevans8761]

I like this. I found that if I bend my arms at the catch I get 'tennis elbow'. So much more power from 'hanging' - using shoulders and lats.

[@rowalong]

It’s really common. Tennis elbow / golfer’s elbow happens to loads of people who pull too early. Shoulder impingement too.

[@LaraAppsDataInsights]

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[@fak1rro]

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[@lmc4964]

the analogy I came across before is to think you are doing a deadlift , i probably have the opposite problem , when I get tired I feel like like my arms arent contributing enough at the end of the stroke , possibly my back is slouching or nor leveraging back far enough

[@rowalong]

Yeah. The deadlift push with the legs and straight arms is very close - although lots of people get confused with this example, thinking the rest of the stroke is the same as a deadlift. Which obviously, it isn’t! As to the arms, if you’re getting the hang right, they should take care of themselves at the back of the stroke as long as you finish at sternum height, and wrists flat. But there are a few things, like collapsed posture or yanking on the foot straps, so your knees pop up, that can get in the way of this.

[@DaveNeve]

Hello John and everyone. If I may, just a few comments to help others. When you row, your fingers are loose around the handle and this is the same grip that John uses here. But if you want to do any hanging or pull up exercise on the bar in general, then you need a special "hand well over the bar" grip (see videos on this) The reason is that your fingers are very unlikely to be strong enough to support your body weight for a long time, so the bar needs to be much more in the palm of your hand, and with a tighter grip than on the rowing machine. You would only use a grip more like John's here if you specifically want to do a finger/hand strengthening exercise, but your hang time would be a lot lower with such a "finger grip". To resume, I guess that pull ups are good for rowers, but use a "hand well over the bar" grip if doing them, not a finger grip.

[@ameliammartin]

I think this was really about rowing and a great demonstration on what hanging off the handle is.

[@garrybarton6038]

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[@kimbaldwin5163]

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[@paulwright3458]

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[@orangefuture4910]

I found that I wasn't able to get my heels buried into holders to get that hang. I moved straps away from my toes so that my heel tends not to lift as much now . You had said to me before to try the higher strap position as it helps with spring , but I lost drive.

[@rowalong]

It's great you've found the solution. I have to confess, it's really hard giving out specific advice without being next to someone. Videos work a lot of the time, but for something like this, it would be easier to advise in person, and adjust/compare as changes were made. The most important thing is that you're getting the power in now.

[@zenithartandfashion7411]

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[@elizabethbrignoni7448]

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