It is clear that the build of rowers has changed since the early days of the sport. 40 years ago the average build of a rower was nothing extraordinary, their bodies being quite lean and not particularly tall. These days though, rowing performers have more developed physiques and are generally much larger. Rowers are now seletced when they are young if they show promising shape and what they eat is closely monitored in order to allow their bodies to develop in the right way. What then is the ideal rowers body and why?
Woman can often be as tall as surfboards, over 6'0" in some cases and men above 6'4". This length translates into lots of power during the stoke movement and means that each effort is more efficient than it would be of a smaller person. Squats are one of the most regular exercises that rowers do in the gym and this is to work on their legs which are insanely powerful. The two elements of a race where the legs are vital are during the take off phase and then to provide steady power for the duration. Therefore legs that are in good condition is of paramount importance. Next time you are at a rowing event, cycling along the river bank on your mountain bikes take a look at the legs of the rowers when they are pulling away from the start. You can witness the immense strength of the legs, which will shudder and strain. This is a force that most people could not withstand.
The upper and lower back of a rower is one other section that holds immense power. Often rowers have poor posture but like a duck, they may look ungainly on land but once in the water, their anatomy makes sense. Huge power can be cleaved from the back of a rower as they are well developed and rounded at the top. This not only provides explosive power but the development allows sustained work also. Lastly, whilst rowers are very well built, they actually have a great deal of slow-twitch fibres in their muscles (often associated with long distance athletes). This means they are able to sustain their activity for longer durations and can mean the difference between first or last place in the common long races. A lot of rowing events are long distance and you’ll see these are often suited to slighter body types. However, rowers also have a good amount of fast-twitch fibres which gives them the speed and power they need equally. For snowboards and canoes please visit EST.
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