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What are the best settings for the footrests?
Dominic Salles: "You were very helpful in persuading me to train for the 2,000 metres instead of the 10,000 metres. Unfortunately, I am finding it hard to work out an optimum setting for the footrests, as I find that I am not tiring my legs at all during a row unless rowing above 90% maximum heart rate. Even at 60%, however, I am getting some back problems, I assume because my pull uses too much back - last week two ribs were partially sprung.
"Can you please advise me on how to work out the correct leg and foot position?"
Terry O'Neill: I can try.
On the recovery focus your attention on the contact with the feet and the footplate.
At the finish, the contact is mainly on the heel and you will feel the foot strap on the upper side of the foot. As you swing your weight forward, the contact changes from the heel to the ball of the foot. You should feel the pressure building on the ball of the foot as you break your forward momentum to the point where you drive your body back. During this period the back, arms and shoulders are used solely to connect the handle to the footplate where the force is being developed. They are held firm and still so that as you change the emphasis from slowing the forward movement down to driving back, the seat and the handle move exactly the same distance. As the hands pass the feet then the back becomes dynamic and starts to swing back. As the handle passes the knees the legs should be almost flat and then the arms draw the handle into the body.
An exercise you can try is to sit at the beginning and just push the legs back one to two inches, holding the body and arms still so that the handle and seat are moving the same distance. By doing this you are isolating the legs at the beginning of the stroke and you will feel the loading on the legs.
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