Well, I’ve never had back problems (sometimes there are advantages to being short) and I coach high school girls so I rarely deal with back problems there. So I asked a crewmate of mine who’s a physical therapist what she thought.
For one, she thinks ergs are harder on your back than on the water rowing. She suggests trying no pressure erging using ideal form and seeing how your back feels and then gradually adding pressure. If your back starts to hurt, don’t row through the pain. Also, make sure you’re also doing core exercises, both ab and back. If your abs are strong, they’ll help out your back.
For technique, there’s a little animated gif on this page. You shouldn’t really be arching your lower back so much as just holding it erect. The back swing in the rowing stroke really comes from the hips and glutes. Your layback at the release should only be far enough to put your shoulders behind your hips and you should pull into right below the pecs (I always say the brastrap), keeping your shoulders open and back (not crunching forward). You can see how the degree of back swing in the gif is only maybe 15 degrees as the real power in the stroke comes from the legs. Anyway, hope this helps and your back gets better…
First off, the question is where is the line between being helpful or caring vs butting in? How many of you do not wear bike helmets when you ride a bike, or worse yet let your kids get away without wearing one. Much more likely to cause serious harm than squatting “wrong”. Should I stop and correct you? Should I stop your kid and tell them that should be wearing one. I have the expertise to do so: I both ride regularly and am a pediatrician. Should I roll down my window at a stoplight to comment on the kid unbuckled in the back of a car? (Early on my wife made me promise not to.) Simply put, unsolicited advice won’t usually be well recieved unless there is a relationship established first and usually even then.
Second on the subject of “the right way”. Seems like the data generally sucks and is poorly put forth. Hell when experts can’t even agree on what proper form for a lift is! Stretching (before activity) clearly does not prevent injuries but stretching after or during may help increase flexibilty … or not. Wouldn’t doing a variety of excercises (swim, bike, run, lift, etc.) and/or just lifting in full ranges and doing some yoga or Pilates inspired excercises do just as well?
Hey Fat Guy wants to act like he’s a personal trainer and his girlfreind wants to listen. Your only chance to change behavior was to develop a relationship first and this doesn’t sound like someone you’d want to get to know better. I’d steer clear.
Increased personal isolation is indeed a reality of modernity. Sociologists have written about it for years. Eitzen wrote that life in America is becoming socially fragmented because of excessive individualism and personal isolation (among other things including the widening income inequality gap and an increasing racial/sexual divide).
Although we are more open in a society about domestic violence, the fact remains that many times we feel we should “mind our own business”. When I worked at a domestic violence shelter I learned that alot of relatives never would think of calling the police because “they wanted to mind their own business”. These were people’s relatives, not some random stranger.
I just can’t understand how, if I was improperly using a rowing machine, and potentially hurting myself, I would be upset if you came over and said, “you may hurt your back doing it that way, I suggest you talk to the people here about the proper method”.
However, as I can see from your personal insults flung at me, you are the one who does not wish to approach others. I don’t understand the reason you found to insult me, but just like the “fat guy” in the gym, I guess you want me to “mind my own business”.
Interestingly enough, Eitzen also wrote that internet boards are one of the reasons for increased personal isolation.